Great topic. Look forward to getting recommendations.
ESPN's NBA Lockdown, NBA TV's The Starters, Grantland's The Lowe Post, and the CBS Eye on Basketball podcasts are my day to day mainstays for humor, entertainment, and of course NBA insight. Kind of a junkie. The EOB podcast is my favorite of the 4.
There hasn't been a new one in a while but Alton Brown's podcast was entertaining.
99% Invisible
On The Grid
On The Media
I haven't listened to these three in a few months but they're wonderful for different reasons. Would love some recommendations in the art/culture/architecture and design realm. Wouldn't mind listening to home improvement stuff either, I find it relaxing and a nice change of pace even though I am not yet a homeowner.
The John Bachelor Show, Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, Europe from its Origins, the Atheist Experience, TEDtalks, The Joe Rogan Experience, Physics in Action, are a few that I like.
I listen to a kinda stupid quantity of podcasts as I ride the train to and from work.
I regularly listen to:
The Slate Political Gabfest
The Slate Culture Gabfest
Mom and Dad Are Fighting
Radiolab
The Savage Lovecast
Startup
This American Life
Serial (when it was on, anyway)
Hardcore History
The Bowery Boys
I listen to many (but not all) episodes of:
Fresh Air
The Brian Lehrer Show
The Longform Podcast
WTF
Death Sex and Money
Planet Money.
I check in with others here and there as well, but those are the bulk of what I listen to.
Serial was/is a great podcast. Or at least I found it to be very well done. I am looking forward to the next one; whenever it comes out and on whatever topic they decide to cover. The podcast CRIMINAL has tried to come out with a similar podcast, difference being they are one-off episodes that are approx 8 - 15mins in length. I've listened to a few of them and they're ok.
Others that I listen to regularly have been mentioned here too including:
99% Invisible
Radiolab
Some good recommendations here that I'll have to check out.
Tim Ferriss podcast is great for growth, personal and career. It seems hit or miss sometimes because he gets into granular, practical detail with each interviewee in their respective careers; so it may not always apply to you. However I think it's a great reminder that all of these idolized or highly successful/effective people are just everyday humans. If you believe in proximity, or that you are the average of the 5 people you hang around or are exposed to, this is a great way to average in billionaire entrepreneurs and investors, world changers, inventors, genius marketers, etc.
Funny, I just started listening to Tim Ferriss a couple of days ago.
My semi-regular listens include several already mentioned - This American Life, Radiolab, Welcome to Nightvale. Serial was genre-defining, can't wait for next season.
Invisibilia was meh.
I also enjoy "The Infinite Monkey Cage", an irreverent science panel show out of the UK. And "The Partially Examined Life" when I occasionally want to geek out on philosophy (and who here doesn't?)