After a nearly three-year hiatus following the end of its first season, the second season of British comedy podcast Sound Heap with John-Luke Roberts will debut on Maximum Fun on February 19. Sound Heap, the brainchild of creator John-Luke Roberts (The Exploding Library, Bull) and producer Ed Morrish (NonCensored, John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme), was named the Best Scripted Comedy (Sketch Show) in the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2022 and was described by The Guardian as “a medley of excerpts from imaginary podcasts performed by a galaxy of comedy stars”.
In this “podcast of infinite podcasts”, Roberts plays the CEO of the fictional Sound Heap network, which was founded with a simple mission statement: make too many podcasts. Each episode is composed of clips from nonexistent shows on the network—including Describing Pretzels to Peter, Who's Never Seen a Pretzel; An Angel Ate My Car and Other Miracles Gone Wrong; and Aggressive Compliments Shouted at a Cat—performed by award-winning British comedians like Tom Allen (Great British Bake Off: Extra Slice), Isy Suttie (Peep Show), and Kevin Eldon (Hot Fuzz).
"We're thrilled to bring Sound Heap to Maximum Fun," says senior producer Laura Swisher. "The show is laugh-out-loud funny, and we think it will be a hit with comedy fans here in the U.S., as well as the UK."
“I’m thrilled to be bringing Sound Heap to the Maximum Fun network,” says John-Luke Roberts “In my opinion, they’re not only one of the best podcast networks in the world, but also our greatest rival. I never dreamed we’d have the opportunity to bring them down from within.” Producer Ed Morrish added, “we know that America is where all the best podcasts come from, and now we’re there as well”.
Sound Heap’s new partnership with Maximum Fun also brings new opportunities for collaborations with comedians and podcasters based in the U.S. New voices in the second season will include MaxFun hosts Jeremy Bent (Mission to Zyxx, Eurovangelists), Hal Lublin (We Got This with Mark and Hal, Tights and Fights), and Jordan Morris (Jordan, Jesse, Go!; Bubble), with more guests to be announced in the coming months.
Maximum Fun is a pioneering podcast network, home to The Adventure Zone, Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, Judge John Hodgman, and other beloved shows. Since 2004, MaxFun has empowered creators to bring good things into the world. The network now spans over three dozen shows and more than six million downloads every month. As of June 2023, Maximum Fun is a worker-owned cooperative.
