Airing on Nickelodeon from 2005-2008, the animated TV series “Avatar: The Last Airbender” amassed a devoted following who have grown up with the Avatar franchise. Paramount Audio sought to tap into that fandom by creating a rewatch podcast featuring familiar voices from the world of Avatar in each episode. A key objective was to produce a show that would appeal to adults who watched the show when they were kids and people of all ages discovering the show for the first time – some of whom are children who were introduced to the series through their parents’ love for the show.
Janet Varney (the voice of “Korra” in spin-off series “The Legend of Korra”) and Dante Basco (the voice of “Prince Zuko” in “Avatar: The Last Airbender”) were tapped to lead “Avatar: Braving the Elements” as co-hosts. Together they dissect “Avatar: The Last Airbender” episode-by-episode with the support of guests that include cast members, producers, and other craftspeople who share exclusive behind-the-scenes anecdotes about bringing the TV series to life. Expanding to broader themes for special episodes also allowed for the podcast to bring in fans with unique perspectives to speak to topics such as representation of disability in the Avatarverse and how the series has inspired creatives in the fandom. Part of the strategy of growing the podcast was meeting fans where they gather, such as at conventions, where Janet and Dante have done multiple live tapings.
“Avatar: Braving the Elements” has a strong multigenerational audience, demonstrating the strength of the show as a co-listening experience. The podcast reached #2 on the Apple Podcasts TV & Film chart, and has been honored by the 2023 Signal Awards (Silver win and Listener’s Choice in the Television Podcast Series category), the 2022 W3 Awards (Silver win in the General Series TV & Film category), and 2022 Cynopsis Model D and IT List Awards (Best Podcast/Audio Series category). After marking the 100-episode milestone in May 2023, the series returns for a much-anticipated third season in January 2024.
