This American Life's New Podcast, Serial, Begins with Season One on October 3, 2014

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the creators of This American Life announced that Season One of their new podcast, Serial, will begin with the release of the first two episodes in iTunes on Friday, October 3, 2014 at 10am ET. Listeners can also hear the premiere of Serial Episode 1 on the Friday, October 3 broadcast of This American Life. And as of today, listeners can subscribe for free to the Serial podcast on iTunes and receive a special preview of Season One. Serial is This American Life's very first spin-off show.

The most important way Serial is different from This American Life is that instead of taking on a new subject each week, every episode of Serial brings you back to the same compelling story, to tell you the next chapter. 

"We've tried to continually reinvent how we tell stories on our show," says Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. "This is the next step. We want to give you the same experience you get from a great HBO or Netflix series, where you get caught up with the characters and the thing unfolds week after week, but with a true story, and no pictures. Like House of Cards but you can enjoy it while you're driving."

Serial is hosted by This American Life producer Sarah Koenig – who has reported many of the program's most memorable and talked-about stories – and produced by This American Life's longtime senior producer, Julie Snyder. Ira Glass will act as an advisor on Serial, providing editorial and business input.

Koenig said of the new podcast, "This is exactly the thing I've wanted to do ever since I became a reporter: live inside one complicated story, where I get to follow every character and every lead for as long as I can - as long as it stays interesting."

Season One of Serial is about a murder that happened in Baltimore in 1999. The story is about teenagers, immigrants, love, prejudice, detective work, and one basic question: How can you tell what another person is capable of?

"Sarah Koenig is – no question – the best radio reporter in the world for Serial," says Glass. "A while back, Sarah did an hour-long story for our show, where she started investigating a murder committed by this doctor named Gilmer. Every ten minutes, you learned something that changed your whole idea of the case and the story, and in the end, she found exculpating facts nobody at the trial on either side knew about. It was amazing reporting. I can't wait to hear Sarah do this once a week."

Serial will not air on the radio. After Episodes 1 and 2 are released in iTunes on Friday, October 3 at 10am ET, a new episode will be released on iTunes and other audio platforms every Thursday morning, starting with Episode 3 on October 9. Each episode will also be available weekly on serialpodcast.org.

Serial, like This American Life, is a production of WBEZ Chicago.

About Serial
Serial is a new podcast brought to you by the creators of This American Life. Each season of Serial, host Sarah Koenig will bring listeners one compelling story, in episodes that unfold week by week. Season One of Serial is about a murder that happened in Baltimore in 1999. The story is about teenagers, immigrants, love, prejudice, detective work, and the most basic question: How can you tell what another person is capable of? Listeners can subscribe for free to the Serial podcast on iTunes, and the first two episodes will be released on Friday, October 3. New episodes will be released every Thursday morning, starting with Episode 3 on Thursday, October 9, on iTunes and other audio platforms. Each episode will also be available weekly on serialpodcast.org. Serial, like This American Life, is a production of WBEZ Chicago. More information is available at serialpodcast.org.

About This American Life
This American Life is a weekly public radio show broadcast on more than 500 stations to about 2.2 million listeners. It is produced by WBEZ Chicago. It is often the most popular podcast in the country, with roughly 1.1 million people downloading each week, for a total weekly audience of more than 3.3 million. The show has won many major broadcasting awards, including five Peabodys. More information is available at thisamericanlife.org.
**Please note: This American Life is not a NPR show**

About WBEZ Chicago
WBEZ Chicago 91.5 FM is one of the country's premier public radio stations, operated by Chicago Public Media, which also operates Vocalo 89.5 FM/90.7FM, an experimental web/radio service that seeks to expand the reach of public media. Chicago Public Media creates award-winning content, including programs such as This American Life, Sound Opinions, and Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! (a co-production with NPR). More information is available at chicagopublicmedia.org.

MailChimp is a founding sponsor of Serial.

SOURCE This American Life