I am new to podcasts. I enjoy the content when they eventually get around to discussing the topic at hand. For example, I tried listening to Stuff You Missed in History Class, but the first ten minutes consisted of the hosts blabbing on about their own personal stuff. I want to hear the interesting stuff, more like a Ted Talk, except as a podcast.
I enjoy true crime, history, human interest stories, humor, Radiolab and most things on NPR. Does anyone have good suggestions for really engaging podcasts that don’t begin with hosts talking about their last pizza delivery or Uber ride?
@Lindagaf - my theater and film buff friend and I really enjoy the podcast You Must Remember This - I don’t think there was ever “chatter” - Also Sam Jones’ Off Camera -
Both are really interesting (to us).
Lol @Lindagaf, I scroll through the intro stuff also!
I’ve been listening to Hope through History by Jon Meacham and there was no intro or if there was, it was very short. The Daily gets right into the topic. Throughline by PBS gets right into the subject. And Into the Dark is in its 3rd season which I haven’t listened to but season 1 & 2 were very, very good.
If anyone likes sports, the ESPN 30 for 30 podcasts are very interesting.
Hardcore History with Dan Carlin is fantastic if you are OK with the unvarnished, often brutal truth of human history. A good introduction would be Prophets of Doom, an episode about “Prophets and Preachers” taking over the city of Munster in Germany during the age of Martin Luther. Carlin just dives right into it from moment one on all of his podcasts. I believe they are $2 per episode or thereabouts.
Thank you folks. I’d love to hear any other suggestions.
Love The Moth, also the Gist, Daily and Rabbit Hole (new from NYT).
What? I thought podcasts were all about this random chatter! 
JK.
(Hate it.)
@Midwest67 , don’t worry, I have been listening to those for years. And the Moth, and anything else on NPR.
@Lindagaf
Awesome!
I am an avid podcast listener, but you stumped me with your request for no introductory banter!
I think the podcasts with less banter are all ones that I don’t even think of as podcasts since I just listened to them as part of the regular WNYC line up. I’m really enjoying the Splendid Table, but I’m pretty sure it begins with a bit of chit chat. They’ve been interviewing one or two chef each show with tips for cooking in these times they always have some listener questions.
From the WNYC show page I enjoy Dolly Parton’s America. Freakonomics, How I built this, Invisibilia.The New Yorker Radio Hour, On Being, Science Friday, This American Life. https://www.wnyc.org/shows
I don’t mind if they chitchat for a few minutes (if it’s related to the point of the topic), but I’ve tried so many where it just feels as though you’re eavesdropping on strangers’ conversations.
I really enjoyed several episodes of Spectacular Failures. Got to the point quickly. And so far, over an hour in @RockySoil , Hardcore History is great!
I feel like The Daily doesn’t have banter.
It would be helpful to know what kind of podcasts you like in the first place. News related? Cooking related? Humor? Celebrity? Productivity?
I enjoyed Murder Book. It delves into a murder that happened in LA, narrated by Michael Connelly. He interviews the detectives who worked the case.
@abasket I think the OP gave examples of what she liked in her post.
@abasket , see my original post. I’m a big fan of anything along the lines of truth is stranger than fiction, I guess. Sadly, I’m not into celebrities, sports, self-help, or cooking stuff (I actually cook a lot though, including baking.)
Wish there was a CC podcast. I could listen to that all day. I’ll start one, if someone tells me what to do. I promise I won’t talk about pizza or Uber.?
American Scandal is great. No banter. The host does a deep dive into various scandals over 6 or so episodes with zero banter. He covers a huge range of topics (Iran Contra, BALCO, Enron, Lenny Bruce, etc).
Also: Slow Burn, Dr.Death, and Bad Batch might be of interest. No banter! And if you like long form true crime, there’s Cold.
Into the Dark which I mentioned earlier is a crime podcast. I would compare it’s content to Serial.
Season 2 is about Curtis Flowers, a case that made it to the Supreme Court.