While you recovered from your turkey overload and Black Friday/Cyber Monday spending this week, the Nerdist Podcast Network was posting great (if we do say so ourselves) podcast after great podcast to help you ease back into things. Such as:

You know him as General Zod, or perhaps Agent Nelson Van Alden (or was it George Mueller, salesman, bootlegger, and mobster?). Or from his Oscar-nominated performance in Revolutionary Road, or his harrowing turn as the tortured father with apocalyptic visions in Take Shelter. However you know him, you found out more about Michael Shannon on the Nerdist Podcast, and the conversation ranged from Nestlé to using a flip phone to Denny Crum to Dungeons and Dragons to filmmaking to flat-tire flying experiences.

Kelly Carlin came on the Nerdist Podcast to talk about growing up with a legendary father, the subject of her book A Carlin Home Companion. How do you build your own identity when your last name conjures up your dad’s towering legacy? The book, she said, is her “300 page answer” to the questions. She and Chris bonded over losing their fathers, and there’s talk about George, of course (with some great stories about him), and somehow Matt got Frasier into the conversation, because he’s Matt and that’s what Matt does.

Continuing his obvious campaign to be seen everywhere at all times, Rob Huebel joined Cole and Vanessa for Pop My Culture. I’m sorry, he will always be Inconsiderate Cell Phone Man to me.

Sometime today — at the time I wrote this, we were still in the process of finishing production — the wonderful Allison Tolman will be on the Nerdist Podcast to promote Krampus (you’re going to go see it, I know you are), sketch shows, Fargo, strip clubs, and Matt’s argument at Target.

Todd’s away, but he left behind a special episode of the Todd Glass Show anyway, featuring an interview with Grandma Hope and some Todd magic from a hotel room via his phone.

Another week, another all-star panel of TV creators and writers on Nerdist Writers Panel, recorded at this year’s New York Comic Con. This time, Heath Corson welcomed Into the Badlands‘ Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, Billions‘ Brian Koppelman, Z Nation‘s Craig Engler, Quantico‘s Jake Coburn, sports documentarian Aaron Cohen, and Sheltered‘s Jesse Peyronel.

Comic/actress Ingrid Oliver charmed Janet and everyone else on The JV Club. She’s Osgood on Doctor Who, you know. (You do.)

T.J. and Cash were back for more randomness on Cashing In with T.J. Miller, and Cash was Pete’s guest this week on You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Ever wonder about the process of putting music into movies? Kevin and Steve demystified that with lots of inside stuff on Chewin’ It.

Country artist Wheeler Walker Jr. was the guest… well, that’s not quite accurate, because he and his friends basically and hilariously seized control of Today We Learned from Razzle by just arguing amongst themselves about stuff. Sometimes you gotta just sit back and let it happen, you know.

Jessica soloed with more creepiness on Bizarre States, this time with the story of the legendary Metal Library of (and under) Ecuador.

Cartoon Network VP of Creative and artist Rick Blanco explained what he does to Gil on The Mutant Season.

In the first of a two-parter, actress Crystal Angel visited Pro You, which somehow starts with talk about the Minnesota Vikings and takes off from there so entertainingly that Tom decided to split the conversation into two episodes. You’ll get the other half next week.

Brent and Rob F gave us a Free Play for the holidays on The Legacy Music Hour.

And this month’s Hound Tall with Moshe Kasher examined gay life with the help of a USC professor and Guy Branum, Erin Foley, and James Adomian.

And you find all of this bounty at the Nerdist Podcast Network homepage and Facebook page. So go there now and listen. It’ll help you deal with the fact that it’s already December. (What happened to the rest of the year?!?)

Contributor: Kyle Clark
Photo: Broad Green Pictures