Story Worthy

Christine Blackburn has been hosting Story Worthy since 2010, which makes it one of the longest-running storytelling podcasts out there. The concept is straightforward: Blackburn invites comedians, actors, writers, and other entertainment industry professionals to share true personal stories, then riffs with them about the details. It's part interview, part live storytelling show, and the results are consistently entertaining in a way that sneaks up on you. The guest list tilts heavily toward LA's comedy scene, so you get a lot of people who know how to tell a story with good timing and a sharp punchline. But the best episodes go beyond laughs. Guests sometimes share stories about grief, addiction, family dysfunction, or career failures -- and because they're skilled performers, they handle those heavier topics with honesty and just enough humor to keep things from getting maudlin. Blackburn is a warm, curious interviewer who knows when to push for more detail and when to let a moment sit. With over 850 episodes recorded and 15 years of weekly output, the back catalog is enormous. Episodes typically run 30 to 75 minutes, and there's a companion show called Story Smash that turns storytelling into a competitive game show format. The production is no-frills -- just two people talking -- but the stories themselves carry the weight. It's the kind of podcast you put on during a long drive and suddenly realize you've been grinning for the last half hour without noticing.