List of Best Show Episodes

[Josh]

https://googledrive.com/host/0ByAV7w_N9Si8NWNKN3NPT0Zvc00/

This is the list of episodes I compiled containing:

• date
• episode number
• episode description (from the WFMU archive page)
• JW appearances (from The Newbridgctionary)

Please review and comment in this thread. It's only a saved-as-html from an Excel spreadsheet so I can update it easily. I am trying to figure out why what I believe was episode #500 was fourteen shows before the official celebration. I know that several early episodes are no longer listed on the WFMU archive page (I found episode descriptions using the wayback machine) which may have contributed to the mix-up (if it exists).

With the exception of the 10th anniversary show, I did not count any episode not hosted by Tom (there are several episodes in 2010 and 2011 listed as "Mike and Therese Host The Best Show" before Depravity's Rainbow was titled). I only counted 6-hour shows as one episode each. I counted the 'last minute miniature Best Show' from June 2, 2007 as an episode.


Also, someone added an earlier version of my info to the Best Show page on Wikipedia, but I don't know how to update that. Can someone do that, preferably moving the episode listing to a separate page?





"You're never too old to change the world."

[bachwards]

Here's the description of 177: December 14, 2004: An In-Studio Appearance By The Great Todd Barry. And An Outrageous Phone Call From Hippy Businessman 'Hippy Johnny'. A Great Show, If I Do Say So Myself. And I'm My Harshest Critic.

The reason the 500th show came late was due to the deleted descriptions, as you suspect.  Here's the thread where it was discussed: http://www.friendsoftom.com/forum/index.php?topic=8863.0

[buffcoat]

That thread features one of my (own) favorite unappreciated comments: like Darth Vader at the end of RoTJ, I was looking back and forth between Tom and Omar, trying to decide which important personage to agree with and which one to throw in the weirdly-placed endless maintenance shaft over this issue.

[Josh]

Thanks for that description. I remember that discussion about #500 but my count is still 6 more than Omar's estimate.

Does anyone have information on May 15, 2001?

• Buffcoat, you have it listed as "No Archive [Star Wars release]"
• A version of the WFMU archive page cached on Oct. 25, 2001 states "No Best Show Archive". This is the only episode that has that specific language.
• That date was removed from the archive page as of the next cache on Nov. 9, 2001.

[buffcoat]

Josh - my memory is cloudy, but here's what I remember...

I'm 80% sure I have heard that May 15, 2001 show somewhere, but I don't appear to have it myself. From what I remember, Tom comes into the studio late - there's a substitute host for most of the show. Tom has just seen Episode I and then driven right to the studio and wants people to call in and he'll talk about it. People aren't calling in. Tom gets (real or radio) frustrated that they aren't calling in and says he's not going to archive the show - you either heard it or you missed it. A few fanboys call in and Tom answers their questions or refuses to answer. I do not believe there were any JW or other comedy calls.

I have no idea how I would have heard the show - I didn't start listening to the archives until 2003/2004. So it may have been up somewhere else at one time.

This is different, of course, from the "Star Wars Insider" show from December 19, 2000, which used to be available at theforce.net:

December 19, 2000: Star Wars Caller [Withheld Food] (0:48), Star Wars [Lemon Pledge] (0:54), Hot Rockin’ Ronny [Kris Kringle/Stark, Florida/RM radio] (1:43) (http://download.theforce.net/wfmu/interview.ram)

[fatwad666]

Josh - my memory is cloudy, but here's what I remember...

I'm 80% sure I have heard that May 15, 2001 show somewhere, but I don't appear to have it myself. From what I remember, Tom comes into the studio late - there's a substitute host for most of the show. Tom has just seen Episode I and then driven right to the studio and wants people to call in and he'll talk about it. People aren't calling in. Tom gets (real or radio) frustrated that they aren't calling in and says he's not going to archive the show - you either heard it or you missed it. A few fanboys call in and Tom answers their questions or refuses to answer. I do not believe there were any JW or other comedy calls.

I have no idea how I would have heard the show - I didn't start listening to the archives until 2003/2004. So it may have been up somewhere else at one time.

Have had the above post noted for a while, curious if the mystery "May 15, 2001" show might appear. But after getting to the May 5, 2002 show in my listen through the complete archives, I now realize they are one in the same. Episode I came out in 1999, so it couldn't have been that one. So aside from that, this episodes matches buffcoat's description, as does the WFMU archive synopsis:

May 7, 2002: Tonight's Best Show, With Exclusive Attack Of The Clones Discussion, Is NOT Being Archived! If You Didn't Hear It Live, You're Out Of Luck! That'll Teach You To Watch The Osbournes Instead Of Listening To The Best Show!

(This may have been previously figured out or clarified somewhere before.)

[buffcoat]

Yeah, sorry. I've had that show for years. I have no idea what I was talking about there. I'm usually more precise, but when I start with "my memory is cloudy..." Katie bar the door.

[leeharveyosmond]

May 15, 2001 was a fill-in: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/1286