The Best Show on WFMU
Every Tuesday - 9pm - 12am
WFMU.org
What is The Best Show?
In short, three hours of mirth, music and mayhem.
In not so short, The Best Show is a weekly radio show on WFMU, a freeform radio station broadcasting from Jersey City, NJ. It's hosted by Mr. Tom Scharpling.
Alright. So who is Tom Scharpling?
Tom is a comedian and television writer. He's57 41. He's a fairly accomplished guy, and what better than WikiPedia to tell you about that: Tom's Wiki.
What is The Best Show about? What can I expect?
Well, this is where it gets tough. It's not entirely easy to describe and upon first listen it might not "click" with you. But once you get to know the show's rhythms and become familiar with Tom as a host, you realize that this is one of the greatest pieces of culture in America today.
A quick and dirty explanation is that The Best Show is a comedy show. Much of the show sees Tom taking calls from folks both regular and random and from a very diverse cross section of humanity. For example, two regular callers couldn't be more diametric opposites - the charming and intelligent 10 year old from Minnesota, Milo and the undescribably odd and creepy, Larry the Perv. There's more than a few callers you can expect to hear on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and getting to know them is one of The Best Show's greatest pleasures.
There's also another sort of caller and we're treated to these once every few weeks or so. These calls or drop in visits come from a variety of unbelievable characters. From the two-inch racist, Timmy von Trimble to "Philly Boy Roy" Zeigler, these characters emanate from the mind and body of Tom's partner in hilarity, Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster. If you read that WikiPedia link above, you know that the duo have released five very well received albums featuring this material. These calls and appearances never fail to amaze.
The Best Show also has a ton of celebrity fans, many of whom appear on the show fairly frequently. Notable guests include comedians Paul F. Tompkins, Patton Oswalt, John Hodgman, Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim and Jen Kirkman, among many others; musicians such as Ted Leo, Andrew WK, Aimee Mann and Damian Abraham of Fucked Up. There's a larger list of Best Show guests on WikiPedia here.
Okay, I'm sold, how do I listen?
The Best Show airs every Tuesday night in its current time slot of 9 pm to Midnight. If you're fortunate enough to live in the areas of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania that receive WFMU broadcasts, you can listen right on that radio thingie you might remember from when you were a kid - 91.1 FM from Jersey City or 90.1 FM out of Mount Hope, NY. If you don't, WFMU offers a plethora of live audio streaming options on WFMU.org.
But wait, there's more! WFMU maintains an archived catalog of Best Show episodes dating back to 2000 (Archives) and new episodes are available in podcast format. Due to licensing issues, music from the show is removed for the podcast.
Best Show Gems
The Best Show Gems is essentially a "greatest hits" of calls and moments from the past ten years and an amazing way to acclimate yourself with the The Best Show. You'll hear classic Scharpling and Wurster skits, hilarious phone-ins and more, all of which are very indicative of what the show is like week to week, without having to listen to a three hour episode of something you haven't heard before. These are released every two weeks and should probably be the first step in your Best Show listening career.
Resources
WFMU.org
The Best Show Archives
The Best Show on iTunes
The Best Show Gems on iTunes
Friends of Tom
Friends of Tom Forums
---
I don't expect a ton of discussion in this thread at first as I'm not sure just how many current listeners there are on GAF, outside of BenjaminBirdie (whose debt I will forever be in for introducing me to The Best Show, by the way). But hopefully this motivates you to go back and listen to some recent archives, check out The Best Show Gems or begin listening live. The Best Show has become one of my favorite and most cherished pieces of entertainment and although it's already very popular, it deserves a hell of a lot more recognition.
Every Tuesday - 9pm - 12am
WFMU.org
What is The Best Show?
In short, three hours of mirth, music and mayhem.
In not so short, The Best Show is a weekly radio show on WFMU, a freeform radio station broadcasting from Jersey City, NJ. It's hosted by Mr. Tom Scharpling.
Alright. So who is Tom Scharpling?
Tom is a comedian and television writer. He's
What is The Best Show about? What can I expect?
Well, this is where it gets tough. It's not entirely easy to describe and upon first listen it might not "click" with you. But once you get to know the show's rhythms and become familiar with Tom as a host, you realize that this is one of the greatest pieces of culture in America today.
A quick and dirty explanation is that The Best Show is a comedy show. Much of the show sees Tom taking calls from folks both regular and random and from a very diverse cross section of humanity. For example, two regular callers couldn't be more diametric opposites - the charming and intelligent 10 year old from Minnesota, Milo and the undescribably odd and creepy, Larry the Perv. There's more than a few callers you can expect to hear on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and getting to know them is one of The Best Show's greatest pleasures.
There's also another sort of caller and we're treated to these once every few weeks or so. These calls or drop in visits come from a variety of unbelievable characters. From the two-inch racist, Timmy von Trimble to "Philly Boy Roy" Zeigler, these characters emanate from the mind and body of Tom's partner in hilarity, Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster. If you read that WikiPedia link above, you know that the duo have released five very well received albums featuring this material. These calls and appearances never fail to amaze.
The Best Show also has a ton of celebrity fans, many of whom appear on the show fairly frequently. Notable guests include comedians Paul F. Tompkins, Patton Oswalt, John Hodgman, Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim and Jen Kirkman, among many others; musicians such as Ted Leo, Andrew WK, Aimee Mann and Damian Abraham of Fucked Up. There's a larger list of Best Show guests on WikiPedia here.
Okay, I'm sold, how do I listen?
The Best Show airs every Tuesday night in its current time slot of 9 pm to Midnight. If you're fortunate enough to live in the areas of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania that receive WFMU broadcasts, you can listen right on that radio thingie you might remember from when you were a kid - 91.1 FM from Jersey City or 90.1 FM out of Mount Hope, NY. If you don't, WFMU offers a plethora of live audio streaming options on WFMU.org.
But wait, there's more! WFMU maintains an archived catalog of Best Show episodes dating back to 2000 (Archives) and new episodes are available in podcast format. Due to licensing issues, music from the show is removed for the podcast.
Best Show Gems
The Best Show Gems is essentially a "greatest hits" of calls and moments from the past ten years and an amazing way to acclimate yourself with the The Best Show. You'll hear classic Scharpling and Wurster skits, hilarious phone-ins and more, all of which are very indicative of what the show is like week to week, without having to listen to a three hour episode of something you haven't heard before. These are released every two weeks and should probably be the first step in your Best Show listening career.
Resources
WFMU.org
The Best Show Archives
The Best Show on iTunes
The Best Show Gems on iTunes
Friends of Tom
Friends of Tom Forums
---
I don't expect a ton of discussion in this thread at first as I'm not sure just how many current listeners there are on GAF, outside of BenjaminBirdie (whose debt I will forever be in for introducing me to The Best Show, by the way). But hopefully this motivates you to go back and listen to some recent archives, check out The Best Show Gems or begin listening live. The Best Show has become one of my favorite and most cherished pieces of entertainment and although it's already very popular, it deserves a hell of a lot more recognition.
