We all have a favorite actor who’s devolved into “What are they up to now?” status. Although she’s been consistently working since rising to fame in the early 2000s through her work on Saturday Night Live, Amy Poehler has officially become part of that group. Since her sitcom Parks and Recreation ended in 2015, the bulk of Poehler’s work has been behind the scenes, producing shows, for example, like Broad City and Russian Doll.
Amy Poehler’s Newest Project
But Poehler fans who’ve been missing her can rejoice. The beloved comedy actress is back, and she’s conquering a new medium: podcasts. Poehler is the host of the new scripted comedy podcast Say More with Dr? Sheila. No, that question mark in place of a period is not a typo – it’s a hysterical part of the podcast’s entire shtick. In Say More, Poehler plays a self-important unlicensed (hence the question mark) relationship therapist who encourages her patients that they’re doing wonderful work while giving them admittedly irrelevant advice and not helping them come to any sort of resolution.
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Episodes of Say More with Dr? Sheila, which drop every Thursday, run for roughly 30 minutes, and each is packed with dry, improvisational humor from comedy legends who act as Dr? Sheila’s clients. Listeners will recognize the voices of Ana Gasteyer, Chris Parnell, Jason Mantzoukas, June Diane Raphael, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, and more, each bringing a more absurd relationship issue than the last to one very unhelpful gal.
Say More with Dr? Sheila is a Highlight of the Medium
As Poehler will say, her parody podcast comes from a deep love of the entertainment form, and we can only hope it will inspire some of her other famous friends to try their hand at something of the sort. In a world where true crime podcasts are a dime a dozen, we could use more lighthearted options, and in a world where celebrity podcasts are a dime a dozen, it’s refreshing to hear one that isn’t an interview format or a clear cash grab, but rather something purely entertaining that the host clearly enjoys.
Amy Poehler is an improv and parody master, and Say More with Dr? Sheila is just another piece of evidence. Both the idea and the execution are absurdly awesome, and we’ll be foaming at the mouth for more episodes with the hope that it continues in perpetuity and that even more of our favorite comedians join Poehler on this venture.
Say More with Dr? Sheila is streaming now wherever you listen to podcasts.
