MicroRamble
| MicroRamble | |
|---|---|
 Full Logo  Thumbnail | |
| Genre | Informational |
| Type | Podcast |
| Created by | Charles Ross Nicholas Randouler Violette Clingersmith |
| Hosted by | Charles Ross |
| First episode | 31 March 2020 |
| Country of origin |
Raphistan |
| Language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer |
Charles Ross |
| Running time | 2 hours (Average) |
| Production company |
Television Territory |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | YouTube Channel |
MicroRamble is a bi-weekly YouTube podcast-style web series and media network primarily starring Charles Ross and formerly starring Thomas Bainbridge and Christina Nowell; having originally also starred Violette Clingersmith (aka Suzuki Leocer) until she left the show midway through season one, and Nicholas Randouler who served as a host from the first episode until his death in June 2020. The podcast features conversation about current events in the MicroWiki Sector and airs discussion pieces on topics of controversy throughout micronationalism. MicroRamble often invites on guests and contributors from varying parts of the community.
Production
MicroRamble episodes are recorded on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis, although having multiple episodes a week (including shorts and misc.) are not unheard of. Most episodes of the series (and subsequent spin-offs) are produced by TVT with Charles Ross serving as the show's Executive Producer.
Reception
Since first airing, MicroRamble has generally been well received by the micronational community, accumulating the status of being one of the most watched news/commentary programs within MicroWiki and Discord sectors.
Controversy
Some controversy has followed the show and (most notably) the Executive Producer, Charles Ross. This mostly stems from the show's coverage of the 2020 Morrisgate Scandal when long time micronationalist Daniel Morris was accused of inappropriate behavior towards minors and was subsequently expelled from the community.
During the scandal, Charles brought Daniel on to the show in an attempt to give him the chance to mount a pubic defense (a move not well received by other micronationalists, notably from within the Discord Sector); the attempt mostly failed for Morris, only further cementing the opinions of other micronationalists. However, Charles' demonstrated restraint and non-bias nature while conducting a public forum with Morris where members of the public were able to call in and voice their opinions, gained him some respect by micronationalists and otherwise boosted the awareness and viewership of the show within the community.
Following the interview though, the initial backlash of it caused founding host Violette Clingersmith to leave the show, sighting emotional issues stemming the episode. Following this, the episode with Daniel Morris was deleted from the MicroRamble YouTube channel and it was subsequently stricken from the official catalog of episodes.
Episodes
Episodes are usually made live in an unscripted manner with some pre-discussion as to what the episode will be about. In addition to the host(s), guests are also often invited onto the show; these guests are either picked ahead of time or are people from the audience who "call" in. Additionally, the streams also host debates between guests regarding micronational topics.
Seasons
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| Season 1 | 4 | 31 March 2020 | 4 August 2020 | |
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| Season 2 | 3 (4) | 22 August 2020 | 25 September 2020 | |
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| Season 3 | 10 (planned) | TBD | TBD | |
Season One
Airing: 31 March 2020 - 4 August 2020
Season One was the test season, setting up the basics of what each podcast would talk about from current events to micronational governments. After episode two, original co-host Suzuki left the show stating personal and emotional reasons for her departure. Following this, Thomas I of Hrafnarfjall stepped in to take the vacant hosting spot for the remainder of the season. Additionally, midway through the season, co-host Nicholas Randouler passed away leaving Thomas and Charles to finish up the season early. Only one more episode in season one would be made following the death of Nicholas; bringing season one's total episodes to just four out of the planned ten.
| No. in series |
Episode ID | Title | Guest(s) | Topic(s) | Original air date | Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1001 | Pilot | Vera Hewitt | Austenasia, Jonathan I, New Virginia, Dionisiy I | 31 March 2020 | 1:51:22 |
| 2 | 1002 | Wars, Coups, and Annexations | Leon Montan Anna Telford |
Austenasian Civil War, Molossia-East German War, NWR Conflict, Micronational War Theory | 6 April 2020 | 1:56:20 |
| 3 | 1003 | Micronational Politics | Patrick Renwick William Wilson |
Abeldane election, March 2020, Reichsversammlung, Kadelieort, Micronational government structure, Posaf-Green Party, Holy Roman Empire, Government in Hrafnarfjall, Gradonian election, March 2020 | 13 April 2020 | 1:49:05 |
| - | - | Originally Micronational Organisations, later cancelled | None | Micronational organisations. The episode was later cancelled due to technical difficulties between the host and guests. | 20 April 2020 | 1:17:25 |
| 4 | 1004 | Micronational Organisations (YAMOs) | Anthony I Christina Nowell Joe Bear Corvin I Sertor Valentinus |
Micronational organisations | 4 August 2020 | 2:10:00 |
Season Two
Airing: 22 August 2020 - 25 September 2020
Season Two was aired between August and September 2020 and aimed to more broadly cover micronationalists and all aspects of micronationalism. The season aimed to bring on experienced micronationalists as guests and interview leaders of prominent micronations about their histories within the community and opinions on different subjects of controversy within the community. On episode 2.2 Christina Nowell was named as a Co-Host. Due to conflicting host schedules and a growing inactivity among both staff and viewers alike, the season (much like the previous one) ended prematurely and the show would lay dormant for the next year.
| No. in series |
Episode ID | Title | Guest(s) | Topic(s) | Original air date | Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001 | Historical Micronations | Dionisiy Tezdzhan-Smahin, Otto Gillespie Birch | Historically based micronations, simulationism vs micronationalism | 22 August 2020 | 1:14:00 |
| 2.1 | 2002-1 | Youth in Micronationalism Part 1 | Christina Nowell, Matthew Hubbard, Justin Borg | Mainstream coverage of micronationalism, Young people in micronationalism | 11 September 2020 | 52:10 |
| 2.2 | 2002-2 | Youth in Micronationalism Part 2 | Matthew Hubbard, Justin Borg | Advice for new micronationalists, Young people in micronationalism | 12 September 2020 | 1:24:10 |
| 3 | 2003 | Finance in Micronations | No Guests | The fundraising, donations, and ways that micronations make money | 25 September 2020 | 1:02:45 |
Season Three
Season three is planned to air sometime during the closing two months of 2021. The season will be hosted solo by Charles Ross and plans to bring the show back to its original purpose, that being facilitating the discussion of micronationalism as well as providing a platform for micronationalists to debate and discuss with one another in a live, laidback format. Like the seasons before it, season three plans to include ten episodes scheduled to come out on Wednesdays or Thursdays. However, unlike the previous two seasons, season three is planned to come out with a new episode every week as opposed to the bi-weekly schedule used before.
MicroRamble Shorts
MicroRamble Shorts are a collection of short unscripted semi-episodes discussing breaking micronational headlines.
MicroRamble Misc.
MicroRamble Misc. (also known as MicroMisc.) are commentary esque videos discussing non-micronational topics. Categories that are most discussed include politics, history, individual commentary and, social issues. These semi-episodes are created and hosted by Charles Ross; who uses an image of the Second Doctor from the BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who as an avatar. Additionally, other micronational (and nonmicronational) productions are made by other MRN contributors, these also fall under the MicroRamble Misc. category.