Critical 5 podcast roundup: a history lesson, October 18-24

This week's podcasts will leave you knowing a whole lot more than when you came in. These episodes have something for everyone, from comedy nerds to history nerds to just straight up nerdy nerds. Entertainment history, black holes and ghost stories dominate this week's Critical 5 and will definitely leave you with a lot to think about. 

The J.V Club: Tig Notaro

If there's one thing the comedy community can agree on it's that everbody loves Tig Notaro. The episode, actually filmed in 2011 before opening up about her cancer diagnosis in her now acclaimed set at Largo comedy club. Notaro does what she does best, turning ultimately sad stories into almost heartwarming anecdotes about her past and keeps host Janet Varney on her toes with her quick wit and ability to turn heartbreak into hilarity. 

The Nerdist: Larry King

Larry King stops by The Nerdist to discuss some of his most hilarious interviews with host Chris Hardwick. King's interview provides a mini-history of comedy as it related to King's decades journalism. King proves to be an incredible addition to the Nerdist guest list and ends up finding a lot of ground with Hardwick. The two talk about how old-school radio relates to podcasting and King proves that he's not too old to take on this modern medium. 

Stuff You Should Know: How Black Holes Work

Listen to this podcast if any of the following words interest you: supernovas, event horizons, The Singularity, or ergosphere, etc. Hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant meander through mystery of black holes in this week's episodes. Learn not only what black holes are, but also the different types of black holes look like, how they relate to potential time travel, and how we can measure them. Charming and insightful even for non-science types, this episode is a must-listen for space lovers everywhere but don't listen to it if you don't want to feel like, really really small, man. 

Stuff You Missed in History Class: Madame Lalaurie and the Haunting of Royal Street 

If you're looking for a Halloween tale to give you chills for days, Stuff You Missed in History Class delivers big time this week with their discussion of "Mad Madame Lalaurie" and her strange legacy of cruelty and torture that has made her house a must-see on any New Orleans ghost tour. Hosts Sarah Dowdey and Deblina Chakarbourdy take on the mystery of "the most haunted house in America" and show you that sometimes even when you separate the fact from the fiction a story can still be really really creepy.

WTF with Marc Maron: Tom Kenny

If you were even barely conscious during the early 2000s, hearing Spongebob Squarepants drop the f-bomb is probably something you’re interested in. Well, look no further! Marc Maron provides just that this week as he interviews hilarious and beloved voice actor Tom Kenny (Spongebob, Adventuretime’s The Ice King, Spyro...need I say more?) and gets to the nitty-gritty behind a man whose voice we’ll never forget.