There’s a question the trio of podcasters at the center of the darkly comedic thriller Bodkin ask themselves: “How much of this is true, and how much is a story?” As series creator Jez Scharf tells Tudum, “Once you start asking that question, all of reality falls apart.”

Bodkin, which premieres May 9, stars Will Forte (Nebraska), Siobhán Cullen (The Dry), and Robyn Cara (Trying) as Gilbert, Dove, and Emmy, a motley crew of podcasters investigating the nefarious goings-on swirling beneath the seemingly idyllic veneer of the titular small town in Ireland, where several mysterious disappearances occurred 25 years ago. 

In their attempt to uncover the truth about the people lost during the town’s annual Samhain celebration — a traditional Gaelic fall festival that celebrates the end of the harvest season and the longer, darker days to come — our heroes realize Bodkin might be small, but it holds some very big secrets. As they unravel the threads that have been woven back together through the years, it seems like what the podcasters are going to discover is “a commentary on stories of violence,” says Scharf. “But really, it’s about the stories that we tell in general, and the stories that we tell ourselves and what violence we can do to ourselves and others.”

Can I watch a sneak peek of Bodkin? 

If you direct your eyes to the top of this page, you can watch a scene from the premiere that sees our trio of main characters arriving in Bodkin for the first time. 

“All of them have really different expectations of what this journey is going to bring them,” co-showrunner and executive producer Alex Metcalf tells Tudum. “Gilbert is super excited about the opportunity that this podcast presents him. Emmy just wants to be useful, and thinks Gilbert is a great podcaster, and wants to learn everything she can. Dove is completely frustrated with being there, only to have a strange moment of realization at the end of this scene.” 

Don’t worry — you’ll know what he means.

What else should I know about Bodkin?

The seven-episode thriller — which is funny, though not a comedy; and a true crime story, though entirely fictional — celebrates Irish culture, journalism, and self-discovery. Says Scharf, “My personal interest as a writer is always in absurdity, really — in the idea that life is broadly absurd. Things that are sad are often funny, and vice versa. I think, having spent a lot of time in Ireland, there’s a certain acceptance of that kind of tone [there].”

Bodkin is created and executive produced by Scharf, who also serves as co-showrunner alongside fellow executive producer Alex Metcalf. The series hails from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company, and the former White House residents serve as executive producers alongside Tonia Davis, their head of film and television, as well as Nne Ebong, and David Flynn and Paul Lee for wiip. Nash Edgerton is lead director.

Creating the World of Bodkin

Is Bodkin based on a real true crime podcast? 

It’s been a full decade since Serial thrust the true crime genre and podcasting into the zeitgeist, inspiring Saturday Night Live parodies and bringing millennials and boomers alike to podcast apps, so Bodkin is what Metcalf calls “a post-Serial story.” In fact, Scharf’s initial idea for the show was more of a reaction to his own consumption of true crime documentaries and podcasts. “At the time, I was thinking a lot about the morality of true crime,” says Scharf. “They’re often very tragic stories, but are parceled up into neat episodes with a good hook at the end.”

But a few years after the genre went viral, it seemed that creators would “just take any crime-ridden, tragic event, and story-ize it to make it palatable and make it an easy- and fun-to-digest drama,” says Metcalf.

“Actually, of all the true crime podcasts, the one that was most inspiring to us was S-Town. That’s one where you come in thinking it’s going to be about a murder, but then the story just spins out in ways that you don’t expect,” says Scharf. “That was the kind of journey that we were trying to map ourselves against — that the truth is always kind of unexpected.”

Is Bodkin a real place in Ireland?

No, it is not. Metcalf wants to be very clear about that. “Not a real story, not a real place,” he says. And in fact, adds Scharf, that was completely intentional. “It’s a fake town, it’s a fake place. It’s all fake people. The mystery itself, we worked very hard to find something that is in no way adjacent to a real true crime story. The fictionality of it was very deliberate.”

Who’s in the Bodkin cast?

Will Forte

as Gilbert

About the Character

A charming and enthusiastic American podcaster with Irish roots, Gilbert is on the hunt for his next big story. Using his irrepressible charm and natural warmth to gain people’s trust and unearth the truth of a story, he then weaves their memories, recollections, and theories into an engaging narrative. Of course, there is some dark stuff hiding behind that sunny disposition.

Previously In

Saturday Night Live, The Last Man on Earth, MacGruber

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Siobhan Cullen

as Dove

About the Character

Hard-nosed investigative journalist Dove is currently living in London but originally from Dublin. She has a fine-tuned bullshit detector and a healthy disdain for authority and hypocrisy. People find Dove rude and “difficult” — and it’s not helping matters that she’s going through the biggest professional crisis of her career.

Previously In

Obituary, The Dry, Origin

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Robyn Cara

as Emmy

About the Character

A funny and eager-to-please researcher, Emmy has been helping Gilbert organize the podcast while struggling to find her own voice and masking her insecurities with enthusiasm and comedy.

Previously In

Trying, The Rising, We Die Young, Life

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David Wilmot

as Seamus Gallagher

About the Character

A mercurial and mysterious figure who can turn on the charm when it serves his needs, Seamus can just as quickly snap into outbursts of violence when he feels he’s being threatened.

Previously In

Laws of Attraction, Station Eleven, Good Vibrations, Anna Karenina, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

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Chris Walley

as Seán O’Shea

About the Character

Bodkin local Seán is an Irish country lad who’s feckless, up for a laugh, and not particularly preoccupied with the responsibilities that usually accompany adulthood. He’s also wrapped up in some pretty shady business and completely out of his depth.

Previously In

1917, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Young Offenders, Bloodlands

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When does Bodkin come out on Netflix?

Bodkin premieres May 9, 2024.

Bodkin Trailer