Serial Productions makes narrative podcasts whose quality and innovation transformed the medium. “Serial” began in 2014 as a spinoff of the public radio show “This American Life.” In 2020, we joined the New York Times Company. Our shows have reached many millions of listeners and have won nearly every major journalism award for audio, including the first-ever Peabody Award given to a podcast.

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Serial

Kim interviews Fred Lamb and takes a fresh look at the case.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 8

Kim takes stock of the evidence against Fred Lamb and gets to the bottom of the stories she’s heard about him — including one from his wife of more than 30 years.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 7

Kim examines the bizarre interrogation that led to Fred Lamb’s arrest.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 6

Kim talks to someone who confessed to Shelli’s murder from a jail in Arizona.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 5

Kim digs into the early stages of the investigation into Shelli’s murder and follows up with old suspects.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 4

Kim heads to Laramie and hears two very different versions of the case against Fred Lamb.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 3

Kim talks to Shelli’s former roommate, who connects Kim with a man who was at the crime scene and has troubling memories about Fred Lamb and the police.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 2

A Times investigative reporter, Kim Barker, revisits the murder of Shelli Wiley — a long-unsolved case from Kim’s time in high school. She reaches out to Shelli’s family to understand why the police arrested a man named Fred Lamb for Shelli’s murder in 2016, and why prosecutors abruptly dropped the charges against him.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Episode 1

Kim Barker, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York Times, revisits an unsolved murder that took place while she was in high school in Laramie, Wyoming, nearly 40 years ago. She confronts the conflicting stories people have told themselves about the crime because of an unexpected development: the arrest of a former Laramie police officer accused in the murder. All eight episodes of "The Coldest Case in Laramie," a new show from Serial Productions and The New York Times, are available on Thursday, February 23rd wherever you get your podcasts.

The Coldest Case In Laramie - Trailer

Rachel goes back to California, to the place where she grew up and where her brother and father died, to find answers.

For more information on 'We Were Three': https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/podcasts/we-were-three.html

We Were Three - Ep. 3: I Am All That Is Left. Amen.

Rachel retraces how her family, over decades, fell apart and came back together.

For more information on 'We Were Three': https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/podcasts/we-were-three.html

We Were Three - Ep. 2: Assassin

We Were Three - Ep. 1: Black Box

A three-part series from This American Life producer Nancy Updike. When Rachel McKibbens’s father and brother died suddenly last fall, two weeks apart, from Covid, she’d had no idea her father was sick, and no idea her brother was dying. They were unvaccinated, but the story of what happened started long before that. All three episodes of "We Were Three," a new show from Serial Productions and The New York Times, are available now wherever you get your podcasts.

We Were Three - Trailer

A man banned from working in education in the aftermath of the Trojan Horse letter inspires Brian and Hamza to track down one last witness with him – in Australia. And all three travelers find their faith tested.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 8

Birmingham authorities struggle to explain why they disavowed their own findings about the Trojan Horse plot. But when Brian and Hamza make a discovery deep inside some court documents, everything suddenly makes sense.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 7

Hamza takes a long, hard look at what the government found when it investigated more than 20 majority-Muslim schools in Birmingham. And our two reporters have a confrontation – with each other.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 6

Hamza and Brian learn that the Trojan Horse letter wasn’t the only unsigned letter alleging an extremist operation was afoot in Birmingham. An interview with a couple who lodged complaints against their school starts out cordially, but six hours later, the atmosphere is so tense that not even an offer of tea can smooth things over. And Hamza stops pretending he’s not angry about what he’s hearing.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 5

A series of frustrating interviews with Birmingham politicians leaves Brian and Hamza wondering if crucial information about the Trojan Horse letter was kept from officials in London. Then one rainy Friday afternoon, Brian hears back from a government source who wants to meet right away.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 4

In a state of surprise, Hamza and Brian leave a meeting with the man the Trojan Horse letter was first sent to. And they learn about an internal investigation report that local officials have kept hidden, but which they think could contain a bombshell.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 3

Hamza and Brian think the source of the Trojan Horse letter might be hiding in plain sight. After learning about the petty personnel dispute that probably gave rise to the letter, they’re even more bewildered about how it ever could have been taken seriously.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 2

A strange letter appears outlining a plot by Islamic extremists to infiltrate Birmingham schools. Hamza and Brian visit the supposed mastermind of the plot, and he tells them he did take over a bunch of schools – just not for the reasons in the letter.

The Trojan Horse Affair - Part 1

A mysterious letter detailing a supposed Islamist plot to take over schools shocked Britain in 2014. But who wrote it? From Serial Productions and The New York Times, “The Trojan Horse Affair,” an investigation that became bigger than we ever imagined. All eight parts are available now, wherever you get your podcasts. Search "The Trojan Horse Affair."

The Trojan Horse Affair - Trailer

The Improvement Association PAC’s power in the county is threatened when an unlikely candidate enters the race for county commissioner. Plenty of people outside the PAC now have their own ideas about how to build Black political power here. Zoe examines what this election could mean for the PAC’s future.

The Improvement Association - Ep. 5: ‘Democrat, Republican, White, Black, Green’

With the PAC’s reputation suffering because of years of cheating accusations and resentment stirring within its ranks, a prominent member turns against the leadership. Nevertheless, Horace and his closest allies make a bold move by supporting a political upset at the center of the county.

The Improvement Association - Ep. 4: ‘Let Them Pull the Red Wagon’

Zoe delves into one of the most serious allegations against the Bladen Improvement PAC: an accusation about stealing votes from vulnerable people that goes back 10 years. In trying to track down the veracity of this particularly persistent rumor, she comes to understand how and why election cheating allegations are so sticky.

The Improvement Association - Ep. 3: ‘The Ballad of the Nursing Home Ballots’

Zoe talks to people in the county who believe the Bladen Improvement PAC has been cheating for years. She tries to get beyond the rumors and into specifics, and comes face to face with the intense suspicion and scrutiny leveled against the organization. In the middle of another election, Zoe goes out with members of the PAC to watch how they operate and try to make sense of all these allegations against them.

The Improvement Association - Ep. 2: ‘Where Is Your Choice?’

Following a notorious case of election fraud in Bladen County, North Carolina, in 2018, the reporter Zoe Chace gets an invitation from Horace Munn, the leader of the Bladen County Improvement Association PAC, a Black political advocacy group whose name was dragged into the scandal. Horace asks Zoe to come down and investigate for herself and find out who is really cheating.

The Improvement Association - Ep. 1: ‘The Big Shadoo’

Listen to the trailer for our newest show, "The Improvement Association."  From Serial Productions and The New York Times, hosted by Zoe Chace.

The Improvement Association - Trailer

An unexpected last chapter. Some white parents start behaving differently.

Nice White Parents - Ep. 5: ‘We Know It When We See It’

Is it possible to limit the power of white parents?

Nice White Parents - Ep. 4: ‘Here’s Another Fun Thing You Can Do’

We saw what happens when white families come into the school. What happens when they stay out?

Nice White Parents - Ep. 3: ‘This Is Our School, How Dare You?’

White parents in the 1960s fought to be part of a new, racially integrated school. Where’d they go?

Nice White Parents - Ep. 2: ‘I Still Believe in It’

A group of parents take one big step together.

Nice White Parents - Ep. 1: The Book of Statuses

“You’re beginning to figure it out now, aren’t you?”

S-Town - Chapter VII

“Since everyone around here thinks I’m a queer anyway.”

S-Town - Chapter VI

“Nobody’ll ever change my mind about it.”

S-Town - Chapter V

“If anybody could find it, it would be me.”

S-Town - Chapter IV

S-Town - Chapter III

S-Town - Chapter II

“If you keep your mouth shut, you’ll be surprised what you can learn.”

S-Town - Chapter I

The state of Ohio decides where Joshua belongs.

Serial S03 - Ep. 9: Some Time When Everything Has Changed

Serial S03 - Ep. 8: A Madman’s Vacation

If you listen closely to the trash-talking, you start to get the message.

Serial S03 - Ep. 7: The Snowball Effect

Serial S03 - Ep. 6: You in the Red Shirt

Don’t tell the judges, but the prosecutors have the most power in the building.

Serial S03 - Ep. 5: Pleas Baby Pleas

What happens when the right evidence points to the wrong man?

Serial S03 - Ep. 4: A Bird in Jail Is Worth Two on the Street

The smell of raw marijuana + acting nervous + hands in pockets = ?

Serial S03 - Ep. 3: Misdemeanor, Meet Mr. Lawsuit

When a judge believes he knows you better than you know yourself.

Serial S03 - Ep. 2: You’ve Got Some Gauls

A young woman at a bar is slapped on the butt. So why’s she the one in jail?

Serial S03 - Ep. 1: A Bar Fight Walks into the Justice Center

The Season Two finale: What is Bowe’s fault, and what isn’t?

Serial S02 - Ep. 11: Present for Duty

Serial S02 - Ep. 10: Thorny Politics

You don’t make peace with your friends.

Serial S02 - Ep. 9: Trade Secrets

Serial S02 - Ep. 8: Hindsight, Part 2

It makes sense if you’re Bowe Bergdahl.

Serial S02 - Ep. 7: Hindsight, Part 1

Serial S02 - Ep. 6: 5 O’Clock Shadow

CIA, FBI, YouTube, the Portland PD? There was no handbook for getting Bergdahl back.

Serial S02 - Ep. 5: Meanwhile, in Tampa

What's happening on the other side of the door?

Serial S02 - Ep. 4: The Captors

Bergdahl’s first year in captivity starts with an escape and ends with an escape. In between, he learns necessary, twisted lessons of survival.

Serial S02 - Ep. 3: Escaping

On the move with Bergdahl, the Taliban slip past the U.S. Army’s massive effort to find him. During those days and weeks, each side is asking, what is Bergdahl worth to us?

Serial S02 - Ep. 2: The Golden Chicken

In the middle of the night, Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl grabs a notebook, snacks, water, some cash. Then he quietly slips off a remote U.S. Army outpost in eastern Afghanistan and into the dark, open desert. About 20 minutes later, it occurs to him: he’s in over his head.

Serial S02 - Ep. 1: DUSTWUN

It’s Baltimore, 2022. Adnan Syed has spent the last 23 years incarcerated, serving a life sentence for the murder of Hae Min Lee, a crime he says he didn’t commit. He has exhausted every legal avenue for relief, including a petition to the United States Supreme Court. But then, a prosecutor in the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s office stumbled upon two handwritten notes in Adnan’s case file, and that changes everything.

Serial S01 Ep. 13: Adnan Is Out

February 2016: Sarah Koenig ducks back into the Adnan Syed case for a few days. There’s a hearing in Baltimore—a court proceeding that’s been nearly sixteen years in the making. Syed’s attorney will introduce new evidence, and present a case for why his conviction should be overturned. Sarah and producer Dana Chivvis will discuss what happens, day by day.

Serial S01 Update 3: Day 03, Adnan Syed’s Hearing

Serial S01 Update 2: Day 02, Adnan Syed’s Hearing

Serial S01 Update 1: Day 01, Adnan Syed’s Hearing

On January 13, 1999, Adnan Syed was a hurt and vengeful ex-boyfriend who carried out a premeditated murder. Or he was a bewildered bystander, framed for a crime he could never have committed. After 15 months of reporting, we take out everything we’ve got - interviews and documents and police reports - we shake it all out, and we see what sticks.

Serial S01 - Ep. 12: What We Know

Almost everyone describes the 17-year-old Adnan the same way: good kid, helpful at the mosque, respectful to his elders. But a couple of months ago, Sarah started getting phone calls from people who knew Adnan back then, and told her stories of a different kind of boy.

Serial S01 - Ep. 11: Rumors

Adnan’s trial lawyer was M. Cristina Gutierrez, a renowned defense attorney in Maryland – tough and savvy and smart. Other lawyers said she was exactly the kind of person you’d want defending you on a first-degree murder charge. But Adnan was convicted, and a year later, Gutierrez was disbarred. What happened?

Serial S01 - Ep. 10: The Best Defense is a Good Defense

New information is coming in about what maybe didn’t happen on January 13, 1999.  And while Adnan’s memory of that day is foggy at best, he does remember what happened next: being questioned, being arrested and, a little more than a year later, being sentenced to life in prison.

Serial S01 - Ep. 9: To Be Suspected

The state’s case against Adnan Syed hinged on Jay’s credibility; he was their star witness and also, because of his changing statements to police, their chief liability. Naturally, Adnan’s lawyer tried hard to make Jay look untrustworthy at trial. So, how did the jurors make sense of Jay? For that matter, how did the cops make sense of Jay? How are we supposed to make sense of Jay?

Serial S01 - Ep. 8: The Deal With Jay

Adnan told Sarah about a case in Virginia that had striking similarities to his own: one key witness, incriminating cell phone records, young people, drugs - and a defendant who has always maintained his innocence. Sarah called up one of the defense attorneys on that case to see if she could offer any insight into Adnan’s case, and got much more than she bargained for.

Serial S01 - Ep. 7: The Opposite of the Prosecution

The physical evidence against Adnan Syed was scant - a few underwhelming fingerprints. So aside from cell records, what did the prosecutors bring to the jury, to shore up Jay's testimony? Sarah weighs all the other circumstantial evidence they had against Adnan, including curious behavior, a disconcerting note, and an unexplained mid-afternoon phone call.

Serial S01 - Ep. 6: The Case Against Adnan Syed

Adnan once issued a challenge to Sarah. He told her to test the state’s timeline of the murder by driving from Woodlawn High School to Best Buy in 21 minutes. It can’t be done, he said. So Sarah and Dana take up the challenge, and raise him one: They try to recreate the entire route that Jay said he and Adnan took on January 13th, 1999.

Serial S01 - Ep. 5: Route Talk

A few days after Hae’s body is found, the detectives get a lead that opens the case up for them. They find Jay at work late one night and bring him down to Homicide. At first, he insists he doesn’t know anything about the murder. But eventually he comes clean. He tells them what happened on January 13th. A few weeks later, he’s back at Homicide and his story has changed. In some ways, these changes are small and understandable. In other ways, they’re big and confounding.

Serial S01 - Ep. 4: Inconsistencies

It’s February 9, 1999. Hae has been missing for three weeks. A man on his lunch break pulls off a road to pee, and stumbles on her body in a city forest. His odd recounting of the discovery makes Detectives Ritz and MacGillivary suspicious. For instance, why did he walk so far into the woods - 127 feet - to relieve himself? And that’s just the start. A look into the man’s past reveals some bizarre behavior.

Serial S01 - Ep. 3: Leakin Park

Their relationship began like a storybook high-school romance: a prom date, love notes, sneaking off to be alone. But unlike other kids at school, they had to keep their dating secret, because their parents disapproved. Both of them, but especially Adnan, were under special pressure at home, and the stress of that spilled over into their relationship. Eventually Hae broke up with Adnan. And then, depending on who you ask, Adnan was either understandably sad and moping around, or full of rage and plotting to kill her.

Serial S01 - Ep. 2: The Breakup

It's Baltimore, 1999. Hae Min Lee, a popular high-school senior, disappears after school one day. Six weeks later detectives arrest her classmate and ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, for her murder. He says he's innocent - though he can't exactly remember what he was doing on that January afternoon. But someone can. A classmate at Woodlawn High School says she knows where Adnan was. The trouble is, she’s nowhere to be found.

Serial

Serial Productions & The New York Times - serialpodcast.org

Latest episode: Thu Mar 30 2023