John and Heidi Show

The John and Heidi Show is a syndicated radio show based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the podcast keeps the broadcast's shape: the on-air intro, the sponsor reads, the sign-off. By its own count, it airs on more than 300 stations. At the center are John and Heidi, a married pair. John introduces her as 'my beautiful bride' at the top of episodes and again whenever her segment comes around. Much of the charm is in the small talk. One Thursday starts with John taking stock: glasses on, monitor readable, fresh haircut. Another stretch runs from mobile phone throwing, which one of them reports is an official sport in Finland, to a joke from John about grabbing his wife's phone and flinging it. A sponsorship tidbit ends with the admission that shoe companies don't typically back a radio show, so they buy their own shoes and socks. Heidi Small's spot, 'today's reason to party', comes back episode after episode. She names a novelty holiday and finds a cocktail to mark it. Submarine Day prompts a quick sandwich-or-boat debate before the Submarine Kiss, made with dry gin and an egg white. Farm Animals Day gets a Brown Cow and a pun about mooing. Unicorn Day gets whipped cream and edible glitter. Recipes are linked in the show notes on the website. The interviews stay in the same relaxed key. In the David Cross episode, the talk turns to touring and why stand-up is the one art form where nobody wants the greatest hits, the exact opposite of a band. Rosalee Mayeux, a stand-up comic with a new special called 'Model Mom', gets a setup that explains the model half first and stumbles onto the mom half last. Enid Almanzar, whose episode title ties her to Bible Media Group, is lined up to explain a video take on the Bible after plans for Easter weekend could not be coordinated. Charlie comes in on Tuesdays, in episodes titled 'Tuesdays With Charlie'. Dear John letters bring trouble between neighbors, such as a towed car followed by angry neighbors and flat tires, with advice invited on Facebook. One sign-off even asks listeners to lobby their favorite station to carry the show, pointing out that a station can air it free by running a couple of commercials. What a listener gets is company: a couple's easy chatter, a drink idea for the day, and the occasional comedian passing through.