
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 | 78 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EducationHistory | |||

Time for another mailbag episode! This week Dana, Zaron, and Jason answer pressing listener questions on yearbook quotes, hidden talents, and ads they'd read for free. Plus they plan a Very Special Festival (and/or Cruise).
We'll be back with a ne... more
Today's episode is a tour of New York’s secret history with a very special guest!
Greg Young of the beloved Bowery Boys podcast joins us to prove the world is a very interesting place, if you just know where to look. There's hidden history in subwa... more
Today we're sharing an excerpt from a new soccer podcast, The Away End with John Green and Daniel Alarcón. In a recent episode they covered the 1994 Caribbean Cup, which felt very Very Special Episodes-y. If you like soccer or enjoy listening to smar... more
Long before the NCAA Basketball Tournament became a billion-dollar business, there was a massive betting pool run out of a neighborhood bar on Staten Island. The Irish pub’s $10 game handed out million-dollar prizes and drew players from around the w... more
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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.
Show topics are interesting but host, Dana Schwartz’s reading style is terrible. Zaron Burnett is always a pleasure to listen to and Jason English is fine.
This one is really fun. It's crazy that something as mundane as KFC (in the US) would be such a big deal in other countries.
I read an article many years ago about KFC's popularity in Gaza. (Way before the mess that's there now.) Taxi drivers would take dozens of orders from Gazans and drive an obstacle course of checkpoints into Egypt. They'd collect the food, and drive it back to Gaza.
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 | #247 | |
Apple Podcasts | #86 | |
Apple Podcasts | #208 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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This show curates one extraordinary true story each week, blending historical research, archival context, and narrative storytelling. Episodes span topics from historical mysteries and political history to unusual sport sagas and cultural phenomena, often featuring expert guests who illuminate the period or theme. The format pairs engaging narration with insightful discussion, producing a bingeable mix of discovery and analysis that appeals to curious, story-driven listeners who enjoy learning through well-researched storytelling.
Unique strengths include a diverse slate of guests from historians and museum professionals to authors and journalists, plus historically themed episodes that tie micro-histories to larger cultural narratives. Th... more
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Very Special Episodes:
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4. Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities
5. Decoder Ring
Very Special Episodes launched 2 years ago and published 78 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. Greg Young
2. John Green
3. Daniel Alarcón
4. Terrence Hagerty
5. Zeke Burnett
6. Alex Wellerstein
7. Cynthia Lazeroff
8. Bruce Lazaroff
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