12 Podcasts for People Who Miss 'Reply All'
Nine out of 10 podcast lovers who listened to Reply All—everyone’s favorite podcast about the internet, hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman—deeply, deeply miss it. It’s been more than a year since the show ended, and even though nothing can truly replace what was lost, some shows come awfully close.
Search Engine
If you were a fan of Reply All, you might have followed PJ Vogt to his next pursuit, Crypto Island, which explored the world of cryptocurrency and the weird human stories behind the blockchain. He’s now using that feed for a new show, Search Engine, where he explores the kind of questions you usually can’t find online. (Why are monkeys at the zoo sad? Why is cannibalism taboo?) If you miss Reply All partially for PJ’s laugh, rest assured—it’s back.
Never Post
Never Post is a brand-new podcast all about what's happening with, to, and on the internet, and what people are saying about it, placing the weird and wonderful and contradictory alongside the philosophical, legal, linguistic, artistic, and more. It draws connections and asks questions—it’s about the questions as much as it is the answers. These conversations will stir your curiosity about the internet and your relationship with it, and how it’s impacting your relationship with others. It’s hosted by Mike Rugnetta (formerly of the five-time Webby-award-winning YouTube series "Idea Channel," also "Fun City" and "Reasonably Sound") and produced by Hans Buetow (who was behind many shows you’ve listened to and loved, like Still Processing, Modern Love, The Daily, In The Dark, and more.)
Heavyweight
Debuting in 2016, Gimlet’s Heavyweight, quite possibly the most beloved podcast of all time, is a narrative show that puts quirky host Jonathan Goldstein in hot pursuit of solving personal and intimate mysteries, like whether or not the stories a woman’s father told her were true, or why the school’s prettiest, most popular girls asked a misfit to prom. It’s not about the internet, but it shares this sense of wonder and optimism for the world around us that I think Reply All listeners will appreciate. Self-deprecating Jonathan brings humor and heart to his investigations, and the best part is that it’s not just entertaining: Jonathan really helps people. Everyone has a favorite Heavyweight episode, from Gregor to the award-winning Skye.
Decoder Ring
Slate’s Decoder Ring explores the cultural history and significance of quirky objects, concepts, and phenomena—everything from the smiley face to the suburban mall to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series. Host Willa Paskin delves into the origins and evolution of each topic, always revealing unexpected connections and surprising stories along the way as she chats with experts, historians, and cultural commentators, lending us a deeper understanding of the world around us and the invisible ways culture shapes our lives.
Underunderstood
Every episode of Underunderstood takes a look at an un-googleable mystery and gets to the bottom of it. The hosts walk each other through the mysteries, like tracking down strangers in photos, debunking reality TV scandals, answering abandoned Twitter threads, and more. It’s part chat show, part documentary, and almost always surprising. If you liked the Reply All episode #158 The Case of the Missing Hit, then start with the Underunderstood episode Lou Pearlman Tried to Send a Boy Band to Space.
Go Touch Grass
Comedians Milly and Alise think we all need to log off the internet—right now!—and Go Touch Grass. On their show, they spend all their time keeping us up on internet gossip, as well as trends, memes, and hashtags that are lighting the internet up today. Interviews with influencers and other digital personalities give an unfiltered look at the stories our screens are telling us. Milly and Alise are hilarious. Time flies when you’re listening to them unpack the internet; it feels like you’re jumping in on the best group chat.
Endless Thread
Most Endless Thread stories begin with something strange found on Reddit, and evolve from there into a story about people IRL. Using storytelling, interviews, and discussions, hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson find the people involved in the stories and bring their threads to life. The show is full of mysteries and personal experiences that will give you a glimpse into the lives of people around the world, both online and off.
The Content Mines
Miss fun internet culture and Reply All’s buddy vibes? On The Content Mines, hosts Ryan Broderick (of the Garbage Day newsletter) and Luke Bailey (head of digital for inews.co.uk) talk about digital content—whether that’s Facebook magicians, TikTok landlords, crypto scams—and what makes it good and bad. Ryan and Luke spend a lot of time online, engaging with it, and explaining it to others, and are smart enough to make sense of it in a really entertaining way.
Mystery Show
If you asked 10,000 podcast nuts the #1 show they miss, I bet you’d get a ton of votes for Mystery Show, and it shares DNA with Reply All. Long long ago, in the early days of podcasting, Starlee Kine would solve weird mysteries, like what happened to a video store or the real height of Jake Gyllenhaal. Starlee was fully committed to these tiny mysteries and investigated with both seriousness and a sense of humor, and all of her heart. There are only six episodes. Cherish them.
ICYMI
On ICYMI, hosts Rachelle Hampton and Candice Lim pick up on the digital threads and trends that everyone is talking about—the ones that are shaping our culture—and explain why. If you’ve ever felt left out of the discourse, this is a way to wrap your brain around it. The hosts are completely knowledgeable about #CruiseTok, Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s influencer era, the TikTok joy of Mychal the Librarian, and whatever wild thing is happening in the digital zeitgeist.
Every Little Thing
Why do we baby talk? Why do we keep goldfish in bowls in our houses? Why is it so hard to catch a roadrunner? Why, why, why? Every Little Thing (another beloved and now-defunct show) took calls from listeners about little things that puzzled them and tracked down experts to come up with an answer. The questions aren’t necessarily silly; they were always about things you’ve probably never really thought about before. Flora Lichtman’s deep dives will make you an expert by the end of each short episode.
TLDR
It’s been almost 10 years since TLDR released its last episode, but when it comes to Reply All, it’s kind of where it all began—TLDR was where PJ and Alex started podcasting. For each episode, they’d take turns sharing weird stories about the internet. A new host, Meredith Haggerty, popped in at the end. Those episodes are great, too.