Explore every episode of the podcast The Hunchcast of Notre Dame
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Wishbone: The Hunchdog of Notre Dame” (1995) | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:44:49 | |
Watch “The Hunchdog of Notre Dame” for FREE on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejCRJQ3TO7s On this episode of the definitive “Hunchback of Notre Dame” podcast, we discuss “The Hunchdog of Notre Dame,” the fourteenth episode of the show “Wishbone,” which aired on PBS in 1995. “Wishbone” follows a Jack Russell Terrier who imagines himself as the hero of classic novels. In “The Hunchdog of Notre Dame,” a roller hockey game inspires Wishbone to see himself as Quasimodo in Victor Hugo’s “Notre-Dame de Paris” (“The Hunchback of Notre Dame”). Is this dog the best actor who ever portrayed Quasimodo? Has anyone played roller hockey in the 21st century? Who the heck is Dam Cloud Froyo? Plus, cultural literacy! Hair ribbons! Texas! Taxpayer funding! Join us to learn about all these topics and more! RING THE NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com SOURCES:
CHAPTERS: (00:00) Intro (02:58) Minute of History: The Canon Wars (11:06) Plot Synopsis (14:45) How “Wishbone” Was Produced (18:08) How Faithful Is This Adaptation? (22:10) Comparison to Other “Wishbone” Episodes (26:54) Soccer the Dog & Larry Brantley (voice) (31:03) Esmeralda’s Role (33:26) Dam Cloud Froyo’s Role (35:44) The Hunchdog’s Role (37:40) Overall Thoughts & Inn, Dust, Throw (43:48) Next Episode Teaser & Outro Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1996) ft. Emily of Notre Dame | 16 Jun 2026 | 02:27:49 | |
Acclaimed Notre Dame tour guide Emily MacKinnon joins us to discuss Disney’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which celebrates its 30th birthday this month! Often called Disney's darkest animated movie, this black sheep of the Disney renaissance spawned a multi-million-dollar merchandising campaign, a direct-to-video sequel, a live show at the Disney parks, two stage musicals, and an announced but quietly canceled live-action remake. Whose idea was it to turn “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo into a Disney movie? Why didn’t Quasimodo and Esmeralda end up together? Are we ever getting a live-action remake of this film, and should we? Listen along to learn the answers to these questions and more! Watch our LIVE Q&A with lyricist Stephen Schwartz, producer Don Hahn, directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, story writer Tab Murphy, and supervising animator Kathy Zielenski on SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on https://www.YouTube.com/@Hunchback30thAnniversary! RING THE NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! BOOK A TOUR WITH EMILY: https://www.quasimodoandhiscathedraltours.com/ JOIN THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME SUBREDDIT: https://www.reddit.com/r/HunchbackOfNotreDame/ JOIN THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME DISCORD SERVER: https://discord.gg/uRa88pfFTF FOLLOW OUR SOCIALS:
EPISODE SOURCES:
EPISODE CHAPTERS: (00:00) Special Announcement (01:00) Intro (02:07) Emily’s Story (17:16) How Did This Movie Get Made? (25:25) Plot Synopsis (29:45) How Loose Is This Adaptation? (33:33) Quasimodo’s Role (43:02) Claude Frollo’s Role (49:45) Box Office Performance + Controversies (52:52) The Gargoyles (57:38) History of the Announced Live-Action Remake + Our Thoughts (01:12:29) Clopin’s Role (01:18:40) Phoebus’s Role (01:25:31) Should Quasimodo and Esmeralda Have Ended Up Together? (01:35:55) Duets Between Phoebus and Esmeralda (01:37:59) Esmeralda’s Role (01:46:02) Ranking the Songs (02:09:04) Historical Inaccuracies (02:12:51) Overall Thoughts + Inn, Dust, Throw (02:25:32) Outro Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). | |||
| Books 1 & 2: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo | 10 Feb 2026 | 01:05:07 | |
Cross of God! The world’s first podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”) is here, and what better way to begin than with an in-depth series about Victor Hugo’s classic novel? In part one of a comprehensive five-episode series, we’re discussing Books 1 and 2 of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo. Why did Hugo decide to write a book about a hunchback living in a church? Is this Pierre Gringoire guy the greatest loser who ever lived? And what does Cardi B have to do with any of this? Listen to our inaugural episode for the answers to these questions and more! RING THAT NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (04:38) Minute of History: The Novel's Origin Story (10:52) Book I (33:23) Book II (57:10) Overall Thoughts (1:00:13) A Game: Inn, Dust, Throw (1:03:59) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002) Episode cover art by Luc-Olivier Merson. “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| Discussing “La Esmeralda” (1836) with musicologist Dr. Denise Boneau | 28 Apr 2026 | 01:11:41 | |
On this special episode of the definitive podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we sit down with musicologist Dr. Denise Boneau, the world’s leading expert on composer Louise Bertin, for an exclusive interview about the opera “La Esmeralda” (1836), the subject of our previous episode. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Dr. Boneau’s doctoral dissertation revived academic interest in Louise Bertin, who by that point had faded from public memory. Her passion for Bertin’s work has taken to France to see the first productions of Bertin’s operas in nearly 200 years, none of which would have been possible if Dr. Boneau hadn’t brought Bertin’s work back into public view. We’d like to express our sincerest thanks to Dr. Boneau for generously offering her time and expertise! LISTEN TO “LA ESMERALDA” WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tEP6_VCwyI RING THAT NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Introduction (01:01) Denise Boneau and Her Dissertation (09:51) Who Was Louise Bertin? (15:28) Louise’s Operas (24:32) La Esmeralda’s Tumultuous Production (35:20) Louise’s Disability + Upbringing (42:41) Louise’s Legacy (45:55) Louise and Hugo’s friendship (56:45) La Esmeralda’s 21st-Century Revival (01:01:26) Hector Berlioz’s Involvement (01:05:18) Quasimodo’s Aria (01:09:08) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). Episode cover art by Victor-Louis Mottez. “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| RKO’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939) | 02 Jun 2026 | 01:32:17 | |
On this episode of the world’s first podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we discuss RKO’s feature film of the same name, released in 1939! Made during the Holocaust and the Great Depression, this remake of Universal’s feature film speaks to the difficult state of the world in the 1930s by refocusing Victor Hugo’s story on themes of social justice. Academy Award winner Charles Laughton and then-eighteen-year-old Maureen O’Hara turn in career-best performances. Does this movie contain the best version of the character Pierre Gringoire? Why did RKO purchase the rights to make a movie based on a public-domain book? Is Charles Laughton God? Plus, Coldplay! Yo mama! Progresso soup! Aldi! The seven liberal arts! Join us as we discuss these topics and more! RING THE NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (00:27) How Did This Get Made? (19:48) Plot Synopsis (29:27) The Ending (33:40) Writers Bruno Frank and Sonya Levien (40:38) Clopin and the Bonus Army Incident (45:33) King Louis XI’s Role (48:53) Pierre Gringoire’s Role (52:54) Esmeralda's Role (57:04) Quasimodo's Role (01:02:21) Jehan Frollo's Role (01:16:52) The Screenplay (01:20:17) The Bells of Notre Dame (01:21:48) Overall Thoughts (01:25:54) Inn, Dust, Throw (01:31:36) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| “Man of a Thousand Faces” (1957), the Lon Chaney biopic | 19 May 2026 | 00:56:35 | |
On this episode of the definitive podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we discuss the Lon Chaney biopic “Man of a Thousand Faces” (1957)! While this movie isn’t a direct “Hunchback” adaptation, it contains recreation scenes of Universal’s 1923 movie (the topic of our previous episode) and provides valuable insight into Lon Chaney’s (Quasimodo’s) life at the time of filming. How much of this movie is historically accurate? Why is 58-year-old James Cagney playing a 22-year-old? And why, why, WHY does the Quasimodo makeup look so terrible? Join us as we answer these questions and more! RING THE NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (00:57) Why Did This Get Made? (08:10) Plot Synopsis (12:50) Historical Accuracy (18:04) Portrayal of Deafness and Ableism (23:13) James Cagney’s Performance (25:06) The Recreation Scenes (36:58) Chaney’s Wives (45:51) Overall Thoughts (50:42) Inn, Dust, Throw (55:54) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| Universal’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923) | 05 May 2026 | 01:22:01 | |
On this episode of the definitive podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we’re discussing Universal’s silent film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” released in 1923! Arguably the most important “Hunchback” adaptation (though not the first), this movie, one of the most expensive ever made during its time, kicked off the Universal Monsters franchise, turned Lon Chaney, the Man of a Thousand Faces, into an internationally-recognized star, and legitimized Universal as a major film studio. But for all its fame, this film is shrouded in mystery. What happened to the scenes and subplots that were cut? Was Quasimodo’s hump actually 70 pounds? Who REALLY directed this movie? Join us as we answer these century-old questions! WATCH UNIVERSAL’S “THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME” FOR FREE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzIEOAUTb-c RING THE NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (00:23) Was This the First “Hunchback” Movie? (01:43) How Did This Get Made? (07:40) Plot Synopsis (13:22) The Title Cards (15:36) Jehan/Claude Frollo’s Role (18:39) The Treasure of Notre Dame (21:49) The Sets (24:19) The Film’s Central Conflict (27:51) Portrayal of the Catholic Church (32:59) Quasimodo’s Role (38:50) Esmeralda’s Role (47:53) Phoebus’s Role (53:11) The Sack Woman’s Role (57:23) Clopin’s Role (59:29) Gringoire’s Role (01:04:15) Censorship (01:08:02) Norman Kerry (01:09:32) Overall Thoughts (01:16:06) Inn, Dust, Throw (01:21:42) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| “La Esmeralda” (1836), an opera by Louise Bertin & Victor Hugo | 21 Apr 2026 | 01:17:40 | |
Tune in next week for an exclusive interview with the world's leading expert on Louise Bertin, musicologist Dr. Denise Boneau! On this episode of the world’s first podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we discuss the opera “La Esmeralda” (1836), the only “Hunchback” adaptation Victor Hugo participated in creating. Composed by Louise Bertin, a young disabled woman, this controversial opera was only performed six times during its original run. Bertin was so traumatized by the backlash against it that she never composed another opera. What’s to blame for the failure of “La Esmeralda”? Government censorship? Sexist critics? Audiences of hecklers, including “The Three Musketeers” author Alexandre Dumas? Joins us as we grapple with this nearly 200-year-old question. LISTEN TO “LA ESMERALDA” WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tEP6_VCwyI RING THAT NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (01:18) Who Was Louise Bertin? (02:58) The Opera's Development (20:28) The Opera's Premiere (25:19) The Opera's Legacy (27:53) Plot Synopsis (30:45) The Opera vs. the Novel (42:40) Clopin’s Role (46:22) Phoebus’s Role (49:45) Quasimodo’s Role (52:52) The Music (01:01:31) How “La Esmeralda” Influenced Future “Hunchback” Adaptations (01:03:11) Overall Thoughts (01:10:06) Inn, Dust, Throw (01:17:07) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). Episode cover art by Louis Boulanger. “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| Books 10 & 11: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo | 07 Apr 2026 | 01:31:20 | |
“We have achieved levels of back never dreamed possible.” (―Quasimodo, probably) On this episode of the world’s first podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we’re covering Books 10 and 11 of Victor Hugo’s classic novel! How did Notre-Dame de Paris save Notre-Dame de Paris? Did the Sack Woman end racism? Why doesn't Esmeralda ever recognize Claude Frollo? Plus, Jabba the Hut! Pet rocks! Johnny Cash! Freddy Kruger! Uggs! The AP News bulletin! This week’s episode of “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” covers all these topics and more. RING THAT NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (00:22) Minute of History: Notre Dame’s Restoration (06:16) Book X (39:39) Book XI (01:19:07) Overall Thoughts (01:24:20) Inn, Dust, Throw (01:29:27) What’s Next for The Hunchcast? (01:30:47) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). Episode cover art by Luc-Olivier Merson. “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| Books 8 & 9: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo | 24 Mar 2026 | 01:30:04 | |
Far-off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a priest in disguise! On this installment of the world’s first podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we’re covering Books 8 and 9 of Victor Hugo’s classic novel! Is Claude Frollo running a multi-level marketing scheme? Who was Victor Hugo’s biggest hater? Is putting animals on trial ethical or barbaric? Plus, Shakespeare! Incels! Stop & Shop! The suffering of Job! Wyoming! “Sold to One Direction” fanfiction! Cryptocurrency! This week’s episode of “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” covers all these topics and more. RING THAT NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (00:37) Minute of History: The Novel’s Initial Reception (04:51) Book VIII (50:00) Book IX (01:22:24) Overall Thoughts (01:24:09) Inn, Dust, Throw (01:29:31) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). Episode cover art by Aimé de Lemud. “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| Books 6 & 7: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo | 10 Mar 2026 | 01:38:18 | |
Did Claude Frollo write the original Death Note? In this episode of the world’s first podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”), we cover Books 6 and 7 (insert outdated joke here) of Victor Hugo’s novel. Was the character Phoebus inspired by Victor Hugo’s personal life? Is Esmeralda really as stupid as many readers think? What happens when a deaf auditor tries a deaf defendant? Plus, Rick and Morty! Neosporin! Continental breakfasts! Katy Perry! Star Wars! Listen to this week’s episode to learn about all these topics and more. RING THAT NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (00:42) Minute of History: Victor Hugo's Doodles (02:56) Book VI (29:27) Book VII (01:27:20) Overall Thoughts (01:29:43) Inn, Dust, Throw (01:37:45) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). Episode cover art by Nicolas Eustache Maurin. “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||
| Books 3, 4 & 5: “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo | 27 Feb 2026 | 01:10:45 | |
How do you solve a problem like Quasimodo? The world’s first podcast about “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (“Notre-Dame de Paris”) is back, and today, we’re covering Books 3, 4 and 5 of Victor Hugo’s classic novel! Was Quasimodo REALLY based on a real person? (Spoiler: Possibly, but probably not the person you think.) Who is this novel’s real protagonist? How fat was Jesus of Nazareth? Plus, alchemy! Royalty in disguise! Unruly college students! Snooki! The Sound of Music! This week’s episode of “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” touches upon all these topics and more. RING THAT NOTIFICATION BELL to be automatically updated when new episodes are released! GET FREE BONUS CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
GET IN TOUCH: thehunchcast@gmail.com CHAPTERS FOR THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro (02:11) Minute of History: Was There a “Real-Life” Quasimodo? (11:51) Book III (19:23) Book IV (50:17) Book V (01:00:35) Overall Thoughts (01:05:48) Inn, Dust, Throw (01:10:13) Outro SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Podcast logo by Ryan Grimm (Instagram: @grimmstar2002). Episode cover art by Louis Charles Auguste Steinheil. “The Hunchcast of Notre Dame” is a production of 1482 Media. All rights reserved. | |||