I love podcasts. I listen to hours upon hours of podcasts per week. I listen to everything from The Talk Show and ATP to Nerdist and You Made it Weird. It seems I can’t get enough of them. The problem is, I’m running out of time to listen to them all. One podcast that I’ve made sure is at the top of my list is Serial.
Serial is from the same people behind This American Life. Serial tells a new non-fiction story each season. Each episode of the podcast tells the next part of the story. It is absolutely addicting.
The first season, which has spanned 5 episodes thus far, tells the story of a young man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend. Each episode of the podcast takes you deeper and deeper into this world, introducing you to all the key players, investigations and trial testimony. As you listen to the story (and evidence, or lack thereof) unfold, you can’t help but wonder if the person convicted is the person who actually committed the crime. With each episode, your uncertainty grows. It plays like a slick serialized television drama, but the fact that this story is real makes it all the more appealing. I have no idea how this story will end. I have no idea if it has a real ending or if it will leave you hanging questioning if he really did it without any certainty. The podcast could end with the guy still in prison and no new information regarding the murder. You have to wait and see and that is what makes this podcast brilliant.
Make sure you listen. It is journalism and storytelling at its finest.
Donate to Serial and Support Great Journalism
If you’re like me you are completely addicted to Serial, the podcast that tells one story, week by week, over the course of a season. They are looking for donations so they can produce a second season of the podcast. Please consider donating now. If you love the podcast’s great story telling and in-depth research, it’s worth it.
Epic Rap Battles of History: Ghostbusters vs Mythbusters
Two of my favorite busters, Ghostbusters and Mythbusters, are the subjects of the latest Epic Rap Battles of History video. This is probably one of the best battles yet.
An Oral History of Sports Night
Speaking of great Aaron Sorkin TV shows, Entertainment Weekly has a great article about Sorkin’s first show, a 30 minute short-live comedy entitled Sports Night.
The series was less about sports and more about the interactions of the characters who hosted and ran the fictional Sports Center-like show. It featured Sorkin’s trademark quick and witty dialogue, with a ton of Capra-esque optimism about the world. While it only lasted two seasons (one with a horrible laugh track), it is, in my opinion, one of the best comedies ever made. I watch both seasons at least once a year. Read the entire article. It’s great.
Rick Rubin Returns to His NYU Dorm Room for Def Jam’s 30th Anniversary
Def Jam is 30 years old this year. Yes, 30. Rolling Stone sat down with co-founder Rick Rubin, returning to the very dorm room in which he started the label 30 years ago, to discuss how Def Jam began.
For more on the historic record label, check out Russell Simmons’ (co-founder with Rubin) book Life and Def or The Men Behind Def Jam by Alex Ogg. Both are great reads.
Serial Podcast
Serial is from the same people behind This American Life. Serial tells a new non-fiction story each season. Each episode of the podcast tells the next part of the story. It is absolutely addicting.
The first season, which has spanned 5 episodes thus far, tells the story of a young man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend. Each episode of the podcast takes you deeper and deeper into this world, introducing you to all the key players, investigations and trial testimony. As you listen to the story (and evidence, or lack thereof) unfold, you can’t help but wonder if the person convicted is the person who actually committed the crime. With each episode, your uncertainty grows. It plays like a slick serialized television drama, but the fact that this story is real makes it all the more appealing. I have no idea how this story will end. I have no idea if it has a real ending or if it will leave you hanging questioning if he really did it without any certainty. The podcast could end with the guy still in prison and no new information regarding the murder. You have to wait and see and that is what makes this podcast brilliant.
Make sure you listen. It is journalism and storytelling at its finest.