'Serial' podcast may be coming to a small screen
The rights for a TV adaptation of 'Serial' have reportedly been optioned by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, who co-directed such films as 'The Lego Movie' and the '21 Jump Street' movies. The podcast 'Serial' became a pop culture hit when it debuted in 2014.
'Serial' host Sarah Koenig accepts a Peabody Award for the podcast.
Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
The popular podcast “Serial” will reportedly be adapted for another entertainment medium.
The TV rights for “Serial” have been optioned by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, a duo who are best known for co-directing and co-writing the 2014 hit “The Lego Movie.” The two also co-directed the “21 Jump Street” films which star Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.
Fox 21 Television Studios, which produces such programming as Showtime’s “Homeland” and the Lifetime show “Witches of East End,” have optioned the "Serial" rights along with Miller and Lord.
If it moves forward, the TV show would reportedly chronicle how the podcast is created.
“Serial” debuted in 2014 and is executive-produced by Julie Snyder and Sarah Koenig, who both work on the program “This American Life.” Koenig hosts the “Serial” podcast and the first season of “Serial” looked at an obscure murder case that occurred in 1999, involving 17-year-old Adnan Syed was was convicted of murdering his former girlfriend during their senior year of high school. Mr. Syed is serving a life sentence in prison.
When it debuted in 2014, “Serial” experienced success that was almost unprecedented for a podcast. According to Apple, “Serial” became the fastest podcast to reach more than five million downloads and streams.
Koenig and Snyder's “This American Life” is also a popular podcast and is currently ranked at No. 3 on the iTunes podcast list. “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” which is hosted by sports writer Simmons, is No. 1, while the science-based “Hidden Brain,” which is hosted by NPR’s Shankar Vedantam, is ranked at No. 2. Coming in at No. 4 is “Limetown,” which is hosted by Lia Haddock of American Public Radio and delves into what might have happened to the people who vanished from the area of the same name. “Serial” itself is still at No. 5.
It was recently announced that the second season of “Serial” will focus on Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban. In addition, Koenig has stated a third season is planned as well.