| The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel | |
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| Format | Audio drama |
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| Language | English |
| Length | 15–30 minutes |
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| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
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| Original release | October 2, 2016 – September 20, 2021 |
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| Website | gzmshows |
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a children's audio drama and science fiction podcast produced by Blobfish Radio, Gen-Z Media, and Pinna.fm Network. The show won a Peabody Award in 2016 and was later adapted into books and optioned for a television show.
Background
The show was produced by Blobfish Radio, Gen-Z Media, and Pinna.fm Network. The voice actors for the main characters are played by middle school children. According to The New York Times, the appropriate age audience for the show is eight to twelve years old. The show originally debuted in 2016, but the episodes were re-released in 2021.
The podcast is a mystery that follows an eleven year old Indian boy named Manu "Mars" Patel and his friends Caddie Pratchett, JP McGowan, and Randall "Toothpick" Lee as they investigate the disappearance of their friends Aurora Gershowitz and Jonas Hopkins. The protagonists suspect that a technology business magnate named Oliver Pruitt is responsible for the disappearances. Throughout the story the characters piece together clues from various mediums such as emails, newspapers, instant messages, and transcripts. Mars Patel and his friends eventually travel to the planet Mars to investigate Oliver Pruitt's space colony.
Cast and characters
- Manu "Mars" Patel
- Caddie Patchet
- Juniper "JP" McGowan
- Randall "Toothpick" Lee
- Jonas
- Julia "Lost in London"
- Aurora Gershowitz
- Orion
- Axel "Thunderbolt"
- Daisy Zheng
- Epica Hernandez
- Oliver Pruitt
- Saira Patel
- The Computer "HELGA"
- Mr. Q
Reception
Melissa Locker of The Guardian, praised the show saying that it was an "adventurous kids podcast, reminiscent of old-time radio dramas." Amanda Hess of The New York Times called the show "the 'Serial' of children's podcasts." Steve Greene of IndieWire praised the show, saying that it was a "mystery investigation with just the right dash of whimsy and a healthy dose of scientific curiosity baked into it."
The show has similar themes to the Netflix original television show called Stranger Things.
The show was used as an educational aid in Warren Township Schools classrooms.
Awards
| Award | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peabody Awards | 2016 | Podcast & Radio | Won | |
| Webby Awards | 2017 | Podcasts—Drama | Nominated | |
| Webby Awards | 2017 | Podcasts—Best Sound Design/ Original Music Score 2017 | Nominated | |
| Scribe Awards | 2021 | Young Adult / Middle Grade | Nominated |
Adaptions
The book series was written by children's author Sheela Chari and published by Walker Books. The first book is a 287-page adaption of the first season of the podcast, which was published on October 6, 2020. The second book is a 304-page adaption of the second season of the podcast, which was published on October 12, 2021.
The show was optioned for a Disney+ television show.
See also
References
- ^ Narrain, Aparna (April 3, 2021). "A Summer Playlist of 18 Podcasts for Kids Aged 10 to 16". The Hindu. The Hindu Group. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on March 27, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- ^ Hess, Amanda (October 3, 2017). "The New Bedtime Story Is a Podcast". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- ^ Espinosa, María Jesús (March 29, 2019). "Mars Patel, el Héroe del 'Podcast' Juvenil de Masas: el Trabajo de Misterio Para el Público Juvenil 'The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel', de pinna.fm, Acaba de Estrenar su Tercera Temporada" [Mars Patel, the Hero of the Mass Youth 'Podcast': The Work of Mystery For Youth Audiences pinna.fm's 'The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel' Just Premieres its Third Season]. El País (in Spanish). Diario El Pais S.A. ISSN 1134-6582. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- Patterson, Lindsay (March 17, 2021). "A Big List of Podcasts for Bigger Kids: There Has Been an Explosion of New Shows for Children in the Past Year. Here Are 30 of the Best for Kids Between 6 and 10". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- Wilson, Aigner Loren (September 1, 2021). "Radio at the End of the World: Audio Fiction and Drama Podcast Roundup July 2021". Discover Pods. Elite Cafe Media. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ "The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel: From the Mars Patel Series, Vol. 1". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media. August 18, 2020. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- Locker, Melissa (December 21, 2016). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2016: From Making Oprah to Trumpcast and My Dad Wrote a Porno, Here Are the Most Brilliant, Essential Listens of the Year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- Greene, Steve (May 25, 2017). "10 Great Fiction Podcasts to Listen to Right Now: From "Bronzeville" to "Within the Wires," These Shows Have Some of the Best Stories Anywhere". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- Stobber, Ian (October 3, 2016). "The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel Podcast: This Awesome New Podcast Might Just Be the Next Stranger Things - For Kids". AskMen. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- Regan, Shannon (May 3, 2021). "Warren Middle School teachers use podcasts for increased student engagement". Echoes-Sentinel. New Jersey Hills Media Group. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
- "2016 Winner: The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel". Peabody Awards. 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- Donat, Adrianna (May 24, 2017). "Mars Patel and the Totally Explainable Appearance of a Peabody in SOMA". The Village Green. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- ^ "Two Nominations: The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel". Webby Awards. 2017. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- Maberry, Jonathan, ed. (July 3, 2021). "The Fifteenth Annual Scribe Awards (2021)". International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- "2021 Scribe Award Winners". Locus Online. Locus Publications. July 6, 2021. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- Foster, C. F. (October 17, 2021). "Book Review: Mars Patel Heads to Mars in Fast-Paced Adventure". The Florida Times-Union. Gannett. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- "The Interplanetary Expedition of Mars Patel: From the Mars Patel Series, Vol. 2". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media. October 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- Shanahan, Mark (January 21, 2021). "Podcasts Are Hot, Hot, Hot as Tv Adaptations: 'It's Become Much Bigger Than We Expected. We're Kind of Like the Dog Who Caught the car.'". The Boston Globe. Boston Globe Media Partners. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2022.