I am going to listen to every episode of This American Life (TAL) and rate each one as I go. The goal being that I will find the single best episode of TAL. The desired side effect of this project is to get the TAL obsession out of my system, forever.Each show will be rated on a 100 point scale, breaking down as follows: The set-up is worth 10 points. The set-up is the part at the being where Ira Glass explains what the show is going to be about. Does he do it in a way that makes sense and makes you want to listen to the rest of the show? The variety of acts is worth 20 points. Are the acts different, and interesting and yet all still fit around the same topic? All the acts together are worth 60 points. This number of points will be divided among however many acts there are. Does the act hold ones interest? Does it do what it is trying to do effectively? The music is worth 10 points. Was the music the same filler music again? Was the choice of music cleaver, fitting nicely into the theme of the show with out pushing it overboard?
