PotterCast

Infobox Podcast
title = PotterCast


caption = "The Harry Potter Podcast"
host = Melissa Anelli John Noe Sue Upton Frankie "Frak" Franco III aka "Frak"
url = http://www.pottercast.com/
rss = feed://feeds.feedburner.com/potter-cast
status = Weekly
began = August 22, 2005
ended = Ongoing
genre = Harry Potter PotterCast is the official podcast of the Harry Potter fansite The Leaky Cauldron. It is a weekly, hour-long podcast incorporating book and film discussion as well as fan feedback and interaction pertaining to the larger Potter experience. It's noted for its interviews with people involved in making the Potter films, books, and video games. Launched on August 22, 2005, PotterCast regularly hosts contests, and has presented theme shows, such as a special Wizard Rock video edition and one for Banned Books Week 2005, in which staff interviewed representatives from the American Library Association. It also covers breaking news, such as the press conference hosted by Warner Brothers before the release of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". With episode #130, PotterCast became the first podcast to interview "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling.

egments

Current regular segments

* Intro: A pre-recorded introduction of the show and its hosts by J. K. Rowling has been used since her appearance in episode #130. Previously, the introduction was recorded by Rupert Grint (episodes #112-#129) and Matthew Lewis (for a few episodes prior to the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"). This is followed by a rundown of the contents of the forthcoming episode.
* News Talk: Led by Sue Upton. Replaced Sue's News and Leaky Lowdown/Newswrap in September 2007, combining them into one segment relating and discussing the past week's Potter-related news updates.
* Canon Conundrums: Premiered in April 2006. The hosts tackle an unanswered question from the Harry Potter series, such as "How does the Fidelius Charm work?" or sorting adult characters into their Hogwarts houses. Steve Vander Ark of the Harry Potter Lexicon participated in these segments in the past until his site and The Leaky Cauldron dropped their association.
* Bit by Bit: Premiered in October 2007. In this segment, the hosts discuss "Deathly Hallows" a small piece at a time (usually less than a chapter each week), progressing through the book.
* Are YOU Smarter Than John Noe?: Premiered in episode #140. A game where listeners call in to complete with John by answering "Harry Potter" trivia questions, based on the TV show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?". In one episode it was determined that a voicemail was in fact smarter than John.
* Scribby 5 - Premiered in March 2007. A five-minute discussion of a recent essay submitted to the Leaky Cauldron's essay project, Scribbulus. Hosted by Scribbulus editors Melissa Wall, Sloan de Forest, and Nina de Boo.
* Wrap-up: The hosts tie up the show, close off loose ends, announce upcoming events or issue calls to listeners to send videos, voicemails or other responses related to a given topic. Traditionally takes place over the background music of "The Drums."
* Bloopers: An occasional short segment played after the close of the show, featuring an outtake from the episode's recording.

Irregular segments

* Fan Thoughts: Premiered in October 2007. Voice messages from listeners with thoughts about the current or previous week's topics of discussion.
* Fan Interview ("In the Fan Corner"): An interview with a fan who has an interesting or unusual perspective on the series, often having used the books as personal inspiration (such as for art or music) or to inspire others (such as in the classroom or in their community).
* In the Know: An interview with an individual who has not been involved in creating the "Potter" books or films, but has expertise in these or related industries.
*Extendable Ears: Interviews with filmmakers, editors, actors, etc. who have been directly involved with the "Harry Potter" franchise.
* Mailbag: A segment where the PotterCast hosts aired and responded to voicemails from listeners. This segment appeared to have been replaced with "Fan Thoughts" in October 2007, but was re-introduced in April 2008 (episode #149) to discuss the "Warner Bros. and JK Rowling vs. RDR Books" trial and its media coverage.

Planned future segments

* PotterCast Acting Troupe: A segment that will span multiple episodes, featuring voice actors performing a radio play written by the fanfiction authors at "The Sugar Quill." The story will focus on the next generation of Hogwarts students, including Harry Potter's children.

Retired segments

* Sue's News: Wrap-up of the past week's Potter-related news. Replaced in September 2007 with "News Talk."
* Leaky Lowdown/Newswrap: Analysis and discussion of the latest Potter-related news. Replaced in September 2007 with "News Talk."
* Phoenix Files: Similar to "Bit by Bit," discussion of the film "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" a few minutes at a time. Premiered in August 2007 and concluded in summer 2008.
* Modcast: In-depth discussion of one character or theme from the Harry Potter books. Discontinued in August 2006.

Hosts

* Melissa Anelli, webmaster of the Leaky Cauldron
* John Noe, creative director for The Leaky Cauldron
* Sue Upton, senior news editor for The Leaky Cauldron
* Frankie "Frak" Franco III - Began as guest host while John finished school; became a permanent host in episode #144.

Other staff participants include audio editors, transcription "elves," Scribbulus editors, and moderators from the Leaky Cauldron's forum, the Leaky Lounge.

Notable Interviews and Appearances

*J.K. Rowling - interviewed in episode #130 and 131
*Arthur A. Levine - Editor of the American editions of the Harry Potter books and the person widely credited with bringing Potter to America. [ [http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/features/interviews/levine1 TLC Interviews Arthur Levine, Part I - The Leaky Cauldron ] ] [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071002011.html The Wizardly Editor Who Caught the Golden Snitch - washingtonpost.com ] ] Episode #22 -#24
*Cheryl Klein - Continuity editor of the American editions of the Harry Potter books. Often mentioned as "Hottt Cheryl" in throwaway references. Appeared as a co-host, participating in all segments of the show. Episode #47
*Matthew Lewis - Actor who plays Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter film franchise. Matt appeared for an extended interview that was spread out over three weeks. He also spoke to fans via a call-in show. He voiced the intro for a time before Deathly Hallows was released. Episode #51- #53
*Rupert Grint - Actor who plays Ron Weasley. Voiced the intro for episodes 112-129.
*Jamie Waylett - Actor who plays Vincent Crabbe. Appeared as a co-host of the show, spending the entire hour with the PotterCasters. Episode #31
*Bonnie Wright - Actress who plays Ginny Weasley.
*Evanna Lynch - Actress who plays Luna Lovegood. Participated in a call-in discussion show. Episode #69
*Chris Columbus - Director of the first two Potter films.
*Alfonso Cuarón - Director of the third Potter film.
*Mike Newell - Director of the fourth Potter film.
*Stuart Craig - Art director on all Potter films
*Chris Rankin - Actor who plays Percy Weasley. Chris has appeared on the show a few times, including hosting a game show and appearing as a live call-in guest.
*M. Night Shyamalan - Director of "The Sixth Sense," and "Unbreakable." Discussed, amongst other things, what he would do if offered the chance to direct a Potter film. Episode #48
*Matt Birch and Justin Manning - Producers for the Order of the Phoenix computer game from EA Games.
*Danny Bilson - Producer, writer, and director. Worked on the initial creation of the Harry Potter video games.
*Laura Mallory - Georgia woman attempting to ban Potter books from school libraries for religious reasons. Episode #119
*Duff Goldman - Owner of Charm City Cakes, who created a cake for the LA premiere of Order of the Phoenix.

The LeakyMug

PotterCast and its friendly rival, MuggleCast, often co-produce a podcast called The Leaky Mug for special events. These are primarily live podcasts, with the occasional "traditional" pre-recorded LeakyMugs used to get the word out about the upcoming live LeakyMugs. Typically, the Pottercast Trio participates as well as three or four MuggleCasters.

Live Shows

*October 9, 2005 - Salem, Massachusetts. Coincided with "The Witching Hour" Harry Potter symposium. Actor Chris Rankin and Jeff Guillame from HPANA appeared as guests.
*November 12, 2005 - New York City, Union Square Barnes & Noble. LeakyMug co-produced with MuggleCast. Coincided with the movie premiere of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", which the hosts had the opportunity to attend. Melissa Anelli's mother, who was at the premiere after-party, called in with various Harry Potter cast members on the phone: Emma Watson, Katie Leung, Robert Pattinson, and Matthew Lewis.
*July 29, 2006 - Las Vegas, Nevada, JW Marriott Hotel. LeakyMug co-produced with MuggleCast. This was a special event in association with "Lumos 2006," a Harry Potter symposium. Around 1000 attended.
*August 2, 2006 - New York City, Union Square Barnes & Noble. LeakyMug co-produced with MuggleCast. The show focused on JK Rowling's August 2006 visit to New York.
*September 28, 2006 - Los Angeles, California, Borders Bookstore of Westwood. LeakyMug co-produced with MuggleCast the evening before the 2006 Podcast Awards.
*March 3, 2007 - London, England, Borders Bookstore at Charing Cross Road. Melissa Anelli and John Noe hosted. Discussed theatre shows running on the West End starring Harry Potter actors, as well as theories for the upcoming Harry Potter book, "The Deathly Hallows".
*May 17, 2007 - New Orleans, Louisiana at the [http://www.thephoenixrises.org/ Phoenix Rising] symposium.
*June 9, 2007 - Chicago, Illinois at the [http://www.chicagotribune.com/about/custom/events/printersrow/ Chicago Tribune Printers Row Book Fair] .
*June 17 - July 18, 2007 - [http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/pottercast/tour/ Tour] with live PotterCasts held at libraries and Borders Bookstores throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and Kansas.
*July 3, 2007 - London, England. LeakyMug co-produced with MuggleCast. Coinciding with the UK movie premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".
*July 9, 2007 - Los Angeles, California. LeakyMug co-produced with MuggleCast. Coinciding with the US movie premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". After the "Hand, Foot, Wand" ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater.
*July 20, 2007 (two shows) - Downers Grove, Illinois, at the Tivoli Theatre; Naperville, Illinois, at [http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/ Anderson's Bookshop] . Part of the "Party That Shall Not Be Named" put on by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce coinciding with the world-wide release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
*July 22, 2007 - Naperville, Illinois, Naperville North High School. Sponsored by [http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/ Anderson's Bookshops] .
*Aug 4, 2007 (12:01 am) - Toronto, Canada. LeakyMug co-produced with MuggleCast at the [http://hp2007.org/ Prophecy] symposium.
*May 27, 2008 - Weston, Florida

Audience

The show has spawned several fan groups - SQUEE (Sue's Quite Unnervingly Excitable Enthusiasts), The John Noe Fan Club, MAFIA (Melissa Anelli's Fans In Action), Guru's Fans, and PCAA (PotterCast Addicts Anomynous). It has also inspired the creation of a few wizard rock bands, including Sue and the Hufflepuffs, Melissa and the Anellis, and MC Dawlish. Listeners frequently create elaborate videos and filks for PotterCast contests and fan challenges.

Awards, Nominations, & Rankings

*iTunes Best of 2007 Podcasts - In the "Classics: Audio" category. One of 63 podcasts to receive this honor. [ [http://pottercast.the-leaky-cauldron.org/blog/show/275 PotterCast - The Harry Potter Podcast ] ] [http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewCustomPage?name=pageBestPodcasts2007]
*2007 Parsec Awards - Nominee for Best (Speculative Fiction) News Podcast, Best Audio Production, and Best Fan Podcast.
*2006 Parsec Awards - Nominee for Best Fan Podcast
*2006 [http://www.podcastawards.com Podcast Awards] - Winner of Best Entertainment Podcast [ [http://www.podcastingnews.com/archives/2006/08/peoples_choice.html Podcasting News: People's Choice Podcast Awards Announced ] ]
*2006 [http://www.podcastawards.com Podcast Awards] - Nominee for Podcast of the Year (People's Choice)
*iTunes - Around August 24, 2005 it held the number one position on the list of highest rated podcasts. As of March 12, 2007 it is #10 on the list of top Arts podcasts. Shortly after the publication of PotterCast 130, with J.K. Rowling, PotterCast achieved number 13 on the list of overall podcasts, and has maintained a spot as the number one arts podcast through the first week of January, 2008. It is still in the top 100, and is now the top-rated Harry Potter podcast.
* [http://www.podcastalley.com/ Podcast Alley] - Usually ranked in the top 20 each month. [ [http://www.podcastalley.com/podcast_details.php?pod_id=8633 PotterCast: The Harry Potter Podcast on PodcastAlley.com - The place to find Podcasts ] ]

References