By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
He started out as a mean one, and ended up as one mean podcaster.
The Amazon-owned podcast network Wondery has announced a partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to launch a hilarious new podcast.
Called ’Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show’, the original new podcast series features a selection of top drawer acting talent.
Featuring comedian James Austin Johnson (Saturday Night Live) as The Grinch, the series will debut exclusively on Wondery+ on Nov. 1 before becoming widely available starting on Nov. 6, with new episodes releasing weekly through Dec. 21.
From stealing Christmas to stealing podcast listeners’ attention, the fun-filled variety podcast starring everyone’s favorite holiday curmudgeon is set up as an interview program.
In each episode, The Grinch sits down with celebrity guests, including Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes, actress Skai Jackson, fellow SNL-cast member Bobby Moynihan, and comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, who will try to convince The Grinch to embrace the spirit of Christmas. Also making this holiday season a “treat” for all furry fans of The Grinch, Purina will serve as the presenting sponsor of ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show.
“I have always felt a kinship with The Grinch, and while some actors wouldn’t touch this role with a 39-and-a-half foot pole, I am honored to be the voice behind everyone’s favorite deplorable character this holiday season,” said James Austin Johnson. “Getting into the character’s shoes – or rather, furry green feet – has been a wild and rewarding ride. I can’t wait for listeners to join us live from Who-Ville for some mischief, and maybe even some fun.”
Following in the footsteps of former Grinches Boris Karloff, Jim Carrey, and Benedict Cumberbatch, Johnson is a comedian originally from Nashville and a featured cast member on Saturday Night Live.
His spot-on impression of former president Donald Trump, paired with his improvisational ramblings about Weird Al, Julia Louis Dreyfus, and Scooby-Doo, have garnered over 5 million views, with profiles on James in Vanity Fair, Slate, Mashable, and VICE to name a few.
‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show is the second series to be announced under a collaboration between podcast studio Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
The first series, The Cat in the Hat Cast, is a “fantastical variety show-style podcast series hosted by everyone’s favorite red and white hat-wearing Cat.”
For those new to podcasts, Wondery is a major force in this genre. Owned by parent company Amazon, Wondery is a podcast studio that has produced eight of the top 25 new shows in 2022. More than 50 shows from Wondery have hit number one on Apple Podcasts.
The studio also has the Wondery Kids & Family division, which focuses on family friendly podcasts.
Both ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show and The Cat in the Hat Cast join Wondery Kids & Family’s roster of family programming including Wow in the World, the #1 science podcast for families according to Podtrac, hosted by Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas; the award-winning Little Stories Everywhere, a weekly story podcast that brings listeners into magical, adventurous, fantastical tales to excite imaginations; and Whose Amazing Life?, a puzzle format podcast that presents facts about a renowned figure and invites listeners to guess who the person is at the conclusion of each episode.
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