The story is set before thepresidency of Donald Trump and follows aright-wing radio host named Rick Egan. After theSeptember 11 attacks, Egan began spreadingxenophobic conspiracies about some missing Muslim teenagers, which led to him losing his platform. Eight years after his disgrace, Egan is searching for work on theconvention circuit when he meets a woman who provides information about one of the Muslim teenagers reappearing. Egan decides to follow the lead and investigate what really happened. In the process, Egan runs into a demonic sound monster called "The Blank" that feeds off of the hatred, divisiveness, and conspiracy-obsessed messages that radio hosts like Egan broadcast to the world. Egan makes aFaustian bargain with "The Blank" in an attempt to be absolved.[1][2][3]
The podcast was produced byMonkeypaw Productions andGimlet Media and was initially aSpotify exclusive show,[4] though was made available on other platforms in March 2023.[5] The podcast was written by Clay McLeod Chapman and Mac Rogers and directed by Mimi O'Donnell. The podcast was executive produced byJordan Peele, Mimi O'Donnell, andWin Rosenfeld with production credits for Amy McLeish,Geoff Foster, and Katie Pastore. The podcast's trailer was released on November 10, 2022, and all 12 episodes of the podcast were released on November 15, 2022.[6][7] Monkeypaw Productions had been experimenting with different mediums and had just completed their firststop motion filmWendell & Wild.[8] Peele commented on his desire to work in an audio-only format saying that "By stripping horror of all visuals, you can just focus on conjuring dread and unease in your listener's ear on this intimate and visceral level."[9][10] According to the production team, the podcast will use "immersive audio andsound design".[11] The podcast is a continuation of Peele's tendency to weavesocial commentary into his horror narratives, which often falls into the genre ofsocial horror.[12][13]
