Where The Leaves Fall Purple

A new thriller/mystery audio drama available now wherever you get your podcasts. An amateur podcaster gets more of a story than he planned when he asks his friend to fake her own disappearance.

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Until the last leaf falls…

2026.

[unmechanism]

- That liar... I can't believe he'd just-

- Ezra Hansen ?

- ah ! hum, Detective Wright !

breaking news : startled man spying on his ex makes the same noise as a new born duckling !

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Shout out to Aaron Johnson for his little Ezra-isms that came out in the recording booth.

[unmechanism]

Where the leaves fall purple was an incredible piece of fiction, it kept me hooked all the way, I didn't expect most of the twists especially near the end and I had an incredible time

the characters are believable and quite touching, the dialogues are well written and the whole thing is very well voiced

the soundscape is minimal but it really works, I loved it

y'all really should check it out if you like short-ish well crafted mysteries, so here's the official summary :

[smileonwards]

SHOWS OUR CHARACTERS WOULD LISTEN TO 6. EDEN LI

@doyoucopypod despite working into the night - eden chooses chaos and listens to only horror - she listens to do you copy and pretends she's involved in the story @wheretheleavesfallpurple eden likes to play this out loud and try to convince customers its coming from a real radio @spire-pod her shifts go faster when she listens to the time weirdness but it goes much slower if she tries to keep track of the plot too closely

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Thank you everyone for your support of Where the Leaves Fall Purple! 💜

[livinluxuriouslyselena]

Audiodrama Recommendations

Since I see so many requests for recommendations (mainly on the Audiodrama Subreddit) and make plenty of my own requests 😚

I decided a few months back that it seemed the least I could do was to pay the kindness forward (for all the times y’all have supplied me with suggestions).

Before browsing my list- I think it’s important to have a general idea of what kind of person the AD-lover is before getting your hopes up by their recommendations- because, taste is subjective, no? 😉☺️🌟

So, to me, audio drama is defined by having a full-cast of talented voice actors who’s job is to bring a well-written script to life. It is my opinion that *narration* has *no place* in audio drama **unless** it’s *absolutely essential* to the development of the plot as the script requires.

I’m a lover of all things **surreal** ( favorite Artist? Salvador Dalí, favorite author? Rob Shearman 🫠)- I have LOTS of weird sci-fi/horror/thriller/mystery AD’s under my belt.. (I have literally cleaned out the entire *Big Finish Audio* catalogue. 😳)

I grew up on horror everything - I was 5 when I saw *Poltergeist* 👀 so… and was reading my parents Stephen King books in elementary school 😅🙈🤷🏻‍♀️ - by the time I hit highschool I had watched every horror film in Blockbuster (wow I am old 🤦🏻‍♀️) - from the classics like *Psycho* & The Exorcist to the cheesy 80s b-roll slasher films 🙈😂🤣.

That said - I am an equal opportunity listener and I love many shades of comedy dramas. Though I do prefer my comedy to have a bit of *bite* to it.. 😅 and I’m not here for narration. Full cast audiodrama with sound production is my thing. 😅😉😘

as an adult I am partial to UK/Australian/Canada based entertainment. Even though I have lived in NYC my whole life 🤷🏻‍♀️

And here’s the list (I am sure I have forgotten about the audios from before I began this list - so feel free to add to it in the comments)

NOTE- most links take you to Spotify, some exceptions include the BBC SOUNDS app & audible

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Horror/sci-fi thriller/supernatural thrillers (simplified into “more-serious audiodrama”)

—Restart : by the creators of **The Cypher**

— Children of the Stones : (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi/thriller-mystery full cast audio drama.

—The Piper - (BBC) paranormal/sci-fi detective mystery/horror story (full cast audio drama)

— Jackie the Ripper : the infamous 19th century Whitechapel murders retold with some very sociologically-relevant, feminist twists. I debated whether to place this in the comedy or sci-fi/horror section because, technically, it’s a brilliantly British & even mix of both. Description from their website: “in this modern twist, men are the victims of dark, sexually aggressive murders. The kind that leave them penis-less... Behind all the bloodshed is a woman, Jackie, a ruthless serial killer ready to strike again, and again, and again….without a single ounce of remorse and ready to share it all on social media.”

— BODY HORROR (BBC) : psychological mystery thriller (contrary to the title of the piece, it’s not even remotely in the body horror subgenre lol - no gore or any talk of blood 🩸 because it’s not necessary - this one cuts deep, in particular for any1 who’s suffered from issues of identity or body-image disorders).

—In Another Room : paranormal investigation turned straight-horror

—Fulmar’s Folly uk-based post-apocalyptic water world

— Red Valley : surrealist-sci-fi-thriller-horror full cast UK audio drama. BRILLIANT plot & a few thought-provoking mysteries. S1 & 2 end w/ incredible twists & had me in tears one moment; and laughing the next. S3 is in the making & will be it’s final season; completing the story.

— Lusus - (BBC)- *like* an anthology (which I am not really into anthologies unless they are super original 😅) but if you *pay attention*, each very different story is linked. Each episode is unique in its own subgenre of the horror/mystery category.

—5 Week Countdown

— Murmurs (BBC) high-concept, surrealistic sci-fi-horror

—Limelight - another BBC AD: composed of mini-serials. My personal favorites are English Rose (5 part mini-series) ,The System series 1 (6 parts) & 2 (5 parts), Dead Hand (5 part mini-series, each episode a half an hour run-time), & Steelheads (5 parts)

—**Weird Tales** : (BBC) Some of these were just phenomenal. They ease you in with *The Fly* (not associated with the movie) and then they dial up the psychological fear-factor times 10 for *The Loop* - which was my favorite of the entire series. But they are all great (though the framing device is lazy & unnecessary)

— Malevolent : an indie lovecraftian tale

— Dashing Onions Audio : I read a review while Google searching best audiodrama - the mini series When We Were Two (3 part mini-series) was a perfect recommendation- this is how *every* Twilight Zone episode should have been. Upstairs, Upstairs was good just too short. Customs is a master class in script editing. Overall I prefer their mini series.

— Video Palace : traditional horror story

— The Man in Black bought on audible the version with Mark Gatiss; listened to the OG version on the BBC SOUNDS app. ((Anthology-horror)) Each episode is the length of many modern podcasted-audiodrama’s full seasons.

— Dangerous Visions (BBC) Horror/thriller

— Forest 404 (bbc) sci-fi/fantasy-thriller; hard to actually put this one into a genre category..but it’s written by Timothy X Attack, & if you’re a fan of his work with **Big Finish Audio**, it’s worth ur time.

— The Message sci-fi/mystery/thriller

— LifeAfter sci-fi/mystery/thriller

— Archive 81 : ((i suggest u start with S3. If you like it, wither go back to S1 & continue in order, or stick with the “backwards” route; going from S3->S2->S1 😉))

— The Imperfection : award winning. Any more description will ruin it. Go in cold.

— Who Killed Alaska? : sci-fi/mystery/thriller w/elements of surrealism,dark comedy, & possibilities of the paranormal..?

— How I Died : ongoing sci-fi/mystery/horror-thriller

— The Cypher : truly a great mystery (or mysteries..?), definitely a futuristic, world. Sci-fi thriller. Also by the BBC but available on most podcasting apps like the other BBC AD’s I have recommended here (spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Pocket Casts, a few are even available on audible)

— Petrified: Ireland based award winning full cast horror audio drama

— Subsister: A Real Podcast ongoing sci-fi mystery with multi-media/arg elements.

— The Deep Vault : made by the Archive 81 team. Fast paced true horror.

— The Oyster : this one I was apprehensive about & it was just… great. Cerebral, thought provoking, *moving*, psychologically-terrifying sci-fi. You will laugh & likely cry & feel your stomach fill with butterflies & it leaves a definite impression that lasts for days…

— Tracks (BBC) There are 5 different seasons - each could be listened to in isolation as they all have their own individual mysteries that are solved. All weird sci-fi, psychological thriller fiction

—Steal the Stars (renamed STORIES FROM THE STARS) : a shortened version (and obviously far more streamlined in storyline, production etc) of Archive 81 but here the writing shines, the pacing is absolute perfection - and then it’s like a roller coaster that I didn’t see coming - that ending I was so, so unprepared for 🤯🫢🤐

— Marvel’s Wolverine: The Long Night (can be found under the feed “Marvel’s Wolverine: The Lost Trail” - which is the 2nd season of the series) : I am not into the DC/Marvel universe. The last super-hero movie I saw was the 1990’s Batman movies 😳. I knew literally *nothing* about Wolverine, the character, when I finally caved into trying this…and boy, am I glad I did. This AD serves as yet another reminder of how holding onto preconceived notions only limits one’s potential for enjoyment. Anyway… this is absolutely not for children, & not an origin story (which is what I had been expecting). I was shocked to hear that the titular character (the term “Wolverine” is never used. It took a bit of googling for me to see that the missing “Logan” = Wolverine) is played by none other than Richard Armitage (who I know most recently from his spine-tingling portrayal of Rassilon in the Gallifrey Time War boxsets) and oddly enough, said-titular-character has very, very few lines/appearances in this story. I could go on, & on, & on trying to sell the idea of what this thing is & why it deserves your time - but it’s easy enough to just Google..

— St. Mary’s School for Children with the Stigmata

— The Grove : short serialized mythological horror story (obviously full cast)

—The Deca Tapes : almost like an experimental ARG-type formula? Basically you are dropped into a futuristic sociological experiment of sorts- and it’s up to the listener to figure out wtf is going on. This one has narration but it’s integral to the storytelling.

— BOOM (by Stak) : From their website: “It's 1999 and Enron finance manager Jim Yang has received an email from the future.”

—Parkdale Haunt* ((*I found the first season to be almost intolerable due to the very slow opening and pacing issues - but when it gets going it is good. I get the impression that they were finding their feet so-to-speak)) a supernatural horror story- seasons 2 & 3 are great - season 1 is a treck so if you don’t have the patience or tolerance, I advise skipping this one

—The Bright Sessions* (slow the 1st season. But worth it come the AM Archives)

—SCP: Find Us Alive : a darkly comedic horror serial set in the SCP universe but doing something CREATIVE within it

—The Sink: A Sleep Aid (BBC) immersive experience in psychological horror

—Case 63 : a short, professionally recorded, concisely-written psychological thriller

—Blood Culture : horror/sci-fi serial

—Quiet Part Loud : by Jordan Peele. This is a must listen.

—Tomorrow’s Monsters : serialized horror/sci-fi thriller

—Eliza : A Robot’s Story : professionally recorded.

—Borrasca* : paranormal investigation turned horror series by Q-code so that in itself is an advertisement warning complete.

—Passenger List: slow burn mystery. Caitlin Le, an Asian college student from Kansas is attending university in NYC when news breaks of a plane going missing (ala the Malaysian airline’s mystery). As the “disaster” unfurls, she is surprised to discover her twin brother was on the flight from London to New York. Months later the airline announces a “bird strike” was responsible for the flight crash; despite the fact that no evidence of a crash has been found. Caitlin Le can’t move on until she knows what happened to her twin. Soon she uncovers multiple rabbit holes 🕳️ and she gets lost . Did she really ever truly know her twin brother?

— Batman Unburied : I’m not into the whole Marvel comics thing but this audio drama does something different with classic tropes

—Batman : The Audio Adventures : again, very well done. I was into the Gotham TV show for awhile - but that’s the only marvel/DC-spawned-entertainment that’s ever caught my attention. This is another one that works for both fans of the Batman and newbs alike

—The Secret of St. Kilda : this is more of a drama with some supernatural/mythical elements

—Give Me Away : I was torn whether to put this one in the comedy or serious section because it’s more of a “dramedy ”. And it’s scary because of what it says about society but not traditional horror. It’s also by the team who did *Steal the Stars*

—Paragon : an hour-length sci-fi/horror audio drama and is part of the PRIMORDIAL DEEP feed

—Wake of Corrosion : post-apocalyptic horror (ongoing)

—Quietly Yours : straight-up horror, bottle episodes (anthology of cinematic horror drama for the ears)

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Non-horror full cast audio drama (space operas, comedic serials, etc)

—Juno Steel : part of the Penumbra Podcast

—EOS 10 : comedic space opera

— Brimstone Valley Mall : dark comedy nostalgia fest

—We Fix Space Junk : comedic space opera

—Marscorp : comedic space opera

—Classified : Dark Comedy, triggers : mental illness/asylums

—Wooden Overcoats : dark comedy “sitcom”

—Mockery Manor : nostalgia-fueled dark comedy/mock/horror

—Eternal Strife : comedic serial

—Victoriocity : a less serious, less professional version of Jago & Litefoot

—Alba Salix : comedic serial fantasy

—Bubble : this one is a weird one because it is full cast and yet it has a designated narrator… so… 😏 give it a shot & if it doesn’t work for you probably give it a pass 😙

—The Candyman : Horror-comedy/parody - very indie but quite short and worth it 👏😂

—Human B-Gone : ongoing but so far so funny

—Two Flat-Earthers Kidnap a Free Mason: This one is definitely meant to be a farcical, satirical look at the internet conspiracy world (ie: the people who followed Alex Jones’ almost religiously lol) - it’s only 14 episodes in so far, and clearly ongoing… it’s not great but it works if you’re bored..? There are certain parts that would be really funny if the pacing had been better.

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Free Full Cast Audible Audio Dramas Worth Your Time (modern radio/audio drama & *FREE*)

—Space: 1969 (comedy/alternate reality) pieces of the description from the site: “What if President John F. Kennedy had survived and rocketed the Space Race of the 1960s into overdrive? And what if he was, maybe, not quite… himself? Space: 1969 is a retro sci-fi comedy adventure that has to be heard to be believed!”

—Heads Will Roll dark fantasy comedy

—Radioman (psych thriller/horror) from the site: “When a series of gruesome murders leaves a community in despair, a former local DJ decides to start a podcast and do something about it. But as his following grows, long-buried secrets from the past resurface revealing not everyone is who they truly seem....”

—The Method (serial killing actor- intense)from the site: “James Patterson leads you into the darkest recesses of the mind with this chilling, immersive audio thriller. We meet Brent Quill, a frustrated actor trying to take his game to the next level. When he learns about the intensive Method acting process, he dives in deep—and immediately lands the lead role in a TV series about a brutal serial killer.”

—The Catchers (straight horror/paranormal possibly cryptid) from the site: “Catchers is a small-town horror tale with all the charm of a classic ‘80s creature-feature, updated for the modern era.”

—Self Center (dark comedic horror; social relevancy)

—Hit Job (dark comedy)

—The Rivals: Tales of Sherlock Holmes’ Rivals (what it says on the tin - but very funny as well as delivering good mysteries)

—Tribulation : religion trigger warning. Interesting idea - religious cult on an AM broadcast is using electricity to “steal” people and force them into “tribulation”…

—High Strangeness : Doctor Who meets X-Files & Stranger Things - very good; very funny

—Apocalypse Untreated : “five mentally ill teenagers in an inpatient wilderness program during the apocalypse face not only the end of the world, but also the end of their prescriptions. Now, they have to figure out what’s real and what’s just a side effect, and keep their wits about them as they fight for their lives and their minds. Apocalypse Untreated is a multi-part, post-apocalyptic thriller brought to life with world class sound design, and performance.”

—Sorry Charlie Miller : another one w/Zachary Quinto (the protagonist/antagonist of The Method) but this is a modern comedy - from the website “Sorry Charlie Miller is a Tik Tok era mystery with twists, turns, and a whole lot of questionable fashion choices. It takes place in Florida, hello.” - so yeah, for me it depends on the time of the day and time of the month. It’s good for the right time basically 😂

—Sheltered : British humor - very bingeable just wish there was more 😔 Description from the site: “It’s been centuries since Armageddon and no one has ever left the bunker that has sustained what remains of civilised human life....When innocent simpleton Gary and social climber Veronica are sent to explore the world outside, they soon regret ever leaving the safety, soft furnishings and quilted toilet paper of Fallout Shelter 7421.”

—Sour Hall : magical horror staring Pearl Mackie (aka: Bill from the Capaldi years of Doctor Who, also the protagonist of AD Forest 404)

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[livinluxuriouslyselena]

— Beyond Strange Lands : ((audible original & as such, the link obviously takes you to this on AUDIBLE)) an Australia-based production & is pretty wild - very paranormal, edge-of-your-seat, thriller-sci-fi . From the website: “In 1982, the famous paranormal expert Grant Peters went missing while filming his TV show Legendary Australia. His wife Melissa was never able to find him. When Melissa herself disappears nearly forty years later, her daughter Fiona and grandson Ethan trace her to the small outback town of Boulia. There they discover a collection of old audio tapes that Melissa left behind: a set of clues they must follow if they're to solve this mystery in time. Insidious forces will stop at nothing to destroy them, and an impossibly ancient menace lurks deep beneath the ground, waiting for the chance to strike....” 7.3/10

— Dreamboy

— Daniel X: Genesis - ((another free audible original)) The pacing is … quirky. But then so is the story. From the website: “We meet Daniel, an ordinary teen just trying to navigate his way through high school. That all changes when he discovers he has super powers and can conjure up anything, at any time, just by imagining it. Suddenly he’s meeting powerful entities who tell him he is not, in fact, a typical teenage human but an alien...and his parents died not in a car wreck but in an epic battle with an intergalactic villain.” I want to give it an 8/10 because it’s amazingly produced & beautifully acted but it was predictable

— The Waystation : a surprisingly well-crafted, well-paced sci-fi horror/thriller/techno-mystery. The storyline was ace; all performances spectacular and with impressive audio engineering to boot. 8/10

— Ice Cream : traditional concise horror serial 7.5/10

— Spire : high-concept sci-fi (future alt reality? Still early days / ongoing)

— NORA : STELLAR writing, pacing & performances. Be warned, once you start you may be stuck in it for the full binge (but it’s not long and most definitely worth it for a thrilling & surreal experience) 8/10

— Duggan Hill*: This one isn’t on Spotify. I listened to it on pocketcasts. It’s terrific- quite a ride. I’m still feeling a bit hypnotized after finishing the ride with Zoe to find Sasha / the Canadian SCP-Foundation’s search for “Mother” ((* the 1st season, to me, is perfect for the unique experience that it is. The tension grows & grows; inevitably leading to a show down; which almost always ends in listener-disappointed & dissatisfaction. This one, however, ends powerfully; hauntingly-so. While many questions are finally answered in the S1 finale; the sweet & undeniable closure we’re mercifully granted is still shrouded in just enough mystery to serve as a bittersweet enigmatic but haunting finale. I think the show would have been a real piece of art had it been a limited series - and so, in short, while the whole thing isn’t bad, per say, the more information thrown into the mix seems to lessen the magical surrealism of that beautiful 1st season. So I’m only recommending the first season (ie : treating the season 1 finale as the end). I’m a completionist & I had to finish it; but I wish I had trusted my instincts & left it when I knew it couldn’t be topped… )) score for S1 only 8.5/10

— The Hyacinth Disaster : this is a psychological thriller and it definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat/biting your nails. Definitely made me anxious all the way through- so if you are into that kinda thing - this is for you. The actors give some truly beautiful & moving performances, and there is a lot of gorgeous character work; not to mention unexpected plot twists. 9/10

— Reluctant Persuaders : ((the link brings you to the BBC SOUNDS app)) - serialized comedy, very much like Cabin Fever (which I also recommend but just for a cheap & easy laugh lol) but instead of being set around the ✈️ plane, think super-small advertising agency & then swap 😉 9/10

— The POLYBIUS Conspiracy : a Radiotopia Showcase special (from the creator’s of The Passenger List) : this is the *only* way I want to hear the faux-journalist narrative trope of storytelling used. Bravooo to a tremendously well-crafted story. A true thrilling ride into the unknown. Are you (or were you) a fan of the X-Files? Then this is your start point (unless you’re already tired of this-now-done-to-death podcasted audiodrama trope) almost a 9/10

— The Incident of Ong’s Hat - (can be found as a part of the BBC’s Limelight feed on all podcasting apps) but it’s unique in that it’s not made by the BBC… from the makers of the controversial audiodrama The POLYBIUS Conspiracy & the original (also known as the first-ever ARG & online creepy pasta) Ong’s Hat creator Joseph Matheny, in the style of POLYBIUS & made for BBC radio. 7.5/10

— Damned Andrew : a BBC sounds paranormal lovecraftian comedy serial 😳😂🤣

— Uncanny Valley : I find this one hard to categorize because each episode is full-cast, beautifully written & well-acted. But it’s an anthology series that seemingly all take place within the same literary “meta-verse”. I call shows like this “bottle episodes”; in which each story is completely self contained. This one is not for kids; definitely rides the line of dark comedy/satire and horror/supernatural-thriller. The closest thing on this entire list to this show is Petrified in terms of format. I tend to prefer to invest in characters; preferring serialized audiodrama. But this, like Pertrified or the BBC’s Weird Tales, can be like Pringles chips - once you start, you may have a difficult time stopping 😉 7/10

— Reincarnathan : ((link takes you to BBC SOUNDS)) satirical, silly, episodic dark-comedy serial. From the Cambridgeek: “Nathan is a horrible human being. Or at least he is, right up until the moment he has an accident at a meat-processing plant. Famous person that he (kinda) was, he was opening it, after having endorsed the product in a terrible advert, that made use of his one hit wonder. Bit sad, really. Sadder still, he has acted so awfully to all those around him that his morality score is painfully low. No heaven for our Nathan. Instead, with the assistance of afterlife liaison officer (definitely not angel) Jenny, he must begin his slow climb through the reincarnation cycle, back up to human. Along the way, he will spend a life as many different creatures, possibly learning to become a better person.”

— Spire : it’s only 5 episodes in so it’s early days, but episodes are decently long (and complicated - I recommend reading the transcripts to better get your head around WTF is going on) - so far it seems like a sci-fi futuristic serial drama.

— Doctor Who Redacted : was pretty good (and this is coming from someone who really, really doesn’t like anything from the Chibnall/Whitaker years) for a classics fan (or those of us who call 8 “our doctor”) and I have no doubt that new fans will love it because it’s better than any of 13s TV run 😏 7.9/10

— Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature : from Wolf at the Door Studios (the makers of THE IMPERFECTION) ((ongoing)) - this one isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s (a) very cerebral and (b) ongoing and as a result - can be confusing. But, like Archive 81, The Imperfection & The Lovecraft Investigations has (& as it goes on this will increase) it has an incredible re-listen value.

— Where The Leaves Fall Purple : an excellently crafted mystery. Reminded me of a modernized audio-take on the OG’s “Scream” & “I Know What You Did Last Summer”. 8.8/10

— Cryptids : Starts off confusing but gets more interesting as the twists tumble in. (And don’t worry, it’s *not* your average Let’s-Follow-a-Bigfoot story) 5/10

— Science Fiction Theatre : similar to the Limelight Feed, one feed and (to date, feb 2023) has 4 “mini” serials. Some sci-fi-thriller, at least 1 post-apocalypse horror mystery (Social Construct)

— Bridgewater : a 3D Audio by iHeartRadio/iHeartPodcasts + Grim & Mild Media - written by Aaron Mahnke and Lauren Shippen (who wrote The Bright Sessions) a university professor who specializes in folklore studies puts his “life on hold to uncover a mystery” and unearths his own personal life’s “mythology”. 7/10

— Harbor : ((ongoing)) a multi-layered serialized drama with elements of the every genre. In short, harbor is the perfect title: as it tells the story of an enduring community tied together by land & ultimately (albeit begrudgingly) *love*. 8.8/10

— Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind : FINALLY we get a Harley Quinn with some AGENCY! Gone is the stupidly-violent classic prototype. This article gives a great run-down overview of what you have to look forward to. Overall, I score it a 8.3/10

— Undertow: Dark Tome by Realm : I’ve begun to think of this one as the “American equivalent to The BBC’s Limelight Feed”, if only within my mind’s audiodrama “canon”. Undertow hosts a variety of mini-serials that all take place within the same location: Simpson Falls, Maine (ie: same location, but characters and timelines are particular to each “season”/serial). All of the Undertow serials are written & produced by the same team & studio. They all fall under the umbrella of the horror genre. Unlike shows like Darkest Night (a bigger-budget, full-cast, “horror” audiodrama which is NOT on this list because, IMO, the majority of the series episodes prioritize cheap & predictable shock value & gore-porn-ASMR-type stylization over quality story telling & 3D character building; 2/10), these serials are all cleverly & concisely written. To sum it up, the first series of “Simpson Falls” is 10 episodes start-finish; each episode runs about a half an hour. The first episode seeds everything to come without anything feeling unnecessary. It establishes our 2 main characters & multiple mysteries & by the end of the episode, it’s hard to not continue onto episode 2. Episode 2 is very *Twin Peaks* as well as *Dark Shadow-y* but brought into 2020. I generally need to binge listen until the point where I become “invested”. Once I am “invested”, I can pick it up again on another day & not have to relisten. ((Score varies from mini-series to mini-series. Simpson Falls I would give about an 8.5/10. Blood Forrest about a 5/10…))

— Shipworm : from their website: “Wallace Conway wakes up to find he’s been implanted with an untraceable earpiece while sleeping. So long as he does everything the voice on the other end tells him, he and his family will live.” 7/10

— The Six Disappearances of Ella McCray** from ZoomDoom Stories : ((ongoing cancelled-mid-season 2 arc)) I have never seen this one recommended on the audiodrama subreddit. This is one of those shows that’s got a unique premise (think The Deca Tapes) & as a result, can hook certain people before they finish the 1st episode (or even just by reading the description!). It usually takes me at least 2 episode of any audiodrama before I get “invested”; but I could already feel it “hooking” me from the get-go! And that began to give me that sinking feeling… that “itch” in the back of my brain… there was something that was massively bugging me…I read the description & scoped out their website/Instagram, Facebook, Twitter pages etc - all because it seemed to have been a pretty big-deal-production… (and now you’re wondering “so?!”) I still see people pledging their undying allegiance to this production team’s earlier shows like SPINES & Mirrors all over the audiodrama subreddit… yet not once have I seen this being recommended or even discussed… I was getting King Falls AM deja-vu…Already-long-story-a-tad-shorter: I’m already well into the 2nd season, but unlike with King Falls (for which I hadn’t been warned for shit to fall off the rails & that none of the mystery box storytelling would ever be resolved) I have already done the aforementioned research into the show’s associated social media pages. Many of the sites linked in their domain site are now dead links. But from what wasn’t, it seems that the show was hitting it’s peak as the pandemic hit & tried to continue on with the quarantines being imposed. With the situation being what it was, and with a large & (refreshingly) diverse cast… the news that the show is (still) on “indefinite hiatus” - is understandable. So this show hit the ground running with mysteries but I am at least prepared now - for the idea that my many, many hypotheses may never be resolved to anyone’s satisfaction. Having been warned, I am still happy while on this ride. I will, however, return to this once I finish & include whether or not I would have done it had I known. ((And for those who are wondering about King Falls AM - I don’t regret having been on that ride. And I would do it again! I enjoyed the ride and knew exactly how and when to get off when that time came. I do wish I had been prepared…but it is because of the lack of conclusion or resolution that I don’t recommend King Falls AM on this list because it’s a very subjective experience)):: FOLLOW-UP**: while this was fun while it lasted; due to COVID (apparently) it simply ENDS with zero resolution 😞 it was fun while it lasted 🫤 4/10

— Celeritas : ((ongoing)) this one is perfection. One “nitpick”: it ends on a massive cliff hanger (like SPECTRE) and so don’t count on coming out of this one (as of February 2023) with any resolution to the main questions you may have had at the end of episode 1… but not sure that’s a bad thing 😜 S1 scores a solid 9/10. I look forward to it’s continuation.

— Station 151 : ((ongoing)) very hard to slate this one into a category or genre. Definitely AI-motivated sci-fi, but beyond that, given that it is ongoing and with only 1 season complete- there’s not much more that I can say beyond the fact that it’s got some amazingly surrealist quasi-absurdist elements, along with lots of dark & ironic comedy. Follow-up: I’m writing this a few weeks after the end of season one : I rarely listen shows during their releases (ie: following the show like a weekly/monthly podcast; per episode “drop”) but this 1 caught my attention & after binge-listening to the first 6 episodes I was genuinely impressed. I’d a few nitpicks about the script & the actor playing the main character… but I had high hopes…Summary critique: this show is meant to take place in today’s world - so far, so good. Our protagonist is meant to be an astrophysicist, “seconded” to Alaska; where he is to “supervise” a super-secret, privately-owned observation project in complete isolation. Solid premise A+. The issue begins once you hit “play” & our so-called “astrophysicist” sounds like Tim the Tool Man from Home Improvement, but with even less technical aptitude..? He’s basically written in the same style as the 1970’s Doctor Who companions were…but if you are willing to “check your IQ at the door” (ie: suspend your disbelief of the nonsensically illogical story-elements) upon embarking; the story is a fun ride. I do suspect that this may be could be a one man show… which would compensate for the clumsier bits (ie: if this is a one man production; their sound engineering capabilities are phenomenal - their performance is amateurish & the writing could have used oversight; but if it was a one-man/self-made & made completely out-of-pocket, who do we thing we are to expect more? Bottom-line, if this is a one-man-production, it could be deserving of almost a 9/10 rating) I really want it to be that the AI-“warden”, Mac & *spoiler* Astrid were all a clever use of whatever automated dictation software that was to hand (I was immediately reminded of The Tiktok text-to-speech options); because that would be truly innovative. Let’s move on to the storyline… things more or less work up until episode 9… in this episode not only does our “astrophysicist” say things like “oh my god that is a god damned wormhole!” And “the wormhole is stabilizing? What does that mean?” (Literally everything out of the characters mouth, from this point-onward, puts an immense strain on the average person’s capacity for suspension of disbelief to their limit) and the plot developing around the disastrous dialoguing doesn’t help; as things grow increasingly..well…eye-roll-worthy…with SPEGG: the “transgenic fish humanoid”. 👀 I won’t say anymore other than the finale episode being a bit of a let down; it definitely felt rushed & of a lesser quality than what came before it. Overall: a good listen for those of us with ADHD & having a bad day/lacking the patience for more cerebral story-telling

— Gather the Suspects: a slice-of-metropolitan-Welsh-life murder mystery comedy 7/10

— Mansfield Mysteries : a slice-of-live murder mystery comedy 7/10

— The Handmaid’s Tale (By Wondery) : available for free through the Wondery app (which is where the link in the title will take you); as well as on Audible. Description: “Award-winning audio producer John Scott Dryden brings you into a dystopian future, in which the birth rate has plummeted and the United States has become a theocracy called Gilead. Women who are capable of childbirth are pulled out of society and trained as handmaids, then assigned to men for the sole purpose of procreation. From the same source material as the critically acclaimed Hulu series, this six part series of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is audio fiction at its finest.” -> & IMO, this description is not overstating it with that glowing “review”. I’m not at all acquainted with the aforementioned TV show & nor do I plan to do anything about that lol. Certain experiences are best suited to the audio medium (like Archive81 😏) and this audio drama is a meager 6 part affair: clearly a well-planned arc was plotted & in the end, I cannot imagine that anyone having listened to the full 6 episodes could deny that said-arc was executed extremely effectively. 9/10.

— The Conception of Terror: Tales Inspired by M. R. James - Volume 1 (An Audible Original Drama produced by BaffleGab studios) : An award-winning collection of four ghostly tales inspired by M. R. James. The combined score of this set 8.3/10

— Arckham County (an audible original) : written by long-time Big Finish Audio writer Guy Adams & A.K. Benedict. Description is as follows: Welcome to Arkham County. Population: 749,824. But that number’s dropping all of the time.... Lying northeast of Massachusetts, just south of Hell, Arkham County is somewhere you find yourself, not somewhere you ever mean to go. Once you do find it though, you'd better get used to living there, as you may be there for however long you have left to live. From within the walls of Arkham’s asylum, reclusive writer Randolph Carter tells the story of orphan Violet Flintock, who arrives in Arkham County in search of her own history only to be instantly greeted by the bloody realities of this small town, whose foundations are built from the lore and mythology of HP Lovecraft.” - it’s free & enjoyable in small doses. I also have a huge amount of respect for BaffleGab Studios and can appreciate what they were trying to do. The production & acting merits a solid 8/10. Writing about a 4/10 but plot structure is a bit of a mess for the full run-time (about 8 hours).

— The Technomancy Project : ((ongoing)) : A sci-fi/thriller/horror full cast audiodrama following the adventures of a team of agents investigating paranormal cases. So far, the show seems heavily inspired by the X-Files, but less-aliens; more “magic”. Season 1 available now. A review from Apple Podcasts : “Every inch of the Technomancy Project is solid and it makes for a very satisfying listen. There’s a nice variety to the monster-of-the-week plots: haunted house, aliens, demon possession, workplace audit, etc. and the show is adept at bringing in the humor and the horror when it is called for. Also, the little bits of continuity from episode to episode snowball into an intriguing season ending." That review overstated the whole thing quite a bit. It’s definitely an amateur production. Acting is eh, the concept of the “man in red” is a clear X-Files nod, & the narration is… not necessary…? Overall for an indie audiodrama it’s a bit above a 6/10 … but it’s a fine listen if you aren’t in a thinking mood…

— GASLIGHT (BBC Sounds) : ever wonder where the term GASLIGHTING comes from? Listen to this modernized adaptation of the original Patrick Hamilton play.

— A Sting in the Tale : ((BBC Sounds)) : a full cast surrealist-horror anthology

— Blackwood : people call me a “snob” for “nit-picking” unbelievable voice-acting,“crap” sound engineering (like white noise etc) and/or lazy writing (resulting in narration). I’m not anti-indie projects (quite the opposite!); and if you’ve read this far into my recommendations-list, I’d hope that you’d agree that I am discerning. This show’s audio sounds crisp & clean. The voice actors were believable (for the most part) & the plot, while simple, is executed well. Released in 2018 - I’d classify it as being a found-footage-relatable-analog-horror “classic”. An audio-only facsimile of the trending online horror series like Slenderman.

— Married : a BBC Radio Sci-Fi Comedy: (series 1-3) also available from audible for purchase. From the description: “Cantankerous bachelor Robin Lightfoot is happily single – until one morning he awakes to discover he’s married with two children. And he has two half-brothers...both called Ian. Is it a nightmare, a practical joke or something more sinister? Robin gradually realises that he’s in an alternate universe, where the Lib Dems are in power, the Dimbleby brothers are sports commentators and alcohol is a class-A drug. He discovers that Arthur Smith is a children’s entertainer, Stephen Fry is a Royal Biographer and Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark is a homeless waif who sets fire to telephone boxes…” this is a surrealist comedic fever dream 🤣🥰🫥🖤☠️🧠

— Tapes From Beyond : yes I know it may seem hypocritical; me putting indie shows on the same list with professional productions with the backing of studios like the BBC or Realm/Q-Code (et al) - but it’s just a breath of fresh air when a lone creator shows up with the talent, the confidence, and the skill to set up not just an interesting premise; but to execute it in a clean, well-paced, and clever manner. I binged this in one sitting. For every 12 poorly written an executed budget-audiodramas there’s a single gem 💎. Gems like these are why I suffer podcasted audiodrama.

— Absolutely No Adventures : this one should be much higher up on this list but I forgot about it (it was one of my first podcasted audiodramas lol) - it’s a serialized fantasy-comedy - which sounds like it’s childish but it’s just great. Very funny - and it is easy to overlook how difficult true serialized comedy can be to write. For an indie project; this one’s a 9/10.

— Tower 57 (an Audible Original): a full cast audible-podcasted-audiodrama; 5 episodes. Description from the website (the category is supernatural horror) : “Luther’s first night in radio quickly becomes one he’ll never forget, when a mysterious caller known only as "Magnolia" begins to interfere with the station’s broadcast. As the night progresses, Luther and the station crew are pushed to their psychological and emotional limits as they uncover a life-threatening secret and deal with forces beyond their control. The desert is lonely at night...”

— Sunshadow (an audible original podcasted audiodrama): a full cast professional production. From the website description: “Welcome to Brisbane, Queensland. It’s 1970, and Australia’s 'Sunshine State' is a land of mown lawns, beer and pumpkin scones. But underneath this buttoned-down conservativism, the state is awash with dirty money that runs through a network of corrupt cops. And tonight, the man atop this rubbish heap, Senior Sergeant Paul ‘Squinter’ O’Toole, is driving young crime reporter Lawrence Rich to his death. He should never have got in Squinter’s battered old Kingswood. He should never have fallen in love with Frankie. He should never have come to Brisbane in the first place....

— Therapy Z (an audible original full-cast podcasted audio drama) Description from their website: “Part therapy, part horror, this drama is set right smack during the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse. While governments fight to contain the threat, a top psychotherapist seeks to help civilians recover mentally from these harrowing events. But Dr. Chloe Chung has unresolved trauma of her own - her missing son may still be alive within the zombie-filled containment zones.”

— The Temp (an audible original podcasted full cast audio drama) - very similar to the BBC Sounds comedy sitcoms minus the laughing track 🖤 Description from the website: “How far would you go to get your dream job? In The Temp, Warren (Marek Larwood) is sent to a variety of temp jobs by his recruitment officer Aimee (Vicki Pepperdine) on the promise that if he does a good job, it might become permanent. And each time, the job turns out to be more dangerous and ludicrous than advertised. Open-minded to the point of mindless, Warren never seems to notice that the job is very different to the job description - he just wants to do a good job, and get made permanent.”

— The Goodbye Party (an audible original, full-cast, podcasted audio drama) : this one sucks you in from the get-go of episode 1. Genre: suspense/thriller-horror. Description from the website: “In 1984, Detective Eric O'Malley investigated the bizarre deaths of a young couple, their bodies found naked by the side of a creek in Sydney's northern suburbs. Shortly before their demise, O'Malley learned, the pair had attended a swingers' party. The case was barely open before it was deemed an accident. But O'Malley knew it was murder. He just couldn't prove it. Thirty-five years later, O'Malley is found dead in his flat in what looks like a drug overdose. But his son James knows something's amiss. His dad was close to solving that case after all these years. And someone else knew it. To track down his father's killer, James must find the men and women who were there on the fateful night when that young couple died. This was the night of 'The Goodbye Party' - and uncovering its secrets will lead James down a dark path, filled with horrific twists and turns.” - this description does this audiodrama zero favors. It makes the plot sound far than it ought to have read. Just listen to a bit of episode 1 & decide from there.

— Motherhacker (by Gimlet studios) : description from their site: “Bridget’s life is a series of dropped calls. With a gift for gab, an ex-husband in rehab, and down to her last dollar, Bridget’s life takes a desperate turn when she starts vishing over the phone for a shady identity theft ring in order to support her family.”

—Looking for the Pleasant Green Universe AD’s? A sort of “prologue” series to The Lovecraft Investigations (by Julian Simpson) - look no further (but you must use SOUNDCLOUD to listen; but it’s free - I created a an in-order playlist)

— Fragments

— The Listener

— Bad Memories

— Kokomo

— Fugue State

— Mythos

— Mythos 2: Glamis

— Mythos 3: Albion

Then The Shadow Over Insmuth

————————————————

I also have lists on Podchaser, creatively cut into 2 categories 😝 “serious”/“not-so-serious”

— My “funny” list

— My “serious” list

——————————————

I also started the subreddit r/fullcastaudiodrama for lovers of quality (indie or otherwise, free & paid) audiodrama

[livinluxuriouslyselena]

—Below: An audible original

—Curious Under The Stars : From BBC radio 4/the BBC SOUNDS APP

— BOOM (by Stak)

[skyfullofpods-deactivated202605]

144 is @wheretheleavesfallpurple!

Set on and around a university campus, the story follows a group of students. Ben hosts a true crime podcast, and he gets an idea to boost listenership - asking his friend Janie to fake her disappearance, so that he can document the investigation on his podcast.

One season of 12 episodes currently available.

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Thank you so much to everyone who has downloaded Where the Leaves Fall Purple!

We’re a little late to the party on this one as we’re well on our way to 30K now. We’re still amazed at our international listenership and how the show continues to grow. We really appreciate you all. We couldn’t do it without your support.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled because we have some exciting news coming soon.

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

From the creator of Where the Leaves Fall Purple. Here is the proof-of-concept trailer for Catherine.

Like what you see? Want to help us bring this film to the big screen some day soon? We want to hear from you! We can't make this a feature without your support.

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates. We've got more Catherine to bring you soon.

Synopsis: Brandon Mohn's wife Catherine went missing in the middle of the night two years ago with zero leads as to her whereabouts. Finally ready to move on with his life, Brandon gets engaged to his new girlfriend, Amanda. Brandon feels like he's living a fairytale until he gets a knock at his door. When he opens it, Catherine is there smiling back at him. Brandon is in shock, not only because she's returned but he was certain he had killed her.

Starring:

Pete MacLeod as Brandon

Kimberly Billinton as Catherine

Ashleigh Burns as Amanda

Corey Hendricks as James

Kennedy Rowe as Isabelle

Michelle Deighton as the Reporter

Written/Directed by Kimberly Billinton

A Patterson Productions Picture

Sound design by Aftertouch Audio

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Want a murder-mystery that has:

-University/College students

-Queer representation

-A good amount of sarcasm

-Twist, turns, and surprises

-Fall vibes

-A podcast which parodies making podcasts

-A diverse cast and crew

-Indie creators who just want to tell you a thrilling story

If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out the first season (now complete) of Where the Leaves Fall Purple wherever you get your podcasts!

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

SATURDAY MARCH 18th.

Need a recap before our finale starts? Let Ben, Veronica, and Janie fill you in on what’s happened in Dodgewood.

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

A line preview of episode 11. Coming soon.

Who do you think Ezra says this to?

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Corey (Ben), Ashleigh (Veronica), and Kim (Janie) filmed a pre-season finale recap to jog your memories before the last episode. Look for that in your feeds soon. 💜

[vestaclinicpod]

Happy last day of Audio Drama Valentine's 💓

A huge thanks to all the people who sent in love letters, seeing the response from creators has been so lovely - they appreciate you so much! Happy love week to:

@tellnotalespod, @unwellpodcast, @valencepod, @wiz4wiz, @woodenovercoats, @woebegonepod, @wirelandranch, @wheretheleavesfallpurple, @starsfellradio 💕

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Have you put the pieces together before the finale?

Catch up on Where the Leaves Fall Purple at www.wtlfp.com/listen or wherever you get your podcasts.

Photo by Bowen O’Brien

[cypresskey]

The audio drama community really be like “this podcast emotionally wrecked me, I have no tears left, I will never be the same again, these characters yeah they go through terrible shit and cant be happy for over a minute, i am in severe emotional turmoil, so go listen to this podcast 11/10 do recommend” and I love it

[wheretheleavesfallpurple]

Thank you for all your support of our show this year! Here’s to 2023 (and our season finale)!