newcomer here, to rebut the newcomer's rant. hi!
i was actually a fan of wiretap way before i got into the best show, since it used to be syndicated on our local npr station and i didn't get into podcasts until a few years back. a couple arguments in mr. goldstein's defense:
1. the format/frame story of the show is completely different. where the premise of
the best show is based around a 3-hour community call-in show,
wiretap is a completely scripted half-hour presentation that features phone calls, bits, and prose readings. sometimes the calls are presented as spontaneous and in-the-moment, but they are still tied to a general theme.
2. the characters, and their presentation, are also completely different. because
wiretap is about johnathan goldstein's life, the characters on the show are constant: his friends (like howard, whose neurotic bits can seem a bit wurster-esque but who also has a really great sense of timing and wit), his parents, his extended family. also, as a host, johnathan is an emotional wreck who is constantly under attack, completely devoid of any streamroller tendencies.
sure,
the best show also has recurring characters, but the entire focus of
wiretap on the relationship of johnathan with his "guests" is a big part of
wiretap's comedy, and the depth, in the show.
yeah,
wiretap is definitely more on the egghead side of the gnar-bucket, and, in 7-years, they've managed to make some bad/boring episodes, but on the balance, it is a pretty fun take on long-form comedy and podcast-ed variety shows.
here's a link to one of my favorite episodes:
http://bit.ly/e1QoHp