The JV Club with Janet Varney

Give Thanks that human person (who might also be part magical creature) Erika Ishii (Critical Role, Apex Legends) exists, and what a bonus that she’s this week’s guest on The JV Club! This conversation confirms that she is brilliant, delightful, humble and candid, and will live a splendid life scooting around London on a Vespa, if M.A.S.H. has anything to say about it!

All the way from a sojourn Colombia (the country!), the fabulous Ashley Ray (Stitcher’s TV I Say) acquaints JV with her hometown’s roots, and how its history led her to some of her own life adventures. It almost compares with the EPIC alternate-universe M.A.S.H. life in store for her… complete with two of the best things in the world: pasta, and Reggie Watts! 

That’s right! It’s Claire Fallon, the other half of the beloved reality dating show-themed podcast, Love to See It. Claire and JV reminisce about their New York and Los Angeles overlap at The Huffington Post, bond over happy-sad bands they both love, and find out if Claire Can Has Cheeseburger!

It’s the terrific Emma Gray, one half of the beloved reality dating show-themed podcast, Love to See It! Emma and Janet talk field hockey, the enduring appeal of Darcy, and exploring the nature of womanhood by way of a rambling story from JV about dog attacks. Plus! Mouth-scrapeless sour candy? Yes please!!

Is it easy to go from the bustling streets of Jakarta to the country roads of Archer City with a little Dallas in between? Don’t miss this rare opportunity to find out what “wall bangs” are, how to con your way into an internship on a popular talk show, and maybe even learn a little Indonesian… all courtesy of Angela Kinsey from NBC’s The Office.This conversation was originally published in 2012

The great Danielle Perez (Actor! Comedian! Writer!) joins JV to talk school musicals, standup styles, and the scientific (kinda) factors that go into establishing who those elusive top tier popular kids are, and why! Plus — the sweet sweet world of television comedy classic “Living Single!”

A big JV Club welcome to New Jersey native and current Baltimore resident, comedian Blaire Postman, who pinballs conversation topics with JV like a champ, including chatting about doing in musicals with a back brace, the misery of too many footnotes, and the lightbulb moment of an ADHD diagnosis, among other things! 

Oh my oh my oh my! What a joy to have podcast legend Lulu Miller (Radiolab, Invisibilia and the amazing new TERRESTRIALS!) as our guest this week. Lulu and JV climb into the special secret hideout of their conversation to talk childhood and adulthood wonder and awe, making stuff with your hands, and the ingredients for great metaphorical and real-life salsa.

With the triumphant blare of a high school band trumpet and a twirl of a flag, this week we welcome comedian Mo Welch (Come Out, Come out pod, Blair comic strip) for a chat with JV covering Mo’s teen years in Illinois, discovering improv and standup, and a M.A.S.H. collaboration with a certain pro basketballer that we’re dying to see made real

This week brings you the inimitable multi-talented writer & more, Laura Krafft ("The Colbert Report," "The Harper House”), whose family tree and sibling dynamics make for perfect JV Club material. Plus! Some of JV’s favorite “movies you’d jump into” unexpected choices in the history of the podcast!