By Scott Murray

It's hard to believe that a year ago, I was taking on my most ambitious podcast project to date, and there were a lot of unknowns.  The answers to some of those Season 1 unknowns were keys to making Season 2 happen.  These included:
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1. Can we pull this off?
2. Will people listen?
3. Will it be fun and successful enough to continue the story?
4. How hard would it be to continue a story with so many characters?

Well, we obviously pulled off the first season, but the answers to the rest of the questions would come much later.  I had to just put the show out there and see what happens.  Then, in May of 2019, I started thinking about the possibilities for continuing the story.

Did people listen?  Yes!  In fact, people continued to find the show and listen to the first season.  For a six-episode limited run, I was pleased with the download numbers.  There was also not a huge discrepancy between the first episode and the rest of them.  This tells me a lot of people listened to the entire season.

So, I checked that box.  Then, I realized there was no reason to even think about a second season without asking the cast about it.  So, I reached out to them and simply asked how they would feel about producing another six episodes.  Everyone was on board.

Check!

I felt a new season required a next-level challenge that was very different from Drench.  However, if there was one major constant in the positive feedback I got last year, it was how great Drench was as a villain.  So, not only does the team have to be challenged in a compelling way, the new baddie had some big shoes to fill.

No pressure.

One of the advantages of a second season is you're getting to build on what you established in the first season.  A lot of last year's narrative focused on the audience getting to know Wyatt, Reggie, Jenna, Grandma Jeanie, Doc and The Crimson Crane.  Now, we can take familiar characters and do something new. 

Also, we began production last week, and the cast is easily jumping back into the characters they voiced in the first six episodes.  I juggled a lot of challenges when developing this new story.  Some of my concerns included:
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• Early on, I wondered if I was creating something "too different" that wouldn't give the villain enough gravitas.
• I worried if I would get so immersed in 2-3 characters, that others would get unfairly minimized.
• I wondered if my original concept could produce enough action scenes.

Well, I didn't rush things, and just like last season, everything came together.  As each scene and episode flowed into the other, my initial concerns took care of themselves.  This happened last season, and that is definitely a great sign.

After finishing the finale yesterday, I can tell you that I'm very pleased with how everything turned out.  Once again, I find myself very anxious for you to hear the new season.

After a successful first season in 2018, The Crimson Files returns with a new story. The action/comedy superhero-themed fiction podcast will bring back the entire main cast and feature some new voices in Season Two.

Some of the new characters include:

Gwendolynn Murphy as Gina
Douglas Cunningham as Police Chief Frank Elliot
Aaron Michael as Spike

As production begins on July 21st, an official synopsis has been released for Season Two:

Season 2 is expected to wrap production in August and premiere in September 2019.