John Hodgman and Maximum Fun
500 episodes listed below
Hodgman and bailiff Jesse Thorn issue binding-for-laughs verdicts on real family disputes.
Judge John Hodgman frames everyday arguments as cases worthy of ceremony, from Lego etiquette to phone alarms and X-Men lore. Jesse Thorne keeps the docket moving while the judge turns small conflicts into oddly precise comedy.
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The show follows a recurring interview/panel format: each episode invites a plaintiff and a defendant — usually a couple, sibling pair, or parent and child — to present their case before Judge John Hodgman, with Jesse Thorn acting as bailiff and co-interviewer. Guests are ordinary listeners rather than celebrities, and disputes range from workplace-adjacent sibling friction (a lawyer's roughly 45 daily phone alarms) to marital debates over shared hobbies (a jointly started Lego set) to family property questions (adding a door between duplex units). Hodgman typically opens with an 'obscure cultural reference' unrelated to the case, drawing on material like Stephen King's The Stand, Chris Claremont-era X-Men comics, or Asher Roth's 'I Love College,' before questioning both parties in detail and issuing a non-binding, humor-driven ruling. Some installments are shorter mailbag episodes that move through two or three smaller cases rather than one extended dispute. The show is produced by the Maximum Fun network, is recorded partly at the network's Los Angeles headquarters, and includes sponsor reads for products like Made In cookware and Aura digital photo frames, plus periodic mentions of the MaxFunDrive membership campaign. Episodes typically run 55 to 70 minutes and mix genuine emotional undercurrents — such as a sibling questioning whether she is interesting enough to hold her brother's attention — with tangents into fandom and internet culture. The likely audience is listeners who enjoy character-based, dialogue-driven comedy or narrative advice formats, particularly those familiar with Hodgman and Thorn from other public-radio-adjacent work. Production is unscripted-sounding and dialogue-heavy, built around litigant testimony and cross-examination rather than narration or sound design. There is no recurring guest cast beyond the two hosts, since litigants change from episode to episode.
Made for: Listeners who enjoy character-driven, court-format comedy about mundane relationship, family, and roommate disputes, plus host tangents into pop culture minutiae.
What sets it apart: Unlike straightforward advice podcasts, it stages each real listener dispute as a mock legal proceeding with formal rulings, a bailiff, and Hodgman's signature deep-cut cultural references.
Have your real-life disputes settled in Fake Internet Court! Despite no legal background, Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn are the arbiters of justice that you need. No case is too big or too small. They judge them all! Is a hot dog a sandwich? When does a collection become a hoard? Is it ever ok to flush soup down a toilet? Only one can decide! Submit your dispute at maximumfun.org/jjho!
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Everyday disagreements become attentive comic hearings, with precise questions, playful evidence and rulings that reveal the real tension underneath.
Judge John Hodgman turns ordinary friction into mock-court comedy, with John Hodgman presiding and bailiff Jesse Thorne keeping the proceedings moving.
A phone alarm enters John Hodgman and Jesse Thorn's courtroom; your petty grievance finally feels properly important.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A spring-fever docket episode where Lego etiquette becomes a tiny, very funny courtroom emergency.
Captain Do Not Disturb finds Judge John Hodgman and Jesse Thorne clearing the docket with spring fever in the room and pollen practically coming through the window.
A duplex door dispute becomes a sharp little comedy about family boundaries, renovation priorities, and one very confusing house.
A New Orleans duplex turns into prime Judge John Hodgman material: Stephanie wants an interior door between the two family units, while Lee would rather put the money toward less glamorous projects like bike storage or protecting the cars from the sun.
A tiny phone-alarm dispute becomes an affectionate sibling trial about productivity, messy desks, and office sanity.
Lisa and David work together at their family's law firm, which is awkward because David's phone alarms go off at least ten times a day for work tasks. Lisa wants a written to-do list. David thinks his system is perfect.
A mother-son fight over X-Men lore becomes a sweet, nerdy courtroom comedy about enthusiasm spilling over.
Cordelia brings her son Patty to Judge John Hodgman court with a clean, funny complaint: she loves him, he loves X-Men, and somehow every road leads back to mutant lore.
A marital state count turns into a funny, oddly tender fight over Delaware pride, college residency, and who gets to claim home.
Stephanie says she has lived in 11 states. Brandon says the number is nine, and the case quickly becomes a tiny courtroom fight over what "lived in" is supposed to mean.
A warm, wobbly holiday hang with Muppet feelings, workplace teasing, and a Tom and Jerry Jello shot.
Judge John Hodgman's annual holiday party is exactly the sort of seasonal mess this show knows how to make charming: Jesse Thorne in Los Angeles, Hodgman in New York, office guests on hand, and a Jello-related holiday challenge wobbling in the background.
Joe Rogan's marathon one-on-one talks, from UFC judging debates to Bob Lazar's UFO claims.
Bateman, Hayes, and Arnett riff, then talk shop with guests like Adam Sandler.
Peter Sagal leads NPR's live news quiz, pairing celebrity guests with listener call-in games.
Comedian Chris Gethard takes one anonymous call a week and can't hang up first.
Mike Pesca opens with a monologue, then digs into Supreme Court ethics and Iran policy.
Spring pollen is in the courtroom.
Stephanie wants a door.
Judge John Hodgman arbitrates a dispute between Lisa and her older brother David, siblings who work together at their parents' family law firm in Denver, Colorado.
A teaser for the members-only mailbag episode where Judge John Hodgman, Jesse Thorn, and Jennifer Marmer answer listener questions about carbonated drinks, lemonade preferences, and the appropriate etiquette for party beverages.
This episode of Judge John Hodgman features a dispute between Garrett and Kara about whether to introduce more aggressive competition into their board game nights, following a lengthy sponsorship segment promoting audience support for the podcast.
Judge John Hodgman arbitrates a dispute brought by Cordelia, a library marketing consultant, against her 20-year-old son Patty, a theater performance major at a Wilmington, North Carolina college, over Patty's habit of derailing every conversation into X-Men lore dumps.
This episode of Judge John Hodgman features a special docket revisiting decade-old mailbag cases while promoting audience support during the Max Fun Drive.
This episode features a comedic dispute between coworkers Mike and Brooke over whether baseball and softball are essentially the same game for casual recreational play.
This teaser promotes a members-only mailbag episode where the hosts answer listener letters on various topics, including an etiquette dispute about nighttime chores.
This episode features a dispute between Andy and his fiancé Kevin about whether their first meeting at DragCon in 2018 actually happened, with Judge John Hodgman presiding over the case.
Judge John Hodgman and guest bailiff Jean Gray hear a case about a wife wanting more pets while her husband prefers vehicles.
Judge John Hodgman arbitrates a dispute between Stephanie, a media and communications PhD who has lived in 11 states, and her husband Brandon, a Delaware-born-and-raised homebody who argues she has only 'lived' in nine states because going to college in Indiana, Illinois, and Louisiana should not count as residency.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn kick off a live episode with a plea for listener support during the Max Fun Drive, then introduce a case from San Francisco Sketch Fest.
Judge John Hodgman humorously settles a dispute between a husband and wife over a fantasy football draft trade.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn settle humorous disputes in a fake internet court, with a call for listener support during the Max Fun Drive.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn humorously settle a dispute between friends over a survivor fantasy pool point.
A comedic arbitration podcast episode where Eileen brings a case against her friend Walter, arguing he talks too much and failed a three-minute silence challenge by making mouth noises after one minute.
Good yule, and bien Saturnalia.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn humorously settle listener disputes in a fake internet court, with this episode featuring a membership drive and a preview of the bonus mailbag show.
The hosts promote audience support for Maximum Fun during the Max Fun Drive while teasing a snack-related guessing game about potato chips.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn settle a dispute between a couple over adopting a senior snake versus a younger one.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn settle a dispute between a daughter and her mother over the mother's excessive giggling while telling stories.
A live episode of Judge John Hodgman featuring humorous disputes and a fundraising appeal for Maximum Fun.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn humorously settle listener disputes in a fake internet court, with this episode featuring a membership drive and a clip from the Members Only Mailbag.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn open the members-only mailbag to revisit a dispute about a Romantasy series and spoilers.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn settle a live dispute about a chest freezer and Jimmy Buffett trivia at San Francisco Sketchfest.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn open a special episode with a plea for listener support during the Max Fun Drive, then introduce a guest.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn humorously settle listener disputes in a fake internet court, with this episode featuring a pledge drive and a case involving a makeshift gavel.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn humorously settle listener disputes in a fake internet court, with this episode featuring a pledge drive and docket-clearing session.
This episode promotes the Max Fun Drive 2026 fundraiser while sharing a favorite swearing-included episode from the comedy podcast Jordan Jesse Go.
Matt brings a case against his fiancee Vera over stopping to pick persimmons from a random tree, and Judge John Hodgman presides over the absurd dispute.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn settle a dispute between Andrew and Rachel over a large television in their home.
Judge John Hodgman and Bailiff Jesse Thorn open a live episode with a fundraising pitch and a story about petting capybaras.
Judge John Hodgman humorously settles listener disputes in a fake court setting, with this episode featuring a docket on shopping.
Judge John Hodgman humorously settles a dispute between a husband and wife over his obsession with buying expensive paintings.