Amy Poehler wants her true crime podcast to make you laugh

“This is the seriousness of things,” Poehler continued. “Then there’s the comedic version, which comes from loving something and wanting to do a parody of it.”

These days it's hard to find a celebrity who doesn't have a podcast with other celebrities. On “Armchair Expert” Dax Shepard causes a stir with guests like David Sedaris and Connie Britton. In “Unqualified,” Anna Faris gives relationship advice to Christina Ricci, Kevin Bacon and David Duchovny, among others. And in “Street You Grew Up On,” people like Eva Longoria, Jimmy Kimmel and Issa Rae talk about their childhood with Kerry Washington.

Poehler's podcasts also feature a constellation of stars, mostly old friends she knows from her early improv days in Chicago and New York and from “Saturday Night Live.” Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Will Arnett and Fred Armisen (who plays a pretty funny AI bot) all appear in different guises – as fictional characters rather than themselves.

Cackowski compared her approach to that of Armisen, Seth Myers and Bill Hader in “Documentary Now,” the Netflix series that parodies the genre. “What if we made 'Documentary Now' a podcast?” she said. “The whole project was about which of our friends would come over to hang out and improvise.”

The podcasts feature Poehler's satirical infomercials from sponsors including ZipRecruiter, eharmony and Kroger, and they stand out in a crowded market, said Jenna Weiss-Berman, executive vice president of Audacy Podcasts. After a period of almost unbridled growth, the industry has suffered painful cuts over the past year and a half and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find something new and fresh, she said.

“It’s not just celebrities talking to other celebrities,” Weiss-Berman said. “This is Amy Poehler doing her thing, which is being a master of improvisation.” While fictional podcasts can sound overly theatrical and dramatic, Poehler's tracks are “fast-paced and entertaining,” according to Weiss-Berman.