Best show of The Best Show

[andrew in philadelphia]

It is rivaled, however, by the 10/3/06 episode where Tom calls PC Richard and marvels at their hold music. His rendition of their jingle where he sings about his shoplifting technique never, ever fails to make me laugh.

one of the all time best.

i still think "the order of everything" is my fav. p-90x and tom - a winning combo!

[pinky]

I know this borders on the completely insane and/or kneejerk, but last week's show is a top candidate for me. It is rivaled, however, by the 10/3/06 episode where Tom calls PC Richard and marvels at their hold music. His rendition of their jingle where he sings about his shoplifting technique never, ever fails to make me laugh.

Also the Killers review at the end is classic.

[theaidan]

I nominate 4/24/07, the Seth Galifianakis episode.

[buffcoat]

The XFL show.  Mike Ruggles, Buddy Swales and Gerald Perlmutter.  You can't beat that.






Also, Mike Ruggles introduces the nascent idea of "President Football."

[Stupornaut]

I know this borders on the completely insane and/or kneejerk, but last week's show is a top candidate for me. It is rivaled, however, by the 10/3/06 episode where Tom calls PC Richard and marvels at their hold music. His rendition of their jingle where he sings about his shoplifting technique never, ever fails to make me laugh.

Also the Killers review at the end is classic.

And I almost forgot the Bryce call about how all the Presidents from Nixon onwards smoked weed, and the ensuing super-agitated caller (theorized by Tom to be Fred From Queens) complaining about how "some lady" impugned on Reagan's good name. "JIMMY CARTER SMOKED MARIJUANA!"

[A.M. Thomas]

It is rivaled, however, by the 10/3/06 episode where Tom calls PC Richard and marvels at their hold music. His rendition of their jingle where he sings about his shoplifting technique never, ever fails to make me laugh.

one of the all time best.

i still think "the order of everything" is my fav. p-90x and tom - a winning combo!

The entire "Porcupine Pie Era" of The Best Show is amazing.

[Moondog]

This newbie appreciates such a thread. Thanks chums!

[MattJohnson]

the 10/3/06 episode where Tom calls PC Richard and marvels at their hold music. His rendition of their jingle where he sings about his shoplifting technique never, ever fails to make me laugh.

I might be wrong, but I think that was the first show I heard. If not, it was somewhere around there. I agree that it was amazing, and looking back on it I think that for anything else it would be unfortunate to hear one of the best shows first, since the later shows would suffer in comparison, but everything after that was so solid that I didn't even notice the exemplary nature of that particular one until much later—I just assumed that's how good the show was (and I wasn't wrong).

[JP]

My personal favorite is 10/4/05, in which Tom plays Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. That show had it all.

Including a call from JP

[sleepytako]

April 12, 2005: Tim & Eric From 'Tom Goes To The Mayor Check In. Some People Get Mad. If You're One Of Them, Fuck You You Don't Deserve Their Show, You Piece Of Shit. Maybe You're Too Fucking Dumb To Get It. And, Listeners Vote Whether Officer Tom Is Hall Of Fame-Worthy.

That was great. I loved Tim and Eric, and the backlash was at first sad but then really funny as Tom trounced on the callers. Tim and Eric also really did a great job making up the HoJo they were at on the phone. I remember exactly where I was when I listened to this show live.

The other great show, which I forgot the date but I remember riding my bike around listening to the podcast was the show that had the Bryce call about "turret hits" and all the generals in WWII.

[namethebats]

June 3rd, 2008.  The debut of "The World Is In The Turlet" was the most euphoric radio moment I've ever experienced. 

Start to finish, the show had a good premise, strong calls, TLRX, and a deadline to add just the right amount of pressure.  It was just brilliant. 

This would be my choice, for the same reasons. (My apologies to The Order Of Everything.)

[Stupornaut]

The other great show, which I forgot the date but I remember riding my bike around listening to the podcast was the show that had the Bryce call about "turret hits" and all the generals in WWII.

That was also the PC Richard show. IT KEEPS ON GIVING

[JonFromMaplewood]

I especially enjoy shows where Tom changes character for a long while, such as the "Shop for a coffin" fugue state he went into last year, and the dial-in shrink.  But most of all, I loved the first Patriot Zone call.  That was genius to me.

[snogrog]

I think my personal favorite is still the episode with Bryce calling in at the beginning talking about Oscar nominations and how his neighbor's lion bit his hand off, followed by Marky Ramone premiering his erotic novel series AND talking about the Ramone's reunion featuring Marky, Richie, and Tommy all on drums and C.J. on bass.

These calls were so classic to me, plus it has the Payola kid (i believe!) Kind of forget what else happens, but it's probably my favorite Best Show ever.

[Regular Joe]

I refuse to say this is THE best Best Show, because the show's trajectory clearly states that the best is yet to come. I just have to call out the August 31-September 6, 2005 move to Sirius story arc, as those were the shows that cemented me as a Best Show fan 4 life.

Never before or since have I seen a 'prank' (for lack of a better word that doesn't devalue the high art this was) pulled off with such grand design. Over the course of the weeks leading up to his 'departure', Tom plays the entire audience like an award winning fiddle player. He both uses the time to say goodbye, pulling deep emotions from people while showing everyone exactly what they would be missing if he really did leave by putting on some of the best shows in the archive. When it all pays off in one final blow-out love fest you think the worst has passed, the show is gone, but the very next week Tom 'crawls back', torturing anyone who cares with his deep inner pain and showing them the death of his soul. Even when the reveal comes, it still feels like things could go south like that at any minute. That feeling has threaded it's way through every single show and I just love it! It is truly a thing of beauty.