Potterless is an audio podcast created, hosted, edited, and produced by Mike Schubert. The podcast follows Schubert’s journey as he reads the Harry Potter seriesfor the first time. Each episode covers a section of the book series, as Schubert and at least one guest “poke fun at plot holes, make painfully incorrect predictions, and bask in the sassiness of the characters.” The podcast, which charts in the top 20 for Arts and Entertainment podcasts and in the top 40 for comedy podcasts on Spotify, has been described as a “fun trip through nostalgia” and “the perfect listen for anyone who’s familiar with Harry Potter, whether they grew up loving or hating the books."
History
In an interview with Rice Magazine, Schubert discussed the origins of the podcast: “I knew people have incredibly strong feelings about ‘Harry Potter,’ but I hadn’t read the series And then I knew — that’s the podcast.” However, Schubert was not inspired to begin the podcast until he met his now-wife, Kelly - he discovered that she was a fan of the series and so began the podcast partially as a conversation starter. In an interview with The Rowling Library magazine, Schubert explained the origin of the name "Potterless" as a pun based on both Pottermore, now Wizarding World, and the fact that he had not read the series and so was Potter-less. Schubert began reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in March 2016, and the first episode of the podcast launched in October of that year. Episodes were initially released bi-weekly, but the release schedule was switched to weekly in 2019. The last book material was covered in episode 89, after which Schubert began covering the Harry Potter films and spin-off materials such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Format
The first 89 episodes of the podcast cover the Harry Potter series in reading order, with each episode dedicated to a chapter or section of chapters. Episodes are approximately 60 minutes in length, and consist primarily of Schubert and his guest summarizing the plot and providing commentary. Recurring segments include:
British Quandaries, in which British citizen Dottie James answers questions from Mike and his American guests regarding British-isms and whether things such as treacle tart are British or magical in origin.
Wingardium Ad-read-osa, in which Mike reads ads for the episode’s sponsors.
Patron Round-up, in which Mike thanks and names new patrons, reads the list of “producer level” patrons, and announces the charity to which he has donated $1.00 USD for every current patron.
Mike’s signature sign-off of “Wizard On!”
Other activities
Potterless has had several stand-alone live shows across the United States, as well as appearing at conventions such as LeakyCon and CONjuration. Schubert also collaborated with Alas Earwax! on the song “Enter Thicknesse”. Each month, Schubert donates $1.00 USD per active patron on Patreon to a different charity. As of May 2020, $17,864 USD had been donated in this manner to over 25 charities, including the CDC Foundation, The Trevor Project, and the Rainforest Trust.
Reception
Potterless has charted in the top 20 for Arts and Entertainment podcasts and in the top 40 for comedy podcasts on Spotify and has over 500,000 subscribers and 30 million downloads. It was voted the Celebmix 2019 Podcast of the Year and has been featured on several lists of recommended podcasts. According to Wil Williams Reviews, “Schubert is an effortlessly comedic host, and the guests add a layer of reflection and analysis that adds some nice depth to each episode." The Post calls Potterless “the perfect podcast for anyone who has wanted to reread the series but doesn’t have the time… provides listeners with opportunity to recall the first time they read the books and follow along on the beautiful journey of listening to someone else do the same.” Some listeners have criticized the podcast for various reasons, including Schubert’s criticisms of the Harry Potter series, as he often holds the writing in the books up to today’s standards. Other criticisms of Potterless include a lack of expertise on the part of Schubert’s guests, with many incorrect statements regarding the series going uncorrected, and poor audio quality in early episodes.
