TV's Top 5 Podcast: Smart Talk About The Boob Tube

 When you do a search on the internet for best TV podcasts, the return you get is often shows that are rewatch podcasts where a TV show's episodes are reviewed in detail. There are still several LOST podcasts that flyspeck every episode for subtle clues such as Fibonacci sequences, Morse Code with fingers, and clouds over the island that signal secret messages. 

Any popular TV show, streaming or broadcast, will engender podcasts that review the show's episodes. Why? Because the podcast will have a built-in audience. The millions of fans who watch the show.  

TV's Top 5 podcast by The Hollywood Reporter isn't like those shows. It's more of an inside baseball type show about television. Each episode features The Hollywood Reporter's West Coast TV Editor Lesley Goldberg and Chief TV Critic Daniel Fienberg breaking down the latest industry headlines. 

The podcast began in December 2018, with regular weekly episodes, and the show has now released more than 200 shows. Over the run of the show, the episode time has grown from about 40 minutes to over an hour. Thankfully, there is enough content to justify such a time increase.

The podcast is broken into five segments, offering a deep-dive analysis of the latest TV news and a critical look at current and upcoming shows. Every episode of the weekly podcast includes an in-depth interview with "one of the industry's most powerful showrunners or an up-and-coming new voice."

For example, In June 2023, the podcast welcomed the entire creative team of ABC's sitcom Happy Endings (2011-2013), which was truly one of the most underrated sitcoms. In February 2023, the show welcomed Stephen Falk, the showrunner to the Apple TV + SF / comedy / drama show Hello Tomorrow with Hank Azaria, Billy Crudup, and Alison Pill, and Haneefah Wood.

These conversations are not celebrity interviews that also include a funny anecdote, a plug for the show, and oodles of Kumbaya. Instead, they are incisive discussions on how shows are created, developed, produced, and improved constantly. In essence, they are a fascinating insight into the creative process.

The show has a range as wide as the Webb Telescope. Topics can include baseball on TV, breaking down the past and future of Netflix's Stranger Things, Mayim Bialik on Jeopardy, Hallmark holiday movies, and the streaming strategy of Peacock. 

The show is like the jumbo butter popcorn of TV topics. 

Much of the credit for the podcast's longevity and success can be attributed to co-hosts Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg. There is a natural connection between the two, with a witty back and forth that doesn't interfere with the TV topics. It's like there they're cubicle roomies at work, and you're just eavesdropping on their natural conversations.

Unlike the Ringer entertainment podcasts that tend to have young men who are "bros" and seem to possess the intellectual flexibility of concrete, Fienberg and Goldberg bring distinct perspectives on entertainment and culture, which enables listeners to receive a more expansive view on TV and its impact on society and culture. 

Fienberg and Goldberg often conduct joint interviews with guests, such as the July 28th discussion with The Hollywood Reporter's Alex Ross. The duo handles these interviews with such a seamless dexterity that they flow with a cadence that is pleasing to the ear and stimulating to the mind.

Fienberg's reviews are especially thoughtful and realistic. It's so tempting for TV critics to attack TV shows that are made for a mass -- or crass -- audience and do the elitist, nose-up thing, condemning the show for its lowbrow quality. Fienberg has said on numerous occasions that his reviews ask this essential question: Does the TV show ultimately achieve its goal of what it aspires to be for a specific audience. So a reality show is not necessarily a piece of crap. Or a long-running show like Blue Bloods, which is highly watched by viewers who remember Captain Kangaroo on TV. 

Goldberg's recent commentary about the late Sinead O'Conner was both moving and emotionally resonant. Goldberg's business acumen and interviewing chops make her a valuable presence on the show.

If you are a listener of The Town with Matt Belloni, The Business with Kim Masters or Downstream with Julia Alexander and Jason Snell, TV's Top 5 can round out your masterclass in the entertainment industry. 

I highly recommend TV's Top 5 podcast for those who are fascinated by the business of TV entertainment. The bonus for listeners is that co-hosts Daniel Fienberg and Lesley Goldberg are always engaging, often quick-witted, and appropriately caustic.