Top Story Tonight!: Recent Episodes
Jane Wells
We are at a critical moment in history, where the 24/7 news cycle no longer just covers the story. It influences the story. Sometimes it IS the story. Do you love history and find the media maddening? #MeToo!
“Top Story Tonight!” revisits great moments in history as if the modern media existed at the time - cable news, Twitter, Instagram, talk radio, reality TV, even the dark web of conspiracy theories.
Imagine retelling the story of Cleopatra as the original Kim Kardashian on Instagram. Think Henry VIII as the king who wants to Make England Great Again. #MEGA!
You get the idea. This podcast brings history to life—warts and all—with a modern twist.
Journalists from around the Roman world descend on Jerusalem to cover the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, but then some really weird things start happening. Plus, we take a closer look at Pontius Pilate, and the podcast ends with a question.
Many actors in this podcast are not Christians--it certainly was not required! But Tanis Parenteau has a very compelling story behind her reason for not believing.
Time is running out. Jesus is arrested and goes on trial, while the women in his life defend him on talk TV. Then one disciple storms out of the "The Joe Roganus Experience," and Herod Antipas calls in.
The actors in this amazing podcast always surprise me with their adlibs. Frankly, the adlibs are the best part. I asked Sheron Bellio to play "Abby," a daytime talk host similar to Oprah who interviews "The Women of Jesus" in Easter part 3 (which posts later this week). First, though, Abby surprises her studio audience with free matzo for Passover. While reading her lines, Sheron proceeds to go off script, and I can't stop laughing at the results. Here, I pull back the curtain on working as a comedic voiceover artist by revealing the raw audio of all of her takes.
Jesus is profiled on a 1st Century version of Sports Center, while Jairus' daughter is an annoying preteen on Instagram talking about her own death. Then Mary Magdalene debates Caiaphas on cable TV, while Jesus finally grants one interview - to Nicodemus.
How does one find the right person to play Jesus? Finding actor Jason Grasl was an unusual journey, and his background surprised me. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2759625/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
A carpenter from some nowhere town up north has turned Jerusalem upside down, and no one can figure out what his deal is. A Roman soldier wants Jesus' followers to shut up, the Devil goes on pirate radio to badmouth him, while investigative reporters examine his teachings (how could anyone ever say ANYTHING good about a Samaritan?).
We are back with "BREAKING NEWS" about Jesus of Nazareth! It's Easter covered through social media and "fake news," as we meet the adult Jesus entering Jerusalem for Passover. Over four new episodes we follow developments online and on air, as conflicting reports suggest the Galilean carpenter is God, or just crazy. Mary Magdalene tries to livestream, the Devil takes to pirate radio, and Peter storms out of an ancient Joe Rogan podcast. Within a week, Jesus is dead. And then a weird thing happens...stay tuned.
Prepare yourself for something shocking. Well, it shocked me. Some biblical interpreters wonder if Mary agreed to her pregnancy, or if it happened without her consent. Here's a brief discussion, along with my own conclusion. Let me know what you think at jane@janewells.com.
This is a second version of the King Herod scene with a different actor who intentionally did not do a Trump parody. I recorded it in case--God forbid--something happened to the President which would make a parody completely inappropriate. It's not nearly as funny, and I'm glad (for many reasons) that I didn't need to use it.
I never intended to create a podcast about Jesus. I was more interested in the Old Testament. Less controversial. Plus, I was told by some top podcast executives, "Nobody wants religion." So how did this podcast happen? To quote Mary in episode 1, "It's a strange and wonderful story."
A short, fun behind-the-scenes listen as veteran journalist John Beard (who plays Blandus) tries to get through his lines, but there are a lot of pages, and he only has water in his flask. John is one of my favorite people, a news man who takes the news seriously, but not himself.
As shepherds livestream angels appearing to announce good news of a King born in a stable, King Herod declares "fake news" while holding a disastrous press conference with the Magi. We also learn about mentions of Jesus outside the Bible, and the incredible life of Herod the Great.
We have breaking news coverage as Judea is on the move in the 1st Century for the great Census! TMZ hounds a pregnant teenager from Nazareth who shows up in Bethlehem, and she ends up on daytime TV facing questions about her claims that she's the mother of the Son of God.
A pregnant teenager and her fiancé travel 100 miles for a government census, and the locals call them illegal aliens. Their king tweets “Fake News” at 3am when told of a child king. Shepherds take to Instagram as angels appear. We cover the story of Jesus as if modern media existed 2,000 years ago, and in between our “breaking news” coverage, 21st century experts weigh in to discuss facts and faith.
When God decides to create the heavens and the earth (and Man), the media is there! Confused reporters do their best to explain the unexplainable!
In the finale, the Pilgrims make peace with other local tribes after responding to threats with a brutal display of force. Meantime, stock market traders believe the investors back in England will turn a profit on this venture after all. Then the most successful daytime TV talk show host in history helps everyone celebrate Thanksgiving, with a surprise gift for the audience.
If “The Bacherlorette” existed in 1620 in New England, a young woman would not have many choices. Listen as the teenage Priscilla Mullens tries to choose between two Mayflower survivors pursuing her. We take a classic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Courtship of Miles Standish,” and ruin it with reality TV.
As Captain Myles Standish starts to build out the Plymouth Colony, the Pilgrims have yet to meet any native peoples. That suddenly changes when a tall, naked man walks into the colony to introduce himself, just as Standish is trying to get the hang of the “Instra-granite Stories” app. Then we meet Massasoit, leader of the Pokanoket, who hits the Sunday morning news programs to propose a deal with the English, one that will Make Pokanoket Great Again.
Finally, they get off the ship! They also have their first encounter with the Native Americans. It does not go well. At least the Pilgrims have chosen a place to settle, in an area near an (alleged) outcropping they (allegedly) decide to call Plymouth Rock. Young Priscilla Mullens pines for John Alden, a member of the Mayflower crew, hoping he notices her. However, it’s hard to be romantic when dozens of people are dying around you.
The Pilgrims have arrived to the New World, but they have yet to get off the ship. There is mayhem on the Mayflower, as the “Separatists” are at odds with the “Strangers,” the others on board sent over by the trip’s investors. Both sides finally agree on a governing set of rules called "The Mayflower Compact." Meantime, a small group leaves the ship to begin exploring nearby territory. They steal corn, a crime caught on tape by “Native America's Most Wanted." The local Pokanoket tribe debates the fate of these newcomers on talk radio.
It’s July, 1620, and the Puritan “Separatists” are a group of Christians on the lam from the British crown hiding out in Holland. They decide it’s time to head west to the New World. The only problem —they have no cash, so they seek investors. The investors demand more than just a return on their money. They force the “Pilgrims” to take dozens of other people with them. It’s a disaster from the get-go. We’ve got you covered on both sides of the Atlantic with breaking news!
They say history repeats itself. But would history repeat itself if every moment was tweeted, covered by cable news, dissected by conspiracy websites? Learn history a new way, as we hear the story of the Mayflower in real time, on both sides of the Atlantic, with hashtags.