EXCLUSIVE: Canada’s CBC and the UK’s BBC are jointly working up a trio of podcasts, including one in which Game of Thrones actress Oona Chaplin explores J. Edgar Hoover’s campaign to root out Communism in Hollywood and his obsession with her grandfather, silent movie star Charlie Chaplin.
The project, from CBC Podcasts and BBC World Service, is an extension to a collaboration commitment from 2019 in which the two national broadcasters pledged to enhance their services and programmes by working together.
The podcasts comprise Chaplin’s BBC Audio Wales-produced Hollywood Outcasts, Antica Productions and Telltale Industries’ The Bait and BBC Scotland Productions’ The Billion Dollar Goldmine Scam (all working titles).
Hollywood Outcasts will see Spanish-British actress Chaplin, known for roles in Game of Thrones and Taboo, looking at how Hoover’s determination to stop perceived Hollywood Communism centered around The Tramp star Charlie Chaplin and guide listeners through the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee hearings and the ‘Hollywood blacklist.’
The Bait will see journalist Hannah Ajara searching for an adult entertainment star whose images are being used against her will. The journey will take her from the UK to Florida and on to West Africa.
The Billion Dollar Goldmine Scam will follow investigative journalist Suzanne Wilton, who tells the story of a massive mining fraud in the 1990s perpetrated by Bee-X Minerals. It’s billed as a “story of greed, gold and mystery.”
The three podcasts will be made available on BBC Sounds, CBC Listen and most other podcast platforms. They’re scheduled for release this year and next.
“I’m delighted that The BBC World Service is collaborating with CBC Podcasts in creating fresh, compelling podcasts through these new commissions,” said BBC Director General Tim Davie. “With first-class storytelling at their heart, I look forward to seeing these podcasts brought to a wider audience.”
“BBC and CBC/Radio Canada are both leaders in podcasting and it is a great pleasure to launch this joint initiative,” said CBC President and CEO Catherine Tait. “This collaboration is another way that we as public broadcasters can leverage our expertise to serve audiences at home and around the world.”
