The Truesdale Show

Think Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. On a WW2 minesweeper. Sailing around the Philippines.

Add the themes of marine biology, LGBTQ+ and mental health and you have an insight into the latest comedy podcast to hit iTunes, straight out of the studios at Falmouth University.

The Truesdale Show, the unique audio drama series in question, wasn't originally planned for the airwaves, it began as Kitto Maddrell's creative writing coursework. It wasn't until she spoke with Janet Lalla-Hamblin, Creative Events Management student and future podcast Director, that the project began to truly take shape.

Janet said: "Kitto came up with the idea for Truesdale over the summer in 2016, so the show has been about two years in the making. The story follows two marine biologists, Dr Mike Truesdale and his intern Scott Hopkins, as they travel around the Philippines studying the migration of reef fish.

"In each episode, they encounter a new mystery adventure, mostly mundane investigations such as how a porpoise died or who stole some wedding gifts. But in each episode, we find out more about Scott and Truesdale's personal dramas, troubles and relationships." 

One of the key features of the podcast is its positive representation of the LGBTQ+ community. Born out of a dissatisfaction with general media depictions, Truesdale portrays the characters through their personalities, hobbies and aspirations. The characters are more than just their sexuality.

Janet explained the themes further, adding: "The protagonist Scott Hopkins is a trans man whose characterisation takes a full view of his personality and lifestyle, focusing on his personhood rather than giving a restricted view of him as a token trans character.

"Being a part of Falmouth University has been invaluable in terms of the facilities and equipment available. One of the most important aspects has been all of the talented and creative students willing to volunteer on this project.

"This show could only really be made in this kind of environment, because there's such a high concentration of people with different skill sets, such as acting, script editing or sound engineering."

To listen to The Truesdale Show, visit their page on iTunes.