Companion Podcasts for July 🎆

I started this Substack as a way to share my passion for TV companion pods. And I’ll be honest—it was also a way for me to market myself. I’ve made TV companion pods for years for major streamers. I love the behind-the-scenes stories, I love the people I’ve made them with, and I’d like to keep making these shows for the rest of my career.

But as of a few weeks ago, the company I worked for, Pineapple Street Studios, was shut down by its parent company, Audacy. We were all laid off. I was in the middle of a new companion show that I’d worked on for months. I knew the IP inside and out. But now, I’m not sure if that pod will ever be released.

My hope is to continue producing these types of shows and to keep doing the work I’ve dedicated my career to for the past six years. With that in mind, I’ve dedicated this newsletter to some of my favorite shows that I’ve made. I hope you’ll give them a listen.

I’ll keep writing this Substack. Hopefully, next month, I’ll come back with better news and more pods.

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Companion Pods for July

Foundation: This is a show that absolutely benefits from a companion. For Seasons 1 and 2, host Jason Concepcion sat down with showrunner David S. Goyer to discuss the complicated plots of Foundation. I loved the first book in the Isaac Asimov series, but the show adaptation was a lot to process. Hearing David discuss the changes he made, the character motivations, and Lee Pace’s Season 2 fight scene (you know the one) made the show so much more enjoyable for me.

Apple doesn’t seem to be releasing a third season of the pod, so we’ll see how the third season stands on its own. (Apple TV+ / Pineapple Street Studios)

The Sandman Dreamcast: For better or worse, Netflix is releasing the second season of The Sandman. Despite the Neil Gaiman allegations, it seems fans still want to see their beloved characters on screen, which I completely understand. With that in mind, I present The Dreamcast—a companion audio experience that plays more like a sleepcast or audio drama than a traditional behind-the-scenes companion piece.

Netflix is always willing to experiment with their pods, so you have to tip your hat. I don’t think they’ll release another round of episodes for the upcoming season, which airs on July 24. But this pod exists outside the show, so you can enjoy it without having watched a single episode. (Netflix/Bankrobber Projects)

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THROWBACK PODS 

Shows that are already aired, and have a companion pod worth listening to

Chernobyl: The podcast that started it all! I interned on this show, and it was a learning experience—pouring over transcript after transcript. Arguably the first big companion piece, people still talk about both the show and the pod.

To me, this podcast is the absolute gold standard. Hosts Craig Mazin and Peter Segal have incredible chemistry, but they also really dive into the nitty-gritty of how the show was made. It’s a masterclass in both television production and companion podcast craft.

Behind the Scenes: Stranger Things: What an absolute honor it was to create a podcast about a TV show I love. Everything I know about how to craft a podcast started here. Highlights include traveling to Atlanta to interview the crew, tracking down the stunt guy who chased Nancy through the hospital, and getting a shirt from the Gap in the mall set. If you’re rewatching to prepare for Season 5, I highly recommend this pod. Shoutout to Bari Finkel, who made it all happen!

Behind the Scenes: The Umbrella Academy Season 2: The Netflix BTS series was my main show for a few years, and I deeply loved the first few seasons of The Umbrella Academy. This pod will always stand out to me because we made it during the pandemic. I spent hours figuring out how to safely send mics to folks in the U.S. and Canada, where the series is filmed. I interviewed the actors from the show. And I got to lead the story for the first time. Episode 2, “When Are We?” is a particular favorite of mine.

Behind the Scenes: Shadow and Bone: I am deeply obsessed with both this show and the book series—and it’s all thanks to working on this podcast. Everyone needs to go read the book Six of Crows immediately; it’s a perfect summer read.

This show had so many of my favorite television elements: high fantasy, romantic shipping, and a YA adaptation. I also got to explore mixed-race identity in a way I hadn’t before—which, as a mixed Asian person, means the world to me. For all these reasons and more, this show holds an extra-special place in my heart.

House of the Dragon: Probably the most name-recognized show I’ve ever gotten to work on. The team behind this pod was the absolute best. We got to interview the coolest people and discovered way more fun facts about the show than we ever expected (listen to the sound designer interview, I beg you).

This podcast is a perfect example of a show that feels like listening in with your smartest friends. And that’s because it was highly and skillfully produced by the smartest people: Gabrielle, Darby, Ben, and Elliott. HBO, please hire us back and let us do it all again!

Hacks: This show is my baby. I’ve worked on all three seasons, and I’m devastated to think I might not get to work on the final one. (HBO, seriously, hire me back!)

Not only do I love love love this show, but the creators are, hands down, some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. It’s a joy to work on a show that features not only the funniest people, but people who are genuinely kind. I mean, Jean Smart came on! What more do you want? Fingers crossed I’ll be back for Season 5! And if I’m not, I’m still tuning in

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DREAM PODS 

My personal pitch for a podcast that should exist

Netflix will never make this show. It’s been too many years, and the fans caused too much trouble. But my dream pod for this month is one I recommended very early in my days at Pineapple.

Do you remember the show Sense8?

Sense8 was a production by the Wachowskis (The Matrix). It follows eight people who become psychically connected to one another, seeing and feeling exactly what the others experience. Fans of this show were rabid—myself included. When it was canceled after Season 2, I was one of the thousands who signed a petition to get a third season. We got a final movie, which I truly treasure and appreciate.

I’ve always felt the concept of this show would be a perfect vehicle for one of Netflix’s experimental audio dramas. Imagine eight episodes, each following a different character and the voices they hear in their head as they go about their day. Each character was as distinct as the locale they lived in, which would make for a rich soundscape: Wolfgang working in a locksmith shop in Berlin, Nomi going to Pride in San Francisco, Sun cage-fighting in Seoul. The audio possibilities would be limitless.

I’ll be rewatching Sense8 over the next few weeks. It’s a comfort watch for me. And all the while, I’ll be thinking of the pod that could have been.