Mission to Zyxx

Mission to Zyxx is an improvised, longform, science fiction space opera podcast on the Maximum Fun network. Before Maximum Fun, it was on Audioboom. The show follows a team of ambassadors (and their ship, The Bargarean Jade) as they attempt to establish diplomatic relations with planets in the remote and chaotic Zyxx Quadrant of the Tremillion Sector. It frequently parodies common science fiction tropes from franchises such as Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Wars. At the start of Season 1, they work for the Federated Alliance, which recently defeated the evil Galactic Monarchy. As of 2020 there are three completed seasons, and the fourth premiered February 19, 2020. On Apple Podcasts, Mission to Zyxx has a 4.9/5.0 based on 2.6K ratings.
The cast of the show are veterans of writing and performing comedy, including CollegeHumor (Jeremy Bent, Winston Noel) ,"The Good Cop" (Allie Kokesh), "Last Week Tonight" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Moujan Zolfaghari). Co-creator Seth Lind is Director of Operations at the highly successful podcasts "This American Life", "Serial", and "S-Town". Shane O'Connel, the show's sound engineer and designer, has worked with Ben Harper, Half Waif, and NAO.
Format.
Production.
The podcast is improvised by its comedian cast and recorded by Shane O'Connell, who also performs subsequent sound design and mixing. Editing is done by Seth Lind, Alden Ford, and Jeremy Bent. Each week there is a special guest comedian who plays an inhabitant of the Zyxx Quadrant that encounters the crew. The guest pitches two or three episode ideas to the main cast, and one is picked that fits best with the story arc of the show. Filmmaker Magazine interviewed the cast and highlighted the combination of improv comedy and longform narration as a major source of creativity and freedom for the podcast.
Episode structure.
Podcast episodes are about 30 minutes, edited down from an initial 60-90 minute recording. Each episode opens with an opening crawl narration by Jeremy Crutchley. As the story progresses, the narration changes to reflect the happenings of the Zyxx Quadrant, the Tremillion Sector, and the entire galaxy. The series introduction for the first season is: The period of civil war has ended. The rebels have defeated the evil Galactic Monarchy and established the harmonious Federated Alliance. It’s totally less evil. Now to restore diplomatic relations between systems, the Federated Alliance has deployed teams of ambassadors throughout the galaxy. The Alliance’s newest recruit, a young farm boy named Pleck Decksetter steps aboard the starship Bargarean Jade to embark on his first diplomatic mission: a MISSION. TO. ZYXX! The show also occasionally releases live episodes set in previous eras/seasons.
Advertising breaks.
Like many podcasts, Mission to Zyxx generates revenue through sponsored advertisements in the form of advertising breaks. This podcasts is unusual, however, as these are done by the voice actors or guests as minor characters from the show, delivered in-character. The ad breaks are canon, consistent with the show's characterizations and events, occasionally delivering minor plot points or foreshadowing for the main storyline. Advertisers in the first season were primarily MeUndies, Audible, HelloFresh, and other podcasts. In the second season, frequent advertisers included ZipRecruiter, SquareSpace, VistaPrint, and other podcasts. In the third season, frequent advertisers included Bombas, Tor Books, Wix.com, and Care/Of. 
Plot.
Season 1.
The Alliance's newest recruit is Ambassador Pleck Decksetter, a naive, gung-ho farm boy whose crew includes trusty, know-it-all droid C-53, and hulking, omnisexual security officer DAR.  They travel aboard the outdated, sentient starship The Bargerian Jade - aka Bargie - who has as many ex-husbands as stories about her glory days. Their mission is nominally overseen by junior Missions Operation Manager Nermut Bundaloy, a striving, entry-level bureaucrat yearning for respect.
Season 2.
Mission to Zyxx returns after dealing a crippling blow to the Federated Alliance, Pleck Decksetter and his intrepid crew find their way to the Rebellion, where they are welcomed as emissaries with the missive: Long Live the Rebellion! With a little more experience and understanding of the Zyxx Quadrant, the crew make their way through the galaxy with help from Beano and The Space.
Season 3.
Mission to Zyxx is back. Thanks to Beano's noble sacrifice, the Crew has survived the Battle of the Planet Crushers only to find themselves stranded on the opulent planet Holowood. Zima Warrior Pleck Decksetter, with the help of his newly found acolyte AJ, brings everyone back together, and they set out to rally forces across the galaxy to face down Emperor Nermut Bundaloy, ensconced in the Zyxx Quadrant.
Cultural references.
Star Wars.
Like Star Wars, Mission to Zyxx is a space opera. Zyxx makes several references to Star Wars, including the CLINTs (referencing Star Wars' Clone Troopers) and "The Space" (referencing Star Wars' The Force). Rather than the Force's Light and Dark sides, Zyxx has "Fresh" and "Wack," respectively. Zyxx also has Zima warriors that fight with woodsabers (sticks) - analogous to Star Wars' Jedi warriors and their lightsabers.
Hello from the Magic Tavern.
Show co-creator Alden Ford has cited the Chicago-based improv podcast Hello from the Magic Tavern set in a Narnia/Middle-Earth-like fantasy realm as partial inspiration for the format of "Mission to Zyxx".
Star Trek.
The concept of diplomatic relations missions mirrors that of diplomat crews in the Star Trek universe. 
An episode of the podcast is named The Worry with Wiffles and has a similar plot in a direct homage to one of the most famous episodes of Star Trek, The Trouble with Tribbles.
Reception.
In their Culture section, Newsweek covered the production of the first series. Air & Space Magazine interviewed the cast after the first season. Vulture, an entertainment news website, listed "Mission to Zyxx" as one of "100 Great Podcasts Worth Listening to." The podcast was also number one on a Salon list of unpredictable improv podcasts.
Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gizmodo praised the show, calling it "the best scifi podcast you're probably not listening to...yet," and "proof that [podcasts have] still so much untapped potential, particularly for fictional work." He later reviewed Season 3, which he called "bolder" and "taking the piss out of "Star Wars" in the freshest way."
As of November 2019, the podcast website Podbay shows Mission to Zyxx has an average audience review of 4.8 out of 5 based on 2325 reviews.
Nick Douglas of LifeHacker wrote "Mission to Zyxx might be "the best" podcast. This science fiction comedy—a mix of "Star Trek", "Star Wars," and "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy"—that leans on original jokes instead of references, is definitely the best of the current wave of fictional podcasts, partly because of its unique process." Douglas featured the podcast's cast on the "How I Work" series, which "asks heroes, experts, and all-around productive people to share their shortcuts, workspaces, routines, and more."
The Season 2 opener was ranked 7th in IndieWire's "The 50 Best Podcast Episodes of 2018." It was also nominated for the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2019 for the category "Best Scripted Podcast" (won by ).