‘Pod Save America’ Is Joining Forces with HBO For A Series Of Specials

HBO, one of the leading cable and television networks, has announced it will be teaming up with Pod Save America, one of the highest-ranking podcasts, for a four-week following of the 2018 midterm elections’ campaign trail, as well as up-to-date local and national news.

HBO is not unfamiliar with politically-focused shows and specials, ranging from John Oliver and Bill Maher, to VICE News; however, this is only HBO’s second teaming with a podcast (their first being Two Dope Queens), a medium typically reserved for auditory-intake only. This will finally give some viewers who have not been curious enough to Google them a chance to see the faces behind the voices on their favorite podcast: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor, who were all former Obama-aids “who left the White House for Hollywood,” According to the Guardian.

Their collective experience, as well as their success and popularity, has allowed them to have some pretty big names on their show, like former President Jimmy Carter, Senator Elizabeth Warren, presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, music-sensation Jason Isbell, and Senator Kamala Harris.

"If you think that we were going to do an HBO special in Florida and not drag Marco Rubio, well…" #PodSaveAmericaHBO pic.twitter.com/CLEdaFvdQI

— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) October 13, 2018

It is too early to say whether or not HBO and Pod Save America joining forces will be successful, as they only aired the first of four 1-hour specials on October 12. However, the news surrounding the midterm elections will be closely followed, as this is the Democrats’ chance to take over Congress and the Republicans’ chance to hold it, and with Pod Save America having “175 million downloads,” there’s no doubt their fans will be journeying with them until they find themselves in a voting booth on November 6.

In fact, this coverage of the elections could help increase the youth vote, as, according to the Guardian, Pod Save America has “‘the young liberal demographic sewn up in the same way [then ‘Daily Show’ host] Jon Stewart did on cable in 2000. It’s the show everyone wants to be on.'”

Their popularity within this demographic is no surprise, as they have pledged to have “a no-b*llshit conversation about politics” since their conception in 2017, according to Crooked.

This series of specials could also be a refreshing, more personal way to gain information on who is going to be on the ballot, separating from more typical, strict news coverage.

You can follow Jon, Jon, Dan, and Tommy for the next 3 weeks on Fridays at 11, as Pod Save America journeys to Austin next.