Panning the Stream: The Podcast with Hosts that Love Netflix Almost as Much as Each Other

As a podcast enthusiast, I’ve always toyed with the idea of making my own show, especially after having a particularly insightful and comedic conversation with my friends. “Man,” I always think, “we really got something special here.” So about a year ago, I bought two Blue Snowball microphones and gathered my friends for an hour of a now recorded conversation. We realized that, while we all had the right chemistry, we lacked professional podcaster instincts. My own inability to turn close relationships into a successful podcast has made me keenly aware of people that are better able to capture that lightning in a bottle. People like Dan Ryckert.

Talking about everything from video games to professional wrestling on podcasts for most of his adult life, Dan has more than proven his chops as a podcaster. His newest show, Panning the Stream, expands his area of interest even further. Co-hosted by his wife Bianca, Dan describes the show as a weekly exploration of “the ever-growing content offerings of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, and more and [a discussion of] their findings”.

Panning the Stream began as a byproduct of the couple’s mutual love for movies, TV shows, and wrestling. To expand their usual viewing habits, Dan and Bianca came up with the idea of recording their journey into the unknown corners of various streaming platforms. From the animated movie “Millionaire Dogs” to the reality TV show “Terrace House,” listeners will be sure to find a random show to enjoy and two new friends to enjoy it with.

Despite Dan’s film degree, he’s the first to admit that he doesn’t know anything about movies. Neither him or Bianca are experts, nor do they pretend to be. When listening to Panning the Stream, don’t expect intellectual insights about the nature of filmmaking, but do expect the Ryckert’s to bring an infectious enthusiasm for movies and for each other. Despite the well tread premise of “watch a movie and talk about it,” there’s sweetness in the simplicity of Panning the Stream; they just love talking to each other about movies. After each episode, I’m left with a feeling heartwarmed and thankful that I get a sneak peek into such a loving relationship.

Since Dan has been podcasting for half a dozen years, I was curious to ask if recording Panning the Stream has presented him with any surprising challenges. Dan said that since Panning the Stream is recorded at home – unlike his other podcasts – he’s had to become his own podcast producer. “I definitely had to learn a lot about audio editing, terms, compression, eliminating room tone, setting up a podcast area, and more before I started feeling confident with the production. It’s come a long way from the early episodes to where we are now.” But the challenges seem to be worth it. Dan said that the most rewarding part of the show is being able to create something with his wife from the comfort of their own home. The couple now read new-release schedules with a renewed vigor, each eager to “pan the stream” together.

So if you’re looking for people as enthusiastic about at home film viewing as you, or just love intimate conversations like I do, give Panning the Stream a try and leave a rating and review to tell us what you think!

Chasing Pods is a Podchaser blog series dedicated to letting our readers know about podcasts they may not have heard of or provide a sneak peek into the making of their favorite podcast. We talk to podcast creators about their journey into podcasting, the creation of their shows, the ups and downs of the work, and what they’re looking forward to for their podcast

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