EXCUSE US
An Audio Drama Podcast from RnRside Audio Theatre
Created by Rodrigo Pool
The Elevator Pitch
A horror comedy about a small-town diner caught in the middle of a corporate-made zombie apocalypse — told entirely through sound.
When a shady mega-corporation starts shipping a mystery beverage called Hawk Juice to the Super Awesome Diner in Joiceville, North Carolina, the diner’s no-nonsense owner and her eccentric staff discover they’re not just selling drinks — they’re ground zero for the end of the world.
Think Welcome to Night Vale meets Shaun of the Dead, with the workplace chaos of a greasy-spoon diner where the coffee’s burnt, the customers are weird, and the apocalypse still doesn’t excuse you from your shift.
The Synopsis
In the small fictional town of Joiceville, on the outskirts of North Carolina, life revolves around the Super Awesome Diner — a 1950s-style greasy spoon run by Catherine “Miss Dee” Lynn Dee, a sharp-tongued owner who takes orders from no one and protects her staff like family.
That changes when Blind Corp arrives.
On the surface, Blind Corp is a friendly conglomerate dedicated to “human progress” — sponsoring diners, funding the community, smiling for the cameras. Behind the curtain, it’s running the Hawk Initiative: a secret experiment that turns ordinary people into mindless, shambling creatures the company politely calls “the audience.” Their delivery method of choice? Hawk Juice — part soda, part beer, all nightmare — pushed onto the diner’s menu with a simple ultimatum: sell it, or else.
As Joiceville unravels, the diner’s misfit crew — a mysterious eye-patched cook with a military past, a teenage nephew hiding more than one secret, waitresses with student debt and dwindling patience, and a customer who insists on being called Batman — must survive an outbreak, a cover-up, and each other.
Excuse Us blends scripted scenes, late-night radio broadcasts, retro commercials, corporate propaganda, and even the occasional musical number into a darkly funny, genre-bending story about ordinary people facing extraordinary (and extraordinarily stupid) doom.
New Here? Start With This
What kind of show is it? A fiction podcast (audio drama) — like a TV show for your ears, complete with voice actors, sound effects, and music. Genre: horror comedy with a side of corporate satire.
Do I need to listen in order? Yes — start with Season 1, Episode 1. The story builds across seasons, and the mysteries pay off. That said, each episode has its own flavor, from sitcom parodies to noir interrogations to in-world radio shows.
Who should I keep an ear out for?
- Catherine “Miss Dee” Lynn Dee — Diner owner. Tough, witty, fiercely loyal. Punched a jukebox once; it played a better song.
- Dylan Dee — Miss Dee’s 17-year-old nephew. Quiet, hardworking, and going through something no one can quite explain.
- Jimmy “Sizzlin’ Jim” Cooks — The cook. Marine veteran, eye patch, legendary omelets, secrets to match.
- Saanvi & Luna — The waitresses. One’s bubbly and heartbroken; the other would rather be anywhere else — until the truth comes knocking.
- Kevin Malone — Miss Dee’s estranged ex with ties to Blind Corp. Fuck Kevin. (The show’s words, not ours.)
- “Batman” — Real name Norman. A regular customer. Not the Dark Knight. He will not stop insisting otherwise.
- Jack & Jill — Hosts of The Joy of Joiceville on Joiceville 101.3, the local radio show that keeps you up to date on the apocalypse… when their sponsor lets them.
Key terms for your survival guide:
- Blind Corp — The corporation behind it all. Motto: Occultis Regimus (“Hidden, we rule”). They call employees “family.” Be afraid.
- Hawk Juice — Is it a soda? Is it a beer? It’s both! Now with 50% less of those pesky red chemicals. Do not drink the Hawk Juice.
- The Audience — Blind Corp’s preferred term for the infected. “Zombie” is such an ugly word.
- Super Awesome Diner — Joiceville’s favorite diner, and the unwitting front line of the outbreak.
- Joiceville — A town where everyone knows everyone. Soon, a town where everyone is everyone.
What should I expect? Sharp banter, escalating dread, fake retro ads that go off the rails, found-footage-style radio segments, genuine emotional gut-punches about family and identity, and a corporation so evil it’s funny — until it isn’t.
One Last Thing
Excuse Us is a story about the people nobody asks about — diner staff, night-shift workers, small-town nobodies — becoming the only ones standing between a corporation and the end of everything. They didn’t ask for this. They’re not qualified for this. They’d really rather be doing literally anything else.
But somebody has to say it:
Excuse us… but what the hell is in this drink?
Excuse Us is presented by RnRside Audio Theatre. Created by Rodrigo Pool. New episodes wherever you get your podcasts.
