If you spend any time browsing through the TV & Film Categories on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app, you will quickly discover that podcasts in this space can fall into one of a few formats: TV/Film Review, After Shows, TV/Film History, Celebrity Interviews, Episode-by-Episode Breakdowns, and Celebrity-Hosted Retrospectives about their earlier shows. It’s a cluttered space with a lot of content.
Therefore, podcast creators have to craft a show that speaks directly to their audience, has continuity and consistency, and at the same time entertains the listeners, so they want to come back again and again.
Often, it seems podcast hosts and creators forget that the audience is the hero. You are creating a show for them. Yet many shows ramble on, are disconnected, drag, and ultimately lead to a bad experience for the audience. It’s a common issue—finding shows that keep us coming back for more.
However, the Kinda Funny Reactions: TV & Movie Reviews Podcast nails it. Hosts Tim Gettys, Nick Scarpino, Joey Noelle, and Kevin Coello have found the sweet spot in terms of crafting the perfect review podcast.
The Critics
Long ago, two voices stood out as the critics of a generation. They were loved and loathed, but always respected. Siskel and Ebert were the gold standard. They knew the dance that would satisfy an audience. They opinions were always certain, direct, and to the point. And while emotion played into the assessments they made, they could always back up their insights with facts that went deeper than feelings. They were also willing to disagree with each other and challenge the assumptions in their respective statements.
That same level of insight, banter, knowledge, emotion, and attention to the audience can be found in Kinda Funny Reactions. They take the time to do the work, craft the show, and reach their audience with trusted feedback on the TV shows and films climbing the charts in today’s saturated market.
A Lot to Get Right
As every podcast host knows, it’s the details that make or break it—they determine whether the audience loves what they hear or not. Kinda Funny Reactions gets so many things right while putting their listeners and viewers first.
Pace, Tempo, and Length. These three little words define what many podcasts miss. With an average length of 25–30 minutes, each episode is long enough to dig into the featured show or film while not being so long that fans tune out. This seems to be a newer change, and it’s made each episode easier to digest. The pace and tempo move well as the host’s banter, knowledge, and willingness to challenge one another keep things moving throughout the conversation.
Marriage of Formats. Why use a single show format when you can approach different shows and films in a way that best suits each specific piece of content? Some shows and films are broken into multiple episodes while others have just one. Some episodes are overarching, while others dive into a specific episode or detail of the content. One constant is that each episode provides reviews, reactions, and a deeper understanding of the content discussed.
Coming back to the audience, Kinda Funny Reactions does what every show should do: they allow the audience to decide how they want to consume the content. Want to listen to it? Great. Check it out on your favorite podcast outlet. Want to watch it? Awesome. It’s on YouTube. Want to listen to the episode or watch it without ads? Perfect. Go support the show on Patreon. They are allowing the audience to effectively engage with the show.
Another aspect that sets Kinda Funny Reactions apart is its number of hosts. Tim, Nick, Joey, and Keven are able to cover more shows to review, offer differing perspectives, and take turns hosting. While this might seem like it could make creating each episode a little more difficult, it doesn’t. Rather, it seems to add more color and richness to the show overall.
Lessons Learned
Since you are reading this in Podcast Magazine®, you most likely already love this medium. Whether you’re a host or listener, the takeaway from this article is the same:
You should check out Kinda Funny Reactions, especially if you love TV & Film. Beyond that, it’s a lesson on how to do a podcast right: how to create a show that will entertain your audience and turn them into passionate fans. Their rankings on podcast charts prove it, and their reviews demonstrate it. So go enjoy the show, and if you are a podcast host, listen in to learn how to improve your show from one that has mastered the art of putting its audience first. You won’t regret it, and you’ll have some fun along the way.
July 2021 Issue
