Why so serious?
This Sounds Serious review
Production company – Kelly & Kelly / Castbox
Rating – 
One of my all time favourite films is This Is Spinal Tap. A film so keenly observed and delivered with such razor like wit that many famous rock musicians apparently walked out of screenings convinced they were being made fun of. That’s the genius of a perfect mockumentary. It has to be both believable, yet ridiculous. And that, dear readers, is something that is not easy to do at all. For every Fear Of A Black Hat, there is a Scary Movie (a truly pointless exercise, because the film it parodied was itself a parody). But anyway…
I heard about this show on Reddit, on a thread asking if Valley Heat was ever coming back. You’ll know my love of that particular show, with a glowing review back in December last year. And this particular podcast was recommended as not only being just as funny, but maybe even funnier than Christian Duguay’s masterpiece of suburban insanity (Chuck is still one of my all time favourite characters in any podcast). Would this show scratch this particular itch though? Can there ever be a replacement for Valley Heat?
So what’s it about?
Season one of This Sounds Serious is a crime podcast that covers the trial of Daniel Bronstadt, a man who stands accused of murdering his twin brother Chuck. Chuck is a beloved weatherman on the local TV station, and something of a local hero. Daniel, on the other hand, is the almost exact opposite. What follows is an intriguing case that that will keep you guessing up until the final episode.
Hosted by podcaster Gwen Radford, a woman who has listened to hundreds of hours of 911 calls. Each series she picks one of the strangest and examines the case. Gwen leaves no stone unturned, and prides herself on her investigative skill. Can she solve this case that has all but been forgotten by the police?
Is it any good?
Hearing the recommendation, this show had a lot to live up to. Valley Heat cast a long shadow in the world of comedy podcasts, and I will always check out a show that gets compared to it.
The character of Gwen is very well observed. In fact, all the main characters are. If it wasn’t for the comedic aspects of the show, it really would pass for a genuine true crime podcast. The general tone, music, and structure of the show is spot on. The secret to this show being so good is the fact that not everyone is funny. In fact, most of the roles are played dead straight. This not only adds to the air of authenticity, but makes the comedy hit harder. The humour is never noticed.
From the outset of season one, the voice of Daniel reminded me of a cross between the characters Sol Rosenberg and Frank Rizzo from The Jerky Boys. Particularly in the opening 911 call, I got some real Rosenberg vibes. I haven’t looked into it, but I’m sure that actor appears in season two as well, albeit as a different character.
Final thoughts
Now, I got through the whole first series in a day, and I did enjoy it. Was it as funny as Valley Heat? No. Not by a long way. It had moments that made me laugh, but that was it. I had thought I’d be generous and give the show 4 brains. Until, that is, I got to the last episode of the series. There is no way that I can’t score this show less than five brains.
As I said in the preamble, the secret of a perfect mockumentary is the reality of it all. Yes, it will no doubt be silly, but it needs to have an in depth knowledge of the subject, or it will just be a poor attempt at making jokes from tropes. This series (well, the first series anyway), is not only a perfectly observed true crime podcast, it’s also a brilliantly written crime story.
You can get This Sounds Serious here:
https://www.greatpods.co/podcasts/this-sounds-serious-1005374
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