Podcast Intro Script · Podcast intro and outro
Quiet Hours (Fictional True-Crime Podcast Intro and Outro)
A fictional true-crime podcast intro script with a cliffhanger outro: a stopped clock, an empty town archive, and one witness who never talked.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Length
- 117 words · ~47 sec
- Skills
- suspense pacing, dramatic pauses, close-mic intimacy
- License
- CC BY 4.0
The script
(Intro)At 2:14 in the morning, the clock on Halverton's town hall stopped. By sunrise, every record in the basement archive was gone. Birth certificates. Land deeds. A hundred and twelve years of town meeting minutes.
No broken glass. No forced locks. Just empty shelves, and a clock nobody could get running again. I'm Calla Brooks, and this is Quiet Hours. Episode one: The Night Clerk.
(Outro)Quiet Hours is written and hosted by me, Calla Brooks. Next week, we meet the night clerk: the only person with a key, and the one person in Halverton who has never spoken about that night.
Until now. If you remember anything, anything at all, you know where to find us.
Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0. Original script drafted with AI assistance and edited by SceneDub; any resemblance to existing characters is coincidental.
Practise it now
The teleprompter scrolls at the speed you set in words per minute. Tick "Record audio while reading" to capture a take; the audio stays in your browser until you download it.
Coaching notes
- Give '2:14 in the morning' a precise, almost clinical read. The time is a clue, so say it like you've said it a hundred times while staring at the case file.
- The list 'Birth certificates. Land deeds. A hundred and twelve years of town meeting minutes.' should grow heavier as it goes. Each item is something the town lost, so don't rush it.
- 'Until now.' is the hook for next week. Breathe before it, drop your pitch, and let it sit in silence before 'If you remember anything.'
Try it three more ways
- Read it as a retired deputy who worked the case and still thinks about it every March.
- Read it as a young journalist from Halverton who grew up hearing the story at the dinner table.
- Read it as the cold open of a TV docuseries, with tense music under every pause.
Take it further
More scripts to practise
Frequently asked questions
How long is the "Quiet Hours (Fictional True-Crime Podcast Intro and Outro)" script?
117 spoken words, about 47 sec at a conversational 150 words per minute and 54 sec at a slower 130 wpm. Your take will vary with pauses and character choices.
Can I use this script in my voice acting demo reel?
Yes. SceneDub's original scripts are licensed CC BY 4.0. You can perform, record, edit, and publish them, including in demo reels, classes, and auditions, as long as you credit "Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0" where you share the recording or the text.
How should I practise this script?
Read it silently once, then perform it with the direction above: measured, intimate, quietly suspenseful, deliberate, ~130 words per minute, with weighted pauses. Record a take with the teleprompter, listen back, and try one of the alternate reads to stretch your range.