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Artwork for This American Life

This American Life

This American Life
Gaza
Donald Trump
Hamas
Chicago
Israel
Family Dynamics
This American Life
Christmas
Israeli Hostages
War
Vegetarianism
Parenting
Chen Almog-Goldstein
Henry Dee
Immigration Policy
Trump Administration
Podcasting
ICE
Shark Attack
Artificial Intelligence

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes516Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureArts

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Artwork for This American Life

Latest Episodes

It’s the midterms! This week’s show is about people changing their minds and not changing their minds — and the people trying to do the persuading.

Start a Life Partners free trial to watch our new video, A Night of Stories and Improv.

(00:00:00) ... more

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A bank robber on an undercover mission. A teenage girl with the powers of a tiger. A vigilante seeking vengeance in Ciudad Juárez. All have secret identities — but not all of them chose those identities for themselves.

Start a Life Partners free tr... more

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We asked listeners to send us their best coincidence stories, and we got more than 1,300 submissions! There were so many good ones that we decided to make a whole show about them. From a chance encounter at a bus station to a romantic dollar bill to ... more

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We discover what we believe might be the original recipe for Coca-Cola…and share it with you! When this episode first aired in 2011, it made international headlines. This, and another story about telling copies from originals.

Visit thisamericanlif... more

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Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Jon Ronson
Journalist and author of Lost at Sea
Episode: 506: Secret Identity
Elna Baker
Author of The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance
Episode: 506: Secret Identity
Yuri Herrera
Writer whose first novel is set on the Mexican border
Episode: 506: Secret Identity
Hannah Jacoby
Storyteller sharing a coincidence from her high-school friendship
Episode: 489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Blake Oliver
Storyteller sharing a family-photo coincidence
Episode: 489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Juliana Bontrager
Teenager sharing a coincidence story
Episode: 489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Stephen Lee
Storyteller whose future in-laws discovered a connection between their past relationships
Episode: 489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Paul Gretchen
Storyteller whose wife had marked a dollar bill years before they met
Episode: 489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Esther Gretchen
Storyteller who wrote her name on dollar bills hoping to find her future husband
Episode: 489: No Coincidence, No Story!

Host

Ira Glass
Host of This American Life

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 121.1k ratings
  • An Argument

    Such a powerful story about honestly reviewing our best intentions. Thank you to the Jones family for bringing this story public despite the surprise, painful ending. Najya may have a bestseller in her future...

    Now to read the NYTimes story.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SpencerDawgMom
    United Statesa month ago
  • Elitism rued

    I loved this show so much but now so little is available to the commoners and the whole message is one of elitism. Other great podcasts have found better ways to capitalize. I’m disappointed in you, Ira.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    missedflights
    United Statesa month ago
  • LOVE TAL but please no AI ads

    I adore the show, listen religiously, but I am not into the AI sponsorship and ads!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    avg8715
    United Statesa month ago
  • This international life

    Nicole Hannah jones’ story about her daughter’s horrible racist school made me unsub. I’m so tired of this liberal claptrap about how horrible it is to be black in America with zero sense of intellectual curiosity or interrogation. Just “white people bad black good.” Done! Have fun preaching to the choir.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    kittycorbu
    United Statesa month ago
  • That wedding poem

    This comment is for the narrator. You were not the selfish one. So much projection.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KKMMex
    United Statesa month ago

Listeners Say

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

Overall, the show remains acclaimed for thoughtful storytelling and high-quality journalism.
Listeners appreciate depth and variety of topics, though some critique perceived political bias in certain episodes.
Guests and hosts are frequently praised for empathy and rigor in reporting.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

506: Secret Identity
Q: And is it weird to be two people?
Navey says it feels like Superman changing into his heroic identity, except she puts clothes on to become the tiger. She is shy as herself but feels confident in the mascot costume.
506: Secret Identity
Q: What Herson told them was unbelievable. But within hours of questioning Herson, the police began to think that his story might be true and that Herson was innocent. It all started, he said, a few days earlier. Herson had got home from a shift unloading trucks at Target when he saw that he had a text message from an old high school friend, Carolina. Here's Tom Schoenberg again.
Carolina offered Herson $25,000 to rob banks, telling him the operation was legitimate and being run for the federal government. He believed a government contact who claimed the banks knew about the tests and promised to get him out of trouble if arrested.
489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Q: Do you regret not pursuing him in some way?
Etta said she regretted not following her father after their chance encounter, because she had spent her life wondering about him and had wanted to talk with him.
489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Q: Do you think you're somehow prone to coincidences? Like coincidences find you more than they find other people?
Elaine Olson was unsure, saying she had asked family members whether coincidences happened to them but had not received much response.
427: Original Recipe
Q: Was the secret Coca‑Cola formula found to be the true original?
The episode presents strong evidence that the old notebook and the Griffin clipping align with many of Coca‑Cola's historical ingredients, but it remains inconclusive whether this exact recipe matches the original manufacturing formula; the experts highlight that even with similarities, authenticity is complex and contested.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Professions
Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About This American Life

What is This American Life about and what kind of topics does it cover?

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To see how many followers or subscribers This American Life 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 This American Life?

These podcasts share a similar audience with This American Life:

1. Radiolab
2. The Moth
3. Heavyweight
4. Fresh Air
5. Serial

How many episodes of This American Life are there?

This American Life launched 20 years ago and published 516 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 This American Life?

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.

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What guests have appeared on This American Life?

Recent guests on This American Life include:

1. Jon Ronson
2. Elna Baker
3. Yuri Herrera
4. Hannah Jacoby
5. Blake Oliver
6. Juliana Bontrager
7. Stephen Lee
8. Paul Gretchen

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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