
Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or po... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 489 | Founded | 19 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | ArtsSociety & Culture | |||

Stories that take place on the edge of civilization, just out of sight.
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* Prologue: Every city's got a place like this: that weird no man's land on the outskirts of ... more
Two lawyers who work for ICE step forward and lift the curtain on what is really happening inside our immigration system right now.
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* Prologue: Two lawyers dive into... more
Stories of high drama from America's workplaces — surprising, emotional places full of the greed, jealousy, and ambition of real politics.
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* Prologue: We hear three ... more
People deciding to do things that most of us do NOT choose to do.
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* Prologue: A new documentary called The Boys and the Bees captures a moment where a six-year-old h... more
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Still a kid but I’m loving this always. Learning of the world ❤️
Great episode. I particularly liked Act 4, where small thoughts meet big brains. The misconceptions of childhood carried through to adulthood, and ensuing hilarity and/or embarrassment
Every other episode has the same theme: Free Palestine, Israel is bad, Hamas are not terrorists. Completely biased, uninformed, dribble from a a self-hating Jew named Ira Glass.
I used to love This American Life. But I have gotten very frustrated with their reliance on reruns. They advertise a new episode as if it is original material, but once you have downloaded it and started listening you realize you have wasted your time with repackaged old material.
This has happened so often that I stopped listening.
It’s a pity, because I still love it when they do have good new material.
TAL is a legendary radio program and I have tremendous respect for it’s full staff of interesting people and writers and musicians let alone the words that embody the spirit of the show’s most beloved staffers kindnesses in the epic story of their lives. I wish i could go higher than five stars.. if I could, I would!
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.
Apple Podcasts | #34 | |
Apple Podcasts | #5 | |
Apple Podcasts | #41 | |
Apple Podcasts | #163 | |
Apple Podcasts | #7 | |
Apple Podcasts | #21 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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True stories unfold around various themes, often showcasing personal anecdotes filled with humor, emotional depth, and unexpected twists. The content ranges from light-hearted narratives about childhood logic and holiday gift-giving, to more serious discussions surrounding societal issues such as immigration enforcement and civil rights. Unique guest profiles often enhance the storytelling, providing varied perspectives from different walks of life. This combination of humor and poignant reflection creates a rich listening experience that resonates with listeners who appreciate multifaceted human experiences.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for This American Life. 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 This American Life 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 This American Life, 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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1. Radiolab
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This American Life launched 19 years ago and published 489 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 This American Life include:
1. Mitch Duneier
2. Michael Chabon
3. Alison Gopnik
4. Aileen Goldman
5. Howie Chackowicz
6. Alex Blumberg
7. Harriet Lerner
8. Jack Geiger
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