LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marc Maron drops the 1,686th and final episode of his “WTF” podcast Monday.
The show began with the comic and actor mainly interviewing stand-up comedians. Maron would go on to talk to legends of music and Hollywood, and a sitting president.
Here’s a look at seven essential episodes from the 16-year history of the pioneering longform interview podcast.
Robin Williams
“WTF” episode No. 67, April 26, 2010
Fairly famous names had come on Maron’s podcast from its 2009 debut, but Robin Williams, the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy winner and luminary of the stand-up stage, was a huge get just seven months into the show. Maron made the most of it with an unforgettable interview that constantly shifted between comedy and tragedy. “Discussions of death,” Williams said after going on one long riff in his improv style. “It’s very freeing.” He delved into his past thoughts of suicide in a discussion that felt all the more important after Williams killed himself in 2014. Maron re-aired the episode, framed by his own tearful thoughts and memories.
It later earned a place in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress. Maron, who almost never listens to his recorded episodes, heard a clip from it for the first time last month when “WTF” superfan Judd Apatow came on and played his favorite show moments for the host.
“You get his whole life story,” Maron said, “you get his weird improvisational genius, and you get a real sense of struggle.”