I have two pitch ideas. Both of them are fictional.
The first one would be called “Customs Out of the Closet.” A young woman, Noel, moves into a new studio apartment. There is no furniture there except for a closet. While vlogging the new space, she discovers that her closet is actually a door to the underworld. Except the underworld has travel customs and the office in her closet is one of many checkpoints.
In the first episode, Noel meets the travel customs officer “Bub” in the closet. Bub is interrogating and doing the last checks on someone that looks a lot like Noel’s late grandmother. However, as the interrogation continues, Noel feels that something is not right, and that the spirit is not her grandmother. Noel and Bub discovers that the spirit is indeed not her grandmother, but another spirit attempting to flee the underworld. Bub recognizes Noel’s worth and instead of condemning her soul to the underworld, hires her to work with him.
The second podcast idea would be called “NPC Radio.”** A hermit weapon-smith, David, is well-known for his amazing skill at repairing and creating weapons. The listeners learn more about the world he is in through the conversations he has with customers, and we learn that maybe the world isn’t as idyllic as it first seems.
In the first episode, David’s friend, George, brings a young man to him. George is a guard that works in the closest city. The young man, Horace, is training under George to become a guard. In a sparring match with George, George breaks his heirloom sword by accident. While they are at David’s, Horace reveals bits of his past and he seems like the stereotypical “Chosen One” that will defeat the evil in the world. David agrees to repair the sword and the audience learns that there is something dark over the world, but we just don’t know what yet.
**tentative