LOS ANGELES — Paul Lieberstein, a writer and actor for “The Office,” had a wacky idea for a story about a bored spaceship captain who goes on comedic tangents while traveling the galaxy. But Lieberstein didn’t think the concept would work in a conventional TV episode format.
So he decided to create a fictionalized podcast instead. “Middlespace: The Rebels Attack, and Then the Other Side Attacks As Well” will debut next week on Audible, the audiobook and podcast company owned by Amazon.
“There’s an impatience in film and television now,” Lieberstein said. “There’s just a lot that has to happen and a lot of story needs to be told … I didn’t have a story to tell, I had some characters to just kind of play around with. [In] the podcast/Audible world — people are more willing to accept a different way to go.”
The series will be among six new scripted comedy podcasts that Audible will roll out in the coming months, as the Newark, N.J., company looks to expand its entertainment offerings and appeal to more consumers.
“Audible is where the audience is at and if the audience is craving comedy, we’re going to deliver what they need and we’re partnering with some of the most exciting people in the space,” said Zola Mashariki, head of Audible Studios.
Launched in 1995 as an audiobooks company, Audible has been expanding into other forms of storytelling in recent years.
After e-commerce giant Amazon bought the company for $300 million in 2008, Audible ventured into original scripted podcasts, launching its first scripted original comedy “Stinker Lets Loose!” in 2018; it already has 31 scripted comedy podcasts. Many are told through 20- to 30-minute episodes.
Scripted podcasts allow Audible to invest in stories that could be repurposed for other areas of Amazon, such as Amazon Prime Video. For example, “Evil Eye,” which began as a podcast on Audible in 2019, was later adapted into a horror movie that was released on Amazon Prime Video last year.
Like other entertainment companies, Amazon has been expanding its footprint in the podcast space. Last year, Amazon Music acquired West Hollywood-based Wondery.
By adding podcasts, Audible can appeal to talent and their potentially large social media followings.
“They’ve got the install base of people who are already on a commute, they like the audio format,” said Ray Wang, a principal analyst at Palo Alto-based Constellation Research. “They want to expand on it.”
Audible says it has millions of listeners but did not disclose specific figures. Users can access the exclusive new podcasts through an Audible subscription, which starts at $7.95 a month.
Audible’s podcasts span many content categories, primarily comedy, romantic comedy, sci-fi, thriller, mystery and well-being, the company said.
