Notable Episodes: "Allison Brie", "Cara Santa Maria"
Its probably fair to mention up top that this is a show that you will either love or hate based almost completely on the host. Older listeners may remember Janet Varney as the cohost of TBS's wonderful, long-running Friday-night program, Dinner and a Movie. Younger listeners might recognize her as the voice of the titular character in Legend of Kora. Others may recognize her because of her work on the Thrilling Adventure Hour. However you know her, or if you don't know her at all, she's an absolute joy. Varney is a natural host, with an easy charm that pairs well with almost anyone. This makes her an ideal host, especially for a show built around one-on-one conversations with (mostly) female guests about their lives growing up (hence the name, JV Club). This is where Varney utilizes her other strongest asset: disarming self-deprecation and vulnerability. Varney doesn't treat the conversations like interviews, and often jumps right in to share her own embarrassing memories, feelings, and thoughts. It puts both the listener and the guest at ease. Listeners might be surprised to learn that not every guest is a friend of Varney's. That's because even guests that don't know Varney beforehand end up talking with her like an old friend, with as much candor and openness as you'd expect from that sort of decades-long familiarity. The low-key setting and formula, if it even qualifies as one, allow each episode to flow as it will, with some conversations moving into more serious, philosophical territory, where others mostly stick to constant riffing on "we should totally make" movie ideas. The two recommended episodes represent both poles, with Brie's episode spent talking about never-going-to-happen movies and tv pilots, and Santa Maria's episode dealing with she and Varney's shared history in, and then out, of the Mormon Church. The JV Club is a Nerdist podcast that is released weekly for free with no real seasons.