Posted in: Audio Dramas, streaming, TV | Tagged: Montecito

Montecito Creator Grant Rutter Discusses Upcoming Soap Opera Podcast

Montecito showrunner Grant Rutter spoke extensively about creating the first new soap opera audio drama podcast in America in 35 years.

Set in the sun-drenched enclave of the ultra-wealthy, Montecito is the first major American audio drama soap opera for 35 years, presenting a dark paradise where shattered romances, hidden family secrets, and scandalous affairs hide behind manicured hedges and the shadows of towering palm trees. Each 20-minute episode immerses listeners in a world of deception—an experience designed for today's soap opera, podcast, and audiobook audiences. The series is the creation of Emmy-nominated producer Grant Rutter, who believes, "We are entering a new era of the American soap opera." Soaps began 95 years ago on the radio. Montecito brings the genre back to its original form as a premium audio serial. We've cast the show with daytime TV favorites and are proud to bring in new voices as well. What's old is new again. However, don't expect to hear organ chords, Montecito is modernizing the soap opera across music, dialogue, and storytelling."

Rutter is a passionate advocate of the soap opera genre and its return to its original medium, the radio. Now, it's podcasts, which listeners can stream and download to listen to at their leisure. Ahead of the April 22nd premiere of Montecito, Rutter sat down for an interview about his history with the genre and his thinking behind the new series.

Q&A with Grant Rutter, Creator and Executive Producer  of Montecito

What was the most challenging thing about creating a soap opera for the ear?

The biggest challenge was writing a soap opera for an audio-first medium. Traditionally, these shows rely heavily on dramatic visual cues, reveals, cloak-and-dagger moments, and dramatic entrances and exits. Our task was to maintain these heightened moments and adapt them to the audio medium while keeping the audience engaged. We also favored the characters and sound design doing the heavy lifting over the use of narration. This gives the audience freedom to visualize the show in their head, creating a unique experience for each listener. The idea was to replicate broadcast-quality soaps in the form of audio, so we wanted to stay true to that format and consumer experience.

Tell us about the casting process… 

Utilizing daytime TV actors was the cornerstone of the vision behind the series. Over the course of my career, I've worked across multiple soaps and can confirm that soap actors are the hardest-working actors in the business. We wanted to tap into the incredibly loyal fandom of each actor. Some actors have appeared across multiple soap operas since the 80s and 90s, others have followings from primetime, TV movies, and the independent world. It was also important to bring in new voices to the space to diversify the listening experience.

Tell us about writing the show. What was your process? How long did it take?

The show evolved over many years, but it wasn't until I met Andrew Pemberton-Fowler at an industry event in LA that it began to take shape in the form of an audio series. Andrew's deep knowledge and reverence for the soap opera industry and his specific understanding and experience writing for the genre got this show off the ground. Together, we broke the 10 episodes, crafted outlines, breakdowns, and drafts starting in 2021. There was no ego, as we always focused on what was best for the show and stayed true to the nearly 100-year-old genre we both love.

A Quick Rundown of the Cast

What are some unique elements of the story?

A lot of research went into writing for a malignant narcissist for the character of Mina. Mina is a wife, a mother, a daughter-in-law, and a businesswoman, each providing different social behaviors for someone who possesses that personality disorder. Chelsea Rendon (Mina) delivers a wild ride from minute one and tackles the prickly character beautifully. We hope listeners love her or hate her as she maneuvers Montecito on a mission to grab what she wants! Other topics such as alcoholism, parental alienation, and narcissistic abuse are covered. Additionally, we wanted to explore how a gay man could remain married to a woman in 2025. Peter Porte (Deacon) and Marc Anthony Samuel (Gio) effortlessly showcase navigating an LGBT relationship tortured by moral obligations and ghosts from their past.

Your sound design is very sophisticated. How did you and Trae work together?

Broadcast-quality sound design was always paramount to the production value of the series. In the spirit of modernizing the daytime soap opera, there was a concerted effort to utilize the traditional elements of music while balancing it with a modernized score. The immersive sound design is different across every scene as it builds the world of Montecito and contributes to the emotional beats of the story. We feature some original music from the Supervising Sound Editor Trae Budde, Patrick Emile, Steve DeConti, and Dan Moretti. Original elements like this elevate the sound design and keep each episode fresh for the audience.

Which soap operas did you grow up watching?

My mother started watching Guiding Light in high school until its cancellation in 2009. She could have never guessed that the show she watched after school would have such a profound effect on me. We would watch Guiding Light and attend the fan club luncheons as a family growing up. Once I was in high school, I decided I wanted to find my own soap and sampled all of them, but remained loyal to CBS Daytime. I admired the production value of The Young and the Restless and fell in love with the glamour of The Bold and the Beautiful. When I discovered Passions on NBC, I found a soap I could call my own and remained thoroughly entertained by the madness of that show until its end in 2008. Each show had its unique personality and an online fandom to match. I discovered the Daytime Confidential podcast and the community of soap fans that cared about the industry and its comings and goings and behind-the-scenes rumblings as much as I did.

What's next for Montecito?

Like all soap operas, the plan is to tell a story without an end and continue the series. The first 10 episodes serve as a pilot series to go to the market and connect with the highly online and engaged audiences of daytime TV and those who enjoy audio dramas and support independent projects. We want to bring the genre back to its roots in audio form and present a new offering to audiences, whether they grew up watching soaps or want to experience a dramatic audio serial with a messy narcissist ruining the lives of Montecito's residents. To be continued…

Montecito is a ten-episode series that premieres on major podcast platforms on April 22nd.

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