The first question to confront when considering The Pete Davidson Show, a new Netflix series that the streamer is calling a 'video podcast,' is: What is a podcast' The term can be a little difficult to pin down; what initially referred to downloadable audio files you ported onto your iPod is today used for most online radio. Now the notion of a podcast is transforming again to include filmed entertainment. Bite-size clips of chat programs are flooding every social-media feed, in a desperate hunt for engagement. But I would argue that podcasts should always involve a dedicated feed you can listen to on your phone. The Pete Davidson Show does not have that. Instead, the weekly program is available to consume only on Netflix, and only in video form. A cynic might wonder if branding The Pete Davidson Show a 'podcast' is just a way for the streaming empire to avoid paying for the kind of unionized crews and production staff a talk show demands. Or perhaps, if I am being more charitable,...
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