How Podcasts and TV Shows Are Creating the Ultimate Entertainment Power Couple
Hey, all you creative-leaning media moguls, transmedia tricksters, and podcast prodigies! If you haven’t already jumped on the companion podcast-TV series love-train, what are you waiting for? This isn’t just a fling; it’s the kind of romance that spawns entire universes of content. Let’s dive into how these two mediums are better together than chocolate and peanut butter.
Backstories and Spin-offs: More Juice, More Drama, More for the Fans
TV series, meet podcasts. Podcasts, meet TV series.
Now, make us some lovely backstory spin-offs. Imagine a podcast that serves as a prologue (or epilogue) to your favorite show, diving deep into the character arcs and untold stories. For instance, The Bright Sessions is a fabulous YA audio podcast that depicts supernatural therapy sessions. It’s wildly popular, and therefore a perfect example of an audio show just begging to be adapted to video. The characters in the audio podcast all have supernatural abilities that get talked about within the walls of their therapist’s office. Imagine a TV show that took these characters and their magical traits out for a spin in the “real” world. Or take a well-known IP like The Mandalorian. A podcast could explore the backstory of a character like, say The Armorer, or Moff Gideon, offering the fans an even deeper rabbit hole of story to dive into, cultivating greater excitement around the series.
Of course, expanding the story-world of a favourite show is nothing new. In fact, it’s something fans have been doing all by themselves for years. For instance, each episode of the podcast Blakes 7 In Character, takes a look at the backstory of a different specific character from the classic BBC show Blakes 7. While this podcast has a very basic production style, it contains some impressive in-depth character analysis for fans of the show. The podcast sphere offers production houses the chance to broaden the impact of their big-ticket entertainment IPs by inexpensively developing new sub-plots and adding depth to the audience’s understanding of key characters and storyworld elements.
From Earbuds to Eyeballs: Podcasts Turned TV Hits
Some podcasts are so good, they need to be seen to be believed. Take Dirty John, for instance. It started as a true-crime podcast and was so riveting that it got its own Netflix TV adaptation, letting viewers put faces to the names, and adding more shivers down the spine. And of course, the Homecoming podcast (the first scripted fiction podcast produced by Gimlet) was famously adapted for screen into a series starring Julia Roberts. Suffice to say, when audio stories get visual, the results can be binge-worthy brilliance.
The Inside Scoop: Going Behind the Scenes with Companion Podcasts
For those who can’t get enough of the nitty-gritty, behind-the-scenes podcasts like “This is Small Business: Behind the Buy” are pure gold. This gem from JAR Audio peeks behind the curtain of Amazon Prime’s Buy It Now, dishing out all the backstage drama and investigating how entrepreneurs turned their pitches into profits. Or – if fantasy’s more your thing, “The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon” podcast provides an in-depth look at the lore, characters, and development of the GoT series, enriching the viewing experience with behind-the-scenes insights and discussions. It’s like having VIP backstage passes, minus the annoying security checks.
Building Your Tribe: “Talking Dead”
Why watch your favorite show alone when you can join a whole tribe of fans? Companion podcasts like Talking Dead (a fan podcast dedicated to The Walking Dead) create communities out of couch potatoes, offering a platform for theories and tirades after each episode.
It’s group therapy for TV addicts, and we’re all here for it.
Shout from the Rooftops: Cross-Promotional Nirvana
When TV series and podcasts start shouting each other out, everybody wins. Picture a podcast episode dropping juicy teasers for the next twist in a show like Stranger Things, while the series gives shoutouts to the podcast. It’s this kind of cross-promotional action that keeps the audience looped in and hyped up.
Documentary Gold: Stories We Love to Talk About
For the true crime and investigative junkies, documentary podcasts like The Dropout dig deep into stories so wild they’re almost unbelievable. And the community that develops around these podcasts gets to hash over the details looking for clues. The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is a cautionary tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. It drew discussion and speculation from around the world. No wonder the show got its own TV adaptation. From blood-testing tech to courtroom drama, from earbuds to eye-watering episode binges, these formats feed our need to dissect and discuss.
That’s a Wrap:
Companion podcasts and TV series are intertwined, and there are many creative approaches to working with these two mediums that go beyond simply “throwing up the audio” from your video interview podcast and calling it a day. It’s important to remember the strengths of each medium and work with people who know how to maximize ROI and lean into all that podcasting has to offer.
If you’re in the biz and not thinking strategically about how to weave these two media together for maximum effect, you’re missing out on storytelling gold. JAR Audio can help you figure out which kind of podcast would best serve your TV show. So, what are you waiting for? Start mingling your media and watch the audience fall head over heels.
Roger transitioned from a 22 year career in advertising account management to co-founding JAR, a podcast podcast production agency. As CEO of JAR, he propels the company’s growth by prioritizing audience engagement and podcast marketing. Under his guidance, JAR flourishes with a global clientele, aiming to broaden its reach across North America and revolutionize brand connections through immersive storytelling.
