Variety: CNN’s Anderson Cooper to Explore Grief and Loss in New Series

Story from Variety:

In today’s podcast roundup, CNN’s Anderson Cooper delves into how to move forward after losing a love one; NPR sets “Invisibilia” Season 9 premiere date; former Obama adviser David Plouffe hosts podcast focused on the 2022 midterm elections for Cadence13; and more.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper hosts limited-series podcast “All There Is With Anderson Cooper,” premiering Sept. 14. In the series, Cooper embarks on a “deeply personal and emotional exploration” of loss and grief and how to move forward without forgetting the people we miss. According to CNN, he began recording the podcast alone during his final weeks packing up the apartment of his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, who died in 2019. Among his mother’s keepsakes and secret journals, Cooper found unopened boxes belonging to his father and brother, both of whom died decades ago. Feeling overwhelmed, Cooper began to record conversations with others about their experiences with grief.

Special guests on “All There Is With Anderson Cooper” will include late-night host and comedian Stephen Colbert, actor and comedian Molly Shannon and artist Laurie Anderson. “I’ve often felt isolated and alone in grief and yet it is something all of us will experience in our lives,” Cooper said in a statement. “It’s helped me tremendously to hear from others on how they move forward in the face of loss, and I hope it helps listeners of this podcast as well.” “All There Is With Anderson Cooper” will debut new episodes on Wednesdays and will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms.

NPR announced that Season 9 of “Invisibilia,” hosted by Yowei Shaw and Kia Miakka Natisse, will debut on Sept. 9. The latest season of show — about the unseen forces that control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs and assumptions — will focus on what it means to search for control in a time of upheaval. Episodes in Season 9 will feature a comic and a dominatrix facing off to solve a power problem; a thought experiment on maintaining control of your body in a post-Roe U.S.; a community contending with the ghosts of their past; and South Africa’s first Black freediving instructor on what might be the antithesis of control — freedom.

“Unladylike,” the feminist lifestyle podcast hosted by Cristen Conger, returned with new episodes Sept. 6. In the latest episode, she looks at women and conspiracy theories — and how predominantly white, Christian women have played a formative role in America’s conspiracy culture, from today’s QAnon moms to the women who popularized its evil global cabal conspiracy a century ago. Upcoming topics include “Feminism vs. the Wedding Industrial Complex” (Sept. 13) and “Big Foot Fetish” (Sept. 20) about sexual attraction to feet. Conger co-created the HowStuffWorks podcast “Stuff Mom Never Told You” in 2009, and in 2018 she launched “Unladylike,” which is produced by Starburns Audio and Unladylike Media.

“Witnessed: Mystic Mother,” Season 3 of the “Witnessed” investigative podcast franchise from Campside Media and Sony Music Entertainment, premiered Sept. 6. The new season explores the story behind the Phoenix Goddess Temple, a place that offered “seekers” healing through sensual touch before it was shut down by authorities in 2011 over allegations of prostitution. Hosted by sisters Leah and Katie Henoch, the series raises questions about the criminalization of sex work and the boundaries of religious freedom in America, according to the podcast’s producers. “Witnessed: Mystic Mother” is produced by Sarah Ventre, Emily Martinez, Katie Henoch and Leah Henoch at Campside Media. All eight episodes of the series are available now on The Binge, Sony Music’s subscription channel, with the first two episodes available on other audio platforms (and subsequent episodes to be released weekly).

Meet Cute, an independent entertainment company that produces scripted romantic comedies for Gen Z and millennial audiences, launched audio series “A Mid-Semester Night’s Dream,” starring “Bridgerton’s” Charithra Chandran. The six-part series is a “playful retelling of the Shakespeare classic,” to be released in 15-minute segments every Tuesday and Thursday throughout September. Episode 1 dropped on Sept. 6. The cast also includes Rasha Zamamiri (“The Blacklist”), Elliott Ross (“Masters of the Air”), Craig First (“Diabolical”) and Joseph Lymous (“Hello Tomorrow!”). “A Mid-Semester Night’s Dream” is written by Danielle Evenson (“Whatta Lark”) and Heather Huntington (“Persuasion”), directed by Suha Araj (“Rosa”). Jenn Nielsen is associate producer and Sean Paulsen is audio producer.

Podcast network Lemonada Media and KSL Podcasts debuted true-crime podcast “The Letter,” hosted by journalist Amy Donaldson, on Sept 6. The eight-part series tells the story of the brutal murder of Zachary Snarr, which took place in Salt Lake City on Aug. 28, 1996. “The Letter” tells “a story of forgiveness, guilt, and what happens after the headlines die down and the real story begins,” per Lemonada and KSL.

iHeartMedia and Sports Illustrated have teamed for original podcast series “The Bag With Rashad Jennings and Lindsay McCormick.” Hosted by former NFL star, NFLPA rep and best-selling author Rashad Jennings, and sports and business journalist Lindsay McCormick, the weekly show dives into the business behind sports, ranging from NFTs and crypto to fantasy leagues and athlete contracts. The first two episode of “The Bag With Rashad Jennings and Lindsay McCormick” premiered Tuesday, Sept. 6, with new episodes airing daily. The series is distributed by iHeartPodcasts, available on the iHeartRadio app and other podcast platforms.

David Plouffe, former Obama campaign manager and White House senior adviser, hosts Season 2 of “Campaign HQ” from Audacy’s Cadence13 focused on the 2022 midterm elections. The new season premieres Sept. 8, with new episodes to be released Thursday through Nov. 10. Plouffe will explore the races and candidates in key states — Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and California — focusing on one state per episode, analyzing the battles for Senate, House, gubernatorial, Secretary of State, and Attorney General posts. The first episode of “Campaign HQ” will be focused on Pennsylvania and feature guests Brendan McPhillips, campaign manager for John Fetterman; Julia Terruso, political reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer; and Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall.

Audacy’s Cadence13 hired entertainment executive Patton Valentine to oversee IP adaptation strategy across its original content divisions and to accelerate TV/film adaptation plans for titles including “Ghostwriter,” “Gone South” and “The Sunshine Place.” Valentine joins Cadence13 from Ley Line Entertainment, where he served as head of television, overseeing all aspects of Ley Line’s TV business, including projects set up at A&E Studios, EOne, UCP and Warner Bros.