‘My desperate quest for relevance…’
Regular readers will be aware that I will guzzle down anything related to Adam Buxton, and Successpod, his new podcast for Audible, is no exception. Featuring a mix of sketches, celebrity interviews and jingles (as well as regular appearances from Buxton’s beloved dog, Rosie), Successpod is, I’m pleased to report, a success!
As a man approaching his sixties, Successpod sees Buckles wrestling with feelings of irrelevance. In a world in which podcasts have never been more popular, The Adam Buxton Podcast remains a mainstay on the scene, but it’s perhaps not as all-conquering as it once was (despite still being just as good in terms of quality as it always has been). To help conquer these negative feelings, Buxton enlists the help of his friends and former podcast guests Louis Theroux, Romesh Ranganathan, Sam Campbell, Jessica Knappett, Kathy Burke and Guz Khan.
While these chats will be familiar to anyone who has listened to Buxton’s main podcast before, the fact that the onus is on Buxton himself rather than the guests offers a fresh perspective. While there are no concrete conclusions drawn at the end of Successpod, it is clear that Buckles just needs to believe in himself a little more and lean into what made him so beloved in the first place – despite the pleas from Romesh that he needs to embrace change (something that Buxton is reluctant to concede).
While it’s debatable as to whether this version of Adam Buxton is superior to the version we encounter in his regular podcast, it’s certainly a different version of Dr Buckles who appears here – a more vulnerable and introspective Buckles – and for that, Successpod should be applauded. More great content from a wonderful creator.