It's no secret that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit the entertainment business hard. The industry has done its best to adapt, but restrictions have made it impossible for film and TV production to continue as usual. Yet, one mode of storytelling has proven to be particularly well-suited to weather the storm: audio dramas, which are much faster, cheaper and -- most importantly -- safer to produce. In fact, some excellent storytellers have already embraced the medium.

Radio plays date back to the 1880s and remained the most popular and accessible form of public entertainment until the 1950s. During that time, Orson Welles' adaptation of The War of the Worlds and episodic hits like The Lone Ranger became cultural phenomena. Audio as a content delivery system never really went out of style; audiences just had more content to choose from and more ways to access it. Radio plays remained popular in some countries like the UK, while talk radio and audiobooks filled ears and free time around the globe.

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Then, in 2005, podcasts emerged as a new format, so much so that Webster's Dictionary coined "podcast" as its word of the year. It still took a while for podcasts to establish themselves as a medium that could effectively reach the masses and generate revenue, although 2009's WTF with Marc Maron and 2014's Serial are often cited as benchmarks along the way.

In 2020, however, it's clear podcasts are here to stay. Most of the top-ranking titles are in the nonfiction category, but compelling fictional series have been drawing big audiences at least since Welcome to Night Vale began airing in 2012. That show -- about a dreamt-up desert town where paranormal occurrences are, well, normal -- is still going strong today. In its wake came the equally mysterious and popular Limetown and dozens more, usually with many of the hallmarks that make true-crime podcasts successful.

The entertainment industry may have seen the rise of podcasts coming, but no one saw the challenges that 2020 has brought. Some content creators had the relatively good fortune of signing contracts and getting projects off the ground prior to the pandemic, while others have made the most of the limitations imposed by COVID-19 and have changed course. One challenge audio projects face is that, for the last eight months and likely for the next six more or so, a significant percentage of the population is spending most of its time at home. Previously, fans devoured podcasts and audiobooks on long commutes or in their cubicles. This has made it necessary for audio dramas to lure attention away from screens, which many have been able to do by targeting the right audiences, attracting big stars and making sure the quality and subject matter are on par with a TV drama.

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Podcast listeners tend to be younger and more tech savvy, and that's exactly the audience Daughters of DC is trying to reach. The new podcast, by Einhorn's Epic Productions, is the kind of thing that, a year ago, might have been a series on The CW. Its story focuses on the offspring of a bunch of Washington insiders -- a teen squad if you will -- who use their privilege and computer-hacking skills to investigate a sexual predator in their midst. Daughters of DC has the key mystery component that propels shows like Serial and Limetown, this time with a decidedly YA bent, plus dynamic voice acting and atmospheric effects. The founders of Einhorn met while working at DC Comics and now they have a multi-series deal with iHeartMedia, which could indicate the fictional podcast space is about to become a little more commercial and a lot more crowded.

Though capable artists have been busy producing and uploading engrossing fiction, the fad hasn't ushered in a new golden era of modern radio dramas... at least not with A-list talent and sponsors. That might change in the spring of 2021. In a bit of meta news-making, it was announced on the Office Ladies podcast that actor, writer and director Paul Lieberstein is producing a new show called Captain for Audible. The premise is full of the comedic promise one would expect from The Office veteran. Captain is a workplace comedy set in space in the future, but its otherwise "anti-sci-fi" in that none of the usual science-fiction tropes will befall the characters. Captain stars Will Forte, John Malkovich, Rainn Wilson, Adam Scott, Wyatt Cenac and Gillian Jacobs.

Movies and television have a long and difficult road ahead, but someday Hollywood will return to normal production and release schedules and fans will return to theaters. Until then, audio dramas have a real chance at a creative renaissance. Shows like Daughters of DC, which is currently on its tenth episode, and next year's Captain are moving the format even more into the mainstream. A silver lining to the dark cloud that's been 2020 might be that the constraints enable some innovative work we wouldn't have gotten otherwise from talented newcomers and seasoned pros alike.

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