Shows - Parallax

How do you turn a beloved but prickly children's book into a candy colored fever dream that outlives everyone who made it? Aaron is the guest on What Went Wrong, the fantastic, hit podcast unpacking the improbable origin story of a single movie. This time it's the 1971 classic, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Listen to more episodes of What Went Wrong wherever you get your podcasts. We're huge fans. https://www.whatwentwrongpod.com/

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Aaron answers your questions about Dahl and the show with the help of two extraordinary guests: writer Mark Harris on how to capture a complicated life, and the journalist who, decades ago, found himself alone with Dahl when the mask finally slipped.  

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Mark Rosenblatt had never written a play before Giant, his portrait of Roald Dahl. Now it's the most talked about, best reviewed show on Broadway. Aaron sits down with Mark for a wide ranging conversation. Two writers who've spent a lot of time wrestling with the same complicated author, comparing notes. 

 

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After all the adventures, all the struggles, all the discarded masks, Dahl finally discovers exactly who he's meant to be. Locked away in a small hut in an apple orchard, Dahl creates a ritual so precise and sacred that it borders on obsession. And decades after his death, his presence still looms over us. Featuring a conversation with an expert in children’s literature who knew Dahl personally. 

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Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Wes Anderson, Robert Zemeckis, Quentin Tarantino. No other author’s work has attracted as many legendary filmmakers as Roald Dahl. Some adaptations become instant classics. Others crash and burn. And then there's the beloved film watched by millions every year that Dahl loathed. Featuring a conversation with NPR's David Bianculli, longtime critic for Fresh Air. 

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Dahl’s work faces a reckoning. Plus, decades after his death, a shocking decision is made about Dahl's books that ignites a worldwide controversy. Featuring conversations with cultural critics, including bestselling author Claire Dederer.  

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At the height of his fame, Dahl picks up the phone for an interview and makes bigoted remarks that will haunt his legacy forever. A difficult question emerges that affects how we think about all artists, but especially those who shape our children’s imaginations. Featuring conversations with Roxane Gay, and The Atlantic’s Yair Rosenberg. 

 

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Desperate to salvage his fledgling career, Dahl makes a radical pivot and submits a children's story to his publisher. It's a massive gamble, and it fails spectacularly. His personal life implodes soon after. But from the wreckage of everything he's lost, Dahl discovers greater success than he’s ever known before. 

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When tragedy strikes his family, Dahl is forced into a waking nightmare that transforms him from a struggling writer into an unlikely medical pioneer. In the process, he ends up saving the lives of thousands of children around the world. But just as one crisis ends, another begins, followed by several more in brutal succession. Yet somehow, out of this unimaginable darkness, something hopeful emerges. 

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After a brief introduction at a mutual friend’s dinner party, Dahl falls madly in love with Oscar-winning actress Patricia Neal. He’s determined to win her over, but soon discovers a giant, immovable obstacle in his path. Namely, she’s still in love with the biggest movie star in the world. Eventually, Neal and Dahl build a life together. But can their relationship survive as her career soars into the stratosphere, while his comes crashing down to Earth? 

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As the war winds down, Dahl packs up and takes his talents to Hollywood. Seduced by stardom and early success, Dahl plunges into an exciting new adventure. But will his massive ego permit him to survive inside a collaborative medium? A crucial test comes when he’s offered the assignment of a lifetime, shaped by his past as a real-life 007. 

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In his early 20s, Dahl flies harrowing combat missions for the Royal Air Force until it all comes to a sudden, violent end. Reassigned to the U.S., Dahl is quickly drawn into a world of power, wealth, and influence under the guidance of two mysterious mentors. 

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Before Roald Dahl becomes the world's most popular children's author, he's a 26-year-old British spy in wartime Washington, seducing congresswomen, mixing martinis for FDR, and gathering secrets for Churchill.

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Audio trailer for "The Secret World of Roald Dahl" podcast.

 

Official Site: https://www.listentoparallax.com/shows/secretworldofpodcast

 

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“The Secret World of Roald Dahl “ premiered January 19, 2026.

About the Podcast

“The Secret World of Roald Dahl” is a new podcast series from iHeartMedia, Imagine Entertainment, and Parallax. Created and hosted by Aaron Tracy, it goes beyond the pages of Willy Wonka, Matilda, and the BFG to uncover the stranger truth behind the author himself: a former spy, a struggling screenwriter, and a cultural force shaped by secrecy and controversy. Across a dark and twisty narrative, the show traces how Dahl became one of the most successful writers for children of all time, and asks what shadows from his covert past may have found their way into the stories we grew up with.

Subscribe Now Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Spotify iHeart iHeart Pocket Casts Pocket Casts YouTube YouTube Amazon Music Amazon Music Listen to the Trailer   Press Inside The Twisted Life of Roald Dahl

He was a beloved children's author, an antisemite, and a spy. A new 10-part podcast delves into the enigmatic author at a time when his work seems to be everywhere

Read More on Rolling Stone

  From Espionage To Willy Wonka: Aaron Tracy On Tackling The Paradoxical Roald Dahl In New Podcast Produced By Ron Howard

From his time as a British spy during the Second World War to his troubled career as a Hollywood screenwriter, Roald Dahl is far more than his children's books.

Read More on Forbes

  ‘The Secret World Of Roald Dahl’ From iHeartPodcasts & Imagine Entertainment Will Explore Author’s Life As A British Spy

If you know your Willy Wonkas from your BFGs, iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Entertainment have the podcast documentary for you. Created and hosted by Aaron Tracy, the story will explore how the author of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘The BFG’, ‘Matilda’ and many other classic children’s books spent a period of his life as a spy for MI6, along with his personal relationships, creative failures and other experiences that shaped him.

Read More on Deadline

  Podcast Explores Roald Dahl's Hidden Life as Spy & Writer

Hosted and created by Aaron Tracy, the podcast explores the hidden life of Roald Dahl, detailing his experiences as a World War II fighter pilot, British intelligence operative with MI6, Hollywood screenwriter, and medical innovator, long before becoming the author of children's classics including Willy Wonka, Matilda, and The BFG.

Read More on Radio Online

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After going undrafted by the NBA, Danny Miles has been toiling in obscurity in the minors for years. But when he wins a 10-Day contract to join the Philadelphia 76ers, Danny finally gets his shot.

* Created, Written, Executive Produced and Directed by Aaron Tracy

* Executive Produced by NBA legend Steve Nash, and Treefort Media

* Starring Glen Powell, Erinn Westbrook, and Emmy winner Lamorne Morris.

Listen on Audible Listen on Audible   Trailer    Accolades

* From AudioFile Magazine’s review: “Great sports fiction with a moving storyline and involved actors.”

Press

Glen Powell Starring in Audible’s ‘10 Days’ Basketball Drama Podcast From Executive Producer Steve Nash

NBA coach and former player Steve Nash is executive producing “10 Days,” an upcoming Audible Original scripted drama podcast starring Glen Powell.

Read more on Variety

 

Great Sports Fiction with a Moving Storyline

This audio original focuses on Danny Miles, a minor league basketball player whose dreams of making it to the NBA are about to end--or so he thinks.

Read more on AudioFile

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When a young screenwriter's greatest dream turns into a terrible nightmare, she forms a surprising alliance with a former soap opera star. Together, these two devise a daring plan to seek justice through the long-running soap, Summer Breeze. As they navigate the cutthroat politics and general lunacy of daytime TV, their scheme takes on a life of its own, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.

* Created, Written, and Executive Produced by Aaron Tracy

* Executive Produced by Milojo Productions

* Starring Kelly Ripa, Sarah Steele, Mark Consuelos, Talia Balsam, and Ally Sheedy

Listen on Audible Listen on Audible Trailer    Accolades

* One month after its release, the top title in its category for the year on Audible Plus  

  Press Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Return to 'the World of Soap Operas' in New Scripted Podcast

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos bring their own experience as soap stars to the new scripted podcast 'Summer Breeze', now streaming on Audible

Read more at People

  Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos return to their soap roots in new Audible drama 'Summer Breeze'

The 10-episode audio drama brings classic soap opera intrigue to the podcast format, blending high-stakes storytelling with a nostalgic nod to the 1990s daytime TV scene.

Read more on GMA

  Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are stepping back into the world that launched their careers, this time with a modern twist and a family connection.

The couple rose to fame on the soap "All My Children."

Read more on ABC News

 

When former FBI agent Amy Nichols (Lizzy Caplan) overhears two strangers whispering about a murder on her morning commute, she decides to take action, leading to violent and dire consequences.

* Co-Created, Written, Executive Produced, and Directed by Aaron Tracy

* Executive Produced by James Patterson & Broadway Video

* Starring Lizzy Caplan, Richard Schiff, Thomas Lennon

Listen on Audible Listen on Audible Accolades

* The #1 show on Audible Plus in its first month of release

* Honoree: Best Scripted Podcast (Fiction), Webby Awards, 2026

Press

‘The Commuter’ Starring Lizzy Caplan, Richard Schiff, Thomas Lennon Premieres on Audible

“The Commuter” an Audible Original starring Lizzy Caplan as an ex-FBI agent who is unexpectedly entangled in a bizarre murder plot, has made its debut on the audio service. Series is co-written and directed by Aaron Tracy.

Read more on Variety

 

At 26 years old, Sarah Weddington stands in a courtroom for the first time in her life and argues the most explosive case of her era. Supreme tells her unlikely story, as well as Justice Harry Blackmun’s, who is appointed to the High Court at the same time.

* Created, Written, and Executive Produced by Aaron Tracy

* Executive Produced by Eva Longoria, Rachel Winter, and Kelly & Kelly

* Starring Maya Hawke, William H. Macy, Andrea Savage, Laura Benanti, Abigail Breslin, and Katie Couric

Listen on Apple Listen on Apple   Trailer    Accolades

* Winner: Best Scripted Podcast (Fiction), Webby Awards, 2024

* Winner: Best Scripted Podcast (Fiction), People’s Voice, Webby Awards, 2024

* Finalist: Best Fiction Podcast, The Ambies, 2024

* Finalist: Best Performance in Audio Fiction, The Ambies, 2024

* Named 1 of the 5 Best Podcasts of the week on its release by The Guardian

  Press

Best podcasts of the week: Supreme: The Battle for Roe

William H Macy, Felicity Huffman and Maya Hawke lead the cast of this scripted pod about Roe v Wade. Hawke is Sarah Weddington, the youngest woman ever to argue a case in the supreme court, and she brings her fastidious character to life in a story that resonates one year after the ruling was overurned.

Read more on The Guardian

 

Maya Hawke & William H. Macy Among Cast Of New Scripted Podcast ‘Supreme: The Battle For Roe’

Maya Hawke (Asteroid City) and William H. Macy (Shameless) are set to lead the cast of the new original iHeartPodcast, Supreme: The Battle For Roe, a 9-episode series from creator and writer Aaron Tracy that delves into the true story of the Roe v. Wade case.

Read more on Deadline

 

The first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade has produced two defiantly upbeat pro-choice podcasts

Supreme: The Battle for Roe is a stirring drama about the original court cases 50 years ago. The terrific Maya Hawke plays Sarah Weddington, the Texan lawyer who was just 26 when she first appeared in front of the Supreme Court. Her story is told in parallel to that of Harry Blackmun (William H Macy, wonderful), appointed by Nixon to the Supreme Court but now remembered as a legal liberal. Produced by Eva Longoria (once of Desperate Housewives), this six-part series is liberal Hollywood coming out fighting. I hope it gets made into a television series.

Read more on The Times

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Homicide Detective Billy Harney sends his new partner, Kate, deep undercover into a notorious Chicago drug ring. When members of the ring start turning up dead, Billy abruptly pulls Kate out, blowing her cover. She disappears, as does the ring’s black book.

* Co-Created, Written and Executive Produced by Aaron Tracy

* Executive Produced by James Patterson & Broadway Video

* Starring Aaron Paul, Krysten Ritter, Nathalie Emmanuel, Alexis Bledel, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Beau Bridges

* Ranked in the Global Top 10 of all Audible downloads in its first year of release (out of 800,000 titles)

Listen on Audible Listen on Audible   Trailer    Accolades

* Winner: Best Drama, Lovie Awards, 2021

* Winner: Best Drama, AudioFile Magazine Awards, 2022

* Winner: Best Scripted Audio, Signal Awards, 2022

* Honoree: Best Writing, Webby Awards, 2022

  Press

Aaron Paul Promotes The Coldest Case, an Audible Original Podcast

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Aaron Paul on Reuniting With 'Breaking Bad' Co-star For Thriller on Audible

Aaron Paul is ready for the pandemic to be over. "I'm finally seeing a light at the end of this long, dark tunnel," he tells Newsweek in an exclusive phone interview,"hopefully things will get back to some normalcy soon."

Read more on Newsweek

 

Aaron Paul On His Immersive Audible Project ‘The Coldest Case’

You can take the crime drama out of the man, but you can’t take the man out of the crime drama. Breaking Bad vet Aaron Paul returns to the seedy underworld of felonious acts in The Coldest Case, an immersive audio experience from Audible.

Read more on Forbes

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In the follow-up to the #1 smash hit The Coldest Case, someone is committing random murders across Chicago—and making sure detectives Billy and Patti Harney are first on the scene. The siblings scramble to stop the next killing when their father, Chief of Detectives Dan Harney, is kidnapped. In their race to find him, they uncover pieces of his past that simply can’t be believed. Could their flesh and blood be covering up a dark secret?

* Co-Created, Written, Executive Produced and Directed by Aaron Tracy

* Executive produced by James Patterson & Broadway Video

* Starring Aaron Paul, Krysten Ritter, Greta Lee, Kevin Pollak, Patton Oswalt

Listen on Audible Listen on Audible   Accolades

* Winner: Best Writing (Fiction), Signal Awards, 2024

* Finalist: Best Fiction Podcast, The Ambies, 2025

* Finalist: Best Audio Drama of the Year, Audie Awards, 2025

* Honoree: Best Scripted Fiction, The Webby Awards, 2025

* The #1 Best Seller in Noir Fiction on Amazon, Summer 2024

* Top 3 on Audible Plus Chart, Summer 2024

* Top 10 on Audible Audiobooks Chart, Summer 2024

  Press

Hilary Swank, Sanaa Lathan, Aaron Paul, Krysten Ritter to Star in Audible Originals (Exclusive)

Audible Inc. announced that the stars will narrate three new originals in collaboration with the author: 'Zero Tolerance' starring Swank, 'The Justice' starring Lathan and Susan Kelechi Watson, and 'The Coldest Case Season 2' with Paul and Ritter.

Read more on The Hollywood Reporter

Brilliant, silver-tongued Beth Heller is a lawyer with one client: her family’s criminal empire. When Beth moves to the beautiful island of Bermuda to set up a tax haven for her family, she’s drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

* Co-Created, Written, and Executive Produced by Aaron Tracy

* Executive Produced by James Patterson & Broadway Video

* Directed by Tony-nominee Whitney White

* Starring Mary-Louise Parker, Ben Shenkman, Christine Taylor, Kim Aria Peterson

Listen on Audible Listen on Audible   Trailer    Accolades

* 1 of the 10 Best Audible Originals of the year according to Citizenside

* The #1 Fiction on Audible four months into its release

  Press

Mary-Louise Parker Stars in ‘Murder in Bermuda’ at Audible

Mary-Louise Parker stars as a lawyer working for her family’s criminal enterprise who finds herself caught up in a spate of unsolved murders.

Read more on Variety

 

Mary-Louise Parker is returning to the world of audio storytelling

The Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe-winning actress best known for roles in The West Wing, The Client, R.I.P.D., Angels in America, Red, and as the lead in Showtime's 20-time Emmy nominated Weeds, is back to flexing her voice acting chops in another Audible Original.

Read more on Newsweek

 

Exclusive: Mary-Louise Parker Talks Playing a James Patterson Protagonist

Parker stars in the new thriller Murder in Bermuda, where she plays Beth Heller, an arrogant attorney with a criminal family who is drinking her time away in a Bermuda hotel. The Audible Original is co-written by Aaron Tracy (The Coldest Case) and Thaddeus McCants (winner of the 2020 BET Project Crea8 writing competition).

Read more on Movieweb

Daniel’s 16th birthday starts out like any other day: He’s late for school, his homework’s due, his crush doesn’t know he’s alive, and his afterschool gig is a joke. There’s just one more thing—he needs to save the human race from annihilation.

* Co-Created, Written, Executive Produced and Directed by Aaron Tracy

* Executive Produced by James Patterson & Broadway Video

* Starring Michael Cimino, Abigail Breslin, Jimmi Simpson, Mercedes Ruehl

* TV adaptation of the podcast in development at Freevee

Listen on Audible Listen on Audible   Promo    Accolades

* Best of 2022: A Top 10 Young Adult listen by Audible Editorial Board

* Trivia: Two members of the cast were nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscars, 25 years apart. Mercedes Ruehl won in 1992, Abigail Breslin was nominated in 2007.

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From the campus of Yale University, a series of fascinating craft conversations with some of the giants of screenwriting and filmmaking.

* Created and hosted by Aaron Tracy

* Recorded at the Yale Broadcast Studio

* Guests include Ron Howard, Michael Douglas, Richard Curtis, the writers/creators behind Top Gun, Dirty Dancing, Cheers, The Sopranos and many more, including Nancy Meyers in her podcast debut

* The episode with Jules Feiffer honored as a special feature on The Criterion Collection edition of Mike Nichols’ Carnal Knowledge

Listen on Apple Listen on Apple   Press

The Best Moments from Writer/Director Nancy Meyers’ Podcast Debut

The most commercially successful female filmmaker ever, Nancy Meyers, recently called in to Yale Podcast Network’s To Live and Dialogue in LA, for what would be her first time on any podcast. Meyers, who arguably dominated the romantic comedy for decades, spoke with host Aaron Tracy about rom-coms, of course — her own and other, older classics — and shared lively stories from her many years in the business.

Read more on Screencraft

 

Lessons from A-List Screenwriter Ed Solomon

Screenwriter Ed Solomon has he written four separate screenplays that have spawned sequels and franchises (Men in Black, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Now You See Me, and Charlie’s Angels) also has experience writing for television. Solomon recently sat down with Aaron Tracy, host of the Yale Podcast Network’s To Live and Dialogue in LA, to discuss his start, what it takes to make it as a professional writer, his writing process and more.

Read more on Screencraft

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