Stars Dive Deep into Literary Classics in New Podcast

A new video podcast series called Exploring The Greats is set to make timeless literary works more accessible to a contemporary audience. The project features well-known personalities exploring classic novels, with each book club filmed and released as a distinct weekly video podcast. This initiative aims to encourage deeper engagement with significant texts in an era of diminishing attention spans.

Among the participating stars is Rob Delaney, co-creator and star of Catastrophe, who tackles Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. His segments were recorded at Melville's actual former home, adding a unique layer to his exploration. Tim Blake Nelson is delving into Plato's Republic, and British stage actor John Douglas Thompson is examining Othello. These discussions are paired with academic experts, including Professor Hester Blum, philosopher Agnes Callard, and Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro.

Classicist Mary Beard is also revisiting Homer's The Odyssey, a timely choice coinciding with the release of a new film adaptation. The series launches today, with individual book club series varying in length from five to 38 episodes. Episodes are accessible across major platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, offering a convenient way for audiences to connect with these enduring stories and ideas.