night vale

night vale

Media, in today’s culture, is rapidly changing.  There are some pretty incredible podcasts out there.  I get made fun of a lot for listening to podcasts.  I find them educational, and entertaining.  Sometimes I just need a laugh, so I tune into a podcast. There are so many different genres out there that it’s impossible to find one that you don’t love.  Getting back to media, though.  FX has reached a deal with Sony Pictures Television in order to turn the podcast Welcome to Night Vale into a TV show.  This is what I think is so incredible.  They are taking a well known, and well-loved podcast and making it visual.  I guess this is kind of the same concept for how books are made into movies?

night vale

Most of the details haven’t been hammered out yet.  But Gennifer Hutchison will handle the adaptation.  Hutchison is the executive producer from Better Call Saul. Based on that alone, this is going to be a good show. FX has the blessing of podcast co-creators Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink.  What’s great about this is that the show definitely lends itself to TV as it imagines the fictional town of Night Vale.  In Night Vale, every conspiracy theory is true.   If you’re not familiar with Night Vale, it is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale.  It features local weather news and announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police.

If you go to the FAQ page for Night Vale, you will see some interesting questions.  The one that caught my eye was “what does the character Cecil look like?”  (Or any other character, really) Why is this interesting?  Well, the FAQ responds to this question with a question – what do you think they look like?  But now you’re not going to have to use your own imagination.  The people creating the show are going to answer that question for you.

night vale

Night Vale is not a new podcast.  It’s been around for quite some time.  Which makes me wonder why it’s getting this kind of attention now? A key feature Night Vale is music.   We all know that music can enhance a TV show or even a moment in ways that nothing else can.  Which is what it does in Night Vale. When developing the TV version, the powers that be are going to have to make sure that they choose the right music to go with each episode.  The show regularly features indie musicians.  At the end of each show, a song is played.  These songs, aside from being great music in and of themselves, contribute somewhat towards the narrative of the podcast.  Which is why careful curation of music for the show is extremely important.

Welcome to Night Vale is also a popular podcast because of its supernatural nature.  These days, people are definitely into science fiction and fantasy.  Essentially we want to watch things that aren’t real, but things we wish could be real.  Maybe?  That is why this is going to be a hit show and I can’t wait until there are more details available.  Like who will be writing for it.  Who will star in it, and most importantly – when is it coming out?

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