After his show on Comedy Central got canceled, along with virtually everything but the Daily Show, Daniel Tosh seemed content to go back to stand up and live off the millions he made making fun of internet clips for eleven years. The comedian is also known as somewhat of a recluse who doesn’t hang out much with other comedians or go on other comic’s podcasts very often. Here’s a clip of Joe Rogan talking about him. So, it was somewhat surprising last year when he teamed up with iHeart to start his own podcast. As a fan of his I know that I’m somewhat biased, but after watching most of the 85 episodes he’s put out so far on YouTube, it’s clear to me that he’s created a formula that would work well for some radio talent if they localized and personalized it. Here are a few things radio could learn from Daniel’s podcast.
He starts every show with a few minute rant about something either topical that he has a hot take on or something relatable from his life that he can make fun of. These are all off the cuff and funny. This acts as a great anchor for the show because it appeals to people who are already a fan of his but may not care about the guest they’re seeing in the thumbnail. Obviously, the fact that he’s a seasoned comic will make this hard for other talent to recreate but using an opening as a way to expand on something topical, person or local that we touched on during our on-air show is a great way to begin a podcast episode. We should follow his lead and keep it relatively tight though.
However, the best example he sets for radio talent looking for inspiration on what to do with their own podcasts is his selection of guests. In the first few episodes Tosh made it clear that he did not want to be like every other comic’s podcast and have on a bunch of other famous comedians every week. Instead, he chose to talk to regular people that he finds interesting. Many of his guests have been from blue collar fields, a mechanic, his contractor, a car wash guy, his producer’s plumber and a teamster’s president. Some are industry adjacent, his favorite camera man, AV guy, his stylist and a standup promoter. A few give fans a window into the celebrity lifestyle, his personal chef, a luxury travel agent, a rare cars guy, a sommelier and a celebrity hair doctor. Plus, he’s interviewed many of his family members, his wife, son and father-in-law. Don’t get me wrong, he has had the occasional celebrity on, golf champion Michelle Wie, the Fyre Festival guy, former NBA player Chandler Parsons and rock climber Alex Honnold. But, the glue that holds all of this together and makes it work is that Tosh is A) able to make anything funny and B) he prepares thoughtful questions and has real conversations with his guests where he comes across as genuinely interested in their craft and background.
Occasionally, Daniel Tosh does something else I see a lot of podcasters doing that I’m a big believer in, emergency podcasts on a massive topic everyone is talking about. These are shorter episodes that can be put out at any time to supplement the regular, weekly episodes. Daniel’s done emergency pods to go off on Aaron Rodgers, share his personal experience from the LA wildfires, talk about the Nextdoor scandal, rant about the election and Olympics, and tell the way-too-personal story of his vasectomy.
It's still early in the show, less than a year and a half, so the Tosh Show podcast is still building and it’s nowhere near Rogan or Theo Von numbers yet. But it’s getting more than enough downloads, impressions and views to generate healthy revenue. Which proves that having fellow celebrities on each week isn’t the only formula for a successful comedy podcast. I would encourage all radio talent who podcast, or are considering starting one, to watch or listen to a couple of episodes, then comment below or email me at Andy@RadioStationConsulatnt.com with your thoughts.