Star Trek Podcast Update

If you’re looking for a podcast review of the new Star Trek movie, this is your launch pad. Here’s a list of a few good ones to explore:

• Make It So, the Star Trek movie special. This is my favourite Star Trek podcast, and, in fact, the show that really pulled me into podcasting.
• Nerd Hurdles, my favourite Canadian podcast, tried something new this week by interviewing fans on opening night, and ended up in the back of a stranger’s minivan.
• Horror Etc. lived up to the Etc. with a two-hour look at the new movie (relatively spoiler-free) and the other films in the series. This Canadian show is always top-notch.
• And, of course, Starbase 66, the International Star Trek and Science Fiction Podcast, brings you a spoiler-filled in-depth analysis of the film.
• I’m on Starbase 66. I also guested this weekend on the latest episode of Call Bizz, which isn’t out yet. Blakey and I talked about the movie — he’s seen it five times, I’ve seen it only three, so he wins this week.

You can click on the links I’ve provided or subscribe to any of these shows via iTunes. Do it! Do it! Do it!

Star Trek: Ripping Into The Movie

After months and months of writing about the Star Trek movie, I wrote nothing here about it after it was released. There was a reason for that. I was waiting until the latest Starbase 66: The International Star Trek and Science Fiction Podcast, was released. And tonight it was.

You can hear it here.

Did we like the movie? Yes and no. Do we know a lot of stupid trivial things about it? Yes. Is there a famous-type actor guest star? Yes. Well, no. Wait, yes, sort of.

Blakey Bizz

I’ve just spent an hour on a Stickam site watching Blakey Bizz DJ a live music show. It was very surreal. The music included obscure British humour-folk, Cradle of Filth, Fleetwood Mac and some stuff I think was from a video game soundtrack. During this, Blakey danced, displayed the contents of his fridge, ate some of those contents, and there was something involving lightsticks. Like I said, it was surreal.

Blakey Bizz is a British podcaster with two shows: The Blakey Bizz Show and Call Bizz. If you listen to the same podcasts I do, you already know who he is, because you’ve heard him call in. That was just the beginning. Put this guy in front of a microphone with an hour of his own, and you never know what you’re going to get.

Anyone can start a podcast. Few succeed. Podcasting requires more than a great idea, or a great voice, or solid content. It requires a personality that makes listeners want to come back. Blakey has a refrigerator full of personality. A full-sized refrigerator, not that wee one you can see in the background of his show.

Oh, didn’t I mention? He records these live, on video, so you can watch him in action. Like I said, very surreal.

Blakey’s shows are like nothing else out there right now. Fact!

Nerd Hurdles

If you haven’t already bowed down at the altar of geekery, you should do so now. More than a podcast, this is an entire parallel universe of odd, and one of my favourite places on the Internet.

Want to hear a weird coincidence? Hosts Jakob and Mandi were nearby and heard the calamity the night my brother was hit by a train. Small world indeed. We discussed it when they visited yesterday. We had an elephant in the room: The Star Trek movie, which they had seen and I had not. Other topics talked about: rock stars, podcasting and the weather. Also, we traded some comics.

nerdhurdles.com. Do it now.

Simply Syndicated Site Relaunches

The gorgeous new website that hosts the Simply Syndicated podcast network is up and running. And it looks incredible.

I like everything about it, from the colours to the typography to the way photos are cropped. It’s a work of art, designed by the mysterious Simon, also known as A Guy Called Si. Everything flows wonderfully. Even if I had never heard of Simply Syndicated, I would be drawn to this site based on esthetics alone.

My reasons for liking this new site are a bit selfish, too; it’s also the debut of Starbase 66 as a Simply Syndicated community podcast. Our show and another, Masters of None, are officially on the network. This expands our reach and audience to a new and global level.

Other new treats for fans include wallpapers for computers, iPhones and iPod Touch, as well as a Mac OSX widget.

I like this ship! It’s exciting!

Happy 100th, Make It So

The world’s best Star Trek podcast — and I say that as a presenter on another Star Trek podcast — turned 100 yesterday. And will do so again in the next few days.

Make It So, from Simply Syndicated, recorded a live call-in show to mark 100 episodes. It was a blast. I called in to chat with Rich, Will and Mike about Trek, as did a few other friends, including Scott from Apotheosis of a Bombast and Matt, who was immortalized on an episode of Nerd Hurdles.

This podcast is special to me. It was the show that turned me from a casual podcast listener into a full-on devotee, and was the impetus for me becoming a podcaster myself … and making all my new imaginary friends. I was proud to be there for No. 100. The live show will soon be released as a regular podcast, so those of you who couldn’t be there can hear the fun.

Make It So has gone through some changes over the years — most notably changes to who sits in the chairs beside Captain Richard Smith — but has remained a lively, intelligent look at the world of Trek, a show by fans who aren’t afraid to be critical. And it’s damned funny.

Beam yourself up. You won’t regret it.