International Waters is a pop culture comedy quiz show set adrift on the lawless seas. Join host Dave Holmes and competing teams of world-famous comedians from the US, UK, and beyond in a hilarious and lively competition that's part panel show, part trivia challenge, and part international incident.
This week, our friends Ellory Smith and Matt Kirshen join us for confirmed time traveling, Odyssey needle drops, and grammatical pet peeves. Ellory Smith would like to plug her upcoming dates and recommends avoiding cyclosporiasis Matt Kirshen would like to plug Probably Science and recommends Deadloch and Rosehaven And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram! Call us on the International Waters hotline 323-435-3017 Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Ben Paddon and Edy Modica join Dave for some World Cup tourism, Doctor Who spinoffs, and a poem to send off Keir Starmer Edy Modica would like to plug I'm Just Like You (And It Sucks) and recommends Honey Pluton Ben Paddon would like to plug Jump Leads and recommends Friz Frizzle And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Dave would like to plug Balkan Treat Box Find us on Instagram! Call us on the International Waters hotline 323-435-3017 Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Amir Dean (Lady Bushra) and Jamel Johnson join Dave for some Pride/World Cup anthems. historic LA landmarks, and the final season of our countries. Jamel Johnson would like to plug his new album Mid-Range and recommends The Junkyard Band Amir Dean (Lady Bushra) would like to plug his comedy special and his website and recommends Misty Chance And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram! Call us on the International Waters hotline 323-435-3017 Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Gareth Gwynn and Josh Gondelman join Dave for some seagull voice acting, cryptid PR training, and barber shop themed cocktails. Josh Gondelman would like to plug The Nightly from Hatch , his stand up special Positive Reinforcement , and his Substack and would like to recommend I Want to Burn This Place Down by Maris Kreizman Gareth Gwynn would like to plug I'm So Not Over It and his Edinburgh Fringe show Cyril and recommends Sound Heap here on Maximum Fun . And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram! Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Mike Castle and Chris Martin join us for our inaugural IW Notable Sound and Film Warehouse discussion, foodstuff advertising, and name doppelgängers. Mike Castle would like to plug Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness and Misrepresented and recommends polite smiling . Chris Martin would like to plug Ain't It Footy and his live dates and recommends Percy Pigs And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram! Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
The IW gang meet up for the inaugural Cultural Exchange! We all watched the US and UK versions of the same show, this time it's Are You Being Served (UK) and Beane's of Boston (US). We talk about what we liked, what we hated, and what could have been if Beane's ended up going to series. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Myq Kaplan and Ed Morrish join us for new national anthems, bear suit crimes, and sexy condiments. Ed Morrish would like to plug Sound Heap and recommends John-Luke Roberts in Edinburgh and The Square Ball Myq Kaplan would like to plug Broccoli and Ice Cream , his new special Rini , and his upcoming live dates and recommends Nikki Glaser's new special and Jo Firestone's upcoming book And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram! Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
Happy MaxFunDrive! To celebrate, we're dropping our pilot episode of International Waters 2.0 with Allan McLeod and Jordan Adika ! If you like what we do, please consider becoming a member of Maximum Fun! Jordan Adika would like to plug Sad Boyz and his YouTube channel and recommends Lateral with Tom Scott Allan McLeod would like to plug Walkin' About and Pluribus and recommends Absolute Batman And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Dave would like to recommend Train Dreams Find us on Instagram! Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters . In this episode, we have host Dave Holmes and International Waters writer Riley Silverman dishing on what makes a good IW guest, versus a... not-good one. Plus, the Jimmy Pardo of it all. If this glamorous, in-depth journey into what makes your favorite hosts tick inspires you, support them by joining as a member at maximumfun.org/join . Edited by Christian Dueñas and Produced by Laura Swisher and Hannah Muroz for Maximum Fun. Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Libby Watson and Steven Ray Morris join Dave for some songs about the Moon, weird children's television programs, and strange social media posts. Libby Watson would like to plug What's All This Then and recommends World Shin Kicking Championships Steven Ray Morris would like to plug See Jurassic Right and Keanan and Lakin Give You Déjà Vu and recommends Minorities in Shark Sciences And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Dave would like to recommend people dropping things on their feet while while they have a harmonica in their mouth. Find us on Instagram! Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
Welcome to International Waters 2.0! We're kicking things off with our old friends Siobhan Thompson and Jeremy Bent . We get into some sea shanties, Eurovision talk (obviously!) and make some new rules for the bathroom. Jeremy Bent would like to plug Eurovangelists and The Young Old Derf Chronicles and recommends Pluribus and Slow Horses Siobhan Thompson would like to plug Dimension 20 , Denouement , and The Greatest Treasure in the World and recommends Last One Laughing And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Dave would like to recommend Bad Husband by Trashcan Sinatras Find us on Instagram ! Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded at MaxFun HQ in Downtown LA, and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
Yes you read that right, we are bringing back International Waters! We'll have a full episode ready for you soon, but for now enjoy this sneak peek at a future episode with Jordan Adika and Allan McLeod ! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
Well hello! We are still hard at work on Troubled Waters but in the meantime we thought it'd be fun to share one of our old faves from way back in the International Waters days. Take a trip down memory lane with Helen Hong, Nick Rutherford, Jameela Jamil, and Romesh Ranganathan Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
It's finally here. For MaxFunDrive 2025, we promised to make the Troubled Waters North Hollywood Special. Did we know what it was when we said that? Not at all! We're Walkin' About North Hollywood and talking about our favorite landmarks, architecture, weirdo stories, and hey maybe there's even a love connection! Thank you for supporting MaxFun! Christian Dueñas would like to plug MaxFun and The Stacks and recommends Lonely People with Power by Deafheaven and The Bearlympics at The Eagle Riley Silverman would like to plug Horror Not Hate and recommends The Joy Who Lived And finally Dave is on Bluesky and would like recommend Summer Farewells By Anri Find us on Instagram Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
We are unlocking an episode from the BoCo archives this week! If you want to hear even more bonus content, go and head on over to maximumfun.org/join Our friends and former writers for International Waters, Jordan Morris and Sarah Morgan join Dave for a throwback episode where we play some of our favorite IW games from back in the day! Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, we are replaying some of our favorite holiday segments from previous Troubled Waters eps. Featuring Alison Rosen, Jacob Givens, Mike Castle, Joey Greer, Des Bishop, Joel Stein, Danielle Perez, Jessica Sele, Drennon Davis, and Shawn Carter! If you liked these segments, check out the full episodes in our archives! Stay tuned to the very end for a quick announcement and we will see you in the new year! Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Devan Joseph and Noah Friedman of No Such Thing join Dave for some holiday rebuses, terribly named carols, and awful Christmas presents. Noah Friedman would like to plug No Such Thing and recommends Broken Homes and Gardens by Michael Hurley Devan Joseph would also like to plug No Such Thing and recommends No Easy Fix And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded remotely over Zoom and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join "Adeste Fideles (Shorter)" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
MaxFun Crossover Alert! Our friends Amber Nash and Dimitry Pompée join Dave for distorted music trivia, strange Trader Joe's foodstuffs, and trivial confessions at the Thanksgiving table! Amber Nash would like to plug RePhrasing: An Archer ReWatch Podcast and recommends Amy Sedaris on Instagram Dimitry Pompée would like to plug Eurovangelists and recommends Old Dog New Tricks And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded remotely over Zoom and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Jenny Zigrino and Caleb Zeringue join Dave for some Taylor Swift chord progressions, alien trivia, and Dr Seuss/Decemberists lyricism Caleb Zeringue would like to plug his upcoming tour dates and Luigi the Musical and recommends Gianmarco Soresi Jenny Zigrino would like to plug her upcoming tour dates and Jen-Z and recommends Caitlin Peluffo And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded remotely over Zoom and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
This week, our friends Teri Gamble and Anastasia Washington join us for our annual Troubled Waters Halloween Spooktacular! Teri Gamble would like to plug Horror X and Horror Movie Survival Guide and recommends I Know What You Need Anastasia Washington would like to plug Gaslighter and recommends Abraham's Boys: A Dracula Story and Harriet Tubman Demon Slayer And finally Dave is on Bluesky ! Find us on Instagram Written by Riley Silverman and John-Luke Roberts , recorded remotely over Zoom and produced by Christian Dueñas and Laura Swisher . Join the MaxFun fam: maximumfun.org/join Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joinwaters
Producer's note
Steal the structure. Not the show.
Keep the useful structure, then change the audience, point of view, and voice until the idea is unmistakably yours.
