We've just launched a bold new experiment in independent podcasting and micropayments. It's called onlychatter.com. Our creator Edward Champion outlines the details of this new venture and unveils the first episode of a new comedic investigation podcast he's producing called HOW THE WORLD MAKES US.  Please go to onlychatter.com and consider becoming a member today! For the price of a pint, you'll have instant access to 40 new episodes of lively podcasts!

We've just launched a bold new experiment in independent podcasting and micropayments. It's called <a href="http://onlychatter.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">onlychatter.com</a>. Our creator Edward Champion outlines the details of this new venture and unveils the first episode of a new comedic investigation podcast he's producing called HOW THE WORLD MAKES US.  Please go to <a href="http://onlychatter.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">onlychatter.com</a> and consider becoming a member today! For the price of a pint, you'll have instant access to 40 new episodes of lively podcasts!

Introducing Onlychatter.com

We've intercepted an alarming transmission from Universe 224B. Something about attending the 302nd Bureaucosmological Conference on October 16, 2021 at 7:00 PM at the Gene Frankel Theatre.  We pass this information onto you so that you can make sense of this.

We've intercepted an alarming transmission from Universe 224B. Something about attending the 302nd Bureaucosmological Conference on October 16, 2021 at 7:00 PM at the Gene Frankel Theatre.  We pass this information onto you so that you can make sense of this.

An Alarming Message from Universe 224B

Our intrepid heroes visit the New York Public Library to meet up with visiting literary scholar Merrill Malone, an eccentric and the foremost expert on Virginia Gaskell’s life and work, to get, once and for all, all the answers about the portals. What they don’t realize is that shocking personal revelations and the very ground beneath their feet will alter forever within the library’s seemingly pristine walls. (Running time: 55 minutes, 43 seconds.) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Chelsea: Katrina Clairvoyant Emily McCorkle: Belgys Felix Professor Malone: Robert Garson Jenna: Devony DiMattia Miss Gaskell: Chris Smith Maya: Tanja Milojevic Ed Champion: Edward Champion The Executive: Rachel Matusewicz Audrey: Amanda Rios Romero: David Ault Joe: David Sinkus The Guard: Graham Rowat and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist   Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion   Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who clearly has some corporate identity issues to work out.   Thank you for listening!

Our intrepid heroes visit the New York Public Library to meet up with visiting literary scholar Merrill Malone, an eccentric and the foremost expert on Virginia Gaskell’s life and work, to get, once and for all, all the answers about the portals. What they don’t realize is that shocking personal revelations and the very ground beneath their feet will alter forever within the library’s seemingly pristine walls. (Running time: 55 minutes, 43 seconds.) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Chelsea: Katrina Clairvoyant Emily McCorkle: Belgys Felix Professor Malone: Robert Garson Jenna: Devony DiMattia Miss Gaskell: Chris Smith Maya: Tanja Milojevic Ed Champion: Edward Champion The Executive: Rachel Matusewicz Audrey: Amanda Rios Romero: David Ault Joe: David Sinkus The Guard: Graham Rowat and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who clearly has some corporate identity issues to work out. Thank you for listening!

13.4. Pattern Language: Mirrors of the Soul

Our showrunner Edward Champion discusses Part 3 of "Pattern Language." Subjects discussed include WandaVision, the careful balance between realism and pastiche, the Faulkner short story as a starting point, Love and Rockets, why the memory of an inspiration is often better than closely examining the source text, designing the 1970s announcer voice, using 1970s television effects to create a sound design, being careful with laugh tracks, why Carol Jacobanis is an extraordinary actor, the advantages of recording with Belgys and Carol together in the same room, an abandoned first season script set within a talk show, Eric Bogosian's Talk Radio, avoiding rehashes while writing, inverting the Neil LaBute/David Mamet formula for women, the strange Italian references throughout The Gray Area, Heath Martin, Louis CK's apology, creating walla sounds for the journalists, how Carol struck the perfect balance between realism and stylized voices, the need to know where a story is heading within five minutes, story beats, the candid dialogue, growing up in a prudish household, both-siderism vs. all sides in journalism, statements on the public record, bullies and therapy, young people who talk down at older people, the impossible behavioral ideal in the digital age, Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the fajita demon origin story, why Pompano made an appearance here is an NYC restaurant, fish metaphors, The Shawshank Redemption, meeting Frank Darabont as a young man, behavioral patterns and therapy, paying respectful homage to Richard Russo, the great versatility of Monica Ammerman, how a recording accident created an opportunity for greater authenticity, the Chico State backstory, how his California origins influenced the script, fluid sexuality, ghost writing, why alcoholics keep cropping up in The Gray Area, annoying the audience, animal sounds, Catholicism, why the ukulele was used in a music cue, Jeff Russo's Fargo cue, Tarantino and surf music, balancing demons and humans, Evita and fascism, Argentine history, the disadvantages of being a horror movie fan while doing sound design, beta listener feedback, arriving at natural storytelling beats, the importance of the cart sound effect, electromatter sound design, learning the keyboard and composing primitive music, the high price of music clearance, barking dogs and the "black dog" of depression, being careful with storytelling explanations, wordplay as a source of creative inspiration, double-tracking to get vocal effects, creating ethereal sounds from homegrown recording, how using a keyboard altered the sound design, the responsibility of following up on storytelling points, a minor story problem in "An Iris for Emily," Johnny as Ed's dark half, and overly dramatic performance vs. melodrama. (Running time: 30 minutes, 27 seconds.)

Our showrunner Edward Champion discusses Part 3 of "Pattern Language." Subjects discussed include WandaVision, the careful balance between realism and pastiche, the Faulkner short story as a starting point, Love and Rockets, why the memory of an inspiration is often better than closely examining the source text, designing the 1970s announcer voice, using 1970s television effects to create a sound design, being careful with laugh tracks, why Carol Jacobanis is an extraordinary actor, the advantages of recording with Belgys and Carol together in the same room, an abandoned first season script set within a talk show, Eric Bogosian's Talk Radio, avoiding rehashes while writing, inverting the Neil LaBute/David Mamet formula for women, the strange Italian references throughout The Gray Area, Heath Martin, Louis CK's apology, creating walla sounds for the journalists, how Carol struck the perfect balance between realism and stylized voices, the need to know where a story is heading within five minutes, story beats, the candid dialogue, growing up in a prudish household, both-siderism vs. all sides in journalism, statements on the public record, bullies and therapy, young people who talk down at older people, the impossible behavioral ideal in the digital age, Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the fajita demon origin story, why Pompano made an appearance here is an NYC restaurant, fish metaphors, The Shawshank Redemption, meeting Frank Darabont as a young man, behavioral patterns and therapy, paying respectful homage to Richard Russo, the great versatility of Monica Ammerman, how a recording accident created an opportunity for greater authenticity, the Chico State backstory, how his California origins influenced the script, fluid sexuality, ghost writing, why alcoholics keep cropping up in The Gray Area, annoying the audience, animal sounds, Catholicism, why the ukulele was used in a music cue, Jeff Russo's Fargo cue, Tarantino and surf music, balancing demons and humans, Evita and fascism, Argentine history, the disadvantages of being a horror movie fan while doing sound design, beta listener feedback, arriving at natural storytelling beats, the importance of the cart sound effect, electromatter sound design, learning the keyboard and composing primitive music, the high price of music clearance, barking dogs and the "black dog" of depression, being careful with storytelling explanations, wordplay as a source of creative inspiration, double-tracking to get vocal effects, creating ethereal sounds from homegrown recording, how using a keyboard altered the sound design, the responsibility of following up on storytelling points, a minor story problem in "An Iris for Emily," Johnny as Ed's dark half, and overly dramatic performance vs. melodrama. (Running time: 30 minutes, 27 seconds.)

Inside the Gray Area: "Pattern Language: An Iris for Emily"

Emily McCorkle has landed the media appearance of a lifetime: a guest spot on the most respected talk show in America. But why is the host so concerned with her private details? And why are so many skeletons from her past making guest appearances? And who is the strange man with the hot dogs? (Running time: 38 minutes, 1 second.) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Emily McCorkle: Belgys Felix Ophelia Kakanakis: Carol Jacobanis June: Monica Ammerman The Fajita Demon: Pete Lutz The Cunning Demon: Leanne Troutman Morris Pressman: David Tao Jimmy Markson: Heath Martin Johnson: Hilah Hallaway Emily's Mom: Melissa Medina Emily's Dad: David Sirkus Chelsea: Katrina Clairvoyant Maya: Tanja Milojevic Ed Champion: Edward Champion Reporter #1: Glenn Bulthius Reporter #2: Alice Fox and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist Creature Voices by Samantha Cooper and Rachel Baird Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion. Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who has become a TikTok junkie seemingly against his will. Thank you for listening

Emily McCorkle has landed the media appearance of a lifetime: a guest spot on the most respected talk show in America. But why is the host so concerned with her private details? And why are so many skeletons from her past making guest appearances? And who is the strange man with the hot dogs? (Running time: 38 minutes, 1 second.) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Emily McCorkle: Belgys Felix Ophelia Kakanakis: Carol Jacobanis June: Monica Ammerman The Fajita Demon: Pete Lutz The Cunning Demon: Leanne Troutman Morris Pressman: David Tao Jimmy Markson: Heath Martin Johnson: Hilah Hallaway Emily's Mom: Melissa Medina Emily's Dad: David Sirkus Chelsea: Katrina Clairvoyant Maya: Tanja Milojevic Ed Champion: Edward Champion Reporter #1: Glenn Bulthius Reporter #2: Alice Fox and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist Creature Voices by Samantha Cooper and Rachel Baird Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion. Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who has become a TikTok junkie seemingly against his will. Thank you for listening

13.3. Pattern Language: An Iris for Emily

Our showrunner Edward Champions dives into the second chapter of "Pattern Language."  Subjects discussed include creative dissatisfaction, basing the story arc on being personally libeled by a journalist, writing as an act of being peace, resisting the temptation to write from revenge, fantasy as a genre where real-life people incapable of empathy express it as new characters, designing the telephone muttering, invasion of privacy, when culture doesn't allow people to change, how Belgyis Felix landed the role by staying in character as a demon during a play, the Adelphi school of acting, the remarkable acting range of Belgys Felix, how McCorkle's recalcitrance reflected his own arrogant past, the immaturity and narcissism of star journalists, the public profile vs. the private character of a person, the "worst X" as a headline, wishful thinking about editorial standards, Kevin Fogelberg and Dan Fogelberg, allusions to the Hulk Hogan Gawker suit, the New York Times vs. Sullivan standard and libel, advertorial articles and puff pieces in the magazine industry, ideologues who claim to be journalists, basing Morris Pressman on Ben Hecht plays, larger-than-life characters, Slate reporters who manipulate content for white-collar workers, floral allegories, the influence of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, his tendency to write stylized men, recording subway and New York sounds, tying the many loose strands together, the Ed and Maya conversation as a callback to "Dearer than Earsight," why it's important to cast someone better than you if you appear in your own audio drama, addressing the events of "Fuel to the Fire," why he had to hire a German translator, why Tanja Milojevic is brilliant, scouring for German idioms, why there are so many Receptionists in the main universe, the influence of Stranger than Paradise on music licensing, casting a real estate broker as a corporate tycoon, the parallels between Chelsea and The Wizard of Oz's Dorothy, location audio in Midtown, the tendency to run into random people quite frequently in New York City, coincidental run-ins in stories, clarifying previous story details, chase scenes, the crazed amount of Tony Danza research done for The Gray Area, Christopher Alexander and "pattern language," and demon transformation.  (Running time: 26 minutes, 8 seconds)

Our showrunner Edward Champions dives into the second chapter of "Pattern Language."  Subjects discussed include creative dissatisfaction, basing the story arc on being personally libeled by a journalist, writing as an act of being peace, resisting the temptation to write from revenge, fantasy as a genre where real-life people incapable of empathy express it as new characters, designing the telephone muttering, invasion of privacy, when culture doesn't allow people to change, how Belgyis Felix landed the role by staying in character as a demon during a play, the Adelphi school of acting, the remarkable acting range of Belgys Felix, how McCorkle's recalcitrance reflected his own arrogant past, the immaturity and narcissism of star journalists, the public profile vs. the private character of a person, the "worst X" as a headline, wishful thinking about editorial standards, Kevin Fogelberg and Dan Fogelberg, allusions to the Hulk Hogan Gawker suit, the New York Times vs. Sullivan standard and libel, advertorial articles and puff pieces in the magazine industry, ideologues who claim to be journalists, basing Morris Pressman on Ben Hecht plays, larger-than-life characters, Slate reporters who manipulate content for white-collar workers, floral allegories, the influence of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, his tendency to write stylized men, recording subway and New York sounds, tying the many loose strands together, the Ed and Maya conversation as a callback to "Dearer than Earsight," why it's important to cast someone better than you if you appear in your own audio drama, addressing the events of "Fuel to the Fire," why he had to hire a German translator, why Tanja Milojevic is brilliant, scouring for German idioms, why there are so many Receptionists in the main universe, the influence of Stranger than Paradise on music licensing, casting a real estate broker as a corporate tycoon, the parallels between Chelsea and The Wizard of Oz's Dorothy, location audio in Midtown, the tendency to run into random people quite frequently in New York City, coincidental run-ins in stories, clarifying previous story details, chase scenes, the crazed amount of Tony Danza research done for The Gray Area, Christopher Alexander and "pattern language," and demon transformation.  (Running time: 26 minutes, 8 seconds)

Inside the Gray Area: "Pattern Language: Not a Frown Further"

Months after the events of “Paths Not Taken,” Chelsea is working hard to turn a corner and improve her life. But when Emily McCorkle, the smear merchant journalist who severely damaged her reputation, returns to write a followup piece, Chelsea is thrown into a jarring maelstrom that involves demons, people from her past, and the possibility of redemption. (Running time: 32 minutes, 22 seconds.) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Chelsea: Katrina Clairvoyant Emily McCorkle: Belgys Felix Maya: Tanja Milojevic Morris Pressman: David Tao Ed Champion: Edward Champion Alicia: Elizabeth Rimar Johnson: Hilah Hillaway The Fajita Demon: Pete Lutz The Cunning Demon: Leanne Troutman Lucinda: Emily Carding Mrs. Gelding: Westlake Stark and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist   Creature Voices by Samantha Cooper and Rachel Baird   Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion.   Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who does his best to resist mayonnaise but can’t entirely fight the allure for a good tuna sandwich.   Thank you for listening!

Months after the events of “Paths Not Taken,” Chelsea is working hard to turn a corner and improve her life. But when Emily McCorkle, the smear merchant journalist who severely damaged her reputation, returns to write a followup piece, Chelsea is thrown into a jarring maelstrom that involves demons, people from her past, and the possibility of redemption. (Running time: 32 minutes, 22 seconds.) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Chelsea: Katrina Clairvoyant Emily McCorkle: Belgys Felix Maya: Tanja Milojevic Morris Pressman: David Tao Ed Champion: Edward Champion Alicia: Elizabeth Rimar Johnson: Hilah Hillaway The Fajita Demon: Pete Lutz The Cunning Demon: Leanne Troutman Lucinda: Emily Carding Mrs. Gelding: Westlake Stark and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist Creature Voices by Samantha Cooper and Rachel Baird Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion. Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who does his best to resist mayonnaise but can’t entirely fight the allure for a good tuna sandwich. Thank you for listening!

13.2. Pattern Language: Not a Frown Further

Our showrunner Edward Champion discusses the first chapter of "Pattern Language." Subjects discussed include his hesitations about creating, the dangers of revealing too much, Chris Ware, being dubious about your own work, why the first part of "Pattern Language" was split into two parts, why Pete Lutz is a marvelous man, how an old UCB trick resulted in the strange mix of Shakespeare and I Love Lucy, designing custom vernacular, the absence of slang in fantasy stories, Total Meats as a metaphor for Whole Foods, scouring through mythology to come up with obscure beast and creature names, the influence of Hitchhiker's, Douglas Adams, the number of alternative Eds buried within The Gray Area, why Leanne Troutman is a magnificent actor, Peter Falk impressions, the importance of being present as a director, the number of takes you should do with an actor, using every spatula in the house for the BBQ sound design, how being a prolific cook inspires fictitious food dishes, convincing eating moments on film, Moonstruck, how his opposition to self-checkout in stores inspired worldbuilding, London store technology, people and robots, creating fictitious geography, why the Johnsons matter in The Gray Area, the fajita demon origin story, the influence of Fritz Leiber, Terry Pratchett and the Rincewind novels, recording electrical sounds for the Gray Area, having doubts as an artist, stylizing the demons as wiseacres, showing the humanity of outliers, why the demons are obsessed with exercise, using music to cloak deficiencies, Terminator 2, and telling a story from the demon's perspective.  (Running time: 19 minutes, 8 seconds.)

Our showrunner Edward Champion discusses the first chapter of "Pattern Language." Subjects discussed include his hesitations about creating, the dangers of revealing too much, Chris Ware, being dubious about your own work, why the first part of "Pattern Language" was split into two parts, why Pete Lutz is a marvelous man, how an old UCB trick resulted in the strange mix of Shakespeare and I Love Lucy, designing custom vernacular, the absence of slang in fantasy stories, Total Meats as a metaphor for Whole Foods, scouring through mythology to come up with obscure beast and creature names, the influence of Hitchhiker's, Douglas Adams, the number of alternative Eds buried within The Gray Area, why Leanne Troutman is a magnificent actor, Peter Falk impressions, the importance of being present as a director, the number of takes you should do with an actor, using every spatula in the house for the BBQ sound design, how being a prolific cook inspires fictitious food dishes, convincing eating moments on film, Moonstruck, how his opposition to self-checkout in stores inspired worldbuilding, London store technology, people and robots, creating fictitious geography, why the Johnsons matter in The Gray Area, the fajita demon origin story, the influence of Fritz Leiber, Terry Pratchett and the Rincewind novels, recording electrical sounds for the Gray Area, having doubts as an artist, stylizing the demons as wiseacres, showing the humanity of outliers, why the demons are obsessed with exercise, using music to cloak deficiencies, Terminator 2, and telling a story from the demon's perspective.  (Running time: 19 minutes, 8 seconds.)

Inside the Gray Area: "Pattern Language: The Tainted Grimace"

Pat Goras and Lucy Didas are a happy couple living in a fantastical suburban realm preparing for a delightful dragon brisket barbeque with their neighbors. But when a strange portal opens in their backyard, their lives and roles become permanently altered within the very Gray Area itself! (Running time: 20 minutes, 54 seconds) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Pat Goras/The Fajita Demon: Pete Lutz Lucy Didas/The Cunning Demon: Leanne Troutman The Neurotic Demon: Melissa Medina The Counting Demon: Vlasto Pejic The Angsty Demon: Nick Boesel Miss Gaskell: Chris Smith and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist   Creature Voices by Samantha Cooper and Rachel Baird   Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion   Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who once considered reciting Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham in Latin.   Thank you for listening!

Pat Goras and Lucy Didas are a happy couple living in a fantastical suburban realm preparing for a delightful dragon brisket barbeque with their neighbors. But when a strange portal opens in their backyard, their lives and roles become permanently altered within the very Gray Area itself! (Running time: 20 minutes, 54 seconds) Written, produced, and directed by Edward Champion. CAST: Pat Goras/The Fajita Demon: Pete Lutz Lucy Didas/The Cunning Demon: Leanne Troutman The Neurotic Demon: Melissa Medina The Counting Demon: Vlasto Pejic The Angsty Demon: Nick Boesel Miss Gaskell: Chris Smith and Zack Glassman as The Receptionist Creature Voices by Samantha Cooper and Rachel Baird Incidental music licensed through Neosounds and MusicFox. Additional music composed by Edward Champion Sound design, editing, engineering, and mastering by a bald man in Brooklyn who once considered reciting Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham in Latin. Thank you for listening!

13.1. Pattern Language: The Tainted Grimace

n this behind-the-scenes commentary, showrunner Edward Champion discusses "Marching Orders." Subjects discussed: foolish optimism, Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time, the vast historical plan for Season 3, the thrill and challenge of writing historical dialogue, how George Dangerfield's The Strange Death of Liberal England served as an influence, Rebecca West's The Return of the Soldier, PTSD and World War I, the literary style that might have been if modernism had never happened, approaching reputation as a theme, working against the "fast dialogue" style, dance and animals, inventing a character's political perspective from reading, writing too many British characters, Anglophilia, Leonard Rossiter, the amazing talents of Rob Garson, listening to hundreds of pop songs in 1911 to find the right one, frustrations about copyright, the difficulty of finding a horse carriage sound divorced from 2021 sounds, Captain Finney in Barry Lyndon, thieves and gentlemanly language, the failure of time travel stories to address cultural differences, the Terminator movies, writing letters to critics as a teenager, Joe Baltake, getting in trouble in high school because of a Terminator 2 script, the naivety of life before World War I, why memory injections are plausible, balancing gravitas and quirkiness, Gene Wolfe's influence, the references to Prince Keval, how an accident with a light fixture determined the sound design, Fugazi, deliberate references to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and efforts to mimic the Blakes 7 teleporter effect. (Running time: 19 minutes, 29 seconds.)

n this behind-the-scenes commentary, showrunner Edward Champion discusses "Marching Orders." Subjects discussed: foolish optimism, Anthony Powell's A Dance to the Music of Time, the vast historical plan for Season 3, the thrill and challenge of writing historical dialogue, how George Dangerfield's The Strange Death of Liberal England served as an influence, Rebecca West's The Return of the Soldier, PTSD and World War I, the literary style that might have been if modernism had never happened, approaching reputation as a theme, working against the "fast dialogue" style, dance and animals, inventing a character's political perspective from reading, writing too many British characters, Anglophilia, Leonard Rossiter, the amazing talents of Rob Garson, listening to hundreds of pop songs in 1911 to find the right one, frustrations about copyright, the difficulty of finding a horse carriage sound divorced from 2021 sounds, Captain Finney in Barry Lyndon, thieves and gentlemanly language, the failure of time travel stories to address cultural differences, the Terminator movies, writing letters to critics as a teenager, Joe Baltake, getting in trouble in high school because of a Terminator 2 script, the naivety of life before World War I, why memory injections are plausible, balancing gravitas and quirkiness, Gene Wolfe's influence, the references to Prince Keval, how an accident with a light fixture determined the sound design, Fugazi, deliberate references to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and efforts to mimic the Blakes 7 teleporter effect. (Running time: 19 minutes, 29 seconds.)

Inside the Gray Area: "Marching Orders"

The Gray Area is an audio drama anthology series, with very subtle and ever growing changes in the stories.  It features talking animals, mysteriously enthusiastic receptionists, deranged scientists, a genius writer, strange portals that open into other universes, impostor gods, formidable business tycoons, alien invaders, and many, many demons.

I wish I could listen to that song forever!

Awesome theme music!

A great show with some unexpected stories and nice performances.

Looking forward to more episodes

The Gray Area

A man wakes up in his apartment with a hazy memory of the night before. He's greeted in bed by a mysterious woman who keeps saying, “Hello.” But she seems to know far more about his life than he ever could have told her in one night. And as the rats gnaw mercilessly from within the walls, she has a few bold and shocking answers as to why he's so afraid. (Running time: 22 minutes)  Written and directed by Edward Champion  CAST: He: Tim Torre She: Emily Carding Gordon: Michael Saldate  Edited by Edward Champion The Gray Area Theme by Alex Khaskin (licensed through NeoSounds) Foley Sources: Edward Champion and erpe (CC license, slight changes). Cover Image: Jason Lander (CC) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Chris Fletcher, Claudia Berenice Garza, Sarah Golding, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Pete Lutz, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Paul Sating, Marc Stein, Georgette Thompson, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this emotionally revealing episode.

A man wakes up in his apartment with a hazy memory of the night before. He's greeted in bed by a mysterious woman who keeps saying, “Hello.” But she seems to know far more about his life than he ever could have told her in one night. And as the rats gnaw mercilessly from within the walls, she has a few bold and shocking answers as to why he's so afraid. (Running time: 22 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: He: Tim Torre She: Emily Carding Gordon: Michael Saldate Edited by Edward Champion The Gray Area Theme by Alex Khaskin (licensed through NeoSounds) Foley Sources: Edward Champion and <a href="http://freesound.org/people/erpe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">erpe</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC license</a>, slight changes). Cover Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeliam/567156706/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jason Lander</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Chris Fletcher, Claudia Berenice Garza, Sarah Golding, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Pete Lutz, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Paul Sating, Marc Stein, Georgette Thompson, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this emotionally revealing episode.

1. Hello

We've released a nearly three hour remix of the first season that contains the entire ten episodes, including some new material, new cues, new sound design, and a few other modest bells and whistles. Consider this the "movie" version of the first season designed for listeners who may be stuck in an airport or those who haven't yet taken the full plunge. Happy holidays!

We've released a nearly three hour remix of the first season that contains the entire ten episodes, including some new material, new cues, new sound design, and a few other modest bells and whistles. Consider this the "movie" version of the first season designed for listeners who may be stuck in an airport or those who haven't yet taken the full plunge. Happy holidays!

The First Season (Holiday Travel Remix)

Joanna loves Eclipse Ale. It's the best beer in the world. She has boxes of Eclipse memorabilia. She regularly wears Eclipse baseball caps. But on one rainy night, Joanna discovers that this happy relationship (along with the relationship with her boyfriend) is not what it seems. Why can't she remember what her boyfriend gave her on their second anniversary? And why doesn't anybody know about Eclipse Ale? (Running time: 28 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Joanna: Eileen Hanley Greg: Charlie Harrington DJ: Peter Coleman Sam: Marc Eliot Stein Ignacio: Kilgore Lehrer Receptionist: Zachary Michael Leslie Stevens: Lauren Shippen Bar Background: Hans Detlef Sierck, Jan Jensen, Sam Lowry Edited by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion, PlooQ (CC), lebcraftlp (CC), Sandermotions (CC), Leandros Ntounis (CC), LG (CC), magnus589 ()CC), GowlerMusic (CC) Theme Song: Pachyderm, "Never Knew Me at All" (licensed through CC, found at Free Music Archive) Music: Milton Arias, "Gracias," Valery &amp; The Greedies, "She-Wolf," Jahzaar, "Scenes from the Zoo," Ben Sound, and Kevin MacLeod, "Carpe Diem," Ben Sound, "Funky Element" (all licensed through CC, found at Free Music Archive, Ben Sound, and Incompetech) Art: Claudio Sepúlveda Geoffroy (CC) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Kate C., Christian Caminiti, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jon Grilz, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Pete Lutz, Philip Merritt, Pacific Obadiah, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Michael Saldate, Raia Savage, Alex Schawrtzberg, That Podcast Girl, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode. Please be sure to also listen to Philip Merritt's Lost in Williamsburg, which gave me a major editing idea that completely altered the bar scene, Jon Grilz's Creepy, and Pacific Obadiah's Lake Clarity.

Joanna loves Eclipse Ale. It's the best beer in the world. She has boxes of Eclipse memorabilia. She regularly wears Eclipse baseball caps. But on one rainy night, Joanna discovers that this happy relationship (along with the relationship with her boyfriend) is not what it seems. Why can't she remember what her boyfriend gave her on their second anniversary? And why doesn't anybody know about Eclipse Ale? (Running time: 28 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Joanna: Eileen Hanley Greg: Charlie Harrington DJ: Peter Coleman Sam: Marc Eliot Stein Ignacio: Kilgore Lehrer Receptionist: Zachary Michael Leslie Stevens: Lauren Shippen Bar Background: Hans Detlef Sierck, Jan Jensen, Sam Lowry Edited by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion, <a href="http://freesound.org/people/PlooQ/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PlooQ</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/lebcraftlp/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lebcraftlp</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Sandermotions/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sandermotions</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Leandros.Ntounis/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leandros Ntounis</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/LG/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LG</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/magnus589/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">magnus589</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">)CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/GowlerMusic/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GowlerMusic</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Theme Song: <a href="https://pachydermband.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pachyderm</a>, <a href="https://pachydermband.bandcamp.com/track/never-knew-me-at-all" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Never Knew Me at All"</a> (licensed through <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>, found at <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Music Archive</a>) Music: <a href="http://www.miltonarias.com.ar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Milton Arias</a>, "Gracias," <a href="https://valerythegreedies.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Valery &amp; The Greedies</a>, "She-Wolf," <a href="https://soundcloud.com/jahzzar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jahzaar</a>, "Scenes from the Zoo," <a href="http://www.bensound.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ben Sound</a>, and <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kevin MacLeod</a>, "Carpe Diem," <a href="http://www.bensound.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ben Sound</a>, "Funky Element" (all licensed through <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>, found at <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Music Archive</a>, <a href="http://www.bensound.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ben Sound</a>, and <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Incompetech</a>) Art: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/elessar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Claudio Sepúlveda Geoffroy</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Kate C., Christian Caminiti, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jon Grilz, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Pete Lutz, Philip Merritt, Pacific Obadiah, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Michael Saldate, Raia Savage, Alex Schawrtzberg, That Podcast Girl, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode. Please be sure to also listen to Philip Merritt's <a href="http://lostinwilliamsburg.libsyn.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lost in Williamsburg</a>, which gave me a major editing idea that completely altered the bar scene, Jon Grilz's <a href="http://www.smalltownhorrorpodcast.com/creepy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Creepy</a>, and Pacific Obadiah's <a href="http://lakeclarity.libsyn.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lake Clarity</a>.

2. Brand Awareness

Greg Sutton, a fidgety young man who is a little too fixated on selling himself, sees his psychiatrist for the first time in months, hoping to find answers about his lost childhood and how to get back the woman he loves. But his own quick fix solution to his problems is not quite what the psychiatrist had in mind. (Running time: 6 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Greg: Charlie Harrington Emma: Colette Thomas Edited by Edward Champion Foley: Edward Champion Art: id-iom (CC)  Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Claudia Berenice Garza, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Pete Lutz, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Michael Saldate, Paul Sating, Marc Stein, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode.

Greg Sutton, a fidgety young man who is a little too fixated on selling himself, sees his psychiatrist for the first time in months, hoping to find answers about his lost childhood and how to get back the woman he loves. But his own quick fix solution to his problems is not quite what the psychiatrist had in mind. (Running time: 6 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Greg: Charlie Harrington Emma: Colette Thomas Edited by Edward Champion Foley: Edward Champion Art: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/id-iom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">id-iom</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Claudia Berenice Garza, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Pete Lutz, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Michael Saldate, Paul Sating, Marc Stein, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode.

1.5. Dissociation

An artisanal mustard retailer from Astoria finds herself in a strange realm with the ability to set things on fire. Meanwhile, Ed Champion continues his investigation into Miss Gaskell's disappearance, meeting a woman in mourning who may hold the answer to his own strange curse. (Running time: 19 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Maya: Noelle Lake Fire: Samantha Cooper The Knight in Several Universes: Austin Beach The Disgraced Villager: Pete Lutz The Vengeful Field Hand: Sarah Golding Villagers: John Xavier Miller III, Michael Charles Foote, Hans Detle Sierck, Tao Yang, Jim Kampfil, Tim Torre, and Kilgore Lehrer Ed Champion/Johnny: Edward Champion Edited by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion, the_toilet_guy (CC), Snapper4298 (CC), CGEffex (CC), soundmary (CC), Dynamicell (CC), Huggy13ear ()CC), YleArkisto (CC) Music: "The Long March Home" by Tim Juliano (licensed through NeoSounds) and "Local Forecast - Elevator Music" by Kevin MacLeod (CC.) Art: Kyle Nishloka (CC) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Richard Brooks, Christopher Byrd, Claudia Berenice Garza, Jen Elyse Feldman, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Scott Phillips, Michael Saldate, Marc Anthony Stein, Fiona Thraille, That Podcast Girl, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode.

An artisanal mustard retailer from Astoria finds herself in a strange realm with the ability to set things on fire. Meanwhile, Ed Champion continues his investigation into Miss Gaskell's disappearance, meeting a woman in mourning who may hold the answer to his own strange curse. (Running time: 19 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Maya: Noelle Lake Fire: Samantha Cooper The Knight in Several Universes: Austin Beach The Disgraced Villager: Pete Lutz The Vengeful Field Hand: Sarah Golding Villagers: John Xavier Miller III, Michael Charles Foote, Hans Detle Sierck, Tao Yang, Jim Kampfil, Tim Torre, and Kilgore Lehrer Ed Champion/Johnny: Edward Champion Edited by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion, <a href="http://freesound.org/people/the_toilet_guy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the_toilet_guy</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Snapper4298/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Snapper4298</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/CGEffex/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CGEffex</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/soundmary/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">soundmary</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Dynamicell/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dynamicell</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Huggy13ear/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Huggy13ear</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">)CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/YleArkisto/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YleArkisto</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Music: "The Long March Home" by Tim Juliano (licensed through <a href="https://www.neosounds.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NeoSounds</a>) and "Local Forecast - Elevator Music" by <a href="http://incompetech.com/wordpress/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kevin MacLeod</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>.) Art: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/madmarv/16164376015/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kyle Nishloka</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Richard Brooks, Christopher Byrd, Claudia Berenice Garza, Jen Elyse Feldman, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Scott Phillips, Michael Saldate, Marc Anthony Stein, Fiona Thraille, That Podcast Girl, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode.

3. Fuel to the Fire

Emma is a top-notch psychiatrist who can change the lives of the most difficult patients imaginable. But there's a great personal cost to her formidable talents that she's not telling anyone about, an internal torment eating away at her inner life that she's hiding from her patients and her professional peers and that a quiet survivor of an abusive relationship may just have the answer for. (Running time: 25 minutes) (This story contains intense and emotionally disturbing scenes that may unsettle some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST:  Emma: Colette Thomas Jenna: Devony DiMattia Jack: Jack Womack Gordon: Michael Saldate Receptionist: Zachary Michael Subway Preacher: Albert Hastler Music by Thomas Ragsdale Houston Person, "As Time Goes By" (courtesy of Free Music Archive, CC) Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion and nofeedbak (CC). Subway Sounds Recorded on Location in Brooklyn, New York Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Christopher Byrd, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Argyria Kehagias, Pete Lutz, Lauren Nelson, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Marc Anthony Stein, That Podcast Girl, Tim Torre, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode. I would also like to thank the psychiatrists and compassion fatigue experts who I spoke with on conditions of anonymity for their considerable assistance with this story. Thanks for listening!

Emma is a top-notch psychiatrist who can change the lives of the most difficult patients imaginable. But there's a great personal cost to her formidable talents that she's not telling anyone about, an internal torment eating away at her inner life that she's hiding from her patients and her professional peers and that a quiet survivor of an abusive relationship may just have the answer for. (Running time: 25 minutes) (This story contains intense and emotionally disturbing scenes that may unsettle some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Emma: Colette Thomas Jenna: Devony DiMattia Jack: Jack Womack Gordon: Michael Saldate Receptionist: Zachary Michael Subway Preacher: Albert Hastler Music by Thomas Ragsdale Houston Person, "As Time Goes By" (courtesy of <a href="http://www.freemusicarchive.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free Music Archive</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion and <a href="http://freesound.org/people/nofeedbak/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nofeedbak</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>). Subway Sounds Recorded on Location in Brooklyn, New York Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Christopher Byrd, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Argyria Kehagias, Pete Lutz, Lauren Nelson, John Osborne, Rina Patel, Marc Anthony Stein, That Podcast Girl, Tim Torre, Georgette Thompson, Jack Ward, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode. I would also like to thank the psychiatrists and compassion fatigue experts who I spoke with on conditions of anonymity for their considerable assistance with this story. Thanks for listening!

5. Compassion Fatigue

In our season finale, a once celebrated and now fading actor Jack Penderton desperately needs a job. His agent, Jill Swanson, lands him a strange gig involving a lonely scrapbook-loving eccentric, an unusual approach to free trade, a sinister salesman who moves uncommonly fast, America's Next Top Model, and an odd scam that causes Jack to reconsider his long abandoned principles about friendship, loyalty, and connection. (Running time: 25 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Jack: Gore Abrams Jill Swanson: Ingeborg Reidmaier Venall: Adriaano La Rocca Harold: Carl Zurhorst Gordon: Michael Smith The Receptionist: Zachary Michael Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Image: Firat Sola (CC) Thanks for listening!

In our season finale, a once celebrated and now fading actor Jack Penderton desperately needs a job. His agent, Jill Swanson, lands him a strange gig involving a lonely scrapbook-loving eccentric, an unusual approach to free trade, a sinister salesman who moves uncommonly fast, America's Next Top Model, and an odd scam that causes Jack to reconsider his long abandoned principles about friendship, loyalty, and connection. (Running time: 25 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Jack: Gore Abrams Jill Swanson: Ingeborg Reidmaier Venall: Adriaano La Rocca Harold: Carl Zurhorst Gordon: Michael Smith The Receptionist: Zachary Michael Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Image: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/62dentavsan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Firat Sola</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Thanks for listening!

6. Buddies for Hire

As a thriving empire faces war with ferocious barbarians, a mischievous scholar named Minerva hopes to bring law and civilization to a great realm populated by talking birds, giant rats, gregarious knights, elemental gods, and menacing malasanders. An unanticipated dispute among the knights gives Minerva an opportunity to uphold the doctrine of moral principles, but Minerva finds herself testing her loyalty to her aide-de-camp while helping others to learn what honor, empathy, and identity really mean. (Running time: 32 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Minerva: Rori Nogee Eris: Gerrard Lobo Henrietta: Monica Ammerman Fire: Samantha Cooper Watson: Christopher Akpobiyeri Boleyn: Rachel Baird The Magister: Sarah Golding Talking Birds: Alan Barrows Knights: Michael Charles Foote, Jim Kampfil, Matt Leong, Pete Lutz, Tanja Milojevic, John Xavier Miller III, Julia Morizawa, Hans Detlef Sierck, Fiona Thraille, Richard H. Thorndyke, Jack Ward, Tao Yang. Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion, jobro (CC), _def (CC), Taira Komori (CC), avakas (CC), Martin-Eero Kõressaar (CC), the_toilet_guy (CC), the_toilet_guy (CC), Shanay Groen (CC), jason130178 (CC), baryy (CC), huggy13ear (CC), HDM2013 (CC). Music: "The Long March Home" by Tim Juliano (licensed through NeoSounds) Art: Rushen (CC) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Jen Elyse Feldman, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Argyria Kehagias, John Osborne, Tom Parsons, Rina Patel, Michael Saldate, Marc Anthony Stein, Marjorie Stein, That Podcast Girl, Georgette Thompson, Neil Varma, Jo Anna Van Thuyne, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode. We are especially indebted to Robert Cudmore, Matthew McLean, and Steve Schneider, whose collective insight, inspiration, unfathomable generosity, and encouragement were vital during the development of this highly ambitious story. Please be sure to also listen to A Scottish Podcast, which is run by many of the fine people who made this program possible, Lost in Williamsburg, whose work with overlapping dialogue has served as partial editing inspiration, and Tom Parson's forthcoming Organism. We also recently launched Inside the Gray Area, a behind-the-scenes podcast available for Patreon subscribers who contribute at the $5/month level. Become a Patreon member and enjoy access to this, along with our annotated scripts, which contain many key references that will help unravel the bigger story. Thanks for listening!

As a thriving empire faces war with ferocious barbarians, a mischievous scholar named Minerva hopes to bring law and civilization to a great realm populated by talking birds, giant rats, gregarious knights, elemental gods, and menacing malasanders. An unanticipated dispute among the knights gives Minerva an opportunity to uphold the doctrine of moral principles, but Minerva finds herself testing her loyalty to her aide-de-camp while helping others to learn what honor, empathy, and identity really mean. (Running time: 32 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Minerva: Rori Nogee Eris: Gerrard Lobo Henrietta: Monica Ammerman Fire: Samantha Cooper Watson: Christopher Akpobiyeri Boleyn: Rachel Baird The Magister: Sarah Golding Talking Birds: Alan Barrows Knights: Michael Charles Foote, Jim Kampfil, Matt Leong, Pete Lutz, Tanja Milojevic, John Xavier Miller III, Julia Morizawa, Hans Detlef Sierck, Fiona Thraille, Richard H. Thorndyke, Jack Ward, Tao Yang. Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion, <a href="http://freesound.org/people/jobro/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">jobro</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/_def/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">_def</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Taira%20Komori/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taira Komori</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/avakas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">avakas</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Martineerok/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Martin-Eero Kõressaar</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/the_toilet_guy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the_toilet_guy</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/the_toilet_guy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the_toilet_guy</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/ShanayGroen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shanay Groen</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/jason130178/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">jason130178</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/baryy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">baryy</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/Huggy13ear/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">huggy13ear</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>), <a href="http://freesound.org/people/HDM2013/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HDM2013</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>). Music: "The Long March Home" by Tim Juliano (licensed through <a href="https://www.neosounds.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NeoSounds</a>) Art: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rushen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rushen</a> (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CC</a>) Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Jen Elyse Feldman, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, Argyria Kehagias, John Osborne, Tom Parsons, Rina Patel, Michael Saldate, Marc Anthony Stein, Marjorie Stein, That Podcast Girl, Georgette Thompson, Neil Varma, Jo Anna Van Thuyne, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode. We are especially indebted to Robert Cudmore, Matthew McLean, and Steve Schneider, whose collective insight, inspiration, unfathomable generosity, and encouragement were vital during the development of this highly ambitious story. Please be sure to also listen to <a href="http://scottishpodcast.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Scottish Podcast</a>, which is run by many of the fine people who made this program possible, <a href="http://lostinwilliamsburg.libsyn.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lost in Williamsburg</a>, whose work with overlapping dialogue has served as partial editing inspiration, and Tom Parson's forthcoming <a href="https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/organism" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Organism</a>. We also recently launched Inside the Gray Area, a behind-the-scenes podcast available for Patreon subscribers who contribute at the $5/month level. <a href="https://www.patreon.com/grayareapod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Become a Patreon member</a> and enjoy access to this, along with our annotated scripts, which contain many key references that will help unravel the bigger story. Thanks for listening!

4. Loopholes

Four men stand at the beginning of an important interdimensional journey. But while their personalities are different and the portals seem attracted to their identities, their voices are the same. What is their connection? And why is the journey so important? (Running time: 4 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: The Receptionist: Zachary Michael Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Image: Chris Bradford Thanks for listening!

Four men stand at the beginning of an important interdimensional journey. But while their personalities are different and the portals seem attracted to their identities, their voices are the same. What is their connection? And why is the journey so important? (Running time: 4 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: The Receptionist: Zachary Michael Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Image: Chris Bradford Thanks for listening!

5.5. Hatch

Virginia Gaskell finds herself on the other side of the portal that lured her in, greeted by a very exuberant (and strangely familiar) receptionist, some squawking avians that aren't quite okay with her love of chicken fajitas, and further mysteries about how the universes rupture into each other. (Running time: 7 minutes)  Written and directed by Edward Champion  CAST:  Virginia Gaskell: Chris Smith Receptionist: Zachary Michael Demon: Pete Lutz Ed Champion: Edward Champion Bird People: Fiona Thraille, Benjamin Macon Fort Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion  Foley Sources: Edward Champion  Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Jen Elyse Feldman, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, John Osborne, Tom Parsons, Michael Saldate, Marc Anthony Stein, Georgette Thompson, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode.  Thanks for listening! 

Virginia Gaskell finds herself on the other side of the portal that lured her in, greeted by a very exuberant (and strangely familiar) receptionist, some squawking avians that aren't quite okay with her love of chicken fajitas, and further mysteries about how the universes rupture into each other. (Running time: 7 minutes) Written and directed by Edward Champion CAST: Virginia Gaskell: Chris Smith Receptionist: Zachary Michael Demon: Pete Lutz Ed Champion: Edward Champion Bird People: Fiona Thraille, Benjamin Macon Fort Sound Design and Editing by Edward Champion Foley Sources: Edward Champion Special thanks to Sacha Arnold, Austin Beach, Matthew Boudreau, Jason Boog, Christopher Byrd, Jen Elyse Feldman, Claudia Berenice Garza, Pam Getchell, Jen Halbert, Gabriella Jiminez, John Osborne, Tom Parsons, Michael Saldate, Marc Anthony Stein, Georgette Thompson, and many others I may have inadvertently forgotten for their invaluable help, feedback, kindness, inspiration, and support during the production of this episode. Thanks for listening!

4.5. The Waiting Room

The best self improvement podcast episodes. From improving productivity, to finding purpose in your life to what constitutes freedom, this topic is on anything and everything that can help people to improve their lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes on Self Improvement, Growth & Development

The best podcast episodes on physical health. Episodes talk about your diet, sleep, exercise and all the things that people do to improve their physical health and live a healthier life. This topic is for everyone, with applications in all of our everyday lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!