Rephonic
Artwork for Serial
Guantanamo Bay
Guantánamo Bay
Keiko
Military Commissions
Terrorism
Free Willy
Al-Qaeda
Torture
Guantanamo
U.S. Military
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
CIA
Mohamedou Salahi
Hunger Strikes
Ahmed Arashidi
Mike Bumgarner
9/11
Justice
CIA Black Sites
September 11th Families For Peaceful Tomorrows

Our newest podcast, “The Good Whale,” is out now. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts, or follow it here: lnk.to/good-whale Serial Productions makes narrative podcasts that have transformed the medium. Sign up for our newsletter at nytimes.com/serialnewsletter to find out about new shows, get behind the scenes stories, and see photos and videos you can’t see on a podcast. To get f... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes104Founded11 years ago
Categories
NewsTrue Crime

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Artwork for Serial

Latest Episodes

After a month at sea, Keiko pops up near a Norwegian fishing village, causing a stir among the residents and his own team of caretakers. They figure that if they wait until spring, maybe Keiko will swim off again with a wild pod. If they can all just... more

Keiko disappears in Icelandic waters, swimming east for four weeks. Unobserved, with no human contact. Since nobody knows what happened to Keiko during that mysterious time, we decided to recreate it — as a musical. From Keiko’s perspective, naturall... more

A fresh training team takes a hard-line approach and doubles down on breaking Keiko’s bond with humans. By summer it seems to be working, until one day Keiko swims away. This is the moment they’ve all been waiting for.

Listen to all six episodes of ... more

Keiko finally arrives in Iceland, where years of preparation will be put to the test when Keiko gets his first chance to interact with orcas in the wild — something he hasn’t done since he was a calf. It does not go according to plan.

Listen to all ... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Majid Khan
Former Guantanamo Bay detainee who joined Al-Qaeda; reflects on his experiences and the impact of torture during his imprisonment.
Episode: S04 - Ep. 8: Two Ledgers
Carol Rosenberg
A veteran journalist specializing in Guantánamo reporting, covering the prison since its opening.
The New York Times
Episode: S04 - Ep. 7: The Forever Reporter
Daniel Bernardi
Recently retired Navy commander who served as a public affairs officer.
Episode: S04 - Ep. 7: The Forever Reporter
Mike Bumgarner
De facto warden of Guantánamo during a critical period
U.S. Military
Episode: S04 - Ep. 5: The Big Chicken, Part 1
Ahmed Arashidi
Former detainee at Guantánamo
Episode: S04 - Ep. 5: The Big Chicken, Part 1

Host

Daniel Alarcón
Creator and host, focusing on narrative storytelling that explores complex human experiences and social dilemmas.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 109.9k ratings
  • Prepare to cry

    The Good Whale is an excellent production, with beautiful surprises along the way, but the story itself broke my heart. Beware sensitive souls…

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jmbmx
    United States2 days ago
  • serial

    What the freak

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    susannatallahasse
    United States15 days ago
  • Thank goodness for the CIA

    Just finished Season 4. Sara misses the mark on the CIA. Their actions likely prevented more attacks, which matters more than KSM’s motives or any government apology.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Dc278
    United States16 days ago
  • Boo

    Remove the pay wall😵‍💫 I was able to find a way to listen to season one. Such a bummer that you’re making people pay for a series that was free.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Gracefulstreams
    United States18 days ago
  • Will NOT PAY

    Wow Serial, now we have to pay to listen. Good bye

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    CarieB_
    United States18 days ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many listeners appreciate the gripping storytelling and in-depth research that delves into complex societal issues.
Listeners often praise the show's ability to elicit emotional responses and provoke thought about ethical dilemmas.
A recurring theme in reviews is disappointment regarding the paywall restricting access to episodes, leading to listener frustration.
There are mixed feelings about the new formats introduced, with some expressing confusion or dissatisfaction.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#83
United States/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#9
United States/News
Apple Podcasts
#33
Canada/News
Apple Podcasts
#37
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#54
Australia/News
Apple Podcasts
#130
Italy/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Good Whale - Ep. 3
Q: Was there a moment where you were like, oh, this is too much. I can't do this?
Yeah, it kind of kept building over time as he recognized the emotional pain involved in capturing orcas.
S04 - Ep. 5: The Big Chicken, Part 1
Q: How did the hunger strikes influence your management approach?
The hunger strikes prompted Bumgarner to reevaluate his methods and implement stricter control measures, ultimately leading to the use of force-feeding when negotiations failed.
S04 - Ep. 5: The Big Chicken, Part 1
Q: What were the initial strategies you used to manage Guantánamo?
Bumgarner aimed to foster compliance by reforming privileges for detainees based on their behavior while initiating dialogue with them to understand their needs.
S04 - Ep. 6: Part 2, Asymmetry
Q: How did the military personnel react to the suicides?
The military attributed the suicides to a manipulation tactic by the detainees against the U.S. government.
S04 - Ep. 6: Part 2, Asymmetry
Q: What happened during the critical events of May 18, 2006?
On this day, there was an escalation of suicide attempts among the detainees, leading to a facility-wide search and increased tensions.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Serial

What is Serial about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Exploring profound narratives about real-life events, the content comprises a spectrum of human experiences and moral dilemmas, often highlighting the intricate relationships between individuals and larger societal issues. Recent topics have included deep dives into the lives of notable figures, ethical considerations surrounding animal rehabilitation, and the complexities of military justice, particularly through the lens of high-profile cases and significant historical events. The storytelling approach intertwines emotional arcs with factual reporting to create a rich auditory experience for listeners, often challenging their perceptions of justice and empathy.

Where can I find podcast stats for Serial?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Serial. 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 Serial and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Serial get?

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What are the audience demographics for Serial?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Serial, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Serial have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Serial has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Serial?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Serial:

1. This American Life
2. Criminal
3. Up and Vanished
4. Bear Brook
5. The Binge Cases: Catch Me If You Ken

How many episodes of Serial are there?

Serial launched 11 years ago and published 104 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Serial?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Serial?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Serial from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Serial?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Serial. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Serial?

Recent guests on Serial include:

1. Majid Khan
2. Carol Rosenberg
3. Daniel Bernardi
4. Mike Bumgarner
5. Ahmed Arashidi

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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