Rephonic
Artwork for The Best Show

The Best Show with Tom Scharpling

Forever Dog
The Best Show
Comedy
Music
Saturday Night Live
Chicago
Thanksgiving
Los Angeles
New Jersey
Grateful Dead
Mental Health
Music Industry
Christmas
WFMU
Podcasting
Extreme Sports
311
Fast Food
Therapy
Bruce Willis
Chaki the Funk Wizard

Mirth, Music, and Mayhem Every Tuesday Night hosted by Tom Scharpling. Get the Full Experience on Patreon patreon.com/thebestshow

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes1044Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ComedyMusic

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Best Show

Latest Episodes

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom is joined in studio by comedian JAMES ADOMIAN! (Originally aired on August 13th, 2024!

New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your pod... more

Legendary print, film and TV writer JERRY STAHL comes to the Best Show! Jerry and Tom discuss his career in journalism, TV and film, plus his extraordinary personal life! Plus Tom brings out a special guest to talk to Jerry (an old friend, you might ... more

It's Halloween, and what better way to celebrate it than BEST SHOW IN THE DARK! Callers discuss Halloween (for the most part at least)! ADAM CONOVER comes to the Best Show to discuss his new standup special, BIG DIVORCE ENERGY (now on Youtube)! He an... more

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, comedian and podcaster JAMIE LOFTUS comes to the Best Show Studio to chat with Tom about her work, Chicago, Boston and more! (Originally aired on July 29th, 2025)

New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Adam Conover
Comedian and creator of Adam Ruins Everything
Episode: ADAM CONOVER! BEST SHOW IN THE DARK! QUINT IN STINKBRIDGE!
Jamie Loftus
Comedian and podcaster
Episode: Jamie Loftus
Sol Larkin
Mutt Scouts volunteer and foster caregiver
Mutt Scouts
Episode: STRANGE FRIEND TELETHON FUNDRAISER! JOE PERA! CHAKI THE FUNK WIZARD + MORE!
Joe Pera
Comedian and actor known for his distinctive, slow-paced stand-up style
Episode: STRANGE FRIEND TELETHON FUNDRAISER! JOE PERA! CHAKI THE FUNK WIZARD + MORE!
Pat Byrne
Guest on Beer Buddies episode
Comedy / The Best Show guest
Episode: Patreon Preview: Beer Buddies - Lagunitas Trooper West Coast IPA Powered By Iron Maiden, Willie's THC Infused Iced Tea & Lemonade, Water (feat. Pat Byrne)
Scott Rogowsky
Original Quiz Daddy, quizmaster for this edition
Episode: Best Show Trivia with Scott Rogowsky (From Best Show 24 2023)
Larry Smurthwaite
Co-check operator and author character, the guest in this episode
Co-check industry
Episode: The King of Coatchecks
Pat Finnerty
Philly musician and podcast guest known for discussing his projects and music scene
Philly music scene
Episode: BETTER THAN YOU THINK! TOM'S HOLLYWOOD STORY! BRAD IN PHARTBRIDGE!
Bernie Taupin
Lyricist for Elton John, solo artist in Taupin's Music Tarps projects
Self / Bernie Taupin's projects
Episode: A Call From Bernie Taupin

Host

Tom Scharpling
Host of The Best Show; long-running, improv-driven talk and music program with a loyal audience.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 3.1k ratings
  • Dear Tom,

    The Knicks don’t think you are in a position to critique basketball so frequently and with such vigor. Stick with Sonic Youth and Pere Ubu. Keep hoops to the philistines, chubby-lisped-art god. Take care.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LessCouchOn
    United States15 days ago
  • Dear Tom,

    I enjoy having sex with women. Is that ok?

    I’ll take your answer off air.

    By the way. Nice jugs!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LessCouchOn
    United States2 months ago
  • Love the show

    Beyond words love the show. Is there a patreon where JW bits are searchable or separated from the rest of the show? Or have they released a best of? Love Tom’s guests and topics but I can’t get enough of that JW.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Teddy Brogan
    United States7 months ago
  • Incredible

    Love love love this podcast. There’s not many like it. It’s the best. Hence, the name. Obviously.

    There’s not many podcasts that give you Tom Scharpling, the amazing guest, incredible music acts, the live chat, weird calls from John Wurster, and Mushroom Mike… also much love to AP Mike, Bayonne NJ’s answer to Joey Swole. So many in jokes, so many rants… the Best.

    Give yourself a few eps to get in the rhythm. You’ll love it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KLG = Hi
    United States7 months ago
  • Tom is King

    Creator of podcast

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ncllnn
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans praise the chaotic energy and deep-dan style banter between host and callers.
The show's humor and chaos can be polarizing but remains highly engaging for longtime listeners.
Guests are often well-curated with strong, nerd-culture pedigrees.

Top Comedy Podcasts

The Toast
The ToastDear Media
SmartLess
SmartLessJason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Giggly Squad
Giggly SquadHannah Berner & Paige DeSorbo
Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast
Matt and Shane's Secret PodcastMatt McCusker & Shane Gillis

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

ADAM CONOVER! BEST SHOW IN THE DARK! QUINT IN STINKBRIDGE!
Q: What was your ranking in all of that? You were a captain, right?
Conover says he served on the elected Writers Guild board and its negotiating committee during the 2023 strike, and helped negotiate contract protections against employers forcing writers to use AI.
ADAM CONOVER! BEST SHOW IN THE DARK! QUINT IN STINKBRIDGE!
Q: How would you consider this shift from the previous version of what people would associate with Adam Conover versus the one that's in the special?
Conover says Adam Ruins Everything featured a deliberately heightened persona, while the special aims to present more of his real life and uses jokes he began writing after a major breakup.
STRANGE FRIEND TELETHON FUNDRAISER! JOE PERA! CHAKI THE FUNK WIZARD + MORE!
Q: So, if somebody wanted to foster a dog like our friend here, what is, what do you go to, a Motscouts event? How would you recommend, Saul?
Sol recommended following Mutt Scouts on Instagram, visiting its website to apply, and completing an interview and home check before being matched with a dog.
STRANGE FRIEND TELETHON FUNDRAISER! JOE PERA! CHAKI THE FUNK WIZARD + MORE!
Q: Was that, how did that, did that rhythm, like did that reveal itself to you at a point, or is that always kind of the pace you operated at?
Joe Pera said he preferred a slower pace, especially as a contrast to the loud, fast comedy shows he started performing in. He found that writing strong enough jokes let him work at his own rhythm without going on the attack.
Jamie Loftus
Q: Who was your first celebrity?
Larry says it was Billy Barty, whose camel-hair overcoat he checked at a party Gene Wilder hosted in Manhattan.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Show

What is The Best Show about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A long-running, joke-forward show blends in-studio interviews with chaotic call-in segments, leaning into creator-driven conversations about comics, indie music, film, and pop culture. Episodes bounce between deep dives with guests who are artists or comedians and spontaneous banter with callers, delivering a mix of craft insight, nostalgia, and surreal humor. A standout strength is the improvisational energy and multi-threaded bits—live music, recurring characters, and playful brand integrations—that create a distinctive, participatory experience for fans and potential sponsors alike.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Best Show?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Best Show. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Best Show and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Best Show get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Best Show, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Best Show?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Best Show, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Best Show have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Best Show has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Best Show?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Best Show:

1. Double Threat with Julie Klausner & Tom Scharpling
2. Office Hours Live with Tim Heidecker
3. Hollywood Handbook
4. Guys: With Bryan Quinby
5. Kreative Kontrol

How many episodes of The Best Show are there?

The Best Show launched 12 years ago and published 1044 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Best Show?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Best Show?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Best Show from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Best Show?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Best Show. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Best Show?

Recent guests on The Best Show include:

1. Adam Conover
2. Jamie Loftus
3. Sol Larkin
4. Joe Pera
5. Pat Byrne
6. Scott Rogowsky
7. Larry Smurthwaite
8. Pat Finnerty

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days