
On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 97 | Founded | 3 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | HistoryEducation | |||

When a sleepy volcano in Indonesia began smoking in 1883, a steamship company started selling tickets. Tourists hiked up Krakatoa until the soles of their shoes melted, sure they were watching a harmless spectacle. Three months later, it let loose on... more
Rosey Grier has a habit of showing up at turning points of American history: the greatest NFL game ever played, Free to Be…You and Me, and Bobby Kennedy’s 1968 presidential run. But one night at the Ambassador Hotel made the football star a reluctant... more
Wherever Sioux singer D.Z. Ironwing performed in New York, the same woman was waiting afterward to say she loved his voice. Seven years later, his phone rang in a freezing South Dakota trailer. It was her — the first of countless calls that began an ... more
Plenty of Harry Potter fans love Severus Snape. A few truly worshipped him. In the early 2000s, these fans found each other online and came to believe Harry’s least favorite professor was real. A god in an alternate universe that bled into our own. N... more
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Wonderful podcast. I can typically rely on the stories to be fun, they're well told even when sad, and I love the fake movie castings.
Good stories but...
Way too many modernisms and references that are probably only good in two streets of LA.
Tried for a while but the fake laughing made me give up. Seems there are no real people left in California. At least if you put a microphone next to them.
Some weeks you’ll get something fascinating. Others are meh. A few have me taking off my headphones at the end and wondering what was the point of all that. I have to agree with another reviewer that the Andy the Goose story was useless. Just a way for a woman to capitalize on her poor grandfather’s dead pet. No justice or anything, just 💰. This is the most uneven podcast I listen to, and if it goes off the air, I won’t miss it all that much. Listen to the hosts’ other works instead.
The research and narratives are unreal and I love all the presenters and follow their other podcasts but the non stop background music on these ones drives me insane. Would be so good with just a little negative space.. please. I beg you. Every sentence doesn’t need a backup singer
Good stories
Slightly too much modernisms and references that are probably only good in two sheets of LA.
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 | #220 | |
Apple Podcasts | #240 | |
Apple Podcasts | #165 | |
Apple Podcasts | #213 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Stories that read like true-life thrillers, focusing on extraordinary people and unusual events in history, pop culture, and niche subcultures. Each episode blends meticulous research with first-person anecdotes and expert context, producing immersive narratives that feel cinematic yet informative. Highlights include insider perspectives on famous heists, long-form investigations into cultural phenomena, and deep dives into historically rich figures, all served with a storytelling style that favors curiosity, empathy, and human-centered angles. A notable strength is the show's ability to pair archival insight with contemporary reflections, making complex histories accessible and engaging for listeners who crave well-told, proven narratives ... more
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Very Special Episodes:
1. Noble Blood
2. Ridiculous Crime
3. Decoder Ring
4. Stuff You Missed in History Class
5. Sidedoor
Very Special Episodes launched 3 years ago and published 97 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 Very Special Episodes include:
1. D.Z. Ironwing
2. Zoe Alderton
3. Kelly Carter Jackson
4. Leah Wright-Riogour
5. Joe Pompeo
6. Stephen Fischler
7. Jen Bosworth-Ramirez
8. Lisa Napoli
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