LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marc Maron locks the gates of his podcast on Monday after 16 years and more than 1,600 episodes.
Final episode “What the hell is with Marc Maron” It is expected to be released in the morning, but its contents and the identity of the final interview guest (or guests) remain a mystery.
In his penultimate episode on Thursday, Maron, 62, said it was his last home studio release but said little more about who might appear for his swan song.
Maron's guests are rarely announced in advance. Fans have been wildly speculating about who they might hear on Monday. Could this be an entertainment giant making its first appearance? ( Bob Dylan?Taylor Swift? ) More personal choice? (An old friend? His parents?) A repeat of the previous main guest? ( Barack Obama? ) Maybe a combination?
On Thursday's episode, Maron decided to go it alone and speak directly to listeners as he has a few minutes to open each episode.
“We were in a relationship for a long time—16 years,” he said. “This is the longest relationship I've ever been in.”
During the conversation, he became emotional several times.
“I’m grateful to have been a part of your life,” he said. “We've been through a lot together. Many partings. Death. Cats. Peace.”
The final episode will be number 1686 of the innovative and influential long-form interview podcast that began modestly in 2009 as a place where he worked out his problems with other stand-up comedians in the garage of his Los Angeles home, which he called the “Cat Ranch.”
For most of its existence, the show opened with a fan-composed rock 'n' roll song, which opens with an audio sample of Maron, in his small role in Almost Famous, shouting, “Lock the gates!” The song is named after one of Maron's common phrases: “Are We Doing This?” Another phrase: “Are we all right?” This was often his last question to guests, and it is the title of a new documentary about him.
Eventually, WTF became a media institution where authors, artists, musicians, Hollywood stars and political leaders told their back stories.
In June, Maron announced that he and longtime producing partner Brendan McDonald had decided to end the show. He said that there was no particular reason for this, except that he was tired and completely satisfied with the work done.
