It has been the kind of debut that has Wondery singing like the Whos, and based on the success of the debut season of the ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast, the company is greenlighting a second season of the series that it is coproducing with Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Since the podcast debuted in early November, it has been a big hit as it has consistently held the No. 1 or No. 2 spots in the Kids & Family category on Apple Podcasts, while also becoming only one of three podcasts for families that has broken the top 50 on Apple Podcasts overall this year.
Comedian James Austin Johnson, best known for his work on “Saturday Night Live,” will return for the second season of the podcast which is based on the character in Dr. Seuss’ 1957 book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” As The Grinch, Johnson chats with celebrity guests who try to convince him to embrace the spirit of Christmas. Season one, which releases its final episode this week, has featured an all-star celebrity guest line-up led by singer Meghan Trainor, Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes, former SNL-cast member Bobby Moynihan, comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, and late night host and comedian Seth Meyers. The first season finale will be released today (Dec. 18) featuring a conversation with YouTube superstar and multiple Grammy-award nominee Chloe Bailey.
“We are delighted by listeners’ positive reactions to season one of ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises CEO Susan Brandt said. “James Austin Johnson has a fresh, unique take on the character in this new medium that fans of all ages and generations can enjoy. We look forward to continuing our partnership with a second season.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced in August that it was moving into audio, partnering with Wondery. The Grinch-focused podcast marked the second series to be released under a collaboration between Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises. The first series, The Cat in the Hat Cast, debuted in October. It is described as a “fantastical variety show-style podcast series hosted by everyone’s favorite red and white hat-wearing Cat.” Additional podcasts inspired by the iconic Dr. Seuss characters and stories will be announced in the coming months.
Season two of the ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast is set to debut in 2024. Episodes will be released early on Wondery+ before becoming widely available.
“The Grinch told me that he found being a talk show host was a surprisingly satisfying experience! Sure he was a curmudgeon on set, but ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast gave us all a chance to see the Grinch cracking jokes and hobnobbing with celebrities in a totally new medium,” Wondery Chief Content Officer Marshall Lewy said. “We look forward to bringing him back for more Grinchy snark next holiday season.”