The Prancing Pony Podcast is a weekly podcast about the Middle-earth legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien. For six years, the show was hosted by Alan Sisto and Shawn E. Marchese, but now Alan hosts with various Tolkien scholars, writers, and content creators, including Dr. Sara Brown, James Tauber, Don Marshall, and Matt, aka The Nerd of the Rings.
Featuring passionate Tolkien enthusiasts, the PPP invites listeners to enjoy our detailed exploration of Tolkien’s work, with smart but straightforward discussion and a heavy dose of humor!
New episodes are released weekly during each season – please subscribe on your preferred platform to get the latest every week, and be sure to follow us on our social media accounts.
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...
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...
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...
Christopher Tolkien points out the ‘undercurrent of sardonic humor’ in Tolkien’s earliest version of this story; Alan and Sara’s sardonic...
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...
Christopher Tolkien believes that the book he was working on was “in no conceivable way publishable”. Alan and Sara sometimes think the...
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...
After the Kings, Gondor declined into a Middle Age of fading knowledge and simpler skills. Alan and Shawn find that surprisingly familiar...
Some people believe that “Gandalf” was the last appearance of Manwë; Alan is convinced Shawn is the last appearance of Oromë. Join The Man...
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...
Out now from The Prancing Pony Podcast is Why We Love Middle-earth – a guidebook for those delving deeply into Middle-earth for the first time, or seeking their own entry point into Tolkien fandom.
Each chapter introduces a different book, adaptation, or fan interest from language to collecting and beyond, drawing readers deeper into Middle-earth as they read along with us.
Greetings little masters, As you may have heard, Alan and Shawn have a book coming out in 2023! Titled “Why We Love Middle-earth: An...
Hot on the heels of the Season 5 outtakes come the Season 6 outtakes. Meet Fastito Colón the giant sea turtle, and enjoy more fun with Anborn!
Season outtakes are never late, they arrive precisely when they mean to – which in this case is a mere fourteen months after the end of Season...
For over six years now, Alan and I have created The Prancing Pony Podcast together. It has been a source of joy, a creative outlet, and a wellspring...
All of the Season 4 outtakes are here – Alan is revealing the big gaps in his memory of Saturday morning television in the 1970s, and the...
Checkout the full set of outtakes from Season 3 – the late-night recording sessions have begun to take their toll on Shawn, and Alan finally...