One of the subtle things that I think makes The Hilarious World of Depression especially effective is that in most instances, John Moe speaks to his guests in their own homes or workspaces as opposed to bringing them into a studio. The interview begins in a place of comfort, which I have to think means a lot when…

Yeah, that's probably more like the actual reason. Bad movie novices consider Sharknado the archetypal bad movie, so ya gotta cover it.

I think about this story every time Birdemic comes up in conversation. Maybe this time I'll remember who told it.

I assume they and all the bad movie podcasts out there have covered the Sharknado movies for one reason: to shut up the endless queue of trash film philistines who ask them when they're gonna cover the Sharknado movies.

It would feel like collecting some manner of paycheck for writing about something in which you're actually interested, which I can attest is a far better feeling than most feelings currently in circulation.

That sounds a fair bit like Roberta Findlay's Tenement, except there the only ethos at play is "sometimes your drunk neighbor pisses off the wrong people and a multi-ethnic street gang comes to your building to slice everybody up." Roberta Findlay's Tenement is the goddamn best.

But where Harris channeled the dullness through a decent, likable guy who happens to be deeply boring, Hanford runs it through an exasperating drip who's passively antagonistic. Two valid approaches to the same character conceit, and both incredibly funny.

Mildly related, it still mystifies me that young Neil Diamond had to be talked out of changing his name to Noah Kaminsky.

Jesus, I'm giggling just thinking about him shrieking at his comatose grandma.

I was very happy that Sydney made the list. It might have been my favorite overall episode of the tour, give or take Whitney Peeps. Between Claudia's pie song, Lord ALW slacking on his Aussie musical, and Calvin's bank job story I was beside myself throughout.

And to add insult to injury, Pete Holmes kept raking them in.

On the other hand, I can vouch for the long-running campaign in which Legendary Detective Bo Dietl repeatedly pointed out that Arby's owns meat slicers.

That's almost exactly what Paul F. Tompkins' rendition of Cake Boss does on Comedy Bang Bang.

I do not avoid barbacoa, Mandrake. But I do deny it my essence.

Oh, and I've come around to liking Solo Bolos, but the one that made the countdown wasn't even the one where Lin-Manuel Miranda called in! The system is broken.

That reminds me of the PFT-Mantzoukas episode last year, where Paul's character eventually chided his co-hosts for forcing him too far into Andy Daly territory.

"Rich Mind Vein" was one of my low-key favorites too. I love all three guests in any setting, and Tallman's Nolte slays me every time. His furious exasperation at being the only one who can see that Skinner's a secret mole-person is magnificent. That was one I voted for despite being certain it would get no traction…

Plus Jerrod Carmichael being generally delightful, telling DAG stories, and playing great with the characters. The more I think about it, that might have been my favorite episode of the year.

I liked that episode OK, but I sincerely had zero recollection of it until they played the clip, and even then just barely. (It was top ten but not number two - that was the Silicon Valley episode.)

Wengert's "You Know John Leguizamo" was in my top five for the year, and I loved his character in "My Silly Moss Man" even though the episode itself was a bit heavy on the shop talk.