Two Ear Worthy Comedy Podcasts: The Treacle People & Queernecks

Today, we have two comedy podcasts that I would call offbeat and yet wildly inventive and funny. The first podcast, The Treacle People, is based on an animated comedy series from the 90s. There are six new audio episodes to enjoy.

The second show, Queernecks, Queer people live everywhere. They may never have questioned their assumption that queer rural people don’t exist, and they get to learn about our experiences in a private setting. This podcast may challenge all your assumptions about LGBTQ+ people.
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The Treacle People

The Treacle People was an animated comedy TV series produced by  in the 90s. Now, the creators have dug the tapes out the attic and had it remastered for release on YouTube and Prime Video (here's a link)! 

Here's what creator Ian Russell says about the show: "I knew my Dad have wanted me to carry on, but I could never have raised the budget for another season of TV – but I did think it was possible we could do a podcast. So I got in touch with the original writer, Jonathan Trueman, and together we developed the scripts for a new audio-only series, set 20 years on from the original show."

He continues: "I tracked down the original voice cast, one of whom had since retired and one who’d gone on to win Tony Awards, but all were delighted to return, as was the original composer and sound designer. So in May 2024 we hired a studio and had a wonderful couple of days recording six brand-new episodes!

The creators decided to release it on Audible as a paid download. The creators of The Treacle People are Brian and Jonathan Trueman, who wrote the show, based on an original idea by the Dewhurst Family. Mike Furness and Iain Russell also developed the series for television.

Here’s the full story synopsis:

Welcome to Sabden, home of the mines that produce fully half of Britain’s treacle – the sticky stuff that goes into golden syrup, ginger beer and parkin cake. In this picturesque spot, where moobarks roam the fields and mischievous boggarts scamper around every corner, a proud industry flourishes – or rather, used to flourish. Because once again, the mines have run out of treacle, and the villagers find themselves in a decidedly sticky situation…

But hope is at hand! A mysterious message in a bottle leads Tapper, Lil and the rest of our friends on an epic quest to retrieve riches beyond their wildest dreams. With the help of their trusty Treacle Tracker, they’ll descend to the very depths of the earth, cross the Molasso Sea, tame the Great White Mallard, Moby Duck, and enter the fabled Mines of King Habbakuk.

Will they find the treasure? Will they make it out alive? And will we now find a budget for some decent locations, given that we’re doing this on audio? 

Find out the answers to all this and much, much more in The Treacle People: Still Sticky. 

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Queernecks Podcast
Creators and co-hosts Beck and Dash insist: "They’re not disparate themes. Queer people live everywhere. But you’re not alone in thinking that way, which is one reason so many people from outside Appalachia are responding to the show. They may never have questioned their assumption that queer rural people don’t exist, and they get to learn about our experiences in a private setting."

They continue: "We made it because we missed our community after growing old and moving away to find work. There may be queer people in Appalachia, but there isn’t much work in a lot of places."

Dash explains: "I’m from eastern Kentucky, and Beck is from the OH/WV border. We’re of the generation that was impacted by both the HIV/AIDS and opioid epidemics. We’ve lost friends and family to both. We now both work as professors of cultural studies and carry those insights into the show as well."

Dash continues: "As podcasters, we're total newbies. We decided to do this as best we can and stay nimble. People from backgrounds like ours have a lot to share about adaptability and resilience. Living in a historically blue and economically privileged area has now shown me that there are a lot of people in America facing the loss of liberty and fear of systemic oppression for the first time in their lives. They need role models like rednecks, people of color, immigrants, and people living with disabilities to see that they can be capable of more than what our current overlords want them to feel like they are."

Dash adds: "Moreover, that surviving this doesn’t mean compromising your authenticity or losing your sense of humor. On our show, we don’t shy away from discussing real topics, but we also won't lose our sense of joy. Our show is self-care and community care on the airwaves. We’re getting into interviewing guests now and hoping more people understand that their voices belong on the airwaves, too."

To summarize, Queernecks is a podcast created by two queer rednecks from Appalachia. Hosted with humor, heart, and cultural insight, the show explores what it means to be queer in rural spaces—and what those experiences can teach about resilience, adaptability, and community. The co-hosts don’t shy away from tough realities, but we refuse to lose our joy. The show is as much self-care and community care as it is storytelling.
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 We asked Dash and Beck about their goals for the show.

Dash and Beck answered: "At its core, our goal is to make space—for ourselves, for our listeners, and for rural queer voices more broadly. We want people to know they’re not alone, whether they’re in Appalachia or anywhere else that feels isolated. We also hope to expand the conversation by bringing in guests whose voices deserve to be heard on the air waves, too. In the long term, we want Queernecks to be a reminder that survival doesn’t require erasing your authenticity or your sense of humor—and that queer joy is as vital as queer struggle."

 

The podcast episodes are well-produced, featuring strong sound quality, engaging intro music, and two novice co-hosts who invite us into their world. 

In episode 17 -- 
Wow, That's a Lot of Two Dollar Bills -- for example, Dash and Beck delve into conversations about favorite movies, including horror films and the cultural impact of the first R-rated movies they watched. The hosts also reflect on queer representation in media, sharing personal anecdotes about their early encounters with LGBTQ+ visibility on television. They discuss mid-century and modern depictions of queer characters and the societal impact of these representations. The episode also explores the cultural significance of Mountain Dew in Appalachia and introduces quirky elements, such as chickens and roosters. 

It's one of my favorite episodes, mixing humor, satire, pop culture criticism, and LGBTQ+ stereotypes. 

Queernecks isn' just another LGBTQ+ podcast. It is a show that excels at breaking things-- Stereotypes, myths, homophobia, misinformation, and, most of all, narrow-mindedness. 

Homophobes can be Christians hiding behind a Bible passage, people scurrying for cover under the guise of traditional values, or moral fascists who insist that we all conform to their lifestyle. Dash and Beck from Queernecks transmit a critical message to society: "Hey, we are not any different from you."

 

As U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships - the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together, in the same world at peace."