Endless Thread presents "The Midnight Rebellion"

May 5, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Endless Thread hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson introduce "The Midnight Rebellion," a new interactive fiction podcast from WBUR senior producer Dean Russell. Set 100 years in the future amid climate change, the series blends adventure with scientific projections. Listeners pick story paths like choose-your-own-adventure books, deciding outcomes for young heroes facing time travel, pirates, robots, and environmental crises.

The Pick-Your-Path Format

The podcast, aimed at kids and adults, unfolds non-sequentially. Each chapter ends with two choices—such as "play it safe or risk it all"—directing listeners to specific next episodes (e.g., Chapter 2 or 3). Dean Russell wrote, co-directed, and produced it, drawing on team input. Episodes mix fiction with real-world climate facts; stormy weather in the opener ties to how a warmer planet intensifies storms by evaporating more water into the atmosphere. Small actions, like biking instead of driving, get suggested as listener challenges to cut pollution.

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What you'll learn

1 (01:01) **Hosts Announce New Podcast** - Ben and Amory hype Dean Russell's "The Midnight Rebellion," a fictional pick-your-path series set in a climate-changed future
2 (02:18) **Podcast Concept Explained** - Interactive audio like choose-your-own-adventure books, listener choices branch the story
3 (03:20) **Story Tease and Promo** - Promises adventure, misfit friends, world-saving; listen to Chapter 1 then follow on podcast apps
4 (04:08) **Chapter 1 Intro: Interactive Rules** - Narrator explains choices at chapter ends determine good/bad outcomes; "choose wisely"
5 (04:46) **Stormy Night Setup** - Twelve-year-old twins Jewel (Jules) and Hart can't sleep on mom's death anniversary during thunderstorm
6 (06:07) **Hart Convinces Jules** - Brother sneaks in, urges raiding forbidden mom's lab to "honor" her and grab inventor parts
7 (08:57) **Sneaking into Lab** - Twins brave rain, Hart breaks window to enter dusty garage-lab full of crates, gizmos, jars

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Introducing The Midnight Rebellion, a new climate fiction podcast from WBUR — a rollicking adventure to a flooded, robot-infested world where you choose what happens.

When Joule Watts-Green steps into her mom’s mysterious machine, she’s swept off to a polluted city of tides. Streets are rivers, “tin-skins” shoot lightning, and everyone eats gooey Algae-Os. To get home, Joule must be brave, clever, and make friends. She may even discover how to save the world — with your help.

Each chapter ends with a choice. YOU decide what’s next. This is Chapter 1.

Triumph or failure, it’s up to you.

Choose wisely.

This is Chapter 1 of The Midnight Rebellion.

And if you liked what you heard, listen to the rest and follow The Midnight Rebellion wherever you get your podcasts.