Alice Isn't Dead

Alice Isn't Dead is a podcast presented as a series of audio diaries by a truck driver in her search across America for the wife she had long assumed was dead (the eponymous Alice). In the course of her search, she encounters not-quite-human serial murderers, towns literally lost in time, and a conspiracy that goes way beyond her missing wife.[4] The series was created in 2016 by Joseph Fink, and it has been published by Night Vale Presents since March 8, 2016.[2] The main character and narrator, whose name is only mentioned as being Keisha on the last episode of the first season, is voiced by Jasika Nicole. During its run, the podcast typically aired on alternating Tuesdays. The first season ended on July 12, 2016, with a second season premiering on April 4, 2017, which concluded on August 8, 2017. Fink stated that the third season would be the final season; it began airing on April 24, 2018, and concluded in August 2018.[5][2]

Alice Isn't Dead
Presentation
GenreMystery
Supernatural horror
Drama
Horror podcast
Created byJoseph Fink
Written byJoseph Fink
Narrated byJasika Nicole
Erica Livingston
Roberta Colindrez
LanguageEnglish
Production
Opening theme"Le Petit Bleu de la Côte Ouest" by Disparition[1]
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes
Publication
Original releaseMarch 8, 2016 
August 28, 2018
Related
Websitewww.nightvalepresents.com/aliceisntdead

A novel based on the series, written by Fink, was released on October 30, 2018, by Harper Perennial.

Production

In an interview with the Huffington Post, Joseph Fink explained that the inspiration for the podcast came from his experiences traveling around in vans on long trips, particularly in the United States, for the Welcome to Night Vale live shows.[4] The series puts particular focus on the narrator driving through towns without stopping and spending time at rest stops along the highway. All ten episodes of the first season were written by Fink, with music by Disparition.

Jasika Nicole also appears on Welcome to Night Vale in the role of Dana Cardinal.[6][7] She was pitched Alice Isn't Dead during a conversation with Fink before one of the Night Vale live shows and signed on immediately, receiving scripts a few months later.[4] The first season was partially funded through sponsored advertising by Audible Inc., Squarespace, Casper Sleep, and Blue Apron[2] – a practice that would continue with other series under the Night Vale Presents banner such as Within the Wires and The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air).

Roberta Colindrez, who appeared in the original cast of Fun Home and was a member of the Neo-Futurists alongside much of the Night Vale Presents crew, makes an uncredited voice cameo in the finale of Part 1.[8] She makes her first credited appearance as this character in the bonus episode "Haugen, Montana", narrating in place of Jasika Nicole, before making an appearance in the premiere of Part 2. Erica Livingston, also a former Neo-Futurist, makes an uncredited voice cameo as the titular Alice in the finale of Part 2, before making her first credited appearance as the character narrating the bonus episode "Mérida, Yucatán".

List of episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Part 110March 8, 2016 (2016-03-08)July 12, 2016 (2016-07-12)
Part 210April 4, 2017 (2017-04-04)August 8, 2017 (2017-08-08)
Part 310April 24, 2018 (2018-April-24)August 28, 2018 (2018-August-28)
Bonus103March 14, 2017 (2017-March-14)March 28, 2017 (2017-March-28)
3March 26, 2018 (2018-March-26)April 10, 2018 (2018-April-10)
4June 26, 2018 (2018-June-26)October 29, 2018 (2018-October-29)

Part 1 (2016)

No.TitleWritten byStarringDateRunning time
1"Omelet"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMarch 8, 201620:47
"A conversation in a diner gets ugly."
2"Alice"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMarch 22, 201622:25
"What is happening in the town of Charlatan?"
3"Nothing to See"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleApril 5, 201621:13
"What was that sound in the trailer just now?"
4"The Factory by the Sea"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleApril 19, 201621:23
"A delivery in Florida turns strange."
5"Signs & Wonders"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMay 3, 201627:16
"The billboards have something to tell us."
6"Sylvia"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMay 17, 201624:29
"A passenger leads her far from where she planned to go."
7"Let's Break into a Police Station"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMay 31, 201624:13
"They break into a police station."
8"The Other Town"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleJune 13, 201625:46
"What is happening in Victorville, CA?"
9"Go Home Again"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleJune 28, 201622:17
"She goes home. But something is waiting there for her."
10"Thistle"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Roberta ColindrezJuly 12, 201637:56
"Season finale. The end of one search, and the start of another."

Part 2 (2017)

No.TitleWritten byStarringDateRunning time
11"The Last Free Place"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Roberta ColindrezApril 4, 201725:20
"A dangerous meeting in the last free place."
12"Mouth of the Water"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleApril 18, 201728:34
"A mystery at the mouth of a river."
13"Abandoned Places"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMay 2, 201723:56
"What waits in the abandoned places?"
14"Chain"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMay 16, 201724:34
"Each Kmart sign looks like each Kmart sign; every Subway sandwich tastes the same."
15"Taconic"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMay 29, 201725:23
"Sylvia investigates her mother's murder."
16"Badwater"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Roberta ColindrezJune 13, 201724:10
"Two voices in a desert."
17"The Monk of Crystal Springs"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleJune 27, 201726:31
"Once a man lived at the Crystal Springs Rest Area. He doesn't live there anymore."
18"Absent Family"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleJuly 11, 201723:53
"The return to a certain abandoned house."
19"Prey"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Roberta ColindrezJuly 25, 201728:08
"A question is raised; a decision is made."
20"Why Am I Alive?"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Roberta Colindrez, Erica LivingstonAugust 8, 201727:33
"Did I know from the first time I saw you Alice? It feels like I did."

Part 3 (2018)

No.TitleWritten byStarringDateRunning time
21"Cause and Effect"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonApril 24, 201820:19
"Causality is a tricky thing."
22"Surroundings"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonMay 8, 201820:33
"There are oracles on these roads."
23"Means of Escape"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonMay 22, 201824:09
"When it's time to leave, do it quickly."
24"Three Nights at the Old Motel"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonJune 5, 201825:55
"Watch out for the locals."
25"What Happened to Hank Thompson"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonJune 19, 201823:05
"The bad is as human as the good."
26"This Isn't It"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonJuly 3, 201818:59
"Is this it? (It isn't.)"
27"Speakers"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonJuly 17, 201822:39
"Man, this isn't even close to the weirdest thing."
28"To Forgive"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonJuly 31, 201820:50
"I don't know if you deserve forgiveness."
29"Praxis"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica LivingstonAugust 14, 201824:54
"It didn't feel like fear. It felt like movement."
30"An Ending"[2]Joseph FinkJasika Nicole, Erica Livingston, Roberta ColindrezAugust 28, 201827:17
"All road trips end."

Bonus episodes

During the lead ups to the releases of Part 2 and Part 3, short bonus episodes were released to advertise the podcast's return.

Part 2 (2017)

No. in
season
TitleWritten byStarringDateRunning time
1"(3) North Rim, Arizona"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMarch 14, 20173:57
"A cold morning at the Grand Canyon."
2"(2) Fremont, Washington"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMarch 21, 20174:00
"A vision under a bridge."
3"(1) Haugen, Montana"[2]Joseph FinkRoberta ColindrezMarch 28, 20173:16
"Allow me to introduce myself."

Part 3 (2018)

No. in
season
TitleWritten byStarringDateRunning time
1"(1) Perth, Western Australia"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleMarch 26, 20184:31
"There are many places I'll never go."
2"(2) Mérida, Yucatán"[2]Joseph FinkErica LivingstonApril 3, 20183:56
"I know I have a lot to answer for. And I will. I'll answer for it all."
3"(3) Los Angeles, California"[2]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleApril 10, 2018[lower-alpha 1]36:24
"Our special, one-off live episode as performed by Jasika Nicole and Disparition in Los Angeles on April 5, 2018."
  1. This episode was originally performed live in Los Angeles on April 5, 2018.

Another live show, entitled "The Finish Line", was performed at Live at the Coronet in Los Angeles on April 27, 2019, and was released digitally on November 14, 2019.[9]

Patreon-exclusive

As part of the Patreon campaign for Part 3, several bonus episodes were released to patrons of the show.[3] On October 14, 2019, the first four Patreon exclusive episodes were released publicly as a compilation episode called "The Window & The Mirror".

No. in
season
TitleWritten byStarringDateRunning time
1"Singapore"[3]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleJune 26, 20183:28
2"House on the Rock"[3]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleJuly 9, 20182:59
3"Skagway"[3]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleJuly 16, 20183:25
4"Whitby"[3]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleAugust 7, 20183:07
5"Newport"[3]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleOctober 25, 20184:29
6"Darvaza"[3]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleOctober 26, 20183:59
7"Camarillo"[3]Joseph FinkJasika NicoleOctober 29, 20184:52

Reception

Cassandra Khaw of Ars Technica positively reviewed the first three episodes, stating that the series "very quickly comes into its own, dropping any pretence of gallows humour for the kind of creeping, consuming terror that pervades the best horror movies."[10] Neil Verma compared the modus operandi of the Thistle Man, the series' antagonist who follows its narrator as she drives across America, to that of the eponymous villain in Lucille Fletcher's 1941 radio play The Hitch-Hiker.[11]

Awards

Award Year Category Reciptiant Result Ref.
Audio Verse Awards 2017 Best Production for an Ongoing, Dramatic, Production Podcast Finalist [12]
iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2019 Best Scripted Podcast Podcast Finalist [13]
Lambda Awards 2019 Lesbian Mystery Podcast Nominated [14]
S.P.C. Awards 2018 Earphones Award Winner Audiobook Won [15]

Unproduced television adaptation

A television adaptation of the podcast was in development for USA Network by Universal Cable Productions.[16] The series would have been written and executive produced by Kyle Bradstreet, who would have served as showrunner.[17][18] Fink would have written for and executive produced the show.[18] The show was ultimately not picked up.

See also

References

  1. "Alice Isn't Dead — Disparition". Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  2. "Alice Isn't Dead". feeds.nightvalepresents.com. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  3. "Alice Isn't Dead is creating Alice Isn't Dead, Part Three". Patreon. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  4. Capewell, Jillian (March 9, 2016). "Your New Podcast Addiction Is A Fictional Thriller Starring A Truck Driver". Huffington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  5. "Alice Isn't Dead". Night Vale Presents. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  6. Baronemarch, Joshua (March 7, 2016). "'Alice Isn't Dead,' a Dark New Fictional Podcast in a Booming Market". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  7. Dobbs, Sarah (July 25, 2013). "Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor on Welcome To Night Vale". Den of Geek. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  8. @AlicePodcast (March 31, 2017). "And a new voice! That we know now is Roberta Colindrez. And who is not the character people assumed she was. #AliceIsntDead" (Tweet). Retrieved June 15, 2017 via Twitter.
  9. "Night Vale Presents: Alice Isn't Dead". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  10. Khaw, Cassandra (April 21, 2016). "Alice Isn't Dead review: Gorgeously eerie work from the creators of Night Vale". Ars Technica. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  11. Verma, Neil (2017). "The Arts of Amnesia: The Case for Audio Drama, Part Two". RadioDoc Review. 3 (1): 1–22. doi:10.14453/rdr.v3i1.6.
  12. "2017 List of Finalists". The Audio Verse Awards. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  13. "2019 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: Full List of Winners". iHeartRadio. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  14. Dishmon, Krisdee (March 8, 2019). "Hit Americana Mystery 'Alice Isn't Dead' Nominated for Lambda Award". bookstr.com. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  15. "ALICE ISNT DEAD by Joseph Fink Read by Jasika Nicole | Audiobook Review". AudioFile Magazine. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  16. King, Eric (August 16, 2017). "Alice Isn't Dead podcast will be adapted into USA Network series". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  17. Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (April 9, 2018). "'Mr. Robot's Kyle Bradstreet To Write & Exec Produce 'Alice Isn't Dead' TV Series Based On Podcast In Works At USA & UCP". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 10, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  18. Haupt, Angela (October 25, 2018). "Joseph Fink brings 'Alice Isn't Dead' back to life with new book". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
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