EXCLUSIVE: The final years and death of radio legend and entertainer Casey Kasem is explored in a new documentary podcast series narrated by The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai star Martin Kove.
Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem comes from AYR Media and has been set at Audible as part of the producer’s overall deal at the Amazon-owned platform.
The series will reveal the shocking insights into the events preceding Kasem’s passing in 2014 and the eventual wrongful death lawsuit filed by his three eldest children and his brother, against Kasem’s widow, Cheers and Ghostbusters actress Jean Kasem.
Bitter Blood (see trailer below) will reveal evidence and testimony prepared for that trial that has never been seen or heard.
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Narrated by Kove (left), a family friend, the series will feature first-hand accounts from Casey’s daughter Kerri Kasem, who is an exec producer, close friend Mike Curb and protégé Ryan Seacrest.
The eight-part series will launch exclusively on Audible on June 15, the anniversary of Kasem’s death and Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
“This is everything the public would have heard if we had a trial,” said Kerri Kasem. “Listeners will hear from me, but Bitter Blood also includes a wide range of never-before-heard eyewitness accounts, including the depositions from the doctors, caretakers and staff who were with my father in his final days. I’m proud to be part of this in-depth series that will expose the ugly reality and raise awareness for elder abuse, while also honoring my dad’s incredible life and career.”
The anthology podcast series is the first project through Audible’s overall deal with AYR Media, which was set up by veteran producer and development executive Aliza Rosen.
Other projects include a docuseries with the first wife and daughters of ‘Dirty John’ Meehan, and a true-crime series investigating the bizarre events connected to the murder of D.C. attorney Robert Wone and the “thrupple” linked to the crime. These podcasts will debut this summer and fall, respectively.
AYR Media also has a number of other projects with other outlets and is also in development with television adaptation of its podcasts, including a small-screen adaptation of Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem.
Rosen said, “Our upcoming projects with Audible exemplify the type of content I launched AYR to create: compelling, headline-grabbing storytelling with undeniable crossover appeal. For Bitter Blood, I’m excited for listeners to dive into this twisted tale, and for those closest to Casey to finally have the space to share their story and honor his legacy.”
AYR Media is repped by Innovative Artists.
