The Commercial Break – Episode: "A Change Is Gonna Come!"
Release Date: November 6, 2025
Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley

Episode Overview

In this engaging, chaotic, and heartfelt episode, Bryan and Krissy announce significant upcoming changes to The Commercial Break podcast, reflecting on their journey so far and outlining intentions for the show’s evolution. The hosts weave trademark offbeat humor with genuine introspection, riff on topics ranging from the Atlanta Braves and World Series nostalgia to the challenges in the podcast industry, and cap it all with candid political and social commentary. This episode blends laughter, nostalgia, and real talk—making listeners feel like part of a deeply quirky, totally unfiltered friendship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Big Changes Coming to the Show

• Live Recordings & Audience Interaction
  • Starting within the next week or two, all non-guest episodes will be broadcast live, allowing listeners to join in and even potentially phone in.
    "Chrissy and I will now be broadcasting every recording of the commercial break live... You can get involved in the conversation and maybe at some point, phone calls." (24:16)
• More Structured, Thematic Episodes
  • Episodes will start to focus on specific themes—reviews, dating/sex, true crime, video breakdowns, and more instead of pure off-the-cuff banter. "We are going to tailor the show just a little bit more... start thematically running the show now." (25:16)
  • Possible recurring bits like "Hambone and Hoadley" and the beloved “Crabapple” universe may become regular segments.
• Gated/Early Access Content
  • Some content may become gated or available early for engaged listeners, as a way to support the show’s financial needs and align with industry trends. "We may decide to gate some of the content... one of them is we need money. So there." (26:47)
• Platform Expansion
  • Streaming planned on Twitch, YouTube, perhaps TikTok and Instagram, aiming for more visibility and community involvement. "We are definitely going to be streaming on twitch, probably on YouTube, maybe on TikTok and Instagram, if we can figure that out." (29:42)
• Feedback Welcome
  • The hosts encourage listeners to offer ideas and feedback via text/voicemail.
    "If you guys have ideas, too, let us know. 212-4333. TCB. We want you to stick with us." (29:42)

2. Nostalgia & Local Color: The Atlanta Braves & Baseball

• Reflections on Braves History and Community
  • Bryan and Krissy reminisce about the Braves’ “worst to first” run, the magic in Atlanta during their World Series win, and the loss of that communal magic in their new Cobb County era. "There were like six of us in that McDonald's. It was pandemonium. People were honking their horn outside, flash flashing their lights. There were literally people that got out of their car in front of the McDonald's jumping and screaming. It was magical." (09:45)
• Critique of Modern Sports Business
  • Bryan vents about the commercialization of baseball, Braves ownership, and contrasts between paying for star players (Dodgers) vs. developing farm talent (Braves, Blue Jays). "They're making so much money off the fucking Taco Mac next door that they don't worry about the team anymore. They're selling out regardless." (06:13)
  • Expresses admiration for the Toronto Blue Jays and their underdog catcher, Kirk. "I was rooting for the Toronto Blue Jays because of that Kirk guy." (13:05)

3. Podcasting Realities & Industry Trends

• Creative Fatigue and Need for Change
  • 850+ episodes deep, Bryan admits to feeling the need to “shake things up,” not just for the audience's sake but for their own engagement as creators. "After 850 episodes, you do have to make things different sometimes, and we really haven't made things different..." (28:48)
• Comedy Podcast Landscape
  • Notes the oversaturation of "chat casts" (comedy podcasts that are mostly unscripted conversation), referencing "Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet" as an example of a tightly-focused, successful format. "Most comedy podcasts are exactly that. They're chat casts... and I think because we have amassed this huge catalog of just us talking... that it's not engaging in one way or another." (31:16)
• Behind the Scenes of TCB
  • Bryan reveals a typical episode’s prep: “Brian writes down three ideas. And I only use one of them. But somehow we talk about 10 other things.” (34:22)

4. Playful Banter, Bits & Memorable Asides

• Ear Horn Comedy
  • Mini-routine on old people, “ear horns,” and concert hearing aids, riffing on nostalgia and technology. "The old ear horn was something you'd see in like a cartoon or old movies where an old person would put an actual horn... into their ear. It was like the first hearing aid ever." (05:22)
• Blue the Dog Disruption
  • Bryan venting about his dog, Blue, loudly interrupting a high-profile interview with comedian Zoltan. "Once I level it out, it's just going to be loud and obnoxious. It's to going to amplify. So either I'm going to have to go cut out every bark which will be like a thousand." (36:49)
• Crabapple World Building
  • Both hosts express love for their “crabapple” universe and potential for more recurring characters and sketch work. "I love that little town that has been like bred in the world of the commercial break. And we just get snippets of it." (33:34)

5. Serious Turn: Political and Social Commentary

• 2025 Elections Recap
  • Discussion of Trump’s agenda being “roundly defeated” in numerous races, the implications of a democratic socialist New York mayor, Virginia’s first woman governor, and the mood of the electorate. "Everywhere that Trump's agenda, Agenda, essentially Trump or Trump's agenda or his endorsement was put up, was roundly defeated almost everywhere." (45:56)
• Healthcare and Social Safety Net Advocacy
  • Strong advocacy for protecting/expanding SNAP benefits, improving healthcare, and supporting empathy toward vulnerable populations. "12% of Americans on SNAP benefits. 12%. And if you think this doesn't apply to you, you are one paycheck away from disaster." (52:13) "I would rather give one undeserving person less than $10 a day worth of SNAP benefits than see one child go to bed hungry." (53:48)
• Empathy over Cynicism
  • Extensive riff on the value of empathy in politics and society, condemning mean-spiritedness and echo chambers. "If you're sitting in your fancy home... and you look down on people who don't have what you have... you are the worst version of yourself right now. Get out of it." (56:04)
• Encouragement to Participate & Vote
  • Both hosts stress the importance of voting in every election; even “small” local ones make a big difference. "Anything that I can vote in. I'm doing my research on the candidates and voting." (48:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Braves Nostalgia:
  "It was magical in this city. It really was... There were literally people that got out of their car in front of the McDonald's jumping and screaming."
  — Bryan, (09:45)

• On Podcasting Realities:
  "We've amassed a catalog that is both impressive and not impressive at the same time."
  — Bryan, (23:14)

• On Industry Change:
  "After 850 episodes, you do have to make things different sometimes, and we really haven't made things different. We've said we're gonna make things different... but we never actually did make things different." — Bryan, (28:48)

• On Empathy:
  "If you're sitting in your fancy home... and you look down on people who don't have what you have... you are the worst version of yourself right now. Get out of it. Get out of that fog and imagine the times when you didn't have anything, if that ever happened..."
  — Bryan, (56:04)

• On the Future of TCB:
  "But at the very least, we will be going live with the show. This is the first big change that's going to happen... we will allow the world into our little recording studio here while we're doing it live."
  — Bryan, (34:58)

• On Creative Process:
  "You want to know what the prep... Brian writes down three ideas and I only use one of them. But somehow we talk about 10 other things. That's it. That has largely been how the commercial break has been born and bred..."
  — Bryan, (34:22)

Timestamps for Segments

• [03:19] – Overview of upcoming format changes, live shows, and audience engagement
• [06:00] – Braves nostalgia, sports business, and Atlanta community
• [17:30] – Podcasting reality check, phone-line mishaps, plans for engaging listeners
• [24:14] – Announcing live recordings, thematic episodes, and why change is needed
• [31:14] – Comedy podcast industry and the “chat cast” conundrum
• [33:05] – The Crabapple universe, recurring characters, creative ambitions
• [41:26] – Shift to political/social commentary: 2025 elections, empathy, healthcare, and social safety nets
• [52:13] – Food insecurity, SNAP benefits, and a plea for compassion
• [54:25] – Hopes for government action, bipartisan solutions for healthcare
• [56:04] – Bryan’s impassioned speech on empathy vs. cynicism
• [59:48] – Call for listener involvement and info on going live soon

Final Thoughts

This episode exemplifies why “The Commercial Break” has developed such a dedicated cult following: a singular blend of irreverent laughs, real vulnerability, and idiosyncratic commentary—always anchored in the deep rapport between Bryan and Krissy. With major format and engagement changes coming, the hosts seem energized and hopeful, urging their audience to stick around for a new, more interactive, and intentional era of the show.