Comedian Matt Braunger (Up All Night, MADtv) launched a new podcast this week on Chris Hardwick’s ever-expanding Nerdist Network. Braunger’s show is called Ding-Donger with Matt Braunger, and it’s pretty drastically different from any other podcast going right now. It’s just Braunger talking and telling stories into a microphone for 15 minutes each week without any guests. “I’m not going to try to swoop in on the podcast game,” Braunger explains in the inaugural episode. “I’m just trying to make one. If you like it, cool. If not, cool too.” Braunger picked the name Ding-Donger because it rhymed with his name, and he says, “It’s the sillest one I could come up with.” With so many comedy podcasts out there these days, it’s refreshing to see one that takes a different approach. A podcast can be any length, shape, or format, and by making Ding-Donger a 15 minute no-frills show without any guests, Braunger’s already standing apart from the pack. The fact that he and his show are funny helps too.
