Having returned to full time work, I’ve resumed my podcast habit. As a coder, you need some white noise while you work. I’ve been listening Spotify playlists and youtube music videos but they’ve been getting repetitive.

When I used to listen to podcasts, I had three favorites. Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, WTF, and Comedy Death Ray which became Comedy Bang Bang.

I always had a weird relationship with Comedy Bang Bang. There were times when it was incredibly funny, like you were eavesdropping on a group of your funniest friends. Other times it seemed like a group of celebrities laughing at their own non-jokes, like you were eavesdropping on a group of your most pompous, stoned friends.

I was fascinated by Jean Shepherd for creating thousands of episodes of content over decades that inspired devoted fans. Comedy Bang Bang is similar. There are hundreds of episodes at an hour and a half each with a stable of improvisers and actors who rotate in and out. There are some classic characters that keep returning and spawn podcasts of themselves.

(There’s also a television show but I never watched it.)

Like all entertainment that I love, it’s gotten me through hard times. One time in particular, I remember queueing up the Michael Ian Black and Seth Morris episode on my iPod and walking through Williamsburg and it made me feel better every time.

Lately I’ve been revisiting some of my favorite bits from the podcast and passing them on to friends who haven’t heard them. Here are five.

Don Dimello

Don Dimello is a theatrical director played by Andy Daly. The joke is basically that he’s a dirty old man. The above clip also features Patton Oswalt. Whenever Daly brings up, “something for Daddy,” I can’t keep it together.

Tom Leykis

This is an episode with Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas, and James Adomian as Tom Leykis. Like with a few other Adomian characters, I thought that this character was fictional. Sadly, Tom Leykis is a real guy and Adomian has him down in all his misogynist glory. One of the best parts of this episode is listening to Amy Poehler laugh uncontrollably at Adomian’s impression.

New No No’s

I’m always amazed at random comedy, jokes that make me say, “How the hell did they come up with that?” As someone who also hates straight shooters who are just telling it like it is, this clip is brilliant. If you’re ever cheesed off, you’ll enjoy.

iBrain

I saw Brett Gelman improvise on Harold Night at the UCB on 22nd street with a team called Ice 9. He didn’t strike me as a genius at the time but after listening to this clip, I think he is one. iBrain has made me laugh more than most of my favorite comedy albums. This is also from the days when the show was called Comedy Death Ray. I love the faux outrage of the other comedians listening to the story as well as Gelman’s commitment to the seriousness of his message. “Please, this is about our world right now.”

Bob Ducca

Bob Ducca is one of my favorite comedic characters ever. I saw Seth Morris at the UCB on 26th Street and I thought he was a genius even then. He’s a perpetually injured sad man who lists his ailments. I can’t do it justice through description. Just listen. (And if you search, there’s even more to be found. You’re welcome.)