We tracked 104 episodes across 20 major shows, and counting. Here are the ten worth your time, updated weekly, with the full calendar.
The short answer
Start with Ben Affleck on New Heights, a movie star hanging out with the Kelces. Then Martin Short on Conan, the purest comedy hour of the month. All ten picks play right here. We add new episodes every week until Oct 31. Last updated October 21.
| # | Show | Subject | Date | Why it matters | Jump |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Heights | Ben Affleck | Oct 7 | A movie star, the Kelces and the week in football | Read |
| 2 | Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend | Martin Short | Oct 19 | Two of comedy's best talkers | Read |
| 3 | Joe Rogan Experience | LL Cool J | Oct 7 | Hip-hop history from someone who made it | Read |
| 4 | Club Shay Shay | Skip Bayless | Oct 1 | Sports TV's loudest duo, back in one room | Read |
| 5 | Flagrant | 50 Cent | Oct 15 | Street Fighter season on Flagrant | Read |
| 6 | Armchair Expert | James McAvoy | Oct 12 | A near-death story and a directing debut | Read |
| 7 | SmartLess | Jessica Biel | Oct 13 | Days before the Hollywood Bowl | Read |
| 8 | Kill Tony | Wheeler Walker Jr. and Sam Tripoli | Oct 1 | The stand-up pick | Read |
| 9 | This Past Weekend | Nick Saban | Oct 6 | The sideline fury was a tactic | Read |
| 10 | Good Mythical Morning | Best foods at Disney | Oct 19 | The comfort pick, made in Burbank | Read |
Why it mattersA movie star hanging out with the Kelces, plus the biggest Eagles story of the week.
Affleck admitted he curses back at kids who taunt him in online shooter games (TMZ). The same episode covered Jason Kelce's longtime Eagles linemate Lane Johnson, who retired Oct 6 after 14 seasons, two Super Bowls and six Pro Bowls.
Why it mattersTwo of the best talkers in comedy, no agenda, for an hour.
Martin Short is back for a return visit. If you only listen to one pure comedy episode this month, make it this one.
Why it mattersThree hours of hip-hop history from someone who helped write it, with no project to sell.
LL Cool J goes back to the early days of hip-hop and working with Rick Rubin, then on to jiu-jitsu and AI. He also told Rogan he is "100%" sure ancient civilizations are buried under Antarctica's ice.
Why it mattersSports TV's loudest duo, back in the same room and looking back on the run.
The two-part reunion was taped in the LA area, per Front Office Sports. Both say FOX ended Undisputed against their wishes, and both sound like they have moved on in a good way.
Them shoving you out the back door was the best thing that ever happened.
Skip Bayless, to Shannon Sharpe
Why it mattersOne of the funniest guests in hip-hop, in the middle of a movie press run.
50 Cent sat down with Andrew Schulz and Akaash Singh during the press run for the new Street Fighter movie. Pair it with Cody Rhodes on Oct 8, who came on with his own behind-the-scenes stories from the film.
Why it mattersA great actor at his most open, promoting his first film as a director.
McAvoy told Dax Shepard that a 2017 lung biopsy "was botched, and I nearly died" when his lung collapsed at home (Hello!). He is out promoting his directing debut, California Schemin'.
Why it mattersSmartLess in its best month ever, four days before it made history at the Hollywood Bowl.
Jessica Biel sits down with Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes. Four days later the three of them played the Hollywood Bowl, billed as the first podcast taping in the venue's history.
Why it mattersUnscripted stand-up, open mic style, with two strong panelists.
Wheeler Walker Jr. and Sam Tripoli join Tony Hinchcliffe on the panel. Kill Tony started at The Comedy Store on Sunset and now records at the Comedy Mothership in Austin.
Why it mattersThe most successful college coach of his era revealed that the sideline fury was a tactic.
Saban told Von his famous sideline intensity was a calculated strategy, not emotion (OutKick). It is the rare sports interview that works for people who do not watch football. Josh Brolin followed on Oct 13.
Why it mattersThe month's comfort pick, from a studio in Burbank.
Rhett and Link rank the best foods at Disney. GMM has posted every weekday this month, 13 episodes by Oct 19, all from Mythical's Burbank studio.
Two October episodes are re-releases, badged in the calendar below. Call Her Daddy's Denise Huskins episode (Oct 16) is a Flashback Friday that first aired April 2, 2024. SmartLess with Ben Affleck (Oct 8) is labeled a re-release by the show.
All 104 episodes through Oct 19 from the 20 shows we track, each linked straight to the episode. Filter by category, then open the show you want. IMPAULSIVE and the Lex Fridman Podcast have not posted yet this month.
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| Oct 1 | David Grusch |
| Oct 2 | Sean Sharaf |
| Oct 7 | LL Cool J |
| Oct 8 | Dan McClellan |
| Oct 9 | Dan Richards |
| Oct 15 | Michael Douglas |
| Oct 16 | Cody Tucker |
| Oct 17 | Mariana van Zeller |
Nothing from IMPAULSIVE (Logan Paul) yet this month.
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| Oct 1 | KT #788 - WHEELER WALKER JR + SAM TRIPOLI |
| Oct 13 | KT #789 - TIM BUTTERLY +KIRK FOX |
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| Oct 1 | Caleb Pressley (#686) |
| Oct 2 | Zohran Mamdani (#687) |
| Oct 6 | Candace Owens (#688) |
| Oct 6 | Nick Saban (#689) |
| Oct 13 | Josh Brolin (#690) |
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| Oct 4 | How to Heal Your Trust Issues |
| Oct 7 | The Unknowns of Motherhood |
| Oct 12 | I am Jane Doe |
| Oct 14 | Heather McMahan: Dog Shows, Neck Lifts & Airport Fits |
| Oct 16 | Denise Huskins: My Kidnapping Story Rerun |
Nothing from Lex Fridman Podcast yet this month.
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| Oct 6 | Bobby Is Tone Tone Galore (Ep 341) |
| Oct 13 | Old White and Dumb (Ep 342) |
| Oct 19 | Andrews Birthday & Greyhound Nightmares (Ep 343) |
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| Oct 5 | Michael Douglas |
| Oct 8 | Ben Affleck Re-release |
| Oct 13 | Jessica Biel |
| Oct 19 | Colman Domingo |
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| Oct 2 | "Saving Grace" (The Scary Tapes) |
| Oct 5 | Grilled or Fried? |
| Oct 9 | "These Hollows and Rivers" (The Scary Tapes) |
| Oct 12 | Bob's One Man Show (Part 2) |
| Oct 12 | Our Strange Addiction |
| Oct 16 | "Copper Point" (The Scary Tapes) |
Our pick is Ben Affleck on New Heights (Oct 7), a movie star hanging out with Travis and Jason Kelce in the week Lane Johnson retired. Close behind: the Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe reunion on Club Shay Shay, and Nick Saban on Theo Von.
Yes. SmartLess taped live at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct 17, 2026, billed as the first podcast taping in the Bowl's history. It was rescheduled from November 2025 because of extreme weather, and Will Ferrell opened the night singing "O Canada."
Of the shows we track, Good Mythical Morning (Burbank) and Call Her Daddy (Los Angeles office) are LA-based, and Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend has a long history of LA live tapings. The Joe Rogan Experience and Kill Tony record in Austin, Theo Von is based in Nashville, and The Pat McAfee Show is in Indianapolis.
No. The Oct 16 episode is tagged FBF, the show's Flashback Friday re-release format. It first aired April 2, 2024. SmartLess's Oct 8 Ben Affleck episode is also a re-release.
Across the 20 major shows we track, 104 episodes through Oct 19. The Pat McAfee Show and Good Mythical Morning led with 13 each, then PBD Podcast with 11. IMPAULSIVE and the Lex Fridman Podcast had not posted yet. We update the count every week until Oct 31.
Start with Ben Affleck on New Heights. The easiest hour of the month.
Then Skip and Shannon, back in the same room, and taped in LA.
And for pure comedy, Martin Short on Conan.
Get November's ten picks the day they drop. We do this every month, and it goes out first in The LA Today Newsletter, free, with the full calendar attached. Subscribe free