Favorite Podcasts Trivia Quiz

Answer: A murder case in Baltimore

Sarah Koenig was a producer on the radio program and podcast "This American Life" who branched out with her own podcast, "Serial," based on the trial of Adnan Syed. Syed who was charged with the 1999 murder of his 18-year-old former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Koenig and her team turned over every detail in the case, yet she was never sure whether Adnan was guilty or innocent of the crime. Within one year of its release, the first season of "Serial" had been downloaded over 68 million times (CBS News, February, 2015).

Answer: The Ricky Gervais Show

By the time he began work on his podcast, Ricky Gervais was already wildly successful as the co-creator of the sitcom "The Office," which was a hit in the UK and again with a US version, as well as with "Extras" on HBO. Gervais's podcast was an early entrant into the field of podcasting, and delighted listeners with its focus on Karl Pilkington, a sort of wise-fool character who played straight man to Merchant and Gervais's hilarity.

Answer: The Star Wars Minute

It's hard to believe anyone can talk about one minute of a movie for nearly an hour, but if that's going to be any movie, it would be those in the "Star Wars" universe. Comic book writer Alex Robinson and his co-host Pete Bonavita present this popular podcast which is highly appreciated by "Star Wars" fans.

Answer: Freakonomics

The "Freakonomics" podcast is produced in part by WNYC, a public radio station in New York. Levitt is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago and Dubner is an award-winning journalist who began his professional writing career at age 11 when he was published in "Highlights," the children's magazine.

Answer: Number of electors in the US electoral college

"Five Thirty Eight" was named after the number of electors in the electoral college, a complex institution that elects the US President every four years. Each of the states is assigned a certain number of electors, or representatives, who submit votes.

A populated state like California will have many electors; a less populated state such as South Dakota will have considerably fewer. However they are distributed, the total number of electors equals 538. The system has been criticized for being overly complex, because a candidate can win the popular vote but not the actual election because of the electoral college. Talk of abolishing the system comes up regularly, especially by high school students who have to learn the system in social studies class.

Answer: Dead Authors Podcast

Host Paul F. Tompkins began hosting "Dead Authors Podcast" in 2011; acting like H. G. Wells, in character he interviews actors who are also in character as specific, now-dead writers. All proceeds from the podcast are donated to 826LA, an LA-based organization that supports expository writing in K-12 schools.

Answer: Terry Gross

Terry Gross took over as main host of "Fresh Air" in 1975; over so many years, Gross has honed her interviewing technique, generally making the guest feel comfortable and then asking probing questions. She has earned many awards, including a Peabody (1994), Princeton's Honorary Doctorate of Humanities (2002), and the Edward R. Murrow Award (2003).

Answer: Comedy Bang! Bang!

"Comedy Bang! Bang!" includes short interviews with celebrity guests, some real, some impostors; parodies; and improvisational games. The show's odd humor appeals to a segment of listeners, and major guests have included Al Yankovic, Jon Hamm, Patton Oswalt, Seth Rogen, Zach Galifianakis, Ben Stiller, Sarah Silverman, and others.

Answer: This American Life

'This American Life" is a powerhouse of podcasts, with multiple awards and a very wide audience. Host Ira Glass was born in Baltimore, Maryland, started in public radio as an intern in Washington, DC. He is the first cousin, once removed of composer Philip Glass; Ira often includes Philip's music in his podcast.

Answer: Marc Maron

Marc Maron's career had had its share of ups and downs before he began producing his own podcast, "WTF," in 2009. He admits in interviews it was the move of a desperate man, as he'd been effectively fired from four consecutive jobs in radio and television.

He began interviewing mostly his fellow comics, but over the years has interviewed bigger and bigger guests. In 2015, even US President Barack Obama was interviewed in Marc's garage.