| Wikishuffle | |
| Host: | Jack Stewart, Chris Wallace, Philip Sharman |
| Language: | English |
| Began: | 14 April 2015 |
| Ended: | 29 March 2017 |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Provider: | acast |
| Length: | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Cited For: | Winner Best Comedy, 2015 UK Podcasters Awards |
| Updates: | Every Tuesday |
| Fetchwikidata: | ALL |
Wikishuffle was a UK comedy podcast presented by Jack Stewart, Chris Wallace and Philip Sharman, reliant on the Wikipedia random article button for content.
On 12 September 2015 Wikishuffle was awarded the title of Best Comedy Podcast at the 2015 UK Podcasters Awards hosted by New Media Europe.[1]
The subject material for the podcast is determined by pressing the random article button in the English Wikipedia. Each episode features between one and four articles discussed by the host, with excerpts read directly from the article and commented upon. New episodes are released every Tuesday with occasional bonus episodes focusing on articles chosen by the presenters, suggested by listeners, or occasionally brought in by guests.
The podcast is hosted by Jack Stewart, who is also responsible for the technical and editing duties.[2] Philip Sharman takes responsibility for reading out the articles, while Chris Wallace provides interjections. The tone is generally humorous, but the show also covers serious articles, such as the 2011 San Fernando massacre, and discusses political and current affairs topics in the context of the random articles that are selected.
The show also features more general news items in relation to Wikipedia and advocates the importance of the site as an educational and societal resource, and encourages listeners to donate to the Wikimedia Foundation.
The format is dependent upon a high level of listener interaction, with communication encouraged via social media and through the post.
Various running jokes have been established, including the prevalence of moth articles, the disproportionate number of articles covered which make reference to Scranton, Pennsylvania and Sharman's age and inability to keep up-to-date with modern technologies and culture.
Stewart and Wallace began podcasting in early 2015, with a podcast called Not This Again, recorded in Stewart's spare room[3] The show was interview based and, after the pair began to find difficulty in securing a regular supply of interviewees, they started to look for an alternative format to differentiate them from the large number of independent podcasts available.
Philip Sharman had been a guest on Not This Again and spoke with Stewart and Wallace about an idea he had for developing a Wikipedia podcast. The initial idea was for a serious, documentary style podcast, using the random article button to seed stories. However, it became clear that the three presenters were better suited to a more lighthearted approach, resulting in the development of the current format.
The first three episodes were released together on 14 April 2015, hosted by the Swedish podcasting service Acast.
In August 2015, the recording of the podcast moved from Corby to a dedicated recording studio in Kettering, Northamptonshire, referred to in the podcast as Wikishuffle HQ.
The 50th episode of Wikishuffle was released on 2 February 2016. On 24 January 2017 the podcast celebrated its 100th episode with a special 2 hour long entry featuring articles selected by the presenters.[4] In episode 101 it was announced that Jack would be leaving the podcast indefinitely to go find himself in Asia.[5] Two more episodes were released with friend of the show Ruth Bradley filling in for Jack, and a two year hiatus then followed the release of episode 103 on 28 March 2017.[6] In 2019, a compilation episode was released, entitled Wikishuffle: The Best Bits. This contained over 90 minutes of clips from previous episodes, interspersed with Jack providing context for some of the clips, as well as explaining that various attempts had been made for the 3 to record together but had been unsuccessful.
In May 2020, the 104th episode was released. This was recorded during the UK's first COVID lockdown, and was described during the episode as a "one-off special", and "probably" the final episode. Jack, Philip and Chris updated the listeners on their lives, and covered an article on Wojtek, a bear who had been adopted by a Polish army corps during World War II. The article was selected by Chris, as one of the show's running jokes involved Chris' fondness of "animals with jobs".
Wikishuffle has received favourable reviews from an international audience.[7] [8] [9]
On 12 September 2015 Wikishuffle won the Best Comedy Podcast category at the inaugural UK Podcasters Awards hosted by New Media Europe [10] sponsored by Spreaker. The award was accepted by Wallace and Sharman at the ceremony which took place at the Midland Hotel, Manchester.[11]
The following Wikipedia articles have been covered by Wikishuffle:[12]
| width = 2% | No. | width = 8% | Episode Title | width = 10% | Article 1 | width = 10% | Article 2 | width = 10% | Article 3 | width = 10% | Article 4 | width = 4% | Release Date | width = 8% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Pilot | List of civilian casualties in the war in Afghanistan (2011) | Coleophora berdjanski | A77 motorway (Netherlands) | - | No Longer Available | |||||||||
| 002 | Down 'n' Dirty | Wendy Richard | Kelly Bell | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 003 | Shuffle it Again, Sam | Play It Again, Sam (film) | Gust of Wind | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 004 | Okay, Mother | 1950–51 United States network television schedule (weekday) | - | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 005 | Bruce Chickinson | Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson | The Iron Maidens | Sible Hedingham | - | - | |||||||||
| 006 | Other Buttons | Dump digging | Scripps National Spelling Bee | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 007 | Double Bogey | Amber Leaf | Charles Lynch (judge) | Relentless (Jo O'Meara album) | Hole in One (2010 film) | - | |||||||||
| 008 | Man Don't Give a Fuck | Robin Friday | - | - | - | Bonus episode – Jack's selection | |||||||||
| 009 | The Flabbergasted Traveller | Queen of Sheba | You've Got a Friend in Me | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 010 | The False Prophet | Eevee | Demob suit | 2005 in England | Hervé This | - | |||||||||
| 011 | But then there's this | 2011 San Fernando massacre | Bambi II | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 012 | Phil 'em Up | K.C. Rivers | Marvin Mitchelson | List of Arab Astronauts | List of celebrity appearances in video games | - | |||||||||
| 013 | Keith Ferrari | Ghostwatch | - | - | - | Bonus episode – Chris's selection | |||||||||
| 014 | D-I-V-O-R-C-E | Mr. Snuffleupagus | Underachiever | Wanda Ramey | - | - | |||||||||
| 015 | (Television Carpenter) | National Bingo Night (U.S. game show) | Æthelred of Wessex | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 016 | On Board with the Nazis | List of number-one hits of 1996 (Germany) | - | - | - | ||||||||||
| 017 | Juicy | Brian Kendrick | Peter Moore (businessman) | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 018 | Ode to Bin Laden | The Landt Trio | Samantha Lewthwaite | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 019 | Got Blood? | List of sexually active popes | - | - | - | Bonus episode – Phil's selection | |||||||||
| 020 | All Aboard HMS Blazer | 47th Primetime Emmy Awards | Ben Fogle | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 021 | No Marine Biologists | Vandellia | Jazmin's Touch | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 022 | Goths Really Love Puns | Hot blast | The Sick's Sense | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 023 | ConCATenated | Oscar (therapy cat) | Adamski | - | - | First episode recorded at Wikishuffle HQ | |||||||||
| 024 | Into the Void | Toby Terrier | Eliza Winston | Vantablack | - | - | |||||||||
| 025 | Dave Days & Lemonade Mouth | Josias Philip Hoffman | Who Says (Selena Gomez & the Scene song) | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 026 | Cowboys and Antmen | Head spade | George Scarborough | Ant (comedian) | - | - | |||||||||
| 027 | Marvel Universe Phase Nine | Goldballs | Nela Zisser | February 2010 Lower Dir bombing | - | - | |||||||||
| 028 | Love Buffet | Parfait Tic! | Anthomyia | Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday | - | - | |||||||||
| 029 | Too Cool for Poole | Poole | Danny Orleans | Nasal septum perforation | - | First episode after winning UK Podcasters award | |||||||||
| 030 | Hairy Hat Men | Letterland | Pinnated Bittern | The Beggar's Benison | - | - | |||||||||
| 031 | Fifty Shades of Pink | Lin Wang | Shades of pink | Sinchon massacre | - | - | |||||||||
| 032 | Chitterling Chatter | Donkeyskin | Black pudding | Goldeneye (estate) | - | - | |||||||||
| 033 | S Club 0.2857 | Brum (TV series) | Seth Neddermeyer | Negotiate with Love | - | - | |||||||||
| 034 | Toilegami | Friday the 13th (1989 video game) | Hotel toilet paper folding | Betty Boop's Big Boss | - | Halloween Special | |||||||||
| 035 | It's No Joke Living in Barnsley | Round the Bend | Ferret-legging | John Titor | - | Bonus episode – listener selection | |||||||||
| 036 | A Bit Gamesy Thronesy | Robert Barclay Allardice | Nepalese royal massacre | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 037 | Viva von Babenhausens | Adrian Carton di Wiart | - | - | - | Bonus episode – listener selection | |||||||||
| 038 | Bronze Beaver | Goldy Gopher | Rattlesnake Annie | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 039 | The Bollock Hurdle | Smut (fungus) | GAZelle | John Rann | - | - | |||||||||
| 040 | Spiteful Conkling | Roscoe Arbuckle | Alfie and His Secret Friend | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 041 | Chocolate Lady Mousse | Boab Prison Tree, Wyndham | Naked Jungle | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 042 | Sinking Ship | Benjamin Guggenheim | Aqua (band) | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 043 | For the Good of Mankind | 1998 Hell in a Cell match | Jamie Vardy | - | - | 2015 Christmas special 1 | |||||||||
| 044 | The Perfect Blend | Gold Blend couple | Unit 731 | - | - | 2015 Christmas special 2 | |||||||||
| 045 | Ya Still Tickle Me | April O'Neill | The Notorious B.I.G. | - | - | 2015 Christmas special 3 | |||||||||
| 046 | Tropical House: A Beginner's Guide | List of mentally ill monarchs | Jolly Jack's Lost Mine | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 047 | Runaway Twain | BonBon-Land | Derek Hersey | The Naked Woman and the Gun | - | - | |||||||||
| 048 | Welcome to the Hippo Campus | Martin van Butchell | Death from laughter | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 049 | Henry Maar's Sinister Twisting | Roy Mackal | Thankful villages | Balloon modelling | - | - | |||||||||
| 050 | Lying to the Pizza Man | Victorian mourning dolls | Blobfish | Sentinelese people | Bernard Matthews Ltd | - | |||||||||
| 051 | All You Can Diddle | Habbo | Titus Young | - | - | - | |||||||||
| 052 | The Lizard Layer | David Icke | - | - | - | Bonus episode with Alex Haddow from the-pool.com | |||||||||
| 053 | Unsolicited Dick Pics | The Joy Of Text | The Tale Of Tsar Saltan | – | – | 2016-02-16 | – | ||||||||
| 054 | Death By Orange Soda | Paul is dead | Denver International Airport | – | – | 2016-02-19 | Bonus episode with Alex Haddow from the-pool.com | ||||||||
| 055 | Some Indecent Proposals | List of scandals with "-gate" suffix | Thousand-yard stare | – | – | 2016-02-23 | – | ||||||||
| 056 | AKA Buster | U2charist | Gatsby (sandwich) | Sunday Sport | No Scrubs | 2016-03-01 | – | ||||||||
| 057 | Box Hunt with Des O' Connor | Lisa Niles | Pole Chudes | – | – | 2016-03-08 | – | ||||||||
| 058 | Chubby Little Despots | Kaspar Hauser | Superman curse | – | – | 2016-03-12 | Bonus episode with Owen Hughes from failedcritics.com | ||||||||
| 059 | Thinky Box Brain House | Intracortical encephalogram signal analysis | Blue Peter pets | – | – | 2016-03-15 | – | ||||||||
| 060 | Work on Bank for 1 Money | The Terror | The Samsonadzes | Phubbing | – | 2016-03-18 | Bonus episode with Owen Hughes from failedcritics.com | ||||||||
| 061 | Poor Little Eoghan Quigg | Zayn Malik | MegaChip | – | – | 2016-03-22 | – | ||||||||
| 062 | One of the Least Sexy Cancers | Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo | A Horse for Mandy | – | – | 2016-03-29 | 2016-03 | ||||||||
| 063 | The Three Seashells | Cryonics | – | – | – | 2016-04-05 | – | ||||||||
| 064 | Cricket With Gary Barlow | Living statue | Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It | – | – | 2016-04-12 | One year anniversary | ||||||||
| 065 | Guinea Pig Shaving | Stanley Green | – | – | – | 2016-04-15 | Bonus episode with Keith Clark | ||||||||
| 066 | Iustus id Somnus | Polo neck | Seasteading | – | – | 2016-04-19 | – | ||||||||
| 067 | Wax Lacks Whack Slacks | List of animals with fraudulent diplomas | Heroes of Wrestling | Grunge speak | – | 2016-04-25 | Bonus episode with Keith Clark | ||||||||
| 068 | Lifehack Your Lagging | Pool noodle | Disconnection | – | – | 2016-04-26 | – | ||||||||
| 069 | The Gems of Azamore | The Mystery at Lilac Inn | Ghettopoly | Colin the Caterpillar | – | 2016-05-03 | – | ||||||||
| 070 | Floaty Sex Dirt | Nepenthes jamban | H. L. Hunt | -|-|2016-05-10| –|-|071|Vadge Bishop|Masturbate-a-thon||||2016-05-13|Bonus episode with Stacey Taylor from Stacey's Pop Culture Parlour|}External links |