From 'Pod Meets World' to 'Office Ladies,' how rewatch podcasts are keeping classic TV shows alive
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Set us as preferred For seven years, “Boy Meets World” served as an electronic babysitter for millions of kids growing up in the 1990s.Fans had no social media to analyze the budding teen romance between Topanga Lawrence and Cory Matthews while the sitcom aired on ABC.Since 2022, cast members Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle have done that work for them on their rewatch podcast “Pod Meets World.” They break down every episode, quiz dozens of guest stars and dig up backstage anecdotes.From recurring cast member Adam Scott recalling an awkward moment on set to the show’s hairstylist dishing on Topanga’s trendsetting Season 4 haircut, the 30-year-old secrets revealed on “Pod Meets World” have become steady fodder for celebrity news websites.
The podcast is popular enough that the cast has taken it on the road.Those live shows are captured in a new documentary, “Doc Meets World” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June.
The film is a testament to the cultural clout of rewatch podcasts, where cast members and creators offer revelations about their shows and about themselves.Streaming services such as Hulu, HBO Max and Netflix have fueled the appetite for these podcasts by introducing classic shows to new audiences.For many fans, binge-watching is no longer enough.
That includes younger viewers who weren’t alive for a series’ original run and longtime fans who want to immerse themselves in old favorites all over again.The genre has become a staple of the podcast industry, which took in $9.2 billion in global revenue last year, according to media consulting firm Owl & Co.
Some podcasts such as “Pod Meets World” and “Office Ladies,” featuring Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey of “The Office,” are popular enough to remain in production even after their hosts have gone through an entire library of episodes.(The hosts of both podcasts once did a crossove...