CROOKED MEDIA ANNOUNCES NEW LINEUP FEATURING ORIGINAL CONTENT, COLLABORATIONS + EXCITING, NEW VOICES ALONGSIDE FAN-FAVORITES -- FOR ITS MOST AMBITIOUS SLATE TO DATE SPANNING CULTURE, POLITICS + FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Actors Josie Totah, Alycia Pascual-Peña + Yasmine Hamady to make podcast debut; new The Wilderness with Jon Favreau; Tommy Vietor co-production with Men in Blazers

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crooked Media, a progressive independent media company that delivers bold content to entertain, inform and inspire action, announces its newest development slate, with podcasts spanning culture, politics and foreign affairs. The 2022 slate includes three original premieres, a new acquisition, new seasons of award-winning favorites and a spinoff series in partnership with hit Men In Blazers Show, with more to be announced.

Crooked Media has launched more than 30 podcasts and digital series since its founding in 2017. The current lineup of ambitious storytelling and analysis generates more than 21 million monthly downloads and consistently ranks at the top of competitive podcast charts. Crooked has received over 50 awards and nominations since 2018, including a prestigious Peabody Award nomination.

New podcasts premiering soon include:

Dare We Say, hosted by three young actors and best friends including Critic's Choice nominee Josie Totah (Saved By The Bell, Mr. Mayor), Alycia Pascual Peña (Saved by the Bell, Moxie), and Yasmine Hamady ("Pretty Boy", "Dear Mama"), will cover everything from hookup culture and social media to structural racism and LGBTQ+ rights. They will be joined by actors, activists, comedians, experts, politicians and teen heartthrobs as they break down and try to understand the world their generation was handed. The weekly talk show will launch late summer 2022.

Imani State of Mind, a weekly podcast hosted by psychiatrist and TV personality Dr. Imani Walker and co-host comedian Megan "MegScoop" Thomas -- who set out to normalize conversations about mental health by sharing personal and professional experiences. The show is the latest podcast acquisition for Crooked Media, and will return with new episodes this July.

As our democracy is still reeling in the post-Trump era, reproductive, voter and LGBTQ+ rights are being dismantled and disinformation continues to mislead and divide voters across America, Jon Favreau is back with season three of The Wilderness, a hit series exploring the past, present and future of the Democratic Party. We'll hear directly from voters — from first timers to party switchers to those who are disengaged — in the battleground states that will decide the upcoming midterm elections. The Wilderness will premiere in September 2022.

Building on the success of Crooked Media's hit Rubicon, the new spinoff Positively Dreadful is a deep dive with Crooked editor-in-chief Brian Beutler into the headlines and trends that perpetuate anxiety in today's news, leaving listeners with a richer understanding of the value of remaining engaged. This series will premiere this summer on the Rubicon podcast feed.

In the leadup to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Tommy Vietor's foreign policy series Pod Save The World teams up with Roger Bennett of North America's No. 1 Football Podcast Men In Blazers Show for a limited series on the most watched global sporting event in history. They'll tackle the ethically fraught, morally bankrupt circumstances that led to Qatar as the World Cup host country. The series will air in both podcast feeds fall 2022.

The name Zhanna Nemtsova may be familiar to the Crooked audience from past episodes of Pod Save the World or to those who have heard of her father, Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who is believed to have been assassinated by Putin's thugs in 2015. On Another Russia co-hosted by Ben Rhodes, she shares her family's personal and timely story caught in the crossfire of Russian history. They'll explore the legacy of her father, his assassination and what it means for Russia, Ukraine and the world at this critical juncture. The series will premiere late summer 2022.

"What an exciting time at Crooked Media. This year we have more original programming than ever before – which is part of our goal to tell impactful stories and make sure our community of listeners can spend the entire day without once removing their ear pods," said Sarah Geismer, Crooked Media's Head of Creative Development and Production.

"With shows like Dare We Say and Imani State of Mind, among others, we believe this lineup of incredible, diverse voices and talent will also attract the next wave of Crooked fans to the network," said Sandy Girard, Crooked Media's EVP of Programming.

Crooked Media shows can be found on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher and wherever you listen to podcasts. Please visit www.crooked.com

About Crooked Media
Crooked believes that we need a better conversation about politics, culture, and the world around us -- one that doesn't just focus on what's broken, but what we can do to fix it. At a time when it's increasingly easy to feel cynical or hopeless, former Obama staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor have created a place where people can have honest conversations and tell stories that inform, entertain, and inspire action. In 2017 they started Crooked with Pod Save America—a no-bullshit conversation about politics. Since then, they've continued to add new shows, voices, and opportunities for activism through our Vote Save America platform, because it's up to each of us to do our part to engage in our democracy and build a better world.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Crooked Media