True Story Political Thriller On Max Proves More Shows Need An Official Podcast
Podcasts have become so intertwined with prestige television in recent years that a wide variety of shows have launched their own official companion pieces to help guide fans and viewers along the narrative and cover any details that people may have missed.
One HBO original series, The White House Plumbers, aired alongside its own official show podcast, which offers illuminating behind-the-scenes info from the actors, writers, and real political journalists involved with the events the series is adapting. For my money, I’d say every great show should have its own official podcast, even if it only runs for a few brief episodes.
The White House Plumbers Dramatizes Watergate
The White House Plumbers is a mini-series that runs a staggeringly short five episodes. The show’s companion podcast follows this formula, breaking down the show’s events and offering insight into the real-world version of the events while coordinating with experts regarding how each element fell into place. The series centers on the Watergate scandal, which ultimately resulted in United States President Richard Nixon resigning from his office in a historic political upheaval.
Podcast Goes Beyond The Series
Throughout The White House Plumbers show podcast, host Olivia Nuzzi enlists the help of actors, writers, and reporters to dive into the details of the Watergate scandal and confirm that the wackiest events in the short-lived limited series are true to life.
Conversely, the show also clarifies a few moments from The White House Plumbers, which are changed or exaggerated for artistic license, though the show does a better job than most at keeping things real. While the scandal itself has been highly publicized in the news and media, the absurdity of the details of the crime cannot be overstated, making the podcast an easy-to-digest source of fascinating fun facts.
Celebrates Unsung Heroes Of Hollywood
If more shows had this kind of accountability and transparency, fans would have more content to parse through, more soundbites and quotes to strengthen their theories, and perhaps even a direct line to the writers if the podcast goes on long enough. Podcasts have been steadily rising in popularity for many years now and can help peel back the curtain on the production team’s many unsung heroes.
Before The White House Plumbers launched their official show podcast, other series such as The Good Place, Mythic Quest, and Veep offered insider info through the audio-only medium, sometimes calling on lighters, riggers, producers, and other behind-the-scenes staff to provide their insider perspective.
Harrelson And Theroux Take Part
In the case of The White House Plumbers show podcast specifically, this means bringing on Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux to inquire about how they became attached to the project, prodding executive producers to spill on why they initially brought it to HBO, and digging deep using the host’s connections as the Washington correspondent for New York magazine.
Enoy The Podcast And Series Together
The podcast makes rewatching the series far more enjoyable, brings an additional layer of insight into filmmaking, and may run the risk of making you completely insufferable to all of your friends for a few days while you spout non-stop fun facts about American political history.
If you’re a voracious fan of a certain show, you should definitely check to see if they’ve started their own companion podcast, because it’s rapidly becoming more prevalent than ever before.
As far as I’m concerned, this is a universal positive, providing fans with an extra-immersive binge-sesh to solidify their parasocial relationships. The White House Plumbers and its accompanying show podcast are both available to stream through Max, with the podcast also listed on all music streaming platforms.
