It seems like iTunes Podcast delivery and accounting has really slipped the last few releases. Back in version 7 or 8 I was able to get everything done that I wanted to in two or three easy clicks.
Now, I find myself having to click into different views and categories and such to do things I used to be able to do from the front screens.
I just uploaded to v11.1 (126) and IOS7 on my iPhone. And the first thing I noticed when I clicked into Podcasts and selected List was a *ton* of old, previously-listened-to podcasts, each with handsome little cloud-with-a-download-arrow icon, after the podcast name, before the Time column.
I could not simply select the listened-to podcast and Delete it, as before. But, I could play a podcast and then Delete it. So, okay, I guess… it was only 392 items, and 9:05:13:51 total time ( 7.26 GB ). I played a couple and it was nice to relive those thrilling days of last week and last month a couple of years ago. But after I deleted the podcasts, they o n c e a g a i n appeared in List view!
I tried un-checking the little box before the Name, but that didn't help.