Obamas’ Higher Ground Sets ‘Stories of a Stranger’ Companion Podcast (Exclusive)

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Higher Ground is elevating Hunter Prosper’s Stories from a Stranger with a new companion podcast.

The media company founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, in collaboration with Another Normal Day (AND Media) and Rabbit Grin Productions, is launching a podcast based on Prosper’s hit digital series (and book) of the same name, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The Stories from a Stranger podcast will be “a welcoming space for honest, longform conversation about life, loss, resilience, and human connection,” the involved auspices say.

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The Stories from a Stranger pod will launch on Monday, May 11, and will be available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes will be released weekly each Monday.

On the OG Stories from a Stranger, Prosper “invites people to share the powerful defining moments that shaped them, revealing the hidden threads that connect us all,” the existing digital series’ description reads. The new podcast will “feature direct perspectives, exposure of underreported challenges, and key context on government policies while highlighting universal issues like overcoming illness and love throughout life.”

The Obamas could probably help out on those “government policies” episodes.

“The strangers I speak with are depicting emotions we as humans have all felt,” Prosper said in a statement. “This proves that our existence is a shared one. We have always been more alike than we are different and I’m glad the show can showcase more of this.”

“Hunter has a remarkable gift for creating space where people feel safe enough to share the moments that shaped them,” Higher Ground’s Dan Fierman said. “With Stories from a Stranger, he invites people to share the defining moments of their lives in a way that’s deeply human and deeply relatable. We’re proud to partner with Hunter to bring these stories to a wider audience.”

Higher Ground had been tied to Netflix since 2018. The company recently announced its transition into an independent banner.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Higher Ground as Stories from a Stranger evolves into long-form video storytelling,” added Landon Morgado, co-founder of AND Media. “Hunter has created a powerful space for profoundly human storytelling. At AND Media, our focus is on expanding the reach of these stories, while maintaining the authenticity and emotional connection that makes content like Stories from a Stranger resonate.”

Prosper graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2019 and became a resource nurse (a nurse who works anywhere throughout the hospital). When COVID hit, he decided to specialize in the ICU, which is where Prosper started asking colleagues and strangers questions (on-camera) about their lives. The Stories from a Stranger digital series has since amassed hundreds of millions of views and 10 million followers. Prosper is represented by Arjun Das at Odd Projects.

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