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The Prancing Pony Podcast

The Prancing Pony Podcast

300 episodes

The Prancing Pony Podcast is a weekly show about the Middle-earth legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien, hosted - for six seasons - by Alan Sisto and Shawn E. Marchese. Now in its eleventh season, Alan is joined by an all-star cast of co-hosts as he explores more of Middle-earth!

More about the show

Alan and all his co-hosts are passionate Tolkien enthusiasts, inviting listeners to enjoy their detailed exploration of Tolkien’s work, with smart but straightforward discussion and a healthy dose of self-effacing humor, pop-culture references, and bad puns. These are the folks you'd want to hang out with at a pub and talk Tolkien with!

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. 429 – Rhiannon

    · 1 h 58 min · S11 E6

    Tinwelint (Thingol to the rest of you) asks his daughter to “put this folly away from thee”; Sara’s been telling Alan to do the same for years now. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as Tinúviel…

  2. 428 – Go Your Own Way

    · 2 h 02 min · S11 E5

    Beren is so hungry that he picks his way through leftover scraps at an Orc camp; Alan and Sara are somehow no longer hungry at all. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we continue our look at The…

  3. 427 – Dreams

    · 1 h 46 min · S11 E4

    Dairon is named among the three most magic players; Alan and Sara aren’t even named among the three most magic podcasters. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we begin our long look at the oldest…

  4. 426 – Tiny Dancer

    · 1 h 42 min · S11 E3

    Christopher Tolkien points out the ‘undercurrent of sardonic humor’ in Tolkien’s earliest version of this story; Alan and Sara’s sardonic humor is more like a whirlpool. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of…

  5. 425 – Questions After Nightfall 36

    · 1 h 28 min · S11 E2

    Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we join a few of our patrons in the PPP Common Room for our 36th Questions After Nightfall! Sara looks for the familiar bus tires, as we answer questions about…

  6. 424 – Your Song

    · 1 h 54 min · S11 E1

    Christopher Tolkien believes that the book he was working on was “in no conceivable way publishable”. Alan and Sara sometimes think the same about the podcast. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as…

  7. 423 – What Do You Want?

    · 2 h 25 min · S10 E42

    It turns out the Stones are more amenable to legitimate users; too bad all we have are Alan and Shawn. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as we conclude our reading of the chapter on The Palantíri, as…

  8. 422 – Who Are You?

    · 1 h 59 min · S10 E41

    After the Kings, Gondor declined into a Middle Age of fading knowledge and simpler skills. Alan and Shawn find that surprisingly familiar. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as we begin our two-episode…

  9. 421 – Faith Manages

    · 1 h 53 min · S10 E40

    Some people believe that “Gandalf” was the last appearance of Manwë; Alan is convinced Shawn is the last appearance of Oromë. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as they conclude their three-episode walk…

  10. 420 – I Have Always Been Here

    · 1 h 58 min · S10 E39

    The Istari were never young and aged only slowly; Alan and Shawn will have to settle for only one of those two. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as they continue their three-part study of The Istari…

  11. 419 – A Voice In the Wilderness

    · 2 h 17 min · S10 E38

    The wizards went about in simple guise, as it were of Men already old in years. Alan and Shawn have been doing that for years. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as they embark on a three-episode look at…

  12. 418 – Questions After Nightfall 35

    · 1 h 52 min · S10 E37

    Join The Man of the West as The Lord of the Mark submits his application to return to the PPP as guest host for a six-episode run to wrap up Season 10; Alan welcomes Shawn back by throwing him into the chaos of a live…

  13. 417 – I Am a Rock

    · 1 h 45 min · S10 E36

    Aghan brings a watch-stone to Barach’s house; Alan and Don wonder if that violates the HOA rules. Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy as we conclude our two-episode look at The Drúedain…

  14. 416 – The Sound of Silence

    · 1 h 41 min · S10 E35

    The Folk of Haleth retained many practices that seemed strange to the Eldar and the other Atani; Alan retains a few strange practices and Don wants nothing to do with them. Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord…

  15. 415 – Saruman’s OPSEC Problem: Unfinished Tales with Dr. Bret Devereaux

    · 1 h 52 min · S10 E34

    Short cuts lead to long delays… or perhaps just slaughter and death. Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy as we welcome back the always-insightful, often-hilarious Dr. Bret Devereaux to…

  16. 414 – With or Without You

    · 2 h 05 min · S10 E33

    The Elendilmir worn by the Kings of Arnor had not the ancientry nor potency of the original; there’s got to be a joke in there about Alan and Don, right? Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts…

  17. 413 – The Unforgettable Fire

    · 1 h 56 min · S10 E32

    Isildur proclaims his sovereign lordship over all the Dúnedain; Alan knows better than to proclaim lordship over his own podcast. Join The Man of the West as he welcomes back Don Marshall to the Common Room to begin…

  18. 412 – Far Fallen

    · 1 h 56 min · S10 E31

    Saruman has no time for the simples of peasants; Alan and Matt wouldn’t mind if things were simpler. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we get an in-depth look at Saruman’s continuing jealousy of…

  19. 411 – Saruman Won’t Back Down

    · 1 h 55 min · S10 E30

    Gollum was peculiarly fitted to survive in Moria, though at cost of great misery; Matt is also able to survive his time on the PPP with the same cost. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we get a…

  20. 410 – You Got Lucky, Gollum

    · 1 h 53 min · S10 E29

    Christopher Tolkien tells us that the manuscripts for this story are “in great, though hardly exceptional, confusion” — so it seems this podcast is in good company. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as…

  21. 409 – Runnin’ Down a Ring

    · 2 h 03 min · S10 E28

    Saruon had never paid heed to the halflings, even if he had heard of them — and Matt still doesn’t pay heed to Alan, even if he works with him. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we begin our…

  22. 408 – Questions After Nightfall 34

    · 1 h 39 min · S10 E27

    Join The Man of the West as he welcomes The Nerd of the Rings for his run of episodes this season by throwing him into the deep end of a Live Q&A in the PPP Common Room for our 34th Questions After Nightfall! Matt and…

  23. 407 – River of Dreams

    · 2 h 12 min · S10 E26

    Treebeard and the unnamed King of Lórien set bounds between them; Alan and James clearly know no bounds. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we conclude our six-episode look at The History of…

  24. 406 – The Longest Time

    · 1 h 49 min · S10 E25

    Of the Elessar two things are said, though which is true only those Wise could say who now are gone — to paraphrase Merry, “that leaves us out, James”. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we return…

  25. 405 – Tolkien Reading Day 2026

    · 2 h 19 min · S10 E24

    Join us all in the Common Room for the Prancing Pony Podcast’s 11th annual Tolkien Reading Day special. Tolkien Reading Day is observed every March 25 in honor of the destruction of the Ring and the downfall of…

  26. 404 – Uptown Girl

    · 1 h 56 min · S10 E23

    Lórien had long years of peace and obscurity under the rule of Amdír; the PPP has had 10 years of, well, obscurity under the rule of Alan. Join The Man of the West and the Sage of the South as we continue our deep dive…

  27. 403 – Only the Good Die Young

    · 2 h 13 min · S10 E22

    When Sauron learned of Celebrimbor’s revolt, his wrath was revealed; Alan doesn’t wait for James to revolt, but his wrath is reduced to nothing more than bad jokes. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as…

  28. 402 – All About Soul

    · 2 h 02 min · S10 E21

    Christopher Tolkien says his father’s writing on Galadriel and Celeborn is “very roughly composed”; some way that our episodes are even more roughly composed. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we…

  29. 401 – She’s Got a Way

    · 1 h 47 min · S10 E20

    Celeborn has dwelt in the West since the days of dawn; it only seems like Alan has as well. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we embark on a six-part journey through The History of Galadriel and…

  30. 400 – Starmen

    · 2 h 03 min · S10 E19

    Tal-Elmar hopes to turn the tables on Mogru, the town’s Master; James manages to turn the table on Alan by interviewing him about his decade in podcasting. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South for some…

  31. 399 – Under Pressure

    · 1 h 55 min · S10 E18

    Tal-Elmar refuses to help the Master because his “father is the elder”; James refuses to help Alan even though Alan is the elder. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as love dares you to care for the…

  32. 398 – Changes

    · 1 h 52 min · S10 E17

    Tal-Elmar spots three strange birds upon the water; Alan and James are just two strange guys with microphones. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we continue our four-part look into Tolkien’s unusual…

  33. 397 – Rebel, Rebel

    · 2 h 00 min · S10 E16

    Hazad’s beard was five feet long without stretching; Alan and James can’t get the podcast to two hours without stretching. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we explore the little-known story of…

  34. 396 – Questions After Nightfall 33

    · 1 h 49 min · S10 E15

    Come celebrate the New Year with us here at The Prancing Pony Podcast as The Man of the West welcomes The Sage of the South! James and Alan invite our listeners to the Common Room, answering their questions again in…

  35. 395 – Yesterday

    · 1 h 55 min · S10 E14

    Tar-Aldarion changes the law of succession in Númenor; thankfully primogeniture will play no role in determining Sara’s successor on the podcast. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we conclude…

  36. 394 – Back in the Emerië

    · 2 h 19 min · S10 E13

    All of Aldarion’s efforts in Middle-earth were swept away with time and tide; we’ll have to wait awhile to see about all of Alan’s efforts on the podcast. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we…

  37. 393 – From Me to You (the Sceptre)

    · 2 h 13 min · S10 E12

    Aldarion prepares to go from this misenchanted isle of daydreams filled with insolent women; Alan puts 10 pence in the Sara to get her take on said ‘insolent women’. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of…

  38. 392 – Help!

    · 2 h 27 min · S10 E11

    Aldarion watches everyone celebrate and party from the sidelines; Alan painfully recalls his awkward teenage years, while Sara isn’t sure those are over. Join The Man of the West and the Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we…

  39. 391 – By Grabthar’s Hammer, What a Book!

    · 2 h 17 min · S10 E10

    Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan for a very special conversation with Dr. Michael D.C. Drout, author of The Tower and the Ruin: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Creation, the new must-read book about Tolkien’s…

  40. 390 – Hello, Goodbye

    · 2 h 22 min · S10 E9

    Aldarion offers the usual assortment of excuses for his shortcomings, and delivers the mail to Meneldur; Alan and Sara offer no excuses for the PPP’s shortcomings, and wonder why Gil-galad hasn’t written to us. Join…

  41. 389 – Nowhere Man

    · 2 h 12 min · S10 E8

    Aldarion claims to ask for only two years, but takes a lot more; Alan and Sara ask for only two hours, and only take a little bit more. Join The Man of the West and the Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we begin to discover…

  42. 388 – All You Need is Love (Maybe)

    · 1 h 56 min · S10 E7

    Away from the Sea, Aldarion finds little peace or joy; away from the podcast, Alan is just fine, thank you very much. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we reach the halfway mark in our…

  43. 387 – We Can Work it Out

    · 2 h 11 min · S10 E6

    Erendis’ mom gives her some pretty questionable relationship advice; Alan and Sara give you a pretty questionable podcast episode. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we near the halfway point of…

  44. 386 – Got to Get You into My Life

    · 2 h 03 min · S10 E5

    Aldarion runs headlong into contentment and doesn’t even recognize it; Alan and Sara run headlong into more bad jokes and don’t particularly care. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we find…

  45. 385 – I Saw Her Standing There (in Rómenna)

    · 1 h 59 min · S10 E4

    Erendis arrives at a very important party, and is caught by Aldarion’s beauty and splendor of bearing; that never happens to Alan or Sara. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we continue our…

  46. 384 – Ticket to Ride

    · 1 h 37 min · S10 E3

    Tolkien writes about the difficulty of relating the legendarium without “explanatory digressions”; Alan and Sara realize the PPP has a new subtitle. Join The Man of the West and the Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we begin —…

  47. 383 – Questions After Nightfall 32

    · 1 h 48 min · S10 E2

    Join us all in the Common Room here at The Prancing Pony Podcast as The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan answer listener questions again in our 32nd Questions After Nightfall! Sara welcomes you all to her…

  48. 382 – We Are Those Fans: a Chat with Wētā Workshop

    · 1 h 44 min · S10 E1

    The Lord of the Mark returns for a special episode to help get Season 10 of The Prancing Pony Podcast underway, as we chat with Dan Falconer and Leonard Ellis from Wētā Workshop! From Falconer’s early days on the first…

  49. 381 – The Bywater Village Committee: an interview with Wētā Workshop’s Darren Ormandy

    · 2 h 03 min

    Alan and James sit down with fellow Tolkien-nerd and lead writer for Wētā Workshop's new game, Tales of the Shire. We discuss the depth of world-building by Tolkien and how to reflect that in a game set in the Shire,…

  50. 380 – So Mind-Bogglingly Useful

    · 2 h 10 min

    Tolkien believes that his method of translation-by-sense “perhaps needs some defence”; Alan and James know their method of podcasting requires a lot of defense. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we…

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