Throughout the last few years, Hollywood has seen a massive increase in television series and films based on podcasts. The audio format has been a steadily growing industry thanks to massively popular shows such as The Joe Rogan Experience and Stuff You Should Know. The podcast medium is notable for the relative ease for creators to get started, as well as the accessibility of podcasts in general.
This podcast boom has led many studios to leap at the chance to adapt the most popular and interesting podcast series to other media. While this isn't new or groundbreaking territory, the continued success of these shows is a statement on how much audiences want to see these audio-based experiences come to life.
Archive 81
In Netflix's Archive 81, the series follows a young video archivist as he works to preserve decades-old tapes. As he becomes more obsessed with the woman in them, he becomes embroiled in the mystery and conspiracy of her disappearance. In the original podcast, he is an audio archivist, but the adaptation preserves much of the story as-is. Both stories are similar in the way they approach how listeners and viewers can become so intrigued and involved with stories. This makes the series a somewhat meta-commentary on true crime podcasts and the listeners who follow them.
Homecoming
While the newest season of Homecoming has deviated a great deal from the original Homecoming podcast, the first season followed the podcast very closely. The story of both follows a caseworker at an experimental facility intended to aid soldiers transition back to civilian life. But after her own memory begins to fail her, the woman realizes there is a deeper mystery and conspiracy afoot.
The Amazon series is a fairly faithful adaptation, but the original podcast is a much more creative endeavor. The story is told via interviews, news clips, overheard conversations, and is a collage of audio snippets that come together into a cohesive story. Homecoming's recent season two has continued the series' excellent version of the story, though has been a bit more traditional in its approach.
The Midnight Gospel
The most unique adaptation on this list, Netflix's Midnight Gospel is an adapted version of The Duncan Trussell Family Hour. The series has a unique approach, deriving much of its dialogue verbatim from the podcast. The animated series serves almost as a background or backdrop to the interviews that Duncan Trussell has with guests. The guests themselves are experts in their fields, ranging from Dr. Drew Pinsky to actor Pauly Shore. The adaptation opts for a very absurdist and drug-trip-inspired approach of an inter-dimensional podcast host who performs interviews. While the animated style and comedic beats that come from the absurdity are great, the series most shines when the interviews touch on serious topics like family, forgiveness, happiness, and death.
Lore
The Lore podcast is a uniquely unsettling horror podcast. The stories are largely historical, such as the excavation of the Hoosac Tunnel which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries - but the stories also include the folklore that grows around these historical moments, such as tales of the Hoosac Tunnel's haunting sounds and eerie happenings. The Lore podcast frames these in an almost campfire-story way, building a personal and intimate atmosphere that works perfectly with the tall-tales undercurrent. While the Amazon series is no longer releasing new episodes, the 2 seasons provided similar themes of historical fact-plus-fiction, using documentary footage to the cinematic legends.
Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes
Journalist Ronan Farrow has made a big name for himself several times, but one of the best interview-based podcasts. This real-life story is told via interviews with dozens of sources that he had found, and is made all the more gripping by the threats that Farrow received over the course of his research.
And while the above series are already out for you to enjoy, these next 5 are among the most eagerly-awaited podcast adaptations
Welcome to Night Vale
Welcome to Night Vale was something of a phenomenon during its release. The podcast is the story of an eerie and strange small-town radio host that is seemingly unaware of the eerie and strange nature of his town. A newcomer to Night Vale begins to research and point out all the oddities, which the host finds charming. The strange goings-on of the town inspired countless fan adaptations, books, spin-offs, and soon will include a television series on FX.
Alice Isn't Dead
From the same creators of Welcome to Night Vale, well-reviewed television series Mr. Robot fame is set to run the show.
The Horror of Dolores Roach
In a heartbreaking and horrifying tale, The Horror of Dolores Roach gives listeners a snapshot of life after prison - in a dramatic and some would say over-the-top way. Dolores is an ex-con out of prison after sixteen years. Her old life is completely gone, and her only opportunity at a second life comes from an old stoner friend. This disturbing and macabre story will be adapted in a new series from Amazon. The titular role will be taken on by Justina Machado of One Day At a Time fame.
The Two Princes
One of the few non-horror or true-crime examples of podcasting success, with any Disney series. The podcast was a star-studded cast putting in a heartfelt performance, and the adaptation of the series is set to be just the same. HBO is looking to create an animated film based on the series. There is little information about the adaptation at this point.
Over My Dead Body
This anthology series has set each season focused Tiger King.