
Have you ever wondered exactly how your favorite movie or book –– or podcast, TV series, documentary film, or magazine article –– got made? Origin Stories has you covered. Each week, veteran journalist Matthew Shaer talks to a different writer or director about the creation of a work close to their own hearts (and to ours). Nothing is off the table: not the frustrations and the joys, not the setba... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 49 | Founded | 10 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | TV & FilmArtsPerforming ArtsFilm Interviews | |||

David Owen is a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of numerous books about technology, infrastructure, and the hidden systems that shape everyday life. In Where the Water Goes, he follows the Colorado River from its headwaters in ... more
Josh Dean is a journalist and the author of The Impossible Factory, a sweeping history of Kelly Johnson, Lockheed’s legendary Skunk Works division, and the engineers who reshaped aviation during the Cold War. Before The Impossible Factory, Dean wrote... more
Ben Bradford is a journalist and the creator of Are We Doomed?, a narrative podcast that explores existential threats through the lens of systems, history, science, and human decision-making. Before launching Are We Doomed?, Bradford worked as a repo... more
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Good mix of guests - but would love more writers rather than movie peeps
I listen to hundreds of podcasts every year. Dozens, weekly. But Origins is one of the best out there. The kind, thoughtful conversation, the fun anecdotes, the emotions behind the development of each creative idea. IS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL.
I really miss Longform. I wasn’t sure that this podcast could fill that void, but I was really drawn in by the conversations about the creative process and how writers and creators do their work and how different it looks for each individual. Thanks so much for these wonderful conversations!
Been waiting for something like this. And the guests so far are so good. It’s like Longform, but with a tighter lens.
It’s so exciting to hear the host and his guests go deep on a tv show or book or podcast. It’s just the right mix of creative insight and storytelling!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Apple Podcasts | #138 | |
Apple Podcasts | #156 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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A thoughtful, interview-driven show that pulls back the curtain on how celebrated works come to life. Across episodes, conversations center on the creative process—writing, directing, casting, research, and production choices—and how real-world constraints, politics, and personal journeys shape final projects. Listeners get behind-the-scenes anecdotes, practical storytelling insights, and deep dives into craft from journalists, filmmakers, showrunners, and authors. The format tends to blend rigorous analysis with intimate storytelling, making it especially valuable for creators, publishers, and brand-friendly partners seeking thoughtful, long-form conversations with industry insiders.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Origin Stories. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Origin Stories and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
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Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Origin Stories, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Origin Stories:
1. Zero to Well-Read
2. Radiolab
3. Revisionist History
4. Fresh Air
5. This American Life
Origin Stories launched 10 months ago and published 49 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Origin Stories include:
1. David Owen
2. Josh Dean
3. Ben Bradford
4. Lily Kaplan
5. AJ Jacobs
6. Helena de Groot
7. Scott Schultz
8. Christian Jacobs
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