Episodes

  • Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals: Season 1 trailer

    Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals: Season 1 trailer
    Sep 4 2023

    Living and dead horror authors tell scary stories round the campfire in "Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals", an upcoming audio adaptation of Bitter Karella's Hugo-nominated comedy-horror microfiction. Full episodes start releasing on October 31, 2023, with an early premier and cast chat streaming on Twitch on Sunday October 29th. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com

    CAST, in order of appearance:

    • EDGAR ALLAN POE – Rodrigo Borges
    • ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON – Dexter Howard
    • HP LOVECRAFT – Robin Johnson
    • BRAM STOKER – Joel A.S. Butler
    • JONATHAN HARKER – Thaddeus Strange
    • DRACULA – Rodrigo Borges
    • PATRICIA HIGHSMITH – Kate Davoli
    • STEPHEN KING – Jason Robison
    • MARY SHELLEY – Rebecca D'Souza
    • VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN – Dominic Rye
    • DEAN KOONTZ – Wren Montgomery
    • CLIVE BARKER – Sister Indica
    • SHE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED – Hailey Piper

    Trailer edited by Robin Johnson using material from episodes written by Bitter Karella and Robin Johnson.

    Find the Midnight Pals at midnightpals.com or on twitter at @midnight_pals. Subscribe to the podcast at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast site/app of choice.

    A transcript of this trailer is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/season-1-trailer/transcript

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    1 min
  • Midnight Snacks: 11 teaser mini-episodes

    Midnight Snacks: 11 teaser mini-episodes
    Oct 23 2023
    The main characters of Midnight Pals, plus a few regular visitors to the campfire, introduce themselves with a series of short skits based on their most popular works. A medley of midnight-snack size tales from Stephen King, Mary Shelley, HP Lovecraft, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allan Poe and more.This is a consolidation of the first eleven short ‘teaser’ mini-episodes that were released prior to season 1. We’ve done this to clean up our feed and make it easier for new listeners to navigate to the full episodes, which will continue to be released weekly on Tuesdays throughout the season. Content notes: swearing, sexual references, raised voices, threats of violence, animal death, gory noises, discussion of racismCAST Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON Mary Shelley — REBECCA D’SOUZA HP Lovecraft/Arthur Conan Doyle — ROBIN JOHNSON Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERRY Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES with Anne Rice — JESSICA BERSON Roger Corman — BITTER KARELLA Robert Louis Stevenson — DEXTER HOWARD Shirley Jackson — RAYNA MONTGOMERY The script was written by Robin Johnson, based on tweets by Bitter Karella. Production and music by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant. Liselle Nic Giollabháin was a production assistant. TIME STAMPS 00:00 — Stephen King (The Tale of the Small Town with a Spooky Secret) 00:55 — Mary Shelley (The Tale of the Hot Monster) Inspired by Frankenstein, available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41445; also see our full episode The Tale of the Frankenstein 01:45 — HP Lovecraft (The Tale of the Indescribable Eldritch Abomination) Lovecraft’s works are available at https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/ 02:30 — Dean Koontz 03:10 — Clive Barker (The Tale of the Horny Ghost) 03:55 — Edgar Allan Poe (The Tale of the Black Cat) Poe’s The Black Cat is included in his collected works at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2148 05:00 — Anne Rice (The Tale of the Sad Vampire and the Devil) Inspired by Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles series 06:15 — Roger Corman Read about Roger Corman’s “Edgar Allan Poe’s The Haunted Palace” (1961) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haunted_Palace 08:05 — Robert Louis Stevenson (The Tale of the Bottle Imp) The Bottle Imp is included in Stevenson’s collection Island Nights’ Entertainments, available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/329 09:35 — Arthur Conan Doyle (The Tale of Sherlock Holmes) Doyle’s works, including many stories of Sherlock Holmes stories as well as those of Professor Challenger, are available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/69 11:00 — Shirley Jackson (The Tale of the Haunted House) Inspired by Jackson’s The House on Haunted Hill (1959) Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals is created by Bitter Karella © All characters are fictitious, especially the real ones. Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Cast or wherever you find podcasts. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a rating or a review. Find us at midnightpals.com
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    16 mins
  • Midnight Snack: The Tale of the Torture Tower

    Midnight Snack: The Tale of the Torture Tower
    Oct 24 2023

    It's Bram Stoker's turn at the campfire and he's brought a new story, "The Tale of The—" oh dear, we might have to do something about that title.

    Content notes: Discussion of racism; human and animal death; discussion of violence and torture.

    Season 1 Premiere: Our first full episode, The Tale of the Frankenstein, will release on our podcast feed on Tuesday 31st October— but there will also be a special early streamed premiere and open hangout with the cast and crew on Sunday 29th October at 5PM GMT / 1PM Eastern / 10AM Pacific. Join us on Rodrigo "Poe" Borges's twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/TheCommanderRod

    CAST:

    • BRAM STOKER – Joel A.S. Butler
    • EDGAR ALLAN POE — Rodrigo Borges
    • CLIVE BARKER — Sister Indica
    • HP LOVECRAFT – Robin Johnson
    • MARY SHELLEY – Rebecca D'Souza
    • STEPHEN KING – Jason Robinson
    • DEAN KOONTZ — Wren Montgomery

    Script, production and music by Robin Johnson, loosely adapted from The Sq**w by Bram Stoker. The Midnight Pals is created by Bitter Karella. All characters are fictitious, especially the real ones.

    About the story: Bram Stoker's unfortunately named short story The Sq**w was included in his posthumously published short story collection Dracula's Guest, which can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10150 (CN for explicit racism, torture, gore, and killing of humans and animals.) In adaptations it has been variously renamed Dungeon of Horror, Cat's Cradle and The Torture Tower.

    HP Lovecraft's childhood cat was named either what you're thinking, or something worse.

    Find the Midnight Pals at midnightpals.com on bluesky at @midnightpals.bsky.social or on twitter at @midnight_pals. Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals now at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com or via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your podcast site/app of choice.

    A transcript of this teaser is available at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/teaser-12-bram-stoker/transcript
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    9 mins
  • The Tale of the Frankenstein

    The Tale of the Frankenstein
    Oct 30 2023

    Mary Shelley tells her Midnight Pals a chilling tale about a brilliant young researcher, Victor, whose arrogance leads him to pursue a deadly ambition. The experiment has been attempted by generations of mad scientists, but never successfully accomplished: the creation of a Frankenstein! Stephen King gets pedantic about terminology.

    Content notes: swearing, raised voices, violence, gore, death including the murder of a child, mention of strangulation.

    CAST

    • Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
    • Edgar Allan Poe/De Lacey — RODRIGO BORGES
    • Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
    • Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON
    • Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
    • HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON

    with

    • Victor Frankenstein — DOMINIC RYE
    • The Monster — CANAVAN CONNOLLY
    • The Bride — BETH LINDLY
    • Professor Griffin — ANNA LAZAREV
    • Professor Waldman — BRAD BARNES
    • Dr Krempe — DAVID COURT
    • Agatha — LIETTHYS
    • Captain Walton — LOU SUTCLIFFE
    • Olaf — DEXTER HOWARD
    • additional voices — LORETTA CHANG, MERCEDES HESSELROTH, EVE MORRIS, ADAM ROBINSON

    Episode written and produced by Robin Johnson, loosely based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and its various adaptations. Script edited by Bitter Karella. Music by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant. Material based on existing works is used for parody and comment.

    Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is often cited as the first science fiction novel and is certainly one of the most important and influential horror novels ever written. Shelley wrote it at the age of 18 (THAT'S LESS THAN 19) as part of a ghost-story writing competition with her pals. It has been adapted to stage and screen countless times, perhaps most notably in James Whale's 1931 film adaptation starring Boris Karloff as the trope-codifying flat-headed monster. The original novel is in the public domain and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41445

    A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e01-the-tale-of-the-frankenstein/transcript

    The Midnight Pals is the creation of Bitter Karella ©

    Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Cast, or wherever you find podcasts. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com
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    38 mins
  • The Tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

    The Tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
    Nov 7 2023

    A new candidate for the Midnight Society, insufferable San Francisco hipster Robert Louis Stevenson, attempts to impress the Pals with the story of Henry Jekyll, a Victorian psychiatrist. On the steamship home from a business trip, Jekyll's seemingly chance meeting with a certain Edward Hyde will change his perception of reality forever. In a twist so unexpected that nobody even knows it's a twist, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde turn out to be the same person! An adrenaline-fueled social satire of mischief, mayhem and soup.

    Content notes: swearing, discussion of colonialism and colonial violence, mention of death, murder and cannibalism, guns, explosions, themes of mental illness and dissociative identity.

    CAST

    • Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
    • Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
    • Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
    • HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
    • Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
    • Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

    with

    • Robert Louis Stevenson — DEXTER HOWARD
    • Dr Jekyll — KARIM KRONFLI
    • Mr Hyde — SEAN BABAPULLE
    • The Major — DAVID COURT
    • Poole — DAISY MCNAMARA
    • Constable — CANAVAN CONNOLLY
    • Resurrection Man — BRAD BARNES
    • Fanny Osbourne — SENI RIVERA

    Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella, based (very) loosely on The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson. Production and music by Robin Johnson. The sensitivity reader was Rebecca D'Souza, and Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant.

    Stevenson's original novella is in the public domain, and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/43

    A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e02-the-tale-of-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde/transcript

    The Midnight Pals is the creation of Bitter Karella ©

    Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Cast, or wherever you find podcasts. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com
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    35 mins
  • The Tale of Dracula

    The Tale of Dracula
    Nov 14 2023

    Neurotic closet-dweller Bram Stoker visits the campfire to tell his iconic vampire story. In Transylvania, hot twink Jon "Jonathan" Harker shacks up with a rich older man who wants to consume his bodily fluids. Meanwhile in England, notorious strumpet Lucy Westenra attempts to ensnare her innocent friend Mina into the dangerous and disgusting world of sex. A cautionary tale about the perils of horniness, as Bram attempts to prove once and for all that vampires are in no way sexy. Mary Shelley invites Anne Rice and Stephenie Meyer just to stir the pot.

    Content notes: swearing, raised voices, violence, death, guns, gory sounds, Victorian institutionalisation of mental health patients, strong sexual content.

    CAST

    • Edgar Allan Poe/Dracula — RODRIGO BORGES
    • Mary Shelley/Mina Murray — REBECCA D'SOUZA
    • Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
    • HP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSON
    • Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
    • Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

    with

    • Bram Stoker/Quincey Morris — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
    • Jonathan Harker — THADDEUS STRANGE
    • Lucy Westenra — MARNIE WARNER
    • Dr Van Helsing/Dr Seward — CASSIE VULPINE
    • Renfield — JOHN SERRANO
    • Anne Rice — JESSICA BERSON
    • Stephenie Meyer — NOMI IBSEN
    • Additional voices — EMILY HANNAK, LOU SUTCLIFFE, DAVID COURT

    Script by Bitter Karella, edited by Robin Johnson, based loosely on Dracula by Bram Stoker. Production by Robin Johnson. Music by Alex Rancourt, Robin Johnson and Lou Sutcliffe.

    Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula is the codifying example of the vampire story in popular culture. The book is in the public domain and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/345

    Stoker's completely normal letter to Walt Whitman, written on Valentine's Day of 1876, can be read at https://www.themarginalian.org/2019/01/09/bram-stoker-walt-whitman-letter/

    A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e03-the-tale-of-dracula/transcript

    The Midnight Pals is the creation of Bitter Karella ©

    Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Cast, or wherever you find podcasts. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com
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    37 mins
  • The Tale of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Midnight Society

    The Tale of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Midnight Society
    Nov 21 2023

    Arthur Conan Doyle stumbles upon the Midnight Pals' storytelling circle and reluctantly agrees to bring beloved supersleuth Sherlock Holmes back for one last, final, final case. A locked-room murder mystery turns to metafictional highjinks as the Pals are embroiled in the world of Holmes's adventures, sort of like when the holodeck malfunctions on Star Trek.

    Content notes: swearing, raised voices, drug references, portrayal of psychologically abusive relationships, threats of violence, guns, discussion of death, loss, grieving and murder.

    CAST

    • Edgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGES
    • Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZA
    • Clive Barker — SISTER INDICA
    • HP Lovecraft/Arthur Conan Doyle — ROBIN JOHNSON
    • Dean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERY
    • Stephen King — JASON ROBINSON

    with

    • Sherlock Holmes — LOU SUTCLIFFE
    • Dr Watson — CANAVAN CONNOLLY
    • Professor Moriarty/Ian Fleming — JOEL A.S. BUTLER
    • Inspector Lestrade — LISELLE NIC GIOLLABHÁIN
    • Old-timey radio announcer — NOMI IBSEN
    • Raymond Chandler — DEXTER HOWARD

    Script by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella, based on the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Production and music by Robin Johnson. Daisy McNamara was an audio consultant.

    Most of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (as well as his Professor Challenger ones) are in the public domain and can be found on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/69

    A transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e04-the-tale-of-sherlock-holmes/transcript

    The Midnight Pals is the creation of Bitter Karella ©

    Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Cast, or wherever you find podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please consider leaving us a rating or review. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com
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    42 mins
  • The Tale of the Strangers on a Train

    The Tale of the Strangers on a Train
    Nov 28 2023
    Patricia Highsmith, crime writer, snail friend, and lovable weirdo known for her shabby trenchcoat, eccentric habits, and possibly imaginary wife, investigates a bizarre double murder. Two people who don't know each other, or if you will, "strangers", meet on a rail vehicle, or as it were, "train", and plan the perfect crime. What really happened with Mary Shelley and her polycule at Lake Geneva last summer?Content notes: swearing, violence, murder, death including by train and drowning.CAST: Mary Shelley — REBECCA D'SOUZAEdgar Allan Poe — RODRIGO BORGESClive Barker — SISTER INDICAHP Lovecraft — ROBIN JOHNSONDean Koontz — WREN MONTGOMERYStephen King — JASON ROBINSONwith Patricia Highsmith — KATE DAVOLIJane Williams — HANNAH BROWNPercy Shelley — LOU SUTCLIFFEMrs Cleveland — JULIA DRAKEEdward Ellerker Williams — DAVID COURTTrain engineer — CANAVAN CONNOLLYHuman Guy — DEXTER HOWARDHuman Bruno — BRAD BARNESplus special guest stars HELEN ARNEY as Mary Wollstonecraft's ghostMIKE McSHANE as William Huskisson MPHelen Arney is a science presenter and musical comedienne who has appeared in TV, radio and theatre across the world with her unique mix of stand-up, songs and science. For more information, see helenarney.com.Mike McShane, veteran of Whose Line is it Anyway?, kindly agreed to record a cameo scream in support of Waverley Care, who provide help to people living with HIV and hepatitis in Scotland. Donations can be made at https://waverleycare.orgScript by Robin Johnson, edited by Bitter Karella, inspired by Patricia Highsmith's novel Strangers on a Train and its film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock. Elements from copyrighted works are used for purposes of parody and comment.This episode takes many liberties with history, the Midnight Pals characters are not necessarily representative of the real-life authors with whom they share names (except when they are), and Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals should on no account be regarded as a historical source... but... The story that the real Mary Shelley had sex on her mother's grave is often dismissed as myth, but happens to be surprisingly plausible—see this unrolled social media thread by the London Vagina Museum: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1588162489858117634.htmlShelley, despite centuries of historical gal-pal-ization, was certainly bisexual and probably did have an affair with Jane Williams, the widow of the man who drowned alongside Percy. See https://bi.org/en/articles/famous-bis-mary-shelleyWilliam Huskisson, member of parliament for Liverpool, was indeed killed by the first train locomotive, Stevenson's Rocket, during a technical demonstration. He'd probably have survived if he hadn't stopped halfway across the tracks to dither over whether to go left or right, which ought to be a lesson for all politicians. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Huskisson#DeathA transcript of this episode can be found at https://midnight-pals.simplecast.com/episodes/s01e05-the-tale-of-the-strangers-on-a-train/transcriptThe Midnight Pals is the creation of Bitter Karella ©Subscribe to Submitted for the Approval of the Midnight Pals on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Cast, or wherever you find podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please consider leaving us a rating or review. For more information, see https://midnightpals.com
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    48 mins