The Best Show with Tom Scharpling

We've compiled some of Tom's best conversations with some of the top directors today including: Mike White (The White Lotus, Enlightened), Todd Haynes (May/December, The Velvet Underground), Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Wendy and Lucy), Mary Bronstein (Yeast, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You), Matt Johnson (BlackBerry, Nirvanna the Band the Show The Movie), Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time). SUPP...

Aquarium Drunkard's JASON P. WOODBURY joins the Best Show to talk to Tom about his new albun, Jason P Woodbury & the Night Bird Singing Quartet, which is available now! They also talk about his career as a journalist with Aquarium Drunkard, the differences between writing music and writing about music, and much else! Actress and friend of the show TALLIE MEDEL returns to the show! They discuss...

New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE BEST SHOW LIVE EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT 6PM PT ON TWITCH https://www.twitch.tv/bestshow4life FOLLOW THE BEST SHOW: https://twitter.c...

Screenwriters SCOTT ALEXANDER & LARRY KARASZEWSKI join us on the Best Show! Tom tells the story of writing them as a youngster and getting a signed Problem Child script! They discuss starting careers in film, their movies ( Problem Child, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks), an upcoming Grateful Dead biopic, and more! Phones ring on the topic: BAD HABITS! Tom and caller Spiro discuss their homework: Tom li...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from his brother, DOM! (Originally Aired On May 15th, 2007) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE BEST SHOW LIVE EVERY T...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE MUSIC BIZ! (Originally aired on December 12, 2006) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE BEST...

Legendary standup comedian and actor MARIA BAMFORD makes her first appearance on The Best Show! Maria and Tom discuss classic TV, the new Judd Apatow-produced documentary about Maria, her role in the new film Micro Budget , medicine and more! Musician and audio engineer DEVON BRYANT comes to the studio to talk with Tom about his musical project PAINKILLER THE PIGEON, as well as his work as a podca...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom follows up on a previous call with BARRY LEVITZ! (Originally aired on February 19, 2002) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH...

It's a Jam-packed Best Show tonight! CHRIS PARNELL zooms in to chat with Tom about his time on SNL and his latest movie MICRO BUDGET! DANNY AYALA and his band playing a rockin' set in the Best Show Theater! Danny chats with Tom for a little while about his music as well. BRYAN QUINBY from the podcast GUYS: WITH BRYAN QUINBY joins Tom in the studio to chat about his show, nu-metal, sports and much...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from BARRY LEVITZ to talk about a new band called PUNK... featuring a certain famous musician! (Originally aired on February 12th, 2002) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO E...

This week, we're talking about stories where you LOST YOUR COOL! When you just couldn't take it any more and you overreacted. Did you start yelling? Throwing things? Saying things you can never take back? Check in to hear what the callers have to say. Plus, AP Mike recounts a tense Grateful Dead based encounter at a New Jersey bar. The VANDERPUMP RULES star gift pot increases! Tom discusses which...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from his old friend Keith Schwarzendruber! (originally aired on May 25, 2004) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE BEST...

MATT JOHNSON from NIRVANNA: THE BAND - THE SHOW - THE MOVIE checks in with Tom to chat about his new movie, his take on comedy, his upcoming and past works, and of course... TORONTO PIZZA! CHAKI THE FUNK WIZARD checks in to catch up with the Best Show crew, discussing his new music, his Hollywood Forever Tours, and much else! Tom takes a bunch of calls about the snowstorm ravaging the East Coast,...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In these classic clips, Tom gets a series of calls from GAVIN, a huge fan of the band MR. BUNGLE! (Originally Aired on September 25, 2001, August 13, 2003, and August 26, 2003) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES &...

Tonight's topic is CONVINCE TOM! Do you know he disagrees with you on something? Anything you need him to see the light of day on? This is the time for the callers to weigh in on sports, music, films, everything! Plus, Tom makes a somewhat surprising presidential endorsement on behalf of himself plus the entire Forever Dog crew (without asking them)! A special new Newbridge Note, a Feff Feuerzeig-...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from the CEO of the mysterious company ANYTHING INC.! (Originally aired on August 15th, 2006) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestSho...

Tom & the callers rank the worst fandoms in 2026, with some help from the Best Show team! How many things have changed since prior years? Which fandoms have stayed problematic and annoying throughout the years? Who tops the list? Tune in to find out! Detours include Tom's thoughts on The Super Bowl Halftime Show Controversy, AP Mike and caller Joel trying to outdo each other on naming the most...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from HOT ROCKIN' RONNY about his new job! (Originally aired on August 7, 2001) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE BES...

It's a classic, old-school style Best Show! No guests! Just Tom, the phones and you, the Best Show Listener! We hear from people all across the world. Some old favorites, some new favorites, some people who aren't exactly favorites at all! Who will Tom like, and to whom will he give the business? Tom checks in with AP Mike about his least favorite beers and much else! Tom stumps Joel with some mus...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from THE MADMAN in San Antonio, Texas! (Originally aired on June 17, 2003) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE BEST SH...

Australian rock band TROPICAL F*** STORM comes through and plays a ripping set in the Best Show Theater! They chat with Tom about their band, Australia and more! Actor BEN EBERLE from The Food That Built America talks with Tom about playing Ray Kroc, Tom's favorite new clip from the show, and much else! AP Mike is sick, so of course, Tom asks him to re-record some of his most iconic lines for the...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from BRYCE PREFONTAINE, who wants to talk about the final Grateful Dead show! (Originally aired July 8th, 2015) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patr...

Phones ring on the topic: THE CRAP YOU LOVE! You know it's really objectively horrible, but you love it anyway! We hear from callers both familiar and new about their favorite bad things! Author, archivist and friend of the show ANDREW SANDOVAL returns to talk about his brand new book THE KINKS – ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT: The Day-By-Day Story Pt 1: 1940-1971. Tom and Andrew go deep into Kinks...

BEST SHOW BESTS! In this classic clip, Tom gets a call from his high school bully, TROY DERSHMANN! (Originally aired August 14th, 2001) New to the Best Show? Check out Best Show Bests, the greatest hits of The Best Show! Available every Friday on your podcast app. SUPPORT THE BEST SHOW ON PATREON! WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES & VIDEO EPISODES! https://www.patreon.com/TheBestShow WATCH THE B...

IT'S OUR FIRST EPISODE OF 2026! After a stellar 25th Anniversary year, we move forward into new territory! We ask callers what their 2026 predictions are! The amazing band AUTOMATIC perform a killer set of live music in the Best Show Theater! Tom checks in with AP Mike, with a wide range of discussion including a trip into Fast Food History! Plus, Tom gets a call from DARREN FROM WORK! A hell of a...