Wonkybot, the award-winning content company known for creating the best in scripted cinematic audio series, including award-winning superhero podcast Tara Tremendous and teen horror series Origins Unknown, today announced that it has gave Stewart St John’s original workplace comedy podcast Almost Epic an eight-episode order and cast The Nanny alum Lauren Lane in one of the lead roles. The series is set to premiere in May and will be available on http://www.wonkybot.com and worldwide on all podcast platforms, and ad-free with a subscription to the Wonkybot channel on Apple Podcasts.
Described as a cross between Arrested Development and the ’60s Batman show via Futurama, Almost Epic centers on Dr. Ezekiel Epicopolis (St John), a flamboyant mad scientist suffering from delusions of grandeur and a crippling arrogance who uses his world renown. laboratory as a front for his secret empire of evil as he plots to take over the world; but his desire to become the world’s most feared supervillain never materializes due to his inept plans, his dysfunctional team of work misfits, and an overbearing mother who fuels his feelings of worthlessness as she plots to take over his business.
Lane, who for six seasons played businesswoman WASPy CC Babcock on CBS’s “The Nanny,” will play Epicopolis’ mother, the alcoholic, emotionally manipulative and hysterically sour Mitzy Epicopolis, aka Epic Mama.
“I’m so excited to move forward with Almost Epic and thrilled to welcome the incredibly talented Lauren Lane to the series,” said St John, who created, writes and stars in, directs, directs and produces Almost Epic alongside Wonkybot partners Todd Fisher and Michael Plahuta. “We’re such huge fans. Lauren is such an incredible force of comedic energy that we all wanted to play this character, so when we approached her and she said yes, it was a dream come true!”
“The Wonkybot team is made up of fabulous collaborators who welcomed my initial response to this outrageous character as a mix of Margo Channing and Bette Davis like Baby Jane,” Lane said. “I’m having so much fun with them, the writing is great, and I’m now officially a member of the Wonkybot Army!”
The series, a mix of documentary-style fake interviews, pop culture references and lots of camp, has its roots in an earlier incarnation called The Dr. Epicopolis & 1102 Show of Shows that St John created for a more popular audience. young. “I realized the characters were maturing and would be better served outside of the children’s genre, allowing me to explore their dysfunctional relationships and storylines,” explained St. John, whose TV credits include writing/ production of the comedy Seventeen Again. “It was a perfect fit for Wonkybot’s expansion into older content.”
Other series regulars include Michael Plahuta as 1102, a six-foot-five inhuman slog created by the Doctor to be his obedient assistant but whose naivety and innate humanity manage to control the pride of his boss; Jessica Magers-Rankin as 1102’s new bride, Milliana, an outspoken Eastern European farmer worth billions who locks horns with Dr. Epicopolis; Todd Fisher as EB3, a cynical, evil robot who has a crush on Apple’s Siri and a secret desire to destroy humanity; and Svettlanna, the Eastern European transgender who runs a Kardashian-style cosmetics company who is also a sex-crazed supervillain who yearns to marry Epicopolis while secretly lusting after 1102 who just married her niece.
St John added: “Almost Epic is like a wild, edgy animated series – minus the animation. What I love about working in the audio/podcast format is that it challenges me to tell a story using only audio, and at the same time an opportunity to experiment and develop characters and plots without the pressures of a television budget. If something works, then we can take it and extend to a visual medium like television – if that makes sense.
The new series exists in St John’s “Tremendous Universe,” a shared universe of superhero and sci-fi audio series produced by Wonkybot Studios.
“We are extremely proud of the creativity and passion we bring to our audio series and are thrilled to expand the universe with Almost Epic,” said Plahuta, who also co-composed the big band’s theme song. of the show with St John. “And having someone as fabulously talented as Lauren Lane in our ensemble cast speaks volumes about the quality of content Wonkybot produces.”
Wonkybot, who has built an audience in 170 countries, now has several film/TV projects in development based on his audio series, including property Tara Tremendous who is currently with Marc Platt Productions as a live musical written by St John and original songs written and produced by St John and Plahuta.
