If audio shows and podcasts were top of mind for attendees at last week’s NewFronts gathering, Audible has just made a supremely timely announcement.
The audiobook retailer has just unveiled its first-ever slate of original programming, produced in collaboration with Reese Witherspoon’s busy and buzzy Hello Sunshine studio.
Hello Sunshine, which is focused on female-centric storytelling, will create three first-person audio memoirs exclusively for Audible (which is owned by Amazon). The multi-hour shows will shine a spotlight on: music manager Sophia Chang, judge Rosemarie Aquilina, and comedian-activist Maysoon Zayid. Programming will start to roll out later this year, Variety reports, and can be purchased a la carte or as part of the service’s $15 monthly subscription offering.
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In Baddest Bitch In The Room, Chang will recount her childhood as the daughter of Korean immigrants who fell in love with hip-hop at an early age, eventually coming to manage prominent artists like the Wu-Tang Clan. In Magnificent Things, Aquilina will talk about her experience presiding over the case of Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who was convicted of abusing numerous patients. And in Limping On the Edge, Zayid will talk about her experiences as a Muslim comedian with cerebral palsy.
Hello Sunshine first pacted with Audible last summer to launch Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine, to highlight books with strong female characters. In addition to its audio projects, Witherspoon’s studio also has high-profile video series in the works at top streaming sites including Hulu (Little Fires Everywhere) and Apple TV+ (The Morning Show and Are You Sleeping).
