Within the Wires is a dramatic anthology podcast in the style of epistolary fiction. In the first season, the listener, a medical inmate at a place called the Institute, receives guidance from the mysterious narrator of instructional relaxation cassettes.[1][2][3][4][5] In the second season, an artist named Roimata Mangakāhia communicates with the listener through a series of museum audio guides.[6] The third season, "a political thriller set in 1950s Chicago", is narrated by the bureaucrat Michael Witten; listeners access letters and notes dictated to his secretary.[7]
| Within the Wires | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Starring | Janina Matthewson (S1) Rima Te Wiata (S2) Lee LeBreton (S3) Mona Grenne (S4) Amiera Darwish (S5) Leah Minto (S6) April Ortiz (S7) Joey Rizzolo (S8) Jeffrey Cranor (BB) Kirsten Potter (YFIJBTR) |
| Format | surrealism, science fiction, anthology, epistolary fiction |
| Language | English |
| Production | |
| No. of episodes | 70 (plus 11 bonus episodes) |
| Publication | |
| Original release | June 21, 2016 |
| Related | |
| Website | www |
The series was created in 2016 by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson (who also narrated the first season), and it has been published by Night Vale Presents since June 21, 2016.[4][8] For the first five seasons during its run, the podcast aired on every other Wednesday, but starting with Season 6, changed to a weekly release. The first season ended on October 25, 2016; the second season premiered on September 5, 2017, the third on September 4, 2018, the fourth on September 9, 2019, the fifth on August 25, 2020, the sixth on October 12, 2021, and the seventh on October 18, 2022.
2021 also saw the publication of the first novel set in the Within the Wires world, You Feel It Just Below the Ribs. Written in the style of an annotated autobiography, it details the events of "the Great Reckoning" and the formation of the Society from the point of view of one of its survivors. The book was released on November 16, 2021. The audiobook was narrated by Kirsten Potter and Adepero Oduye.
Production
In an interview with CBC Radio's Podcast Playlist, Jeffrey Cranor explained that the initial idea behind the podcast was to use pre-existing audio guides as a template for storytelling, with the first season taking the form of a relaxation cassette program. Cranor had read and enjoyed Janina Matthewson's book "Of Things Gone Astray", and they first met when he messaged her on Twitter in Autumn 2015 inviting her to the live show for Welcome to Night Vale when it was touring through London. Cranor later pitched the initial idea to Matthewson and they began brainstorming story ideas together.[9] Episodes are outlined by both Cranor and Matthewson, before being written by one of them and then edited by the other.[10] Every season was written by Cranor and Matthewson, with music by Mary Epworth. From Season 4 onwards, Cranor and Matthewson also gain the titles of producer and director respectively. The first season was partially funded through sponsored advertising—a practice shared with other series under the Night Vale Presents banner such as Alice Isn't Dead and The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air).
With the release of the final episode of the first season, it was announced that those who donate $50 or more to the podcast would receive an exclusive prologue episode for the second season,[11][12] which was released on August 22, 2017.[13] After the launch of their Patreon, the prologue episode was included in the same tier as the bonus Black Box episodes.
Episodes
Every episode was written by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson.
Season 1: "Relaxation Cassettes"
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Cassette 1: Stress, Shoulders" | June 21, 2016 | 24:11 | |
| SIDE A: Weight of the World. SIDE B: Shoulders and Giants. | ||||
| 2 | "Cassette 2: Anxiety, Stomach" | July 5, 2016 | 22:28 | |
| SIDE A: Calming anxiety. SIDE B: Turning the Stomach. | ||||
| 3 | "Cassette 3: Insomnia, Feet" | July 19, 2016 | 28:18 | |
| SIDE A: Plant Your Feet, Wanderer. SIDE B: Sleep On It. | ||||
| 4 | "Cassette 4: Sadness, Lungs" | August 2, 2016 | 26:06 | |
| SIDE A: The Air in Here. SIDE B: The Confines of Freedom. | ||||
| 5 | "Cassette 5: Focus, Nose" | August 16, 2016 | 29:30 | |
| SIDE A: I am a Camera. SIDE B: A Nose is a Nose is a Nose. | ||||
| 6 | "Cassette 6: for Oleta" | August 30, 2016 | 25:04 | |
| SIDE A: The Past. SIDE B: The Future. | ||||
| 7 | "Cassette 7: Doubt, Head" | September 13, 2016 | 28:03 | |
| SIDE A: Shadow of Doubt. SIDE B: Keep Your Head About You. | ||||
| 8 | "Cassette 8: Awareness, Eyes" | September 27, 2016 | 26:14 | |
| SIDE A: All Eyes On You. SIDE B: The Likeness of Strangers. | ||||
| 9 | "Cassette 9: Loss, Hands" | October 11, 2016 | 26:19 | |
| SIDE A: In the Calm of your Hands. SIDE B: Cut Your Losses. | ||||
| 10 | "Cassette 10: Horopito" | October 25, 2016 | 26:16 | |
| Somewhere else. | ||||
Season 2: "Museum Audio Tours"
Prior to the season premiere, three trailers composed of preview segments from the season itself were released, on August 15, August 22, and August 29, 2017. Donors of $50 or more to the production of the second season received a special prologue episode, "Cassette 0: Karikari Contemporary (1969)", on August 22, 2017, with the release of the second trailer.[13] Every episode in this season features a guest star voicing the curator of the museum.
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | "Cassette 1: Tate Modern (1971)" | September 5, 2017 | 29:40 | |
| Still Life with Orchid; House with Yellow Door; The Charcoal Dish; Woman in Bath; Self Portrait with Cat. Featuring Mary Epworth as Fiona Williamson. | ||||
| 12 | "Cassette 2: Ulster Museum (1973)" | September 19, 2017 | 26:17 | |
| Still Life with Tomato Plant and Sword, oil on canvas, 1962; Marketplace, Summer Afternoon, 1965; Stapler (1968); Fingers. Together. (1967); Sunshine Afternoon (1968); Self-Portrait with Cat (1972, unfinished). Featuring Sarah Maria Griffin as Mary Breathnach. | ||||
| 13 | "Cassette 3: El Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (1974)" | October 3, 2017 | 55:00[a] | |
| A Palace Removed; The Parade in Paris; The Arising. Featuring Anairis Quiñones as Caty Velasquez. | ||||
| 14 | "Cassette 4: Bardo Museum (1975)" | October 17, 2017 | 25:14 | |
| untitled figure with hat; untitled automobile with driver; untitled waves; untitled dinner party; untitled artists at work; untitled rope and parrot. Featuring Felicity Crentsil as Ama Cudjoe. | ||||
| 15 | "Cassette 5: Van Gogh Museum (1977)" | October 31, 2017 | 26:34 | |
| Childhood Home, 1935; Childhood Home, Left; New Environments; Self-Portraits Sketchbook. Featuring Lia Albers as Lia Bakker. | ||||
| 16 | "Cassette 6: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1978)" | November 14, 2017 | 30:40 | |
| Mantis on Branch; Rubbish #3; Rubbish #7; Rubbish #15; Needlework; Housefly; Darkened Room; Guests. Featuring Kate Leth as Zoe Tremblay. | ||||
| 17 | "Cassette 7: Sree Chitra Art Gallery (1979)" | November 28, 2017 | 21:05 | |
| Women Alone, by Vanessa Nguyen; Self Portrait, by Roimata Mangakāhia; The Three Sisters, by Claudia Atieno. Featuring Lily Potkin as Clarissa Nair. | ||||
| 18 | "Cassette 8: Ohara Museum of Art (1980)" | December 12, 2017 | 28:39 | |
| Stars (oil on canvas); Attentiveness (oil on canvas); Sunglasses and Cigarettes (pencil sketch on paper); Lamp (oil on wood); Box of Acorns (acrylic box, acorns); Eleven. Featuring Julia Morizawa as Leah Akane. | ||||
| 19 | "Cassette 9: Metropolitan Museum of Art (1981)" | December 26, 2017 | 19:58 | |
| House with Yellow Door; Woman in Bath; The Empty Pier; Unfinished Work. Featuring Leah Nanako Winkler as Elaine Hara. | ||||
| 20 | "Cassette 10: Karikari Contemporary Gallery (1986)" | January 9, 2018 | 26:39 | |
| Early sketches (1953-1958); Providence (1964); Cornwall Cliffs (1972); Fingers Together, 1973; The Bodies, 1979; Self Portrait (1970); Claudia Atieno with Cat, 1974; Horopito #2, Horopito #4. Featuring Janina Matthewson as Hester Wells. | ||||
Season 3: "Dictation"
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | "Reel 1: July 3, 1953." | September 4, 2018 | 18:45 | |
| Letters to Sima Choudary, Helena Wood, and Bernice Jones. | ||||
| 22 | "Reel 2: August 23, 1953." | September 17, 2018 | 19:40 | |
| Letters to Ursula Lindholm, Bernice Jones, and Vishwathy Ramadoss. | ||||
| 23 | "Reel 3: November 26, 1953." | October 1, 2018 | 16:59 | |
| Letters to Sarah Chisholm and Reina Bachelor. | ||||
| 24 | "Reel 4: February 15, 1954." | October 16, 2018 | 19:01 | |
| Letters to Vishwathi Ramadoss, Leena Mäkinen, and Bernice Jones. | ||||
| 25 | "Reel 5: March 2, 1954." | October 30, 2018 | 18:45 | |
| Letter to Sarah Chisholm. | ||||
| 26 | "Reel 6: March 24, 1954." | November 13, 2018 | 18:10 | |
| For Amy. | ||||
| 27 | "Reel 7: March 29, 1954." | November 27, 2018 | 19:36 | |
| Letters to Vishwathi Ramadoss and Karen Roberts. | ||||
| 28 | "Reel 8: April 20, 1954." | December 11, 2018 | 17:55 | |
| Letters to Bernice Jones and Sima Choudary. | ||||
| 29 | "Reel 9: September 13, 1954." | January 1, 2019 | 24:02 | |
| Letters to Alejandra Reagan, Ursula Lindholm, Bernice Jones, and Sarah Chisholm. | ||||
| 30 | "Reel 10: June 21, 1961." | January 15, 2019 | 24:01 | |
| Letter to Amy Castillo. | ||||
Season 4: "The Cradle"
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | "Cassette 1: Spring 1993." | September 9, 2019 | 22:03 | |
| SIDE A: A letter for my daughter, Sigrid. SIDE B: Notes for the Cradle. | ||||
| 32 | "Cassette 2: Autumn 1993." | September 9, 2019 | 22:29 | |
| SIDE A: Dearest Sigrid. SIDE B: Inspirational tale for the Cradle. | ||||
| 33 | "Cassette 3: Summer 1994." | September 23, 2019 | 21:01 | |
| SIDE A: A story for Sigrid. SIDE B: A blessing for the Cradle. | ||||
| 34 | "Cassette 4: Winter 1994–95." | October 7, 2019 | 21:47 | |
| SIDE A: Sigrid, a visitor is coming. SIDE B: A mantra for the Cradle. | ||||
| 35 | "Cassette 5: Spring 1995." | October 21, 2019 | 24:01 | |
| SIDE A: Sigrid, I'm disappointed. SIDE B: A lesson of acceptance for the Cradle. | ||||
| 36 | "Cassette 6: Summer 1996." | November 4, 2019 | 24:19 | |
| SIDE A: Great news, Sigrid! SIDE B: A parable from The Hand. | ||||
| 37 | "Cassette 7: Spring 1997." | November 18, 2019 | 20:15 | |
| SIDE A: Motherhood is difficult, Sigrid. SIDE B: A sermon for the Cradle. | ||||
| 38 | "Cassette 8: Winter 1997–98." | December 2, 2019 | 24:22 | |
| SIDE A: Keep your eyes open, Sigrid. SIDE B: A homily on readiness. | ||||
| 39 | "Cassette 9: Autumn 1998." | December 16, 2019 | 19:55 | |
| SIDE A: Stay focused, Sigrid. SIDE B: You must believe in me, my Cradle. | ||||
| 40 | "Cassette 10: Autumn 1999." | December 30, 2019 | 26:10 | |
| SIDE A: I love you, my glorious daughter, Sigrid. SIDE B: I love you all, my faithful Cradle. | ||||
Season 5: "Voicemail"
As well as the main narrator voiced by Amiera Darwish, this season featured a secondary narrator voiced by Norma Butikofer at the end of every episode.
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | "Episode 1: March 2008." | August 25, 2020 | 23:16 | |
| Voicemails to Nan. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 42 | "Episode 2: September 2003." | September 8, 2020 | 18:38 | |
| Voicemails to Artie, Rachel, Beverly, and Nan. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 43 | "Episode 3: March 2002." | September 22, 2020 | 21:37 | |
| Voicemails to Nan. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 44 | "Episode 4: January 2002." | October 6, 2020 | 20:46 | |
| Voicemails to Nan, Liv, and Chunhua. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 45 | "Episode 5: September 2001." | October 20, 2020 | 17:46 | |
| Voicemails to Nan and Sophie. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 46 | "Episode 6: July 1999." | November 3, 2020 | 16:01 | |
| Voicemails to Nan and Chunhua. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 47 | "Episode 7: October 1997." | November 17, 2020 | 19:33 | |
| Voicemails to Nan, Sophie, and Chunhua. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 48 | "Episode 8: July 1997." | December 1, 2020 | 19:14 | |
| Voicemails to Nan, Sophie, and Liv. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 49 | "Episode 9: May 1997." | December 15, 2020 | 20:40 | |
| Voicemails to Nan, Liv, and Sophie. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
| 50 | "Episode 10: March 1997." | December 29, 2020 | 31:48 | |
| Voicemails to Nan. Voicemail from Gwen. | ||||
Season 6: "Caregiver"
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | "Episode 1: Monday 22 October 1973" | October 12, 2021 | 19:57 |
| 52 | "Episode 2: Tuesday 23 October 1973" | October 19, 2021 | 21:09 |
| 53 | "Episode 3: Wednesday 24 October 1973" | October 26, 2021 | 21:38 |
| 54 | "Episode 4: Thursday 25 October 1973" | November 2, 2021 | 21:58 |
| 55 | "Episode 5: Friday 26 October 1973" | November 9, 2021 | 21:39 |
| 56 | "Episode 6: Saturday 27 October 1973" | November 16, 2021 | 23:29 |
| 57 | "Episode 7: Sunday 28 October 1973" | November 23, 2021 | 19:32 |
| 58 | "Episode 8: Monday 29 October 1973" | November 30, 2021 | 22:30 |
| 59 | "Episode 9: Tuesday 30 October" | December 7, 2021 | 18:02 |
| 60 | "Episode 10: Samhain" | December 14, 2021 | 26:51 |
Season 7: "Scavenger Hunt"
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | "Episode 1: Amarillo" | October 18, 2022 | 15:38 |
| 62 | "Episode 2: Miami" | October 25, 2022 | 19:58 |
| 63 | "Episode 3: Tekapo" | November 1, 2022 | 21:07 |
| 64 | "Episode 4: Jakarta" | November 8, 2022 | 19:14 |
| 65 | "Episode 5: Adelaide" | November 15, 2022 | 21:29 |
| 66 | "Episode 6: Arusha" | November 22, 2022 | 19:51 |
| 67 | "Episode 7: Venice" | November 29, 2022 | 18:44 |
| 68 | "Episode 8: Glasgow" | December 6, 2022 | 16:24 |
| 69 | "Episode 9: Medellín" | December 13, 2022 | 17:08 |
| 70 | "Episode 10: Palo Duro" | December 20, 2022 | 16:42 |
Season 8: "Leadership Seminar"
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | "Cassette 1: Take Responsibility!" | October 17, 2023 | 20:11 |
| 72 | "Cassette 2: Inspiration, aspiration, Actualization!" | October 24, 2023 | 25:23 |
| 73 | "Cassette 3: Journal Your Life!" | October 31, 2023 | 17:45 |
| 74 | "Cassette 4: You Make Your Own Opportunity!" | November 7, 2023 | 19:54 |
| 75 | "Cassette 5: Trust Your Instincts!" | November 14, 2023 | 18:14 |
| 76 | "Cassette 6: It's All About Balance!" | November 21, 2023 | 19:15 |
| 77 | "Cassette 7: Cultivate Your Brand!" | November 28, 2023 | 16:59 |
| 78 | "Cassette 8: Invest in Yourself!" | December 5, 2023 | 22:44 |
| 79 | "Cassette 9: Sell the Idea of You!" | December 12, 2023 | 15:09 |
| 80 | "Cassette 10: Learn from Your Mistakes!" | December 19, 2023 | 22:02 |
Bonus
Within the Wires' Patreon features an exclusive season called "Black Box," released four times a year, on solstices and equinoxes. The season tells the story of an unnamed pilot (narrated by Cranor), and his black box recordings.[14]
| Episode | Title | Date | Running Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1 | "Black Box Cassette 1: PHL to PWM" | March 20, 2018 | 12:31 |
| B2 | "Black Box Cassette 2: PWM to MDW" | June 21, 2018 | 11:16 |
| B3 | "Black Box Cassette 3: MDW to YYZ" | September 23, 2018 | 14:30 |
| B4 | "Black Box Cassette 4: YYZ to ATL" | December 21, 2018 | 13:43 |
| B5 | "Black Box Cassette 5: HOU to LAX" | March 20, 2019 | 11:23 |
| B6 | "Black Box Cassette 6: LAX to SEA, SEA to YUL, YUL to MSY" | June 21, 2019 | 8:50 |
| B7 | "Black Box Cassette 7: MSY to HOU" | September 23, 2019 | 10:30 |
| B8 | "Black Box Cassette 8: LAX to SEA" | December 25, 2019 | 8:40 |
| B9 | "Black Box Cassette 9: SEA to TIL, TIL to ABQ" | May 30, 2020 | 12:54 |
| B10 | "Black Box Cassette 10: ABQ to SCL, LIT to ???" | January 25, 2021 | 11:48 |
Live
Within the Wires' first live show was performed by Janina Matthewson at London Podcast Festival on September 13, 2018.[15] They did two live shows starring Lee LeBreton, one at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles, California on April 27, 2019[16] and one at PodX in Nashville on June 2, 2019.[17]
Reception
Marc Hershon of the Huffington Post positively reviewed the second episode, stating that it "has a distinctive flavor all its own" and that the show is "every bit as warped as [Welcome to Night Vale]."[2] Nathan Dorer of The Rensselaer Polytechnic positively reviewed the first season, finding that "the evolution of the podcast throughout the first season was borderline artful" and praising Matthewson's narration and the "effective" atmosphere of the podcast.[18] Steve Greene of IndieWire similarly praised the podcast as "an off-kilter delight" and observed that it was "something that can only exist in this medium."[19] Devon Taylor of The Sarahs observed that because the story is "parceled out slowly" it could "frustrate listeners accustomed to a more linear plot", while also drawing positive comparisons to Lost and the works of David Lynch.[10]