The Greatest Generation (podcast)
| The Greatest Generation | |
|---|---|
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | Adam Pranica Benjamin Ahr Harrison |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Updates | Weekly (Mondays) |
| Length | 50-75 min. |
| Publication | |
| Original release | January 25, 2016 – present |
| Website | http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/greatest-generation |
The Greatest Generation is a weekly, comedic Star Trek podcast host by Adam Pranica and Benjamin Harrison and distributed online by Maximum Fun. The show's tagline "A Star Trek podcast by two guys who are a little bit embarrassed to have a Star Trek Podcast." The show as of November 2017 is the highest rated Star Trek podcast on iTunes holding a Five Star rating with 1521 reviews. [1]
The program features Pranica and Harrison reviewing and discussing a different aspect of Star Trek TV shows. To connect with other fans of the show in code the question is asked: "Are you a friend of DeSoto." There is a proper response to give to this question.
Format[edit | edit source]
All episodes feature Pranica and Harrison talking about and reviewing episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the order they aired. One show of Star Trek: TNG to one show of The Greatest Generation.
Pranica and Harrison use their knowledge of cinematography to provided commentary on the show. Offering insight into some of the great aspects of Star Trek while also pointing out some of the areas where it could be better. Using their skills as media pros they critique the show's sets and special effects, acting, writing, and directing.
The show opens with a Maron Opening named after comedian Marc Maron WTF Podcast, which is just a way to warm up or start the show. They have a few standard bits/segments like opening trading cards or Bible Study section. In the Bible Study segment the open up the show bible and talk about different aspects of things in the show bible.
The podcast is a pyramid style type of listing, where inside jokes are adopted by Pranica and Harrison as show canon which throws off new listeners starting in the middle, who did not start listing from episode one.
Running Joke/Show Canon[edit | edit source]
"Viewers" - Many new listeners may get confused and think the podcast they download is broken, because Pranica and Harrison refer to their listeners are viewers, even though the show is only an audio-only show.
"Six Bay" is a reference to a mispronunciation of Sick Bay.
"Dustbuster Club" refers to an away team sent on mission holding prop phasers that look like DustBusters.
"The Entrepreneur" is a reference to Harrison's wife talking with him and telling him she remembers the name of the ship was the Entrepreneur. Pranica and Harrison adopted this and now call the Starship Enterprise the Entrepreneur.
"Big Rod" is a nod to Gene Roddenberry and his estate which still have a financial interest in Star Trek. Pranica and Harrison never want to be in the pocket of Big Rod, so they do not lose control over the ability to make dick and fart jokes about the franchise. However, this did not stop them from having fans troll "Big Rod" agents to try to land jobs in the Star Trek: Discovery's writer's room.
"Bunkbed" and "Previa" are how the show describes two of the types of shuttlepod on Star Trek: TNG. Bunkbeds are the Ikea-style flatpack shuttles, while the more expensive and larger shuttle looks like the Toyota Previa.
"Head cannon" is an attempt by Pranica and Harrison to talk through or better understand an aspect or mystery of the show which is not explained by show or any other canon of the show.
"Facetime" is the reference to when in Star Trek they use a view screen for communication between people, while 20 years before Apple Inc would make it common in everyday life.
"Impressions" - Pranica and Harrison do (or attempt to do) several impressions during the podcast; some work, some do not and some will not die. Kevin Uxbridge is a running impression that both Pranica and Harrison do. When they do a Uxbridge impersonation it is normally accompanied Ice Cream Truck music (East or West coast's) style. The impersonation/impression came from Season 3 episode "The Survivors" whereas member of the Douwd "Kevin" said "I didn't kill just one Husnock, or a hundred, or a thousand...I killed them all.. all Husnock... everywhere." He recreated his wife Rishon, which now leads to the running joke of "Kevin and his real doll company." Another popular impression attempt on the show is that of Bill Cosby.
Other Star Trek Podcast[edit | edit source]
Pranica and Harrison started a new podcast with the release of Star Trek: Discovery, which is released the Tuesday after a new episode of Discovery is released. It is billed as "Its the unofficial, irreverent and filthy after shows Discovery didn't know it needed."[2]
Reception[edit | edit source]
ArsTechnica on February 14, 2016 wrote an article titled "If you grew up watching ST:TNG, then you'll love this new podcast."[3]
On July 29, 2016, Slate's Sarah Archer offered a review of the podcast noting that the "show has lost a few listeners thanks to their willingness to bust the show's chops, other listeners (like me) delight in their clear affection for it and their admiration for its progressive ideals."[4] The show has been compared to a "more Mystery Science Theater 3000 than Comic-Con."[4]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "The Greatest Generation". Itunes Store. Apple. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ↑ Maximumfun. Maximumfun. September 22, 2017 http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/greatest-discovery. Retrieved December 1, 2017. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Farivar, Cyrus (14 February 2016). "If you grew up watching ST:TNG, then you'll love this new podcast". arsTechnica. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Archer, Sarah (29 July 2016). "This Hilarious Star Trek Podcast Perfectly Captures the Spirit of The Next Generation". Slate. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
