Story highlights
The podcast takes place in an Alabama town
It's already made history
There’s a new obsession in podcasts.
“S-Town” is the latest that listeners can’t stop talking about. It’s even been called the new “Serial.”
Here’s what you should know:
It’s from the team who brought you “Serial”
The producers of “Serial” and “This American Life” are behind “S-Town.” Its host, Brian Reed, is a “This American Life” alum.
A few themes
The podcast covers a lot of ground. It’s about murder, money, outcasts and mystery.
It began when John B. McLemore of Woodstock, Alabama, emailed the producers of “This American Life” saying he had a story to tell.
“John despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it,” the description on the podcast’s site reads. “He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who’s allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man’s life.”
The name is slightly naughty
“S-Town” stands for “S*** Town,” which is what McLemore calls Woodstock.
If you are a Netflix binger, you’ll love “S-Town”
Unlike “Serial,” which made the faithful wait for new episodes every Thursday, you can binge “S-Town.”
All the episodes were released at once. Reed told Time that was always part of the plan.
“‘Serial’ was modeled directly on serialized TV shows,” he said. “With ‘S-Town,’ we were really thinking of novels.”
Listen sparingly
There are only seven episodes, so pace yourself.
“S-Town” has already made history
According to Variety, the podcast broke a record with 10 million downloads in just four days. It took “Serial” seven weeks to reach that milestone.
