Podcast Junkie: Rating Tim Gunn's Project Runway Podcasts

I listen to my Ipod every day as I walk my energetic terrier an hour in the morning and after work. Within months of its purchase, I found myself listening to the same songs from my CD collection over and over again. At the same time I missed catching the morning and evening news. So I began searching for a variety of free sources of music, news, and entertainment.

I am now a Podcast Junkie. At the start of each week I download 15-18 hours of podcasts into my Ipod. I might take 3-5 days to listen to my selections, which include NPR shuffle, Slate Magazine, Real Time with Bill Maher, Grey’s Anatomy, Tim Gunn’s Podcast, Dog Whisperer, The Lonely Planet—you get the drift. Name a topic, including book titles, and I’ve probably downloaded it!

For the techie neophyte, here's another nice feature about podcasts: You don't have to download a podcast into your MP3 player in order to hear it. Select an episode, double click on the words, and listen while you work on your computer.

In Podcast Junkie I'll be critiqueing my favorite podcasts using the following rating system:
Two ear buds: Highly Recommended
One ear bud: Ok, but needs improvement
No ear bud : Don’t bother downloading

My first podcast analysis is about Tim’s Take, a Project Runway podcast by the inestimable Mr. Gunn.

Tim’s Take

Download Frequency: Once a week, after the last new Project Runway broadcast . Archives of Series 2 & 3 can still be downloaded from http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway. (PR One is not available in podcast form. )

Podcast Duration: Variable, up to an hour

Content: Tim’s analysis of the designers and the results of that week’s challenge. (Click here to listen to a sample from PR2, Episode 2, Clothes Off Our Back Episode.)

My Critique: This is Tim Gunn at his best, recapping Project Runway shows and adding colorful details to the design challenges that are absent from the taped show. In addition, Tim’s expert judgment and analysis about the design process and fashion provides valuable insight about each episode, inadvertently (or deliberately) revealing his relationship with the designers. We also learn what really goes on behind the scenes with the judging.

Rating: Two Ear Buds