Wondery has done it again. The company that brought us Dr. Death and Dirty John captured my undivided attention over the weekend with a new one: Over My Dead Body.
It's the true story of Wendi Adelson and Don Markel, a Florida couple whose wedding was written up in the really-hard-to-get-into New York Times wedding section.
They're both smart and good-looking, with money to burn. But money can't buy happiness and eventually, somebody is murdered. I won't say anymore for fear of spoiling the plot.
Over My Dead Body will continue as a podcast series, with each one spotlighting another love story gone sour. Variety this week reported that actress/producer Elizabeth Banks (Hunger Games) is developing the title into a TV series, first with the Dan and Wendi story, then with similar storylines, for the WarnerMedia streaming service. She will executive-produce and direct.
Last week, we asked for your input. What podcasts are you listening to?
Among the responding readers was Sharon Braswell of England, who says her first podcast was Bag Man by Rachel Maddow.
"If you haven't already listened to it, I highly recommend it. It is about Spiro Agnew and what we didn't know was going on at the time he was vice president and before. It is very fascinating and makes me wonder even more about what is going on behind the scenes now," Braswell writes.
Tom Pullam has another suggestion. "My current favorite is The Way I Heard It, by Mike Rowe, the Dirty Jobs guy. Each is about 15 minutes or so, and has a surprise ending. Hard to stop once you begin listening," he writes.
Our staff of reporters and editors was also asked for suggestions. Here are suggestions from the newsroom.
• Stuff You Missed in History Class delights with odd stories and usually highlights minorities and women. You know, the stuff you missed in class.
• Tales of a Red Clay Rambler targets potters and those interested in pottery. Get your hands dirty.
• Hidden Brain "reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, and the biases that shape our choices." It's hosted by NPR social science correspondent Shankar Vedantam.
• Slow Burn's first season tackled Watergate; the second season was all about President Clinton's impeachment. Podcast notes say, "Even recent history is rich with surprising subplots, strange details, and forgotten characters."
• Stay Free: The Story of the Clash is for music fans, specifically those of the legendary punk rock band. Chuck D of Public Enemy narrates.
• Up and Vanished host Payne Lindsey takes a deep journalistic dive into missing persons cases. Where did everybody go?
• Snap Judgment is described as "storytelling with a beat." People tell stories with "killer beats" behind them. Cue the drum machine.
In other podcast news, a new season of Wondery's Inside Star Wars premiered May 29. It's described as an audio-bio of Star Wars creator George Lucas and his team.
Literary nerds will appreciate Don't Quill the Messenger: Revealing the Truth of Shakespeare Authorship. Podcast producer Dragon Wagon Radio network describes it thusly: "Who was Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, and is there any chance he was the actual author of those legendary works? Who WAS the writer behind the pen name 'William Shakespeare?'"
Fans of former President Barack and Michelle Obama will be thrilled to know that the power couple has signed with Spotify to produce exclusive podcasts for the platform, according to a Thursday report from The Associated Press.
The Obamas launched Higher Ground in 2018 for a partnership with Netflix for which they'll produce TV shows, and with the Spotify deal the Obamas "will develop and lend their voices to select podcasts."
The AP report says Michelle Obama hopes their work can help people connect emotionally and open their hearts and minds.
We're looking for Arkansans who have their own podcasts. If you host a podcast, please email jmcleod@arkansasonline.com. Let us know the name, what it's about, how long it's been going and, if you know and don't mind sharing, how many subscribers you have.
Style on 06/18/2019