3 Ways To Make Your Podcast like Ted Lasso and Succession (Spoiler Alert) - a podcast by JAG (Jon Gay)

Two of the best television shows in modern memory wrapped up this week - Succession and Ted Lasso.   Today I'll tell you how some of the strategies they used can help your podcast.  And oh, spoiler alert.

Strategy #1 - Know when to get out.   Both shows left us at a place where they could have continued on.   Part of me would have loved to see how the Roy siblings moved on, and what happened to Waystar Royco.   And of course, how would AFC Richmond have fared with Roy Kent at the helm?  But both shows erred on the side of ending too early, as opposed to too late.  The last thing we would have wanted is a "How I Met Your Mother" situation, where the last season was awful.  It seemed like the writers were testing our loyalty, daring us to give up.   This idea holds true for both your podcast as a whole, and individual episodes.  When it's done, it's done.   Wrap it up, and as the cliche goes, "leave them wanting more."

Strategy #2 - Have characters that connect.   Now, I'm not saying be somebody you're not.   But as a host, or cohosts, what is it about you that makes your audience FEEL something?   Roy Kent is one of my favorite television characters of all time, played by the hilarious comedian Brett Goldstein.   Ted Lasso himself can be described the same way the show is - "relentless positivity."   On the other end of the spectrum, you have Kendall, Roman, and Siovann Roy.  They're all TERRIBLE people.   But we connect with them in their moments of humanity - as they're all complex in their own way.  Even if we may have been rooting for a meteor to hit them all in the end.   What is it about you and your show that CONNECTS?  Is it a personality trait? Is it humor? Or are you providing valuable information to your audience?  If you want them to come back, they have to feel something - even if that something is "smarter."

Strategy #3 - Set and meet your audience's expectations.   Ted started in the early days of Covid, and it was one of those rare things that made us feel good.   We came to expect to feel good after an episode.   And of course, the other side of the coing.  The Roys are all terrible people.   It appealed to the lesser qualities of the human condition.   Either you're an empath like me and felt terrible after each episode, or you are a sadist, looked at the Roy family, and said, "wow, I may have my issues, but at least I'm not them!"   Establish what listeners will get out of your show.  How will they feel? Will they learn something? What will resonate with them?  You won't figure that out in Episode 1, but when you find that secret sauce, go with it.

We'll miss you, Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond.   As for the Roys, you had it coming.   As you say to each other in every episode, "Fuck off."

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