¶ Welcome to Season 3, Episode 13
Welcome to One Good Thing Media , your official podcast review channel . We search the vast digital landscape on a daily basis to discover the best shows that podcasters have to offer . Are you ready to discover new favorites to add to your playbook ? Stay tuned and listen to host Gerald Spears' latest podcast reviews .
Hello loves , welcome to One Good Thing , media , season 3 , episode 13 . This is Gerald Spear , and I am the creator and host of our show .
Today , with the weather wrapping us in warmth , finally , and most kids out of school and as free as a summer breeze , this episode is all about gathering up the family and heading out on your first road trip of the season , the one challenge that all parents face Keeping young , restless minds occupied .
If you've ever taken a road trip while trying to keep your kids from killing each other in the back seat , you know what I mean . Mom , he's touching my knee again . Dad , she won't stop smacking her lips . Then there's the oft-repeated question are we there yet ? Are we there ?
yet Are we there yet ?
And throughout it all , you're just trying to not get into an accident and , oh , enjoy the scenery . This week's program includes podcast recommendations for the entire family , as well as podcasts for kids of different ages , including the toughest crowd , to please mature teens .
Our goals for you Keeping your darlings entertained and preventing World War III from breaking out in the back seat , so you can enjoy long stretches of open highway and simply savor the serenity of the open road . Before we get going , I have one note of caution .
Even though your children may be old enough to entertain themselves by texting their friends or watching videos online , this only works when you have connectivity , and when a Wi-Fi signal isn't present , you need to resort to other means .
This is why I recommend that , in advance of your trip , you download the podcast you want to play during long periods where there's absolutely no signal in sight . With that said , are you ready to ramble ? Hop on board and let's get going .
¶ Family-Friendly Podcasts by Gen Z Media
I have three podcasts that I heartily recommend for the entire family , although they're very kid-friendly , so you have to take that into consideration . All three are by a company called GZM or Gen Z Media . One of them is about Annie and another is about a dad who mysteriously leads a secret life .
The third recommendation that I have for family fun on the road is a podcast called Six Minutes . All three podcasts , by the way , have lessons in them for children , such as self-acceptance , resilience , perseverance , that are all wrapped in a big shiny bow of adventure , good guys versus bad guys and a lot of action .
My first highlight is for a podcast called Tomorrow . If you're a fan of the Annie stage play or even the Little Orphan Annie comic strip , you and your family will love the Tomorrow cast by GZM .
Tomorrow is an original scripted podcast series that stays true to the Tony Award-winning stage play , but it also seamlessly modernizes the story into a contemporary tale set in post-pandemic New York City and five years after Annie was adopted by billionaire Oliver Daddy Warbucks . Annie , by the way , in this particular presentation is 15 years old .
I'm going to play a very short clip for you . It is from the trailer and will give you a pretty good idea of the spirit of the show .
Good morning , Prisoner 845384 .
Please state your name for the record .
My name is Agatha Hannigan and I appreciate the opportunity to tell my side of the story . Annie Warbucks and Agatha Hannigan , Two names forever connected by events that made one of them the richest girl in the world and sent the other to prison .
Tell me what you did , dad . I'm not some little kid that you need to protect . Everything is at risk , and Hannigan is exactly the kind of problem we don't need . Gen Z .
Media presents Tomorrow An original scripted audio adventure inspired by annie , the musical beloved by generations I spent my whole life looking for you , mom and dad , hoping that maybe , what is it ?
sandy hello who's there tomorrow brings the magic of Annie to the world of podcasts , with great music and a brand new immersive story full of humor , hearts , hope and mystery , starring Tony award winner Laura Benanti as Agatha Hannigan , alan Ruck as Drake , abby Abby , grace Levi as Annie and Lance Reddick as Oliver Warbucks .
What it's a broken rocket Exactly like mine .
You're always a day away .
Tomorrow is so finely crafted and richly produced , I hope that everyone in your family has the opportunity to listen to tomorrow . The next show I'll be highlighting is another roadworthy podcast that's filled with far-fetched fun that will keep your kids entertained while you do what you set out to do in the first place .
Take a road trip where going there is half the fun . The show is called Discovering Dad , starring Broadway and television actors Adam Godley , christopher Sieber , alexa Nissison and Banks Pierce . The story goes something like this Jess and Corey's dad , dan , was a mild-mannered , never-had-an-exciting-day-in-his-life kind of guy , or at least that's what they thought he was .
Jess , by the way , is an angsty , angry high schooler and Corey is a nerdy middle schooler who appears to be pretty clueless in most things that aren't book-related . For the dad in this series , he's a fastidious middle school science teacher who always has his pants creased and his shirt pressed , who is obsessed with keeping his family safe .
But then Dan's secret past finally begins to come to light when an old nemesis shows up and kidnaps one of his kids . Discovering Dad is a great romp that will appeal to kids of all ages and their parents . The episodes are short , action-packed and always end in a cliffhanger . It's like a Saturday cereal and the cliffhanger I just mentioned .
You can take me literally . So there you have it Two hours of great listening and , hopefully , miles of peace and harmony .
Jess and Cory's dad , Dan , is not exactly the adventurous type . You know what they say uncluttered kitchen , uncluttered mind . Who says that ? I do , and you know what else I say it's a new day full of possibilities , Ha Time to vacuum . At least that's what they thought until his past caught up with them .
Leave now and no one gets hurt . Knife twirling what ?
are you some kind of ninja ? No , he's a middle school science teacher , Turns out , the mild-mannered Dan used to be someone else entirely .
Get out
¶ Tomorrow: Modern Annie Adventure
of my house . Who are you ?
You get to the minivan Drive where You're not driving anywhere . Let go of me . You overgrown shred , wannabe or what . Or driving anyway . Let go of me . You overgrown shred , wannabe or what , or my dad will totally knock you out with a frying pan . Come on , I don't know how long he'll be out . What are you ?
going to say Buckle up Wait .
Wait , just tell me where you learned how to do that knife stuff .
It's called tanto jutsu .
I trained in Japan .
As in the country . Yeah , it's , I'm not driving until you buckle your seatbelt .
I'm not buckling my seatbelt until you explain .
They're on the hood of the car . Yeah , yeah , I can see that . Just hold on , Jess . You're going backwards and you yielded me for driving too fast . Well , these are obviously extenuating circumstances . Watch out .
Minilocks Squirrel , mr Combs . Honey , calm down , I just need to Watch out . Watch out , mr Combs . Honey calm down . I just need to there . Better A 180 in a minivan . Are you kidding me ? That was fire .
Indeed , it was . So listen to Discovering Dad and expect two hours of squabble-free listening . My final family recommendation for this week is a podcast called Six Minutes and , like the other two podcasts I just covered , this one is also by Gen Z Media .
Six Minutes is an absolutely delightful show about a mysterious girl named Holiday , who was found floating in the ocean and adopted by a family that also has some explaining to do . It's primarily directed toward ages 9 through 12 , but it's still an entertaining podcast for the entire family .
Launched in 2018 , and much to the delight of its large number of followers , Six Minutes is still dropping weekly episodes . In season one , each episode is eight minutes long , and by season four , the most current season , each episode is 13 minutes long .
The show features mystery , adventure and self-discovery and because it's an action and adventure show , six minutes strongly shows the ties between family and friends , especially in the face of danger .
There are kids in this world who are different special .
They look like us and they act like us , but they are not us .
And one of them is missing .
Holiday . Slow down . Don't let go of my hand , Birdie . Get under the bushes Down . What is going on ? Where are they after Badger Now ? He's under me , Don't move , he's in the helicopter in the van me , don't move .
Who's in the helicopter ? In the van what are child catchers ? I don't know . You want to follow me ?
into the woods . Just try to keep . Get out of there now . Why are they chasing him ? Don't worry , he'll get away . Hurry , catch him . Come on . Did they just shock him ? Come on , come on , move it out . We got him Get in the van . No , where are they taking Badger ? What just happened ? I don't know .
You're really scared Me too bird , me too .
For this segment , I'm suggesting
¶ Discovering Dad: Secret Agent Father
a few podcasts for your preschool to elementary school kids . I'll be listing all the podcast names that I mention in this segment in our show notes , which is right below the title of this episode .
For preschool and early elementary school age children , I recommend that you check out Stories for Tiny People , peppa Pig , storytime and the Disney Magic of Storytelling podcasts . I especially love the latter , which tells stories from many movies that your kids probably already love in a 10-minute or shorter format .
I would play one for you , but Disney is very strict about their proprietary materials . So when you have a moment , check them out . All of the stories are absolutely delightful . All of the stories are absolutely delightful For a little older kids they're beyond first grade , for instance but they're still part of the single-digit set .
I recommend that you check out Big Life Kids podcast , which celebrates admirable traits such as persistence , gratitude and faith in oneself . Circle Round , which transforms folk tales from all over the world into sound and music-rich plays that focus on lessons such as kindness , persistence and generosity .
And one fairly kooky podcast called Story Pirates , which takes stories written by kids and turns them into comedy sketches and songs . Also , a special mention goes to Spyology Squad that teaches science through daring missions and studying what they call spiance Get it Spy Science . Here's a quick clip from Spiology Squad .
On the last episode , we saw that Spiology Squad was investigating a bank robbery . While they were looking at all the clues , they discovered some kind of secret tunnel that led right underneath the bank . But then Mr Jim got an alert that someone had broken into HQ . And , oh dear , what in the world is going to happen next ? I'm not sure , but let's find out .
As Mr Jim , Ava and Jaden took off from the bank , they blasted off with their jetpacks to zoom to HQ as fast as they could . The alarm had been set off , meaning someone had actually broken in . When they reached HQ , they carefully walked inside . All right , everyone be extra careful and on high alert , said Mr Jim .
Looks like the system deployed some tear gas to deter the bandits . Okay , I'll go . I'll open up the windows to get some fresh air in here . Hey , Mr Jim , I think I found how they got in . Look at this floor tile over here , Jaden , did you say ? The floor again , Called Ava .
Just like the bank , Mr Jim knelt down to the floor tile and took a look inside . Whoa , it looks like there's a whole tunnel system underneath HQ . I had no idea . Critical thinking , science , information , adventure .
Critical thinking , science , information , adventure , being imaginary spies . If they had had programs like this when I was that age , I would have been a science major . And now on to the final leg of our podcast road trip series , the one you've probably been waiting for since
¶ Podcasts for Young Children
you listened to our introduction Podcasts for more mature teens , and the hardest to please audience , even in those rare times when they're on their best behavior . I do have some trigger warnings before we get going . All three podcasts that I'll be recommending today for older teens include Gory Topics , violence and Foul Language .
With that said , they're also perfect for teens and parents who are part of the DC Comics fandom , where superheroes and anti-heroes like Batman , the Riddler , Harley Quinn and the Joker all have their own legion of followers . Quinn and the Joker all have their own legion of followers .
This week , I am going to be covering superhero podcasts for mature teens who love action , a little grittiness and more adult-like themes . The first podcast that I'll be sharing for older teens is about the caped crusader himself in a podcast called Batman Unburied .
It's a cinematic listening experience produced by Warner Brothers , a company that now owns DC Comics and Spotify Studios . Season 1 dropped in 2022 , and Season 2 , which is called Batman Unburied Fallen City in late 2024 .
In Season 1 , listeners are plunged straight into Gotham's shadowy underbelly , with Bruce Wayne , the uncaped crusader , starring in this psychological thriller , where he confronts his own demons while hunting down a serial killer that's hiding in plain sight .
In season two , Batman Unburied Fallen City takes you down the shadowed alleys of Gotham with such a visceral intensity that only a highly skilled production team and cast can deliver Really gets you going . I don't want to get too deep into the plot here , but suffice it to say that Gotham City is in shambles .
There is a murder to be solved and the city is hit by a seismic shift that rocks the elite and all the citizens of Gotham to their core . There's only one superhero that can save this city , and we both know who he is . Here's a clip from season one he is .
Here's a clip from season one , seemingly random the harvester he takes something Heart , pancreas , gallbladder .
I think he considers the organs he takes as his reward . Thank you , you did good work , sir , but I was not finished with this bite .
Breathe , breathe In Gotham City . Listen up , this guy knows what he's doing . No prince , no trail , no pattern to the murders .
The deeper you dig welcome to arkham asylum edward enigma , please step forward the darker it gets .
barbara gordon , it's wonderful to see you again , the Harvester . You need me to find him . You mind giving us the room , your officer , you his doctor . I'm his father , Dr Thomas Wayne . This is my wife , Martha . Bruce , obviously you can no longer be involved in this case .
You can return to work pending a sucky vow From executive producer David S Goyer , you are very protective about what's inside your mind aren't you ?
Do you dream ? Sometimes my whole life feels like a dream . Let's talk about fear . Comes a groundbreaking original audio series . We're the same . We like the dead , we like the night , starring Winston Duke as Bruce Wayne . The killings are ritualistic . It's all about the process for him .
He's methodical , careful , obsessive , featuring Hasan Minhaj as the Riddler and Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon . I know a little something about compulsion . Dc and Spotify present Batman Unburied . Alfred , you packed my work clothes .
Of course I did no more hiding . It's over , I'm coming for you .
It's really interesting that in season one , winston Duke was Batman , bruce Wayne , and in season two , coleman Domingo took over that particular role . Why there was a switch , I don't know , but I admit I really loved Coleman Domingo's interpretation of Batman and , by the way , hasan
¶ Superhero Podcasts for Mature Teens
Minhaj , the actor who plays the Riddler and for a female action figure or superhero . Warner Brothers and Spotify also teamed up to produce Harley Quinn and the Joker . Sound Mind . This particular show begins when Harley Quinn had graduated from medical school and was doing her first stint at Arkham , the Gotham City insane asylum .
Of course , her first patient ends up being the Joker , and things go downhill or uphill , depending on your point of view . From there , I'm going to play a clip from the show , where Harley Quinn is her most adorable self , as always , and the Joker the baddie of the story , as well as an interesting family side story . Here we go .
In Gotham City . Name and ID Dr Harleen Quinzel . I've got a 330 with the Joker . Quinzel , I've got a 330 with the Joker . There's a new patient in Arkham Asylum . Look at you . Pass me the tartar sauce because it's supper time .
Are you all done ? I'm an entertainer .
How about a joke ?
What Are you ? Just all talk , no action . What are you ? What's going on here ? This is Harleen Quinzel , our behavioral counselor .
Dr Quinzel , bruce Wayne , my patients , most of them , grew up here . Aren't you from Gotham too ? What you didn't turn into ? A nutcase in face paint . I'm still young .
When your back is against the wall .
My dad's basically dying and I can't even cover a fraction of the operation .
Don't worry , you'll get the money , unless you prefer diamonds . You're saying you could love me for you , sweetheart . It'll be a breeze . How far would you go to save ?
someone you love what you did , I , uh , I kind of liked it . Careful , arlene .
Your dark side's peeking out . Starring Christina Ricci as Harley Quinn , billy Magnuson as the Joker and Justin Hartley as Bruce Wayne .
If I want something , I should just take it .
Right , DC and Spotify present you and me . We weren't looking for it , but it sure found us . You believe there's something between us only because I let you . Harley Quinn and the Joker .
I'll be honest with you , I had to binge this one . I'm not denying my compulsive behavior in terms of podcasts , but I don't regret spending the time doing it . God that Joker . He is rotten to the core . My last superhero recommendation of this episode is called the Riddler Secrets in the Dark .
It's all about a masked vigilante who is on the loose murdering notorious supervillains all over Gotham City and , of course wouldn't you know it ? The caped crusader is being framed for the crimes . I'm going to play a little bit of this particular show .
It will be very short because I try very hard to keep our shows to 30 minutes and I don't want to run over . This clip will give you a great taste of what this show is about and the spirit of the characters who are breaking out of Arkham , the Gotham City insane asylum to solve the crime he's planning to kill again and the riddler is next .
Watch your back . It's dangerous out there the smashed glass the lacerations , the third story , acrobatics , a grudge against costumed criminals , and it all points straight at the batman . But the greater the question marks , the deadlier the answers . So how does it feel , you know , being a wanted man ?
Batman will never be a killer and I won't be framed as one , which is why I need your help figuring out what the hell is going on here . From executive producer David S Goyer starring Hasan Minhaj as the Riddler , coleman Domingo as Batman and Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon . I'm gonna make him face justice . I like this new color on you , barb .
It brings out your eyes , eddie , don't get murdered . Dangerous times Call for unexpected alliances Clock's ticking back .
Someone else is going to die .
Not on my watch . Yes , that's the only way . What the hell are you going on about over there ? I need to escape Arkham tonight . So , uh , you want to come with no shit . No shit , I'm in . Let's fucking do this .
¶ Wrapping Up The Road Trip
And that's a wrap for another episode of One Good Thing Media . I hope you enjoyed our road trip this week and we'll be back next week with a new staycation-themed episode . Happy summer folks . Stay warm , bask in the sun and enjoy your leisure time . We'll talk soon and until then , you know we love you . See you next week .
One Good Thing Media is brought to you by our host and creator , Gerald Spear . All things technical are by David Dodd and our announcer is Robert Spear . Our theme song is Force by HGST . Thank , you .