Valley Heat
5.0/5
Critic Rating
Freelance insurance adjuster Doug Duguay uses his self-honed investigative skills to chronicle suspicious activities around his home and neighborhood in the Rancho Equestrian District of Burbank, California. Soundtrack by local Burbank band Cephalopods Are People.
Critic Reviews
Score: 5
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • Jul 1, 2024
"(updated) ...the pungent charm of this bizarro indie production, which makes an art out of idiosyncrasy. Valley Heat is a strange and effortlessly hilarious creation..."
Score: 5
Lauren Passell • Life Hacker • Sep 5, 2023
"This silly show is filled with quirky characters and original music from the band Cephalopods Are People (the biggest rock band in the Rancho Equestrian District). Arguably, the best part are the faux advertisements for local businesses like Karate Trophy City, Janie Cakes Breakfast Ice-Cream, and Pants by Jan Robinson."
Score: 5
Pod Sauce Editors • Pod Sauce • Mar 10, 2023
"...absurdly hilarious series with original music from the band Cephalopods Are People. …"
Score: 5
Eliana Dockterman • Time • Nov 14, 2022
"This is the only fiction podcast that has ever made me laugh out loud. The funniest bits of Valley Heat are the commercials for local businesses...New episodes drop on a totally unpredictable schedule. But I had such a delightful time listening that I thought it was worth nonetheless including on this list."
Score: 5
Brendan F. Newnam • Audioli • Feb 5, 2022
"I found myself machine-gun laughing into my KN95 while listening to Valley Heat. A lot of the gags running throughout Valley Heat might fall flat...But in the pod, sans visuals, delivered in Doug’s halting digressive style, they manage to caress the funny bone. Doug’s frequent calls with his sadistic father-in-law Chuck, owner of a car modification empire in Ventura, are particularly delicious. But unlike YouTube, the best parts of Valley Heat are the advertisements read by Doug and then overzealously scored by Cephlapods Are People, the biggest rock band in the Rancho Equestrian District. "
Score: 4.9
Nicholas Quah • Vulture • Nov 24, 2021
"This thing has strong Mike Judge vibes, thick with a kind of humor that creeps up on you. Thirteen episodes are out now, following a wildly sporadic publishing schedule."
