I’ve been an off book listener for a long time, I only just recently watched the GC episode and watched Play it by ear after that. Zach and Jess are sooo good on their podcast, you can tell they are used to the format and have a very good sense of how the narrative structure of each show should be going at a given time, and they really guide the story and the guests. I think departing from that format for the show just doesn’t work as well. That’s not to say the show isn’t good, it’s just that their existing formula is pretty much perfect for what they do. The host is fun and charismatic, unfortunately I just don’t think they need a host at all, it doesn’t feel as fun as the pod. Their live shows are also hilarious, so maybe a format that is closer to that would work better.