How do I resolve the Podcast unavailable error?

Try the simple stuff first. Force the phone to restart by holding the home button and the power button at the same time for about 7-8 seconds until it shuts off/restarts.

I know this sounds really simple but this clear caches and internet settings better than simply turning the phone off.

This guy had the same issue and all he did was hard reset the device and it solved the issue. He had an older iOS though.

Which iOS are you using?

I did some research and it seems you're not the only person with this issue. There doesn't seem to be a definite fix yet.

Also, Apple was aware of some iTunes Store errors yesterday that were resolved later in the day. That may have been what was causing the issue.

Same problem here. I use Podcasts on an iPod Touch during my drive commute. It is important to me, for safety, to manage the podcast very easily. That is gone. They have really ruined my experience in several ways.The large icons of my podcasts are gone, and as the others have said, listen carefully because 'there's no going back.' I use an Android based phone but have enjoyed the iPod (iPhone without the phone). Since the utility of the Podcasts is the biggest draw for me, I may dump Apple altogether. I was considering an iPad mini, but I'm really not so sure now.Pocket Casts for Android seems to have many happy users.

Update: I went ahead and bought Pocket Casts, hoping it will serve in place of the earlier Apple Podcasts. I was disappointed . Yes the control to go back 30 seconds is fairly easy to find, and in fact can be modified to any number of seconds. But the overall experience is not as good as the Apple Podcasts. I don't see a way to set auto deletes after listening. Every podcast has to be deleted individually, with at least 3 clicks per delete. In short, I will continue my search for a better podcast app. Any suggestions welcome.