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!
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!
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
429 – Rhiannon
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 We
Oct 25 1 h 57 min
428 – Go Your Own Way
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 Shiel
Oct 18 2 h 02 min
427 – Dreams
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 o
Oct 11 1 h 46 min
426 – Tiny Dancer
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.
Oct 4 1 h 42 min
425 – Questions After Nightfall 36
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 f
Sep 27 1 h 27 min
424 – Your Song
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 M
Sep 20 1 h 54 min
423 – What Do You Want?
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 ou
Jul 26 2 h 24 min
422 – Who Are You?
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 Th
Jul 19 1 h 59 min
421 – Faith Manages
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
Jul 12 1 h 52 min
420 – I Have Always Been Here
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
Jul 5 1 h 57 min
419 – A Voice In the Wilderness
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 th
Jun 28 2 h 16 min
418 – Questions After Nightfall 35
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 Shaw
Jun 21 1 h 52 min
417 – I Am a Rock
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
Jun 14 1 h 44 min
416 – The Sound of Silence
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 the
Jun 7 1 h 41 min
415 – Saruman’s OPSEC Problem: Unfinished Tales with Dr. Bret Devereaux
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-in
May 31 1 h 51 min
414 – With or Without You
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
May 24 2 h 05 min
413 – The Unforgettable Fire
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
May 17 1 h 55 min
412 – Far Fallen
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-de
May 10 1 h 55 min
411 – Saruman Won’t Back Down
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
May 3 1 h 55 min
410 – You Got Lucky, Gollum
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
Apr 26 1 h 52 min
Chart trend
Position in the Books chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#27#53AugSepOct
#15
all-time peak
697
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where The Prancing Pony Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 30, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Second update! I love Sarah. She is so funny and so inspiring and she adds a different perspective to the discussion which makes for more inclusion. Tolkien is for everyone!
Updating: I had read the Silmarillion and just didn’t “get it.” But rereading while listening to PPP and sharing the enthusiasm and love that Alan and Shawn have, has really made me appreciate it. I wasn’t willing to commit to nearly 400 episodes but I’m now 40 in and I get so much from every one. This is just amazing.
Original: I came to the PPP through their podcast on the Rings of Power and was so impressed by their humor, depth of knowledge and insight.
It is a delight. I love that they interview people like Bret Devereaux who unveils an entire world of Tolkien that I couldn’t have imagined.
Devereaux’s piece on why RoP ends up feeling flat was perfectly on the nose. That said, I learned so much about the Second Age from PPP and I appreciate the generosity with which they watched the series.
tofulish · Oct 2026
I just started listening to this podcast early in 2026. These gentlemen bring so much depth and connections to the Legendarium! And they are funny! I’ve been listening while I am trail walking. At some points they have me laughing out loud. Between the puns, movie and music references, they just bring a freshness and fun the Professor’s works. I haven’t read whether balrogs have wings yet, but I agree—who doesn’t like Firefly! Since I am so far behind, I will be listening for many years, I think!
Quilter1986 · Aug 2026
This podcast has been my companion in my almost year long project to read and truly understand the Silmarillion. I first re read the hobbit and the Lord of the rings and then just finished the Silmarillion with these podcasts after each chapter. Great podcast and helped me go from casual fan to a deep lover of these works. Loved the special episodes on topics like race and faith. The hosts have come to feel like friends. I do caution, not sure if someone outside of the Gen X crowd would like it as much because that’s where most of the pop culture references come from.
But yes this is the perfect readers companion to people who want to go beyond the movies and deep into the lore.
Lybrand1234@& · Aug 2026
After years of trying on my own I finally finished reading the Silmarillion AND feel like I understand it. The hosts are long winded (and often digress) but when they actually talk about the text, it is so informative and enjoyable. Episodes are long but worthwhile. I’m years late to the party having just finished the Silmarillion section but looking forward to moving on to the hobbit!
Bfjjcsdjk · Feb 2026
I am a Tolkien nut and was excited for a truly deep dive! These hosts just cannot stop themselves going off topic and shouting unrelated pop culture slogans and lyrics at each other. It’s just too much. I want to escape to Middle Earth and this isn’t it. I wanted to love this but it is unfortunately a mess.
FletchVV · Mar 2026
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Prancing Pony Podcast, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
