diff --git a/devscripts/check-porn.py b/devscripts/check-porn.py
index 6a5bd9eda3..7a219ebe97 100644
--- a/devscripts/check-porn.py
+++ b/devscripts/check-porn.py
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     if METHOD == 'EURISTIC':
         try:
             webpage = compat_urllib_request.urlopen(test['url'], timeout=10).read()
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             print('\nFail: {0}'.format(test['name']))
             continue
 
diff --git a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
index b5ef5e009f..640b8c99d7 100755
--- a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -1701,10 +1701,10 @@ def print_debug_header(self):
             out = out.decode().strip()
             if re.match('[0-9a-f]+', out):
                 self._write_string('[debug] Git HEAD: ' + out + '\n')
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             try:
                 sys.exc_clear()
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                 pass
         self._write_string('[debug] Python version %s - %s\n' % (
             platform.python_version(), platform_name()))
diff --git a/youtube_dl/compat.py b/youtube_dl/compat.py
index b2bf149ef6..973bcd3207 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/compat.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/compat.py
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ def compat_get_terminal_size():
                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
             out, err = sp.communicate()
             lines, columns = map(int, out.split())
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             pass
         return _terminal_size(columns, lines)
 
diff --git a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
index 8ed5c19a6b..ca14d64bc1 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/downloader/common.py
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ def try_utime(self, filename, last_modified_hdr):
             return
         try:
             os.utime(filename, (time.time(), filetime))
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             pass
         return filetime
 
diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/youporn.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/youporn.py
index e4c855ee0e..6abe72f739 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/youporn.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/youporn.py
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ def _real_extract(self, url):
             webpage, 'JSON parameters')
         try:
             params = json.loads(json_params)
-        except:
+        except ValueError:
             raise ExtractorError('Invalid JSON')
 
         self.report_extraction(video_id)
diff --git a/youtube_dl/postprocessor/ffmpeg.py b/youtube_dl/postprocessor/ffmpeg.py
index b6f51cfd5e..55adf9685b 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/postprocessor/ffmpeg.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/postprocessor/ffmpeg.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 import io
 import os
 import subprocess
-import sys
 import time
 
 
@@ -269,19 +268,17 @@ def run(self, information):
             else:
                 self._downloader.to_screen('[' + self.basename + '] Destination: ' + new_path)
                 self.run_ffmpeg(path, new_path, acodec, more_opts)
-        except:
-            etype, e, tb = sys.exc_info()
-            if isinstance(e, AudioConversionError):
-                msg = 'audio conversion failed: ' + e.msg
-            else:
-                msg = 'error running ' + self.basename
-            raise PostProcessingError(msg)
+        except AudioConversionError as e:
+            raise PostProcessingError(
+                'audio conversion failed: ' + e.msg)
+        except Exception:
+            raise PostProcessingError('error running ' + self.basename)
 
         # Try to update the date time for extracted audio file.
         if information.get('filetime') is not None:
             try:
                 os.utime(encodeFilename(new_path), (time.time(), information['filetime']))
-            except:
+            except Exception:
                 self._downloader.report_warning('Cannot update utime of audio file')
 
         information['filepath'] = new_path
diff --git a/youtube_dl/update.py b/youtube_dl/update.py
index d8be4049f5..de3169eef1 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/update.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/update.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose):
     # Check if there is a new version
     try:
         newversion = opener.open(VERSION_URL).read().decode('utf-8').strip()
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         if verbose:
             to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
         to_screen('ERROR: can\'t find the current version. Please try again later.')
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def update_self(to_screen, verbose):
     try:
         versions_info = opener.open(JSON_URL).read().decode('utf-8')
         versions_info = json.loads(versions_info)
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         if verbose:
             to_screen(compat_str(traceback.format_exc()))
         to_screen('ERROR: can\'t obtain versions info. Please try again later.')
diff --git a/youtube_dl/utils.py b/youtube_dl/utils.py
index 245d623d86..90e0ed9ab7 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/utils.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/utils.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ def preferredencoding():
     try:
         pref = locale.getpreferredencoding()
         'TEST'.encode(pref)
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         pref = 'UTF-8'
 
     return pref
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def write_json_file(obj, fn):
             except OSError:
                 pass
         os.rename(tf.name, fn)
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         try:
             os.remove(tf.name)
         except OSError: