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Welcome to One Good Thing Media, your official podcast review channel. We search the vast digital landscape on a daily basis to discover the best shows that podcasters have to offer. Are you ready to discover new favorites to add to your playbook? Stay tuned and listen to host Gerald Spears' latest podcast reviews.

Speaker 1: 0:48

Hello loves, welcome to One Good Thing, media, season 3, episode 13. This is Gerald Spear, and I am the creator and host of our show. Today, with the weather wrapping us in warmth, finally, and most kids out of school and as free as a summer breeze, this episode is all about gathering up the family and heading out on your first road trip of the season, the one challenge that all parents face Keeping young, restless minds occupied. If you've ever taken a road trip while trying to keep your kids from killing each other in the back seat, you know what I mean. Mom, he's touching my knee again. Dad, she won't stop smacking her lips. Then there's the oft-repeated question are we there yet? Are we there?

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yet Are we there yet?

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And throughout it all, you're just trying to not get into an accident and, oh, enjoy the scenery. This week's program includes podcast recommendations for the entire family, as well as podcasts for kids of different ages, including the toughest crowd, to please mature teens. Our goals for you Keeping your darlings entertained and preventing World War III from breaking out in the back seat, so you can enjoy long stretches of open highway and simply savor the serenity of the open road. Before we get going, I have one note of caution. Even though your children may be old enough to entertain themselves by texting their friends or watching videos online, this only works when you have connectivity, and when a Wi-Fi signal isn't present, you need to resort to other means. This is why I recommend that, in advance of your trip, you download the podcast you want to play during long periods where there's absolutely no signal in sight. With that said, are you ready to ramble? Hop on board and let's get going.

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I have three podcasts that I heartily recommend for the entire family, although they're very kid-friendly, so you have to take that into consideration. All three are by a company called GZM or Gen Z Media. One of them is about Annie and another is about a dad who mysteriously leads a secret life. The third recommendation that I have for family fun on the road is a podcast called Six Minutes. All three podcasts, by the way, have lessons in them for children, such as self-acceptance, resilience, perseverance, that are all wrapped in a big shiny bow of adventure, good guys versus bad guys and a lot of action.

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My first highlight is for a podcast called Tomorrow. If you're a fan of the Annie stage play or even the Little Orphan Annie comic strip, you and your family will love the Tomorrow cast by GZM. Tomorrow is an original scripted podcast series that stays true to the Tony Award-winning stage play, but it also seamlessly modernizes the story into a contemporary tale set in post-pandemic New York City and five years after Annie was adopted by billionaire Oliver Daddy Warbucks. Annie, by the way, in this particular presentation is 15 years old. I'm going to play a very short clip for you. It is from the trailer and will give you a pretty good idea of the spirit of the show.

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Good morning, Prisoner 845384.

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Please state your name for the record.

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My name is Agatha Hannigan and I appreciate the opportunity to tell my side of the story. Annie Warbucks and Agatha Hannigan, Two names forever connected by events that made one of them the richest girl in the world and sent the other to prison.

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Tell me what you did, dad. I'm not some little kid that you need to protect. Everything is at risk, and Hannigan is exactly the kind of problem we don't need. Gen Z. Media presents Tomorrow An original scripted audio adventure inspired by annie, the musical beloved by generations I spent my whole life looking for you, mom and dad, hoping that maybe, what is it?

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sandy hello who's there tomorrow brings the magic of Annie to the world of podcasts, with great music and a brand new immersive story full of humor, hearts, hope and mystery, starring Tony award winner Laura Benanti as Agatha Hannigan, alan Ruck as Drake, abby Abby, grace Levi as Annie and Lance Reddick as Oliver Warbucks.

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What it's a broken rocket Exactly like mine.

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You're always a day away.

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Tomorrow is so finely crafted and richly produced, I hope that everyone in your family has the opportunity to listen to tomorrow. The next show I'll be highlighting is another roadworthy podcast that's filled with far-fetched fun that will keep your kids entertained while you do what you set out to do in the first place. Take a road trip where going there is half the fun. The show is called Discovering Dad, starring Broadway and television actors Adam Godley, christopher Sieber, alexa Nissison and Banks Pierce. The story goes something like this Jess and Corey's dad, dan, was a mild-mannered, never-had-an-exciting-day-in-his-life kind of guy, or at least that's what they thought he was.

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Jess, by the way, is an angsty, angry high schooler and Corey is a nerdy middle schooler who appears to be pretty clueless in most things that aren't book-related. For the dad in this series, he's a fastidious middle school science teacher who always has his pants creased and his shirt pressed, who is obsessed with keeping his family safe. But then Dan's secret past finally begins to come to light when an old nemesis shows up and kidnaps one of his kids. Discovering Dad is a great romp that will appeal to kids of all ages and their parents. The episodes are short, action-packed and always end in a cliffhanger. It's like a Saturday cereal and the cliffhanger I just mentioned. You can take me literally. So there you have it Two hours of great listening and, hopefully, miles of peace and harmony.

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Jess and Cory's dad, Dan, is not exactly the adventurous type. You know what they say uncluttered kitchen, uncluttered mind. Who says that? I do, and you know what else I say it's a new day full of possibilities, Ha Time to vacuum. At least that's what they thought until his past caught up with them.

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Leave now and no one gets hurt. Knife twirling what?

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are you some kind of ninja? No, he's a middle school science teacher, Turns out, the mild-mannered Dan used to be someone else entirely.

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Get out of my house. Who are you?

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You get to the minivan Drive where You're not driving anywhere. Let go of me. You overgrown shred, wannabe or what. Or driving anyway. Let go of me. You overgrown shred, wannabe or what, or my dad will totally knock you out with a frying pan. Come on, I don't know how long he'll be out. What are you?

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going to say Buckle up Wait.

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Wait, just tell me where you learned how to do that knife stuff.

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It's called tanto jutsu.

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I trained in Japan.

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As in the country. Yeah, it's, I'm not driving until you buckle your seatbelt.

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I'm not buckling my seatbelt until you explain.

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They're on the hood of the car. Yeah, yeah, I can see that. Just hold on, Jess. You're going backwards and you yielded me for driving too fast. Well, these are obviously extenuating circumstances. Watch out.

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Minilocks Squirrel, mr Combs. Honey, calm down, I just need to Watch out. Watch out, mr Combs. Honey calm down. I just need to there. Better A 180 in a minivan. Are you kidding me? That was fire.

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Indeed, it was. So listen to Discovering Dad and expect two hours of squabble-free listening. My final family recommendation for this week is a podcast called Six Minutes and, like the other two podcasts I just covered, this one is also by Gen Z Media. Six Minutes is an absolutely delightful show about a mysterious girl named Holiday, who was found floating in the ocean and adopted by a family that also has some explaining to do. It's primarily directed toward ages 9 through 12, but it's still an entertaining podcast for the entire family. Launched in 2018, and much to the delight of its large number of followers, Six Minutes is still dropping weekly episodes. In season one, each episode is eight minutes long, and by season four, the most current season, each episode is 13 minutes long. The show features mystery, adventure and self-discovery and because it's an action and adventure show, six minutes strongly shows the ties between family and friends, especially in the face of danger.

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There are kids in this world who are different special.

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They look like us and they act like us, but they are not us.

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And one of them is missing.

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Holiday. Slow down. Don't let go of my hand, Birdie. Get under the bushes Down. What is going on? Where are they after Badger Now? He's under me, Don't move, he's in the helicopter in the van me, don't move.

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Who's in the helicopter? In the van what are child catchers? I don't know. You want to follow me?

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into the woods. Just try to keep. Get out of there now. Why are they chasing him? Don't worry, he'll get away. Hurry, catch him. Come on. Did they just shock him? Come on, come on, move it out. We got him Get in the van. No, where are they taking Badger? What just happened? I don't know.

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You're really scared Me too bird, me too.

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For this segment, I'm suggesting a few podcasts for your preschool to elementary school kids. I'll be listing all the podcast names that I mention in this segment in our show notes, which is right below the title of this episode. For preschool and early elementary school age children, I recommend that you check out Stories for Tiny People, peppa Pig, storytime and the Disney Magic of Storytelling podcasts. I especially love the latter, which tells stories from many movies that your kids probably already love in a 10-minute or shorter format. I would play one for you, but Disney is very strict about their proprietary materials. So when you have a moment, check them out. All of the stories are absolutely delightful. All of the stories are absolutely delightful For a little older kids they're beyond first grade, for instance but they're still part of the single-digit set.

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I recommend that you check out Big Life Kids podcast, which celebrates admirable traits such as persistence, gratitude and faith in oneself. Circle Round, which transforms folk tales from all over the world into sound and music-rich plays that focus on lessons such as kindness, persistence and generosity. And one fairly kooky podcast called Story Pirates, which takes stories written by kids and turns them into comedy sketches and songs. Also, a special mention goes to Spyology Squad that teaches science through daring missions and studying what they call spiance Get it Spy Science. Here's a quick clip from Spiology Squad.

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On the last episode, we saw that Spiology Squad was investigating a bank robbery. While they were looking at all the clues, they discovered some kind of secret tunnel that led right underneath the bank. But then Mr Jim got an alert that someone had broken into HQ. And, oh dear, what in the world is going to happen next? I'm not sure, but let's find out. As Mr Jim, Ava and Jaden took off from the bank, they blasted off with their jetpacks to zoom to HQ as fast as they could. The alarm had been set off, meaning someone had actually broken in. When they reached HQ, they carefully walked inside. All right, everyone be extra careful and on high alert, said Mr Jim.

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Looks like the system deployed some tear gas to deter the bandits. Okay, I'll go. I'll open up the windows to get some fresh air in here. Hey, Mr Jim, I think I found how they got in. Look at this floor tile over here, Jaden, did you say? The floor again, Called Ava. Just like the bank, Mr Jim knelt down to the floor tile and took a look inside. Whoa, it looks like there's a whole tunnel system underneath HQ. I had no idea. Critical thinking, science, information, adventure.

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Critical thinking, science, information, adventure, being imaginary spies. If they had had programs like this when I was that age, I would have been a science major. And now on to the final leg of our podcast road trip series, the one you've probably been waiting for since you listened to our introduction Podcasts for more mature teens, and the hardest to please audience, even in those rare times when they're on their best behavior. I do have some trigger warnings before we get going. All three podcasts that I'll be recommending today for older teens include Gory Topics, violence and Foul Language.

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With that said, they're also perfect for teens and parents who are part of the DC Comics fandom, where superheroes and anti-heroes like Batman, the Riddler, Harley Quinn and the Joker all have their own legion of followers. Quinn and the Joker all have their own legion of followers. This week, I am going to be covering superhero podcasts for mature teens who love action, a little grittiness and more adult-like themes. The first podcast that I'll be sharing for older teens is about the caped crusader himself in a podcast called Batman Unburied. It's a cinematic listening experience produced by Warner Brothers, a company that now owns DC Comics and Spotify Studios. Season 1 dropped in 2022, and Season 2, which is called Batman Unburied Fallen City in late 2024.

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In Season 1, listeners are plunged straight into Gotham's shadowy underbelly, with Bruce Wayne, the uncaped crusader, starring in this psychological thriller, where he confronts his own demons while hunting down a serial killer that's hiding in plain sight. In season two, Batman Unburied Fallen City takes you down the shadowed alleys of Gotham with such a visceral intensity that only a highly skilled production team and cast can deliver Really gets you going. I don't want to get too deep into the plot here, but suffice it to say that Gotham City is in shambles. There is a murder to be solved and the city is hit by a seismic shift that rocks the elite and all the citizens of Gotham to their core. There's only one superhero that can save this city, and we both know who he is. Here's a clip from season one he is.

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Here's a clip from season one, seemingly random the harvester he takes something Heart, pancreas, gallbladder.

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I think he considers the organs he takes as his reward. Thank you, you did good work, sir, but I was not finished with this bite.

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Breathe, breathe In Gotham City. Listen up, this guy knows what he's doing. No prince, no trail, no pattern to the murders.

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The deeper you dig welcome to arkham asylum edward enigma, please step forward the darker it gets.

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barbara gordon, it's wonderful to see you again, the Harvester. You need me to find him. You mind giving us the room, your officer, you his doctor. I'm his father, Dr Thomas Wayne. This is my wife, Martha. Bruce, obviously you can no longer be involved in this case.

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You can return to work pending a sucky vow From executive producer David S Goyer, you are very protective about what's inside your mind aren't you?

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Do you dream? Sometimes my whole life feels like a dream. Let's talk about fear. Comes a groundbreaking original audio series. We're the same. We like the dead, we like the night, starring Winston Duke as Bruce Wayne. The killings are ritualistic. It's all about the process for him. He's methodical, careful, obsessive, featuring Hasan Minhaj as the Riddler and Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon. I know a little something about compulsion. Dc and Spotify present Batman Unburied. Alfred, you packed my work clothes.

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Of course I did no more hiding. It's over, I'm coming for you.

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It's really interesting that in season one, winston Duke was Batman, bruce Wayne, and in season two, coleman Domingo took over that particular role. Why there was a switch, I don't know, but I admit I really loved Coleman Domingo's interpretation of Batman and, by the way, hasan Minhaj, the actor who plays the Riddler and for a female action figure or superhero. Warner Brothers and Spotify also teamed up to produce Harley Quinn and the Joker. Sound Mind. This particular show begins when Harley Quinn had graduated from medical school and was doing her first stint at Arkham, the Gotham City insane asylum. Of course, her first patient ends up being the Joker, and things go downhill or uphill, depending on your point of view. From there, I'm going to play a clip from the show, where Harley Quinn is her most adorable self, as always, and the Joker the baddie of the story, as well as an interesting family side story. Here we go.

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In Gotham City. Name and ID Dr Harleen Quinzel. I've got a 330 with the Joker. Quinzel, I've got a 330 with the Joker. There's a new patient in Arkham Asylum. Look at you. Pass me the tartar sauce because it's supper time.

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Are you all done? I'm an entertainer.

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How about a joke?

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What Are you? Just all talk, no action. What are you? What's going on here? This is Harleen Quinzel, our behavioral counselor.

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Dr Quinzel, bruce Wayne, my patients, most of them, grew up here. Aren't you from Gotham too? What you didn't turn into? A nutcase in face paint. I'm still young.

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When your back is against the wall.

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My dad's basically dying and I can't even cover a fraction of the operation.

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Don't worry, you'll get the money, unless you prefer diamonds. You're saying you could love me for you, sweetheart. It'll be a breeze. How far would you go to save?

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someone you love what you did, I, uh, I kind of liked it. Careful, arlene.

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Your dark side's peeking out. Starring Christina Ricci as Harley Quinn, billy Magnuson as the Joker and Justin Hartley as Bruce Wayne.

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If I want something, I should just take it.

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Right, DC and Spotify present you and me. We weren't looking for it, but it sure found us. You believe there's something between us only because I let you. Harley Quinn and the Joker.

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I'll be honest with you, I had to binge this one. I'm not denying my compulsive behavior in terms of podcasts, but I don't regret spending the time doing it. God that Joker. He is rotten to the core. My last superhero recommendation of this episode is called the Riddler Secrets in the Dark. It's all about a masked vigilante who is on the loose murdering notorious supervillains all over Gotham City and, of course wouldn't you know it? The caped crusader is being framed for the crimes. I'm going to play a little bit of this particular show. It will be very short because I try very hard to keep our shows to 30 minutes and I don't want to run over. This clip will give you a great taste of what this show is about and the spirit of the characters who are breaking out of Arkham, the Gotham City insane asylum to solve the crime he's planning to kill again and the riddler is next.

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Watch your back.

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It's dangerous out there the smashed glass the lacerations, the third story, acrobatics, a grudge against costumed criminals, and it all points straight at the batman. But the greater the question marks, the deadlier the answers. So how does it feel, you know, being a wanted man? Batman will never be a killer and I won't be framed as one, which is why I need your help figuring out what the hell is going on here. From executive producer David S Goyer starring Hasan Minhaj as the Riddler, coleman Domingo as Batman and Gina Rodriguez as Barbara Gordon. I'm gonna make him face justice. I like this new color on you, barb. It brings out your eyes, eddie, don't get murdered. Dangerous times Call for unexpected alliances Clock's ticking back.

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Someone else is going to die.

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Not on my watch. Yes, that's the only way. What the hell are you going on about over there? I need to escape Arkham tonight. So, uh, you want to come with no shit. No shit, I'm in. Let's fucking do this.

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And that's a wrap for another episode of One Good Thing Media. I hope you enjoyed our road trip this week and we'll be back next week with a new staycation-themed episode. Happy summer folks. Stay warm, bask in the sun and enjoy your leisure time. We'll talk soon and until then, you know we love you. See you next week.

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One Good Thing Media is brought to you by our host and creator, Gerald Spear. All things technical are by David Dodd and our announcer is Robert Spear. Our theme song is Force by HGST. Thank, you.