TORONTO – Corus Entertainment announced Wednesday its IP and production venture Waterside Studios and its podcast network Curiouscast have partnered with international podcast producer Blanchard House to produce four podcasts, all of which will be adapted for television.
The first podcast is Black and Blue: Behind the Badge, hosted by BAFTA-nominated Welsh-Zimbabwean journalist Seren Jones. Launching Oct. 17 on Curiouscast, Black and Blue is “a true crime podcast centering around the experiences of Black officers in what one of them calls ‘the biggest gang in America’: law enforcement,” reads a Corus press release.
The podcast follows the story of Black police officer Michael Morrison. “After joining the police force to serve and protect, he faces racism, violence and hostility. Michael’s life in policing will make him question everything he thought he knew about justice, community, and himself,” the release says.
Development on a TV drama series based on the podcast is currently underway, according to the release.
“From the very beginning, our goal at Curiouscast has been to partner with and elevate exceptional creators and storytellers,” said Chris Duncombe, Curiouscast’s director of streaming and podcasting, in the release. “We are thrilled to launch our new multi-platform partnership with Blanchard House and Waterside Studios, furthering that goal to bring compelling stories and unique perspectives to global listeners.”
Waterside Studios launched in 2022 to develop premium scripted content for global audiences, with a focus on adapting IP for television, the release explains.
“It’s an exciting time to be partnering with the first-class team at Blanchard House, alongside the global platform Curiouscast, to develop four amazing podcasts for TV,” said Jeff Norton, head of Waterside Studios. “The podcasts are utterly riveting, and I have no doubt that the TV adaptation will take the storytelling to new heights.”
“Black and Blue is such a timely and provocative story, but most importantly it’s a story about a group of people who are often talked about, but not spoken to. It’s extremely rare to hear the voices of Black police officers in the mainstream media and we’re thrilled to be able to bring their stories to light,” said Rosie Pye, creative director and co-founder of Blanchard House.
“It’s been fantastic working with the team at Curiouscast and Waterside Studios to bring this story to listeners and set up this incredible story for development for international TV audiences,” she added.
Image of Black and Blue courtesy of Corus Entertainment.
