Best of Q: Can Welcome to Night Vale resurrect radio drama?

The surprise-hit indie podcast Welcome to Night Vale borrows a community radio show aesthetic to serve the residents of Night Vale, a desert town where strange happenings are both creepy and quotidian.

Actor Cecil Baldwin plays a fictional radio announcer who keeps townspeople up to date on everything from the faceless old women lurking in local homes to the mysterious glowing cloud that moved in from the west.

• Read more here, and stream more episodes on SoundCloud

Over the next few weeks, fans can see Night Vale performed live in cities across the U.S. and Canada. Check for tour dates here. 

In a conversation from the Best of Q, Baldwin and show writer Jeffrey Cranor join Jian to discuss how the show ascended to the top of the iTunes charts, the expectations of their growing fan club and whether, in an age where broadcasters like the CBC and BBC are slashing budgets, radio dramas might make a comeback.

Listen to the pilot below

The original show aired October 2, 2013