Canadaland has released its 2024 podcast slate after opening its first-ever call for pitch submissions last summer.
That call resulted in more than 275 pitches, which publisher Jesse Brown says is “expanding our own concept of what Canadaland can be.”
“We were overwhelmed by the number of amazing concepts we received. The shows we are set to release are the ones that we were most wild about and had to bring into the world,” said Brown, in an announcement from the podcast network.
Four new original series are set to be introduced over the next nine months including:
- A Field Guide to Gay Animals (June 13) looking at sexuality and gender in the animal world, based on the finding that homosexuality has been documented in over 1,500 species. The series is hosted by animal enthusiasts Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson.
- The Worst Podcast (Sept. 4), billed as Canadaland’s first celebrity podcast. Hosted by documentary filmmaker Alan Zweig, it invites comedians, pop stars, TikTok influencers, and others to share their worst failures and find some redemption in the telling.
- The Copernic Affair (late 2024) revisits the French court’s pursuit of Lebanese-Canadian sociologist Hassan Diab, convicted in absentia of masterminding the 1980 Paris synagogue bombing, despite proclamations he can prove his innocence. The first podcast investigation into the case is hosted by investigative journalists Dana Ballout and Alex Atack.
Canadaland has also secured the English-language premiere of the Prix Italia-winning Radio France podcast Inside Kabul on July 17, the harrowing story of two young women coming of age in the summer of 2021 as the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. As they contemplate their futures, Raha and Marwa exchange and record hundreds of voice notes with French journalist Caroline Gillet.
The network’s returning shows include a new offering of Commons dissecting what it means to be a worker, while canadaLANDBACK returns with stories of Indigenous people rising above their circumstances to positions of wealth, power, and influence. The slate will also see new seasons of The Backbench, CANADALAND, Short Cuts, Détours, and Wag the Doug.
“At a time when most podcast companies are cancelling shows and taking fewer chances, it feels great to bring some incredible new stories to the listeners,” said executive producer Julie Shapiro. “They’re very different from one to the next, but all offer smart, relevant, and innovative storytelling from talented teams that are sure to resonate with audiences in Canada and far beyond.”
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