It really is quite amazing, how far the podcast has come. For this once curious form of entertainment, one that appeared to be nothing more than a sounding board for folks that wanted to try a new form of communication, exploded into so much more. For now, it is a powerful way to have a discussion about the world and our lifestyle and topics that intrigue us. Not to mention, it went from being an outlier format to one of the most popular mediums out there. To the point where big-time celebs have their own podcast.

Not to mention, it is also a source of great entertainment since fiction-based podcasts are all the rage and explore unique plots that cannot be found elsewhere within the industry. If anything, unique storytelling is top of mind today, simply because Realm Media is about to release a brand-new fiction podcast that features a wonderfully original story, and features some heavy names and well, here are all the details on Power Trip, courtesy of Realm Media.  
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‘Realm, the largest scripted podcast network, today released the trailer and announced casting for the Realm Original Power Trip, starring and executive produced by Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk, Orphan Black). This new scripted comedy podcast, launching Thursday, July 21st, marks Maslany’s return to the world of audio following the successful release of two acclaimed Realm original podcasts based on her legacy franchise, Orphan Black.   
 
Written by Mary Hamilton, Power Trip also features Grammy-winning singer Lisa Loeb (“Stay”) in the role of Jane’s overbearing but well-meaning mother and Brendan Hines (Locke & Key, The Tick) as Bruce, a “perfect on paper” man that Jane meets on a dating app.  
 
This wry, dark comedy explores the life of Jane, an ordinary woman who always got the best seat on the struggle bus. But after receiving a healthy kidney hot off the black market, she discovers an uncanny ability to command those in her orbit to do exactly what she wants. Suddenly dating for the first time and with no concerns about overindulging in her new powers, Jane is living her best life, one with no limits. But now that she's getting everything she ever dreamed of, how will Jane know when she's gone too far???
 
Maslany said: “It was a joy to collaborate with Realm on such a funny, irreverent show. Power Trip is a great character piece, super inventive and at the same time embarrassingly relatable. I’m excited for people to go on the journey with Jane and I hope they have as much fun living inside her head as I did.”
 
Molly Barton, Realm’s founder and CEO, said: “Tatiana's talents are limitless as an actor and also as an executive producer. She brings depth and relatability to this character and has been an active participant in shaping our narrative and our approach to bringing this story to life - a story we believe will be one of the best listens of the year.”   
 
Power Trip episodes release weekly on all podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher, the podcast will also be available in full and ad-free on premiere day for subscribers to Realm+ and Realm Unlimited. 
 
Power Trip stars Tatiana Maslany. Written by Mary Hamilton, with additional writing by Cara Horner. Produced by Rhoda Belleza, Nicole Otto, Kailynn West, and Hayley Wagreich. Directed by Kailynn West. Executive produced by Molly Barton, Marci Wiseman, Julian Yap, and Tatiana Maslany. Starring Tatiana Maslany, Brendan Hines, Lisa Loeb, Zeke Alton, Dalal Badr, Jourdan Battiste, Andrew Call, Ella June Conroy, Timothy Fritz, Larissa Gallagher, Tanesha Gary, Dexter Hobert, Ray Hurd, Miriam Katz, Elizabeth Laidlaw, Kaylor Leigh, Courtney Lin, Vargus Mason, David Shattraw, and Mike Smith Rivera. Additional voices by the cast.’

Perhaps one of the most delightful aspects of this new era in audio entertainment, is that anyone can just join in on the fun. And what makes that so delightful, is the sheer fact that anyone joining in, has a real sense of freedom and fun surrounding their performance or their podcast or whatever storytelling medium they’re sharing with the masses and well… that really does energize and engage a listener and motivate them to finish the show and enjoy every single second of this labor of love. But what’s truly amazing, is that despite being bigger than ever… this type of entertainment is showing no signs of shying away from this.

Which is interesting since usually, when someone or something gets bigger, there’s a push to be ‘professional’. But this industry knows what people love the most about this type of show and rather than shy away… it’s doubling down and asking for big names to join in on the fun and let loose and be silly and for proof… then look no further than this announcement from Realm. For they informed the world that superstar skating legend Tony Hawk, will be joining The Co-Founder, to have a little fun with some guest performances and well… here are the all the details on Tony’s pending arrival in the audio drama world, courtesy of Realm.
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‘Realm, the largest independent fiction podcast network with more shows in the top charts than any competitor, today announced that iconic skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk is set to perform in upcoming episodes of “The Co-Founder,” beginning July 7th. Hawk, recently the subject of an acclaimed documentary, “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off,” will portray Anthony Hawk, a Silicon Valley overlord with exaggerated villainy and killer timing that you never saw coming.
 
Led by the voice talents of Alexandra Shipp (“Love, Simon,” “Tick, Tick … Boom!”) and Sunita Mani (“Scenes From a Marriage,” "GLOW"), the first five episodes of the hilarious and relatable workplace comedy podcast are now available to stream on all podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher, with new episodes premiering every Thursday.
 
In “The Co-Founder,” Valerie (Sunita Mani) and Juliet (Alexandra Shipp) are more than just best friends: with their video gaming business on the brink of failure, these two Silicon Valley start-up founders, both women of color,   are in need of a win. Between running out of capital and being treated like dirt during fundraising meetings with big-deal finance bros, it could be game-over. Until they come up with a hair-brained scheme to have their neighborhood barista, a white guy, pretend to be a third founder to help raise cash. 
 
It was only supposed to be one meeting where Random White Dude Toby Johnson would help the ladies clinch the investment cash. But one million dollars later, he shows no signs of going with grace. Instead,  when he reveals he has a scheme of his own to take over the company, hijinks and hilarity ensue.
 
“The Co-Founder” is a Realm production, starring Alexandra Shipp and Sunita Mani and co-written by Alexis Wilkinson, Alexa Wejko, and Mimi Mondal.’ 

It is definitely safe to say that the saga of Sherlock Holmes was far more influential upon modern storytelling than we give it credit. For in many ways, the always intelligent and aware, and slick Sherlock Holmes… set the standard for the cool and collected detectives we see in popular media now. For they are just as intelligent as that iconic gumshoe, they just happen to have technology to help them solve tough crimes. But what’s truly amazing about this saga, is that its influences extend well beyond Holmes and Watson and their ability to solve any crime.

For these stories also made popular, the enigmatic and charming villain. For Professor James Moriarty managed to uncomfortably charm readers everywhere with his own special brand of intelligence and a level of humanity that really wasn’t present in villains until he came along, and his legacy is so long lasting that he too helped to give rise to baddies that are molded in his image. In fact, he has done such an incredible job of captivating audiences everywhere… that new stories focusing just on him are still finding their way to television, film, print… and audio dramas, as evidenced by today’s announcement.

Because earlier today, Audible announced the release date for their upcoming Moriarty themed scripted podcast, Moriarty: The Devil’s Game. A delightfully original and unique story starring Dominic Monaghan that will arrive on Audible on July 7, and well… here are some updated details on this fascinating new adventure involving one of literature’s most iconic characters, and a trailer (located here), courtesy of Audible.

‘Performed by Dominic Monaghan, Bill Boyd, Phil LaMarr, Adam Godley, Curtis Armstrong, Josh Robert Thompson, Lindsay Whisler, Carlo Rota, Victoria Smurfit, Billy Harris, Rebecca Mader, and a full cast
 
Audible’s bold new addition to the Sherlock Holmes universe, Moriarty: The Devils Game, dares to ask: What if Holmes’ most villainous nemesis was actually an innocent man?
 
Featuring Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings, Lost) in a riveting lead performance, Moriarty turns one of literature’s most famous rivalries on its head, recasting Professor James Moriarty as a desperate fugitive framed for murder–and hunted by dark forces who will stop at nothing to exploit his brilliance.
 
Moriarty finds the professor on the heels of an earth-shattering mathematical breakthrough–a formula so powerful, it can predict the future–and at the scene of a gruesome murder he must solve to prove his innocence. With London’s sprawling underworld as their battleground, Moriarty and Holmes match their peerless intellects to gain the ever-shifting upper hand. But as their duel escalates, so does the deadly cost of pursuing the truth. “What will it take to get your justice?” Dr. Watson asks an utterly ensnared Moriarty, “And if do you get it… what will you become?”
 
Vividly brought to life by a sensational cast and meticulously crafted sound design, Moriarty is a heart-pounding series filled with biting wit and shocking twists at every turn.
 
Listen closely–and assume nothing. The game is afoot.
 
Moriarty: The Devils Game was written and produced by Treefort Media.’