The Co-Optional Podcast, formerly known as the The Gamestation Podcast (abbreviated as the TGS Podcast), is a gaming podcast hosted by TotalBiscuit, Jesse Cox, and Dodger. Whilst originally airing on the TGS channel, The Co-Optional Podcast was moved to the Polaris YouTube channel. However, as of the 13th of November 2014, it was moved to TotalBiscuit's channel instead, due to "disagreement on creative direction".
Format
The show starts with the main host, TotalBiscuit, introducing his side hosts and that episode's guest and then (one at a time) everyone talks about what games they have been playing since the last episode of the podcast. They then go to their first break and afterwards talk about that week's news or that week's releases if the news has been very slow. They then take their last break and talk about that week's releases if they haven't done so already and afterwards talk about what videos are going to be uploaded to their channels (varies if they guest isn't on YouTube) and then they say their goodbyes.
Episode Guide & Guests
Almost every episode of the podcast has had a guest and the guests of each episode are as follows:
| The Game Station Podcast |
|---|
|
| The Co-Optional Podcast |
|---|
|
Trivia
- The show usually lasts from around 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours and 30 minutes.
- The shortest Podcast episode was episode 49 which was around 50 minutes because it was the PAX East TGS Panel and they were only allowed an hour of their panel. That podcast panel was also the first time that Criken showed his face in public.
- The longest episode was episode 18 of The Co-Optional Podcast which last 3 hours and 39 Minutes with Simon's episode (episode 6 of the TGS podcast) close behind with 3 Hours and 30 minutes.
- Episode 59 of the TGS Podcast had the only guest to be kicked off the show; Justin of Silvermania, who was kicked off due to him not contributing towards the ongoing discussions (of videogames) and his roommate and Justin himself insulting the hosts numerous times. He finally got kicked from the podcast after his roommate called TotalBiscuit an asshole. After being kicked off the show, Justin posted to his Facebook fans: "They (the hosts) couldn't handle our awesomeness".
- Simon, Martyn, DaveChaos, Sips, Strippin and Pyrion Flax have all been on the show.
- From episode 63 onwards, the show was renamed the Co-Optional Podcast.
- From Co-optional Episode 27, each show begins with an animated intro. The visuals were animated by Julian GD of sabertoontigers, and the introduction music was written and performed by Miracle of Sound.
- After the show was renamed to the Co-Optional podcast, TB stopped caring about the guests being from the Polaris network, as mentioned on episode 69 when NorthernLion (who is part of the Machinima network) was on the show.
- Episode 68 was the Co-Optional podcast panel at PAX Prime so there was no guest.
- On the 14th episode of The TGS Podcast, Dodger ate a pack of Jaffa Cakes with the best before date being the year 1272, whether this was just a mis-print or the box of Jaffa Cakes were actually from the medieval age, this goes down as one of the most memorable moments in the podcast's history.
- With a total of 20 appearances to date, WoWCrendor is the most frequent guest on the Podcast and is joked to be the "like the fifth beetle" or "the third wheel" of the show.
- Jesse had previously been the only host to be present every episode up until episode 37 of the co-optional podcast where he missed the podcast due to being on holiday in Peru with his dad.
- The Co-Optional Podcast is live every Tuesday at 3 PM EST / 12PM PST / 8pm GMT /¸9pm CET on Totalbiscuit's Twitch channel - If TotalBiscuit's twitch is not live by 3:15 EST, check TotalBiscuit's, Jesse's and/or Dodger's Twitter pages for information.
- Kaeyi Dream is known to have watched the show and is most likely a fan of it due to the fact that she mentioned that she first saw Martyn on the 24th episode of the TGS Podcast.
- It was originally though that the name change from the TGS podcast to the Co-Optional podcast came about due to copyright issues with Gamestation, a line of video gaming shops in the UK however, it was later clarified that the change of name was due to the change of the Network's name from being The Game Station to Polaris.
- Jesse, one of the show's hosts, broke the law live on air on the 39th episode of The TGS Podcast when he illegally got sent a case of cans and a 1L bottle of the UK-exclusive (although primarily Scotland) fizzy drink, Irn-Bru by a fan and drunk a can live on air. Needless to say, the mass amount of sugar (as well as a certain chemical which bans it from the US) made Jesse hyperactive which made him rage at TB and Dodger which is still to this day, one of the most memorable moments in the podcast's history.
- If any of the hosts are not available, Dodger or Jesse Cox (depending on who is missing) takes over as the main host and they either replace the missing host(s) with more guests or a picture/gif of something.
- Nerd3 was offered to be on the Co-Optional Podcast but declined at the time because he though he didn't have good enough internet. However, Dan did eventually appear on the Podcast on the 62nd episode of the Co-Optional Podcast.
- As a result of the show being completely disassociated with Polaris, the show's animator no longer got paid by Polaris and set up a Patreon for payment per animation video. Currently, he is getting paid over $1,300 per video which according to TotalBiscuit, was "far more than what Polaris was paying him per video".
- During the 14th episode of the TGS Podcast, Dodger ate a box of Jaffa Cakes where the Sell-by date was quite literally the year 1272. The information ended up on the Wikipedia page for the year 1272 before it was quickly taken down after this was remarked at by the hosts on the next show a week later.
Gallery
John "TotalBiscuit" Bain - The Podcast's main host.
Brooke "Dodger" Lawson - One of the Podcast's side hosts.
Jesse "OMFGcata" Cox - One of the other Podcast's side hosts.
The Podcast's logo.
The Podcast's logo when Jesse Cox is the main host.
The Break image when Jesse Cox is hosting.