EXCLUSIVE: Fresh Produce Media, the company behind Jon Hamm’s scripted podcast The Big Lie, has scored a trio of new shows at Amazon’s Audible.
Leading its latest slate is The Pearl and the Onion, a scripted podcast starring Veep’s Anna Chlumsky and Blindspotting’s Jasmine Cephas Jones. It comes after Fresh Produce Media renewed its first-look deal with Audible at the end of 2023.
The Pearl and The Onion, which is released on March 20, imagines a world where Julia Child (Chlumsky) and Josephine Baker (Cephas Jones) cross paths in an espionage adventure. While Julia and Josephine were both involved in the war—Julia with the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and Josephine as a spy for the French Resistance—this fictionalized version unites them in 1942 Nazi-occupied France to intercept classified invasion intelligence for the Allied Powers. As these two women navigate a web of spies, secret societies, and unexpected alliances, their bond becomes the key to altering the course of D-Day.
The series was created by Julian Ambler, written by Brittney Allen, and directed by Kimberly Senior. It is exec produced by Fresh Produce Media’s Chief Content Officer Colin Moore and CEO Jason Ross.
Julian Ambler, creator of the series and Head of Development for Fresh Produce Media, said, “The Pearl and The Onion is a brilliant example of how fiction can breathe new life into real stories. The creative team has taken these fascinating, complex figures from history and reimagined their world in a way that feels both deeply authentic and inventive. It’s been an incredible experience bringing this series to life, and we can’t wait for listeners to discover these historical figures in a whole new way.”
Senior added, “Anna and Jasmine bring such depth and nuance to these characters, making this imagined adventure feel thrillingly real. While The Pearl and the Onion is a work of fiction, it celebrates the boldness and brilliance of two extraordinarily well-known women and their lesser-known true involvement in counterintelligence during the war.”
The company is also producing global music docuseries Chasing the Sound (March 27th); and the romance-comedy series Hit Singles.
In Chasing the Sound, which launches on March 27, Kirk Flash (This Is Gay) takes listeners on a global music journey to uncover the hidden stories, misconceptions, and debates behind some of the world’s most iconic genres. Each episode of the four-part documentary series begins with a single question about a song from Flash’s personal playlist, leading him to destinations like Mumbai, Johannesburg, Marrakech, and London to speak with musicians, DJs, authors, journalists, socialites and other experts.
Chasing the Sound is executive produced by Moore, Ross, Free Turn’s Jon Hamm and Gemma Batterby.
Finally, Hit Singles, which comes out on April 10, is a scripted comedy series following Faith Adler (Evangeline Young), an aspiring DJ who moves to Brooklyn for the summer and crashes with her best friend Tori (Simone Policano). From Faith’s confusing romance with David (Nicholas Podany) to Tori’s questionable taste in men, their uptight roommate Ginah’s secret crush (Juliah Rehwald), and their flirty heartthrob neighbor Matt (Briggon Snow), Hit Singles explores all aspects of sex and dating in the 21st Century.
The series was created and directed by Gabriel Urbina, who reunites with collaborators Sarah Shachat and Zachary Valenti, co-creators of the audio series Wolf 359. It is executive produced by Colin Moore and Ross.
