King Falls AM: Tune-in and Turn-up!
I couldn’t think of a better first review than my absolute favorite podcast, King Falls AM. If you’re looking for a TL;DR version of the review, then I’ll just put them at the beginning of my raves and/or rants, save you a bit of time if you’re looking for cliff-notes. Here goes:
TL;DR: King Falls AM really brings the characters in this sleepy, creepy, and sometimes weepy little mountain town to life, and makes you feel like you’ve both lived there your entire life and been welcomed with open arms. The setting reminds me of the town from Alan Wake but without the abject terror. The story could not be better, with single episode issues that Sammy and Ben tackle, along with plot lines and stories that extend through multiple episodes, as well as seasons. I cannot recommend this show enough if you’re into laughs, suspense, a little creep factor, and characters that push their way into heart, leaving you chomping at the bit for more!
OKAY, now we got THAT out of the way, onto the full review:
I originally started my descent into the world of Audio Drama with Welcome to Night Vale, so I was already used to the radio broadcast theme that King Falls has. WTNV was great, but I just couldn’t identify with any character in the show, everything being too surreal and otherworldly for any relateability whatsoever. Naturally, I went in search of other shows that I could enjoy during my work day. After stumbling onto the /r/audiodrama subreddit (Hi everyone!!!), I found an update post for King Falls AM.
I subscribed to the show on Pocket Casts, and there it sat for a time, while I began to amass a backlist of shows to listen to. That list still persists to this day, and has never stopped growing.
Anyway, after gathering several Podcasts, I decided to give King Falls AM a whirl. The theme music kicked on, and I was off.
The VERY general story is this: “Shotgun” Sammy Stevens moves to the quiet mountain town of King Falls to become the host of a local AM radio station. He is joined by Ben Arnold, the producer and, at first, reluctant co-host. They together lead the late night show King Falls AM (that’s 660 on the AM dial) through the weird and whacky hours of the early morning. I will avoid spoilers in these as best I can, so let me just say that the experiences these two share bring about a bond as close to brothers as I have ever seen.
Supporting this dynamic duo are a plethora of townsfolk as diverse in personality as the medications that keep Herschel F. Baumgardner’s heart a-pumpin’. To list a few, there’s the Mayor, a deputy, a wealthy vamp- AUTHOR……*ahem* author and descendant of the town founders, a dog breeder, a car salesman that may or may not have mafia ties, a lake owner, a racist fairy, a preacher that means to stomp all over your sins, and a crotchety old fisherman who would just like to be left alone while he fishes, I mean is that too much to ask for you little [EXPLETIVE] mother humping [EXPLETIVE] vapid [EXPLETIVE] - I am so sorry for that folks. This is to only name a FEW of the many people that populate this little burg.
The characters are really the best thing about this show, hands down. Episode after episode brings the town to life, and you can’t help but fall in love with every single one of these people…..well, maybe not Howard Ford Beauregard (OW!) THE THIRD, ALRIGHT??? Howard Ford Beauregard THE THIRD, Jeez...oh, and Pete Meyers, that twerp.
You really do start to feel like part of the town, and it makes you want to take a trip up the mountain, through Perdition Wood, no time for grandma, to this hamlet of fun.
The writing, to put it simply, is stellar. The show has never had filler episodes in my opinion. The story is always on the move, and it never fails to deliver big laughs, long cries (more than I care to admit), and knuckle cracking suspense. The jokes and jabs that the characters give and receive don’t feel like they’ve just been read off of a script (nothing does here, but those especially), they feel genuine, which brings me to the voice actors. Bar none, the best acting in any audio drama I’ve heard, and I’ve heard quite a lot.
I could go on for literally DAYS about how much I love this show, but you’d be stuck listening to me instead of subscribing to King Falls AM on your preferred podcast app and experiencing the roller coaster yourself! Since I’ve already summed up the review at the beginning, I’d like to write a short something to the creators, writers, and voice actors of the show. I may do this on every review, but we shall see. Here goes:
Dear King Falls AM crew,
You all have given me the greatest experience I could have while at work, staring at spreadsheets all day. I find myself at a loss for words when I try to describe how amazing this show is. If I could, I would hug each and every one of you for introducing me to your not-so-quiet mountain town and letting me live there for a while. All throughout my day, I eagerly wait for the chime from my phone, telling me that a new episode is available, and that I can come back to King Falls. I just want you to know that you have a life-long fan in me, and I will never stop recommending this show to everyone who asks me for a great show to listen to. You can expect that, come tax time for me, you will be receiving a donation from yours truly, with the understanding that none of you stop being who you are and doing what you’re doing.
And with that, I want to end my first review for this site! I hope that this review has given at least one person a reason to listen to this show, and I’m always happy for constructive criticism on what I can do better in my reviews! Shoot me an email at daftestpunkyouknow@gmail.com.
Till next time,
That Daft Punk You Know