Podcasts are fun and we all know that Apple has its fair share of brilliant podcasts. But podcasts aren’t usually perceived as a basis for a television series, right? Well, while that might be the case in general, Joe Nocera’s The Shrink Next Door is an exception to this rule and we are writing about it because Apple TV+ has ordered a TV series based on the said podcast!
The Shrink Next Door was a podcast “that tells the story of Isaac Herschkopf, a psychiatrist who abused his relationship with his patients to exploit them for personal gain”. It was broadcast in May and June 2019 (six episodes), with an additional three that aired in June and August 2019, and in July 2020. It was a hit podcast on Apple and even won a Webby Award for best documentary podcast.
The podcast was, in fact, so popular that Apple TV+ paced a straight-to-series order for an adaptation back in April 2020. As it was later confirmed, the show was written by Emmy-winning writer Georgia Pritchett, and directed by Michael Showalter. Filming of the series began in November 2020 in Los Angeles and ended in March 2021, with post-production work being done so that the series would be ready for a 2021 premiere.
Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd were announced as the series’ stars, with Ferrell playing the role of the patient, Martin “Marty” Markowitz, and Rudd playing the role of the evil shrink, Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf. Kathryn Hahn and Casey Wilson joined the cast in November as Phyllis Markowitz and Bonnie Herschkopf respectively, with Sarayu Blue cast as Miriam, a recurring role. There will, of course, be other actors in the series but so far, we haven’t got any additional info.
We know that the series is not far from premiering and the cast list is more than promising, which is why we are looking forward to The Shrink Next Door!