Sunday, June 16, 2013

Maybe A Podcast

Television set with disability symbol on the screen
I'm thinking about starting a podcast about disability on television.

The logical starting point for what I want to make the podcast is to begin with weekly episode recaps of NBC's new, reimagined "Ironside", and "The Michael J. Fox Show, which are both set to debut in the fall. During breaks in these shows … or if one or both of them fail … I could recap selected episodes of the original "Ironside", the Sundance reality show "Push Girls", and do one-off special episodes on disabled characters in other shows … like the Deaf political strategist Joey Lucas on "The West Wing," Dr. Kerry Weaver on "ER", and of course as many as three characters on "Game Of Thrones": Tyrion Lannister, Bran Stark, and Hodor.

In terms of style, I'm thinking some combination of the exhaustive, scene-by-scene, snarky but appreciative "Downton Abbey" podcast, "Up Yours, Downstairs!", and the more compact, analytical approach taken by "Mission Log: The Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast". I love both of these podcasts. I'm amazed at the hours I can spend listening to them and barely notice the time pass. They have the perfect mixture of seriousness and snark. The hosts are fans of their shows, who love the shows as much for their failures and flaws as for their brilliance. I think I like podcasts better than the TV shows they cover.

Surely the world of disability television is wide and diverse enough that there will be plenty to say, appreciate, and sure … to mock. Now I just need a co-host. And, you know, a basic understanding of how to record, edit, and post a podcast.