News broadcaster Keith Morrison has several accolades for journalism, over three decades in the industry, and is even the proud stepfather of Friends actor Matthew Perry. But he is perhaps best known as the soothing voice on NBC’s Dateline.
He first became part of the series in 1995 when he made a name for himself as a correspondent in many different avenues – including true crime. In recent years, the genre has become a particular source of intrigue in the podcast realm. From Crime Junkie to Last Podcast On the Left, there has never been a better time to tell these well-known stories. Now Morrison appears also to be throwing his hat in the podcasting ring. But is he joining the well-populated true crime club in his new series?
Keith Morrison’s new podcast is fiction
Just in time for spooky season, Morrison is using his iconic voice in the realm of mysteries, but this time for fiction. In a new podcast from Dateline, Morrison will be telling The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving on his series Morrisons’ Mysteries. The journalist introduced the series in a spot on the Today Show. The short story was originally written in 1820 and became the inspiration for pop culture fare such as Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow adaptation and the short-lived series on Fox. In the well-known tale, Ichabod Crane becomes embroiled in supernatural occurrences in upstate New York.
Sleepy Hollow is an apt story to release on Halloween because of its supernatural content and moody atmosphere. Washington’s iconic story is short, however, and will be told in just a matter of episodes. Morrison’s Mysteries should exceed that, considering it is only being billed as season 1. There could be many more mysterious stories for Morrison to explore in future episodes. If he is looking for more material in a similar vein, shorter books that cover murder mysteries may be an interesting route. Agatha Christie’s investigator Hercule Poirot has become particularly interesting to pop culture lately. Acclaimed actor and director Kenneth Branagh has taken on the iconic mustache in big-screen adaptations of Christie’s work.
Morrison could also explore these stories, and it wouldn’t be too rigorous to cover in an audiobook form. Christie’s books also offer a source of humor that would be enjoyable for listeners to delve into. But since these books are longer than Washington’s short story, it could also mean longer seasons down the road. Though there is no confirmation on exactly how far Morrison is considering taking the show, it should be a delightful addition to any fan of the correspondent.
