The Tolkien Professor
The Tolkien Professor podcast is a series of lectures, discussions, and seminars on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien by Corey Olsen, President of Signum University. All are welcome to enter – even those without any party business!
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 98 minutes
- Episodes
- 629
- Years Active
- 2009 - 2025
Episode 249: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.05: Smaug's Attack
How epic will the attack of the dragon on Laketown be? Will there be any red shirts among the cast? And what about that oily Master? Inquiring minds examine these and other questions about The Hobbit…
Episode 248: Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory, Episode 1
The first episode of the Riddles in the Dark Supererogatory. The Tolkien Professor addresses your comments and questions on RITD 3.01
Episode 247: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.04: Meanwhile, Back in Laketown
What's going on in Laketown while the Dwarves are zigging and zagging around Erebor with a dragon in close pursuit? We theorize about this and other matters, and this time there are sound effects!
Episode 246: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.03: There and Back Again - The Beginning
Saddle up the battle pigs! The RITD team go from serious to silly and back again as they consider the many ways that Peter Jackson could choose to begin the third Hobbit movie.
Episode 245: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.02: Those Elves
Talking Elves in the second episode of the third year of Riddles in the Dark.
Episode 244: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 2, Episode 3.01: Action and Violence
The first riddle episode of the last year of Riddles in the Dark considers how action and violence impact the first two Hobbit movies and how these aspects will show up in The Hobbit: There and Back …
Episode 243: Silmarillion Seminar 35: Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, Part 2
The thirty-fifth session of the Silmarillion Seminar, covering Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, Part 2
Episode 242: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 1, Episode b
The second installment of Phase 1 of Year 3 of Riddles in the Dark team sees us revisiting The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug one last time. Three key themes are considered in the context of how they wi…
Episode 241: Riddles in the Dark Year 3, Phase 1, Episode a
The Riddles in the Dark team returns for the third and final round of the "how will Jackson tell the story" game. Phase 1, Episode a is a general look back at The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. Corey a…
Episode 240: Tolkien Chat 17: Reactions to the Desolation of Smaug Part 2
Part 2: Professor Olsen discusses his reactions to the second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug
Episode 239: Tolkien Chat 16: Reactions to the Desolation of Smaug Part 1
Part 1: Professor Olsen discusses his reactions to the second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug
Episode 238: A Bit of Wookie: Riddles in the Dark Year 2 in Review
As The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is unveiled around the world, Tolkien Professor Corey Olsen, Laura Berkholtz, and Trish Lambert review all the riddles and conundra posed in the second year of the …
Episode 237: Riddles in the Dark: Hail Fellow and Fewmets!
Warming up by looking at some more materail from The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, our Riddles in the Dark co-hosts move on to talk about the extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Episode 236: Riddles in the Dark 2.16: You Be Dragon?
Checking out a flood of material released by Peter Jackson for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, with a little dissension amongst our Riddles in the Dark co-hosts to spice things up. Note: This was a …
Episode 235: Riddles in the Dark 2.15: Fringe Festival 2
Considering the fringe characters in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug by way of Lego set interpretation. There is a visual companion PDF for this episode available at http://www.tolkienprofessor.com/d…
Episode 234: Riddles in the Dark Digest 2.11: Blame it on the Arkenstone
Trish Lambert and Laura Berkholtz take on the weighty theme of bromance in The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.
Episode 233: Riddles in the Dark Digest 2.10: Ring? What Ring?
Trish Lambert and Laura Berkholtz discuss listener opinions on when Bilbo will reveal the presence of the Ring.
Episode 232: Call-In Office Hours 5
The fifth Tolkien Professor open Skype Session, recorded on October 7, 2013. Topics discussed include invisible Ringwraiths, getting a PhD in Tolkien Studies, and more.
Episode 231: Riddles in the Dark Digest 2.09: Barrels on the Brain
Trish Lambert and Laura Berkholtz discuss opinions on the relationship between the elves of Mirkwood and the men of Laketown in The Desolation of Smaug.
Episode 230: Riddles in the Dark NOT 2.15: Trailer 2 Mega-Episode
A 3.33-hour discussion of the 2.5-minute second trailer for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug