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'Serial'
File:Serial (podcast) logo.png
Presentation
Hosted bySarah Koenig
GenreInvestigative journalism
Serialized audio narrative
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly, on Thursday morning
Production
Production
  • Sarah Koenig
  • Julie Snyder
  • Dana Chivvis
  • Emily Condon
Audio formatPodcast (via streaming or downloadable MP3)
No. of episodes12
Publication
Original releaseOctober 3, 2014 –
center
ProviderWBEZ
Related
WebsiteSerial

Serial is a podcast exploring a nonfiction story over multiple episodes. First released in October 2014, it is a spinoff of the radio program This American Life. Episodes vary in length and are available weekly. It ranked number one on iTunes even before its debut and remained there for several weeks.[1]

Sarah Koenig created and hosts the series, which is co-produced by Koenig and Julie Snyder, both producers of This American Life.

Overview

Season 1 (2014)

Season 1 is an investigation into a 1999 Baltimore murder. Koenig has said that Serial is "about the basics: love and death and justice and truth. All these big, big things."[2] She also has noted, "this is not an original idea. Maybe in podcast form it is, and trying to do it as a documentary story is really, really hard. But trying to do it as a serial, this is as old as Dickens."[3] Episodes are released weekly on Thursdays.

Hae Min Lee(Korean: 이해민) was an 18-year-old student at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore, Maryland. She was last seen at approximately 3:00 p.m. on January 13, 1999.[4] Her corpse was discovered on February 9 in Leakin Park and identified two days later. The case was immediately treated as a homicide.[5] Lee's ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed, was arrested on February 28 at 6 a.m. and charged with first-degree murder, which led to "some closure and some peace" for Lee's family.[6] A memorial service for Lee was held on March 11 at Woodlawn High School.[7] After a six-week trial, which was the second trial, Syed was found guilty of Lee's murder on February 25, 2000[8] and given a life sentence, despite pleading his innocence.[9] Adnan did not speak in front of the jury.

Persons involved

  • Hae-Min Lee - murder victim
  • Adnan Syed - former boyfriend of Hae who was convicted of killing her
  • Jay - key witness at Adnan's trial[10]
  • Stephanie - Jay's girlfriend and Adnan's friend
  • Don - Hae's boyfriend at the time of the murder
  • Rabia Chaudry - friend of Adnan's family and an attorney[11]
  • Saad Chaudry - Adnan's best friend
  • Asia McClain - student at Woodlawn High School and friend of Adnan
  • Mr. S - discoverer of Hae's body
  • Kevin Urick - state prosecutor
  • Cristina Gutierrez - Adnan's defense attorney
  • Detectives Ritz and MacGillivary - lead homicide investigators

Episodes

Season 1 (2014)

# Title Length (minutes:seconds) Original release date
1"The Alibi"53:28October 3, 2014 (2014-10-03)
This episode explores the story of Adnan Syed, who may or may not have been wrongly convicted in 1999 of killing Hae Min Lee, Syed's ex-girlfriend who was a senior at Baltimore County's Woodlawn High School. She disappeared in January 1999. Serial's investigative team "follows up on long-dormant leads, rechecks alibis, and questions assumptions."[12] Host Sarah Koenig reveals that the story is in process and that she doesn't know how it will end.[13][14]
2"The Breakup"36:28October 3, 2014 (2014-10-03)
Adnan and Hae had a storybook romance, kept secret from their disapproving parents. When Hae broke it off, their friends had conflicting interpretations of Adnan's behavior: he was either cool with it and sad, or in a rage and hatching a sinister plot to kill her. Adnan consistently proclaims his innocence, but there are puzzling inconsistencies in the set of facts he tells.
3"Leakin Park"27:34October 10, 2014 (2014-10-10)
Hae had been missing for three weeks when a man on his lunch break, referred to as "Mr. S," discovered her body. His account of how he found her body seems suspicious to detectives MacGillivary and Ritz, who questioned him, and his background check reveals some bizarre behaviors, including a series of streaking episodes.
4"Inconsistencies"33:44October 16, 2014 (2014-10-16)
An anonymous caller leads detectives to subpoena Adnan Syed's cell phone records. As a result, the detectives interview Syed's friend Jen, and then one of his acquaintances, a weed dealer named Jay, who says he saw Hae's body in her car's trunk. Details of his story shifted in some significant ways over four interviews, but the detectives said they were able to corroborate his story.
5"Route Talk"43:10October 23, 2014 (2014-10-23)
Producers Koenig and Chivvis test drive the prosecution's route and timeline of Hae's murder between 2:15, when school let out at the high school, and 2:36, when Jay said Adnan called him for pick up in the Best Buy parking lot and then showed Jay Hae's body in the trunk of her car. While that timeline does seem possible, evidence from the call logs and records of cell tower pings do not quite align with Jay's testimony about the rest of the afternoon.
6"The Case Against Adnan Syed"43:37October 30, 2014 (2014-10-30)
In addition to Jay's testimony, evidence against Adnan Syed included a palm print on a map that could not be dated, and cell phone records. Did Syed ask Hae for a ride after school to get into her car? Koenig goes through all the evidence, including the prosecution's timeline and "some stray things" that don't add up, including a neighbor's story, the testimony of Jay's friend Jen, and the sequence of cell phone calls after Hae disappeared.
7"The Opposite of the Prosecution"32:30November 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)
Deirdre Enright, head investigator for The Innocence Project, and and a team of law students analyze the case against Adnan Syed. Deirdre thinks the evidence against him was "thin." She advises Koenig to keep revisiting all the evidence, allowing uncertainties to remain until there is a tipping point when her questions are resolved. They start with a presumption of Adnan’s innocence, and ask whether they can discover who really did kill Hae? They find some undeveloped forensic evidence, but Koenig is still uncertain.
8"The Deal with Jay"43:56November 13, 2014 (2014-11-13)
How credible was Jay's story? Koenig interviews a jury member, who said Jay seemed like a nice young man, believable. A professional detective says the investigation of Hae's murder was better than average, and Jay had handed the police the case on a platter. Koenig and Snyder visit Jay, who declines an interview. Jay's friend Chris recalls what Jay told him about the murder, a story not consistent with Jay's courtroom version. Why did Jay agree to help Adnan? Did Adnan coerce Jay and threaten to hurt Jay's girlfriend Stephanie? His friends said Jay had a reputation for lying, but not about important things. Jay's friend Jenn says she could understand why Jay might lie about some details, but she believed his story. Back to the question: what was the jury thinking?
9"To Be Suspected"47:40November 20, 2014 (2014-11-20)
Koenig reveals she has new information about the call at 2:36. First, Laura claims there were never any phones in front of the Best Buy, but Jay’s drawing shows phone booth in front of the Best Buy, and he claimed Adnan was standing by that phone booth with red gloves on. Second, Hae’s friend Summer says that Hae could not have been dead by 2:36, because she had a conversation with Hae between 2:30 and 2:45. Others also saw Hae after school that day. Third, Asia also saw Adnan at the library in that same time frame. Sarah Koenig explores Adnan’s perspective as he was questioned, arrested, tried, and sentenced, as well as his letters to friends about life in prison. She mentions that she has reasonable doubt, not in the legal sense, but in the "normal person" sense.
10"The Best Defense is a Good Defense"53:55December 4, 2014 (2014-12-04)
Did anti-Muslim sentiment affect the way the prosecution acted? The prosecution argued at the bail hearing that Adnan's community would help him flee to Pakistan if it bail were granted, falling back on stereotypes to make the case against Adnan as an honor killing. His attorney Christina Gutierrez argued that someone else did it, and police did not look beyond Adnan. His first trial ended in a mistrial when the judge called her a liar. In the second trial she cast suspicion on Mr. S and on Jay as involved in the crime, but she did not present a clear outline of these arguments. She did not focus on discrepancies in the call log timeline, but rather on Jay’s guilty plea as an accessory after the murder, and on the role the prosecutor played in picking Jay’s attorney, as improper behavior. Koenig does not believe Christina Gutierrez intentionally bungled his defense. Within a year after Adnan’s trial, though, Gutierrez became very ill, her career collapsed, and she was disbarred. Adnan now has a petition before a higher court which requires a response by January 14, on the narrow issue that Gutierrez did not seek a plea bargain. Because Adnan has maintained his innocence, however, and shows no remorse, he is unlikely to be paroled.
11"Rumors"41:25December 11, 2014 (2014-12-11)
Rumors about Adnan do not directly connect him to Hae’s murder, and Koenig cannot substantiate the most troubling rumors. People from his mosque were scared when Adnan was arrested, some describing his story as a cautionary tale. A handful believe that Adnan was duplicitous, capable of committing the crime. One rumor, that Adnan stole money from the mosque, was partially confirmed by four people. Adnan admitted taking some money when he was in eighth grade, but his mother found out, and he felt ashamed. Adnan had a reputation as a peacemaker, "a good guy," helpful and caring. People who knew him in high school cannot believe he planned Hae’s murder. Did Adnan "lose it," and nurse feelings of rejection? Is it possible Adnan did it in a dissociative state, and didn’t know he did it? Koenig explores whether Adnan has true empathy or anti-social characteristics, and consults with psychologist Charles Ewing, who has interviewed many young murderers. Why doesn’t Adnan sound more angry about Jay or other people connected to his case? In an 18-page letter to Koenig, Adnan says he has been concerned about being perceived as manipulative, and says it doesn’t matter how the podcast portrays him.
12"What We Know"55:37December 18, 2014 (2014-12-18)
After over a year of researching the case, Koenig still has no certainty as to what happened on the day that Hae Min Lee disappeared. She reveals new information recently gathered: that she has spoken with Don, Hae’s boyfriend of 13 days at the time of her disappearance, as well as with an old co-worker of Jay named Josh. In an attempt to tie up loose ends, Koenig goes over the phone records again with her producing team and determines that neither Jay’s nor Adnan’s story of that day line up with the evidence. Unresolved discrepancies also include Jenn and Jay’s stories about how they disposed of Jay’s clothes and boots. Reviewing possible motives for the murder, Koenig and her producers reason that logically, if Adnan is innocent, he had an extraordinary amount of bad luck because of the circumstantial evidence involving him. Nevertheless, lawyers from the Innocence Project announce that they will be testing the DNA found on Hae’s body, possibly pointing to another man, and Adnan’s petition in the court of appeals is still alive. Koenig expresses her desire to steer clear of unsubstantial speculation and to keep only the facts in mind. She concludes that from a legal perspective, Adnan should have been acquitted, and that she personally believes in his innocence, although she can't help but nurse doubt.

Development and release

The concept for Serial originated with an experiment in Koenig's basement.[15] Koenig and Snyder had pitched a different idea at a staff meeting for a weekly program on events during the previous seven days, which staff members received without enthusiasm.[16] When Ira Glass asked Koenig if she had any other ideas, she mentioned podcasting a story that unfolded over time, a serialized narrative. In an interview with Mother Jones, she explained that each episode would return to the same story, telling the next chapter of a long, true narrative.[3]

Episode one of the series was released on October 3, 2014. Additional episodes were released weekly online. Glass introduced it as a spinoff of his popular radio program, This American Life, and aired episode one on his show.[15] He explained, "We want to give you the same experience you get from a great HBO or Netflix series, where you get caught up with the characters and the thing unfolds week after week, but with a true story, and no pictures. Like House of Cards, but you can enjoy it while you're driving."[15]

Music

Nicholas Thorburn released the soundtrack for Serial on October 17, 2014.[17] It includes fifteen tracks, all short instrumentals, and is available at the Bandcamp site or streamed from several reviewing sites.[17][18][19]

Mark Henry Phillips, who mixes the show, has also provided original scores.[20]

Funding

Serial's launch was sponsored by MailChimp, a frequent podcast advertiser, and salaried staff positions were initially funded by WBEZ.[21] Admitting the show was funded from This American Life's budget during the launch, producer Koenig noted that Serial would eventually need to generate its own funding. She said, "Everyone's saying 'It's podcasting! It's internet! Of course there'll be money somewhere.' We're not exactly sure yet."[15] Dana Chivvis, another producer, observed the industry is in a Wild West mode, considering how to organize a podcasting business model.[22]

Towards the end of the first season, producers asked for public donations to fund a second season.[23] Within a week, the staff of Serial posted an announcement that a second season has been made possible by donations and sponsorship.[24]

Reception

Critics have reviewed the content of the initial episodes favorably. According to The New Yorker, "Combining the drama of prestige-television-style episodic storytelling, the portability of podcasts, and the reliability of This American Life, the show has been, perhaps not surprisingly, ranked at No. 1 on iTunes for much of the past couple of weeks. It held that position even before it débuted."[1] The Guardian characterized it as a "new genre of audio storytelling".[3]

Introducing a PBS NewsHour segment about Serial, Judy Woodruff noted that it is "an unexpected phenomenon", and Hari Sreenivasan mentioned it has "five million downloads on iTunes, far more than any other podcast in history".[25] In the interview that followed, David Haglund of Slate observed the solitary experience of listening with earphones adds to the intimacy of the podcast form.[25]

Calling the characters "rich and intriguing", The Daily Californian noted similarities to the film The Thin Blue Line (1988), and described the podcast as "gripping" and story as "thrilling", while applauding the series for giving "listeners a unique opportunity to humanize the players".[26] Slate' s reviewer pointed out that Serial is not escapist and went on to note: "Someone in the show is not telling the truth about something very sinister. That's the narrative tension that makes Serial not only compelling but also unlike anything I can remember watching or reading before."[13]

The Baltimore Sun commented on the inherently riveting subject matter: "We seemingly never tire of the everything was perfect until... narrative" of a crime-drama, and noted that the top-notch reporting and podcast format yield "a novel twist on the investigative long-form piece."[12]

A critique from the journalism community was more qualified. First noting that some people believe there is a "podcast renaissance", the reviewer from Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab observed that even though podcasts are not new, they are not yet mainstream.[21]

Not all critiques of the podcasting format have been as equivocal. PopMatters observed that podcasting is a new distribution model, very different from television as a distribution model because it gives users access to media and the freedom to listen to episodes of a long-form story while doing other things. The reviewer applauded the focus on long-form journalism and added, "Suddenly you feel like the full promise of podcasting has just been unleashed. That long-form narrative nonfiction is really the way to best leverage the potential of podcasting as a distribution model."[27]

A Wall Street Journal critic observed: "podcasts have slipped marketers’ minds. ZenithOptimedia, for example, put out a forecast predicting 0% growth for the medium after years of positive momentum," and went on to note that podcast advertising company Podtrac reports one million unique listeners for each Serial podcast.[28] Discussing the economics of podcast advertising, New York Magazine noted that the personal nature of the podcast format allows higher advertising rates: "CPM (the cost to an advertiser per thousand impressions, a standard ad-industry unit) was between $20 and $45. Compare that to a typical radio CPM (roughly $1 to $18) or network TV ($5 to $20) or even a regular old web ad ($1 to $20), and the podcast wins."[29]

Multiple reviews have commented on the addictive nature of Serial.[30][31][32][33] Reddit hosts a Serial subreddit site, including discussions, transcripts, a link library, and podcasts about each Serial episode.[34][35] Slate is also reported to be "following the story closely" and presents a podcast discussion of Serial every week following the latest release.[36] A review in New York Magazine linked fans' feelings about the possibility of an ambiguous ending with their psychological need for closure.[37]

Parodies of Serial have targeted the show's style, its fans' obsessive tendencies, Koenig's curiosity and uncertainties, the charts and graphics posted on the show's website, and the podcast's sponsor MailChimp (especially the meme "MailKimp").[38][39][40][41] The New Yorker ran a cartoon based on Serial.[42] When Koenig appeared on The Colbert Report, Colbert noted that Serial's finale will be released in competition with Colbert's last episode.[43]

In an interview with Jon Ronson for The Guardian, Shamim and Yusuf Syed, Adnan's mother and younger brother, said they both listened to the podcast and that people sent transcripts to Adnan in prison. Yusuf said the podcast had indirectly reconnected the family to his estranged brother Tanveer for the first time in the 15 years since the murder.[44]

References

  1. ^ a b Larson, Sarah (October 9, 2014). "Serial: The Podcast We've Been Waiting For". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  2. ^ Olson, Marina (October 10, 2014). "NPR's Absorbing New Podcast,Serial". Acculturated. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Raptopoulos, Lilah (October 10, 2014). "This American Life's first spinoff podcast: 'I don't know where it will end'". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  4. ^ "Information sought on woman missing". The Baltimore Sun. 4 February 1999. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  5. ^ Chang, Young; Hermann, Peter (12 February 1999). "Body found in park is missing woman, 18". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  6. ^ Oakes, Amy (1 March 1999). "Ex-boyfriend is charged in teen's killing". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  7. ^ Apperson, Jay (12 March 1999). "Slain teen remembered as joyful, `full of love'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  8. ^ Francke, Caitlin (26 February 2000). "Jury finds teen guilty of killing ex-girlfriend". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  9. ^ Francke, Caitlin (7 June 2000). "19-year-old gets life sentence for killing former girlfriend". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  10. ^ Fagge, Nick (November 13, 2014). "Will hit podcast lead to the release of high school killer? Family's new hopes for homecoming king convicted of murdering 'brilliant' secret girlfriend". Mail Online. Daily Mail. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  11. ^ "537: The Alibi - Transcript". This American Life. Chicago Public Media & Ira Glass. October 3, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Mulvihill, Amy (October 6, 2014). "Baltimore Teen's Murder Re-Examined in New Podcast - Makers of This American Life delve into questions surrounding the 1999 murder of a Woodlawn High School senior". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Mathis-Lilley, Ben (October 3, 2014). "Serial Is Like Nothing I've Heard or Watched Before". Slate. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  14. ^ Chattopadhyay, Piya (October 10, 2014). "Serial: This American Life's first spin-off explores murder case". CBC. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d Lurie, Julia (September 19, 2014). "This American Life Channels True Detective in a New Podcast". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  16. ^ Raptopoulos, Lilah (October 9, 2014). "Interview: Sarah Koenig on how Serial came to be". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  17. ^ a b Hudson, Alex (October 17, 2014). "Nick Thorburn Releases Soundtrack to Podcast Serial". exclaim.ca. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  18. ^ Thorburn, Nick (October 16, 2014). "Nick Diamonds - Music from Serial". Bandcamp. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  19. ^ Young, Alex (October 17, 2014). "Islands' Nick Thorburn writes soundtrack for Serial podcast — listen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  20. ^ Phillips, Mark Henry (2014). "Original score from Serial". soundcloud.com. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  21. ^ a b O'Donovan, Caroline (October 3, 2014). "This American Life tries to turn its radio audience onto podcasting with its new show Serial". NiemanLabs. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  22. ^ Schroeder, Audra (October 4, 2014). "This American Life debuts its new investigative podcast, Serial". The Daily Dot. Daily Dot, LLC. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  23. ^ Griffin, Andrew (November 21, 2014). "Serial podcast needs cash for second season, despite being one of most popular shows ever". The Independent. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  24. ^ Condon, Emily (November 26, 2014). "There will be a Season Two of Serial! Thanks to everyone who donated". Serialpodcast. Chicago Public Media & Ira Glass. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  25. ^ a b "What 'Serial'-mania says about the growing popularity of podcasts". PBS NEWSHOUR. NewsHour Productions LLC. December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  26. ^ Schultz, Anya (October 10, 2014). "Review: Serial, a captivating new podcast". The Daily Californian. The Independent Berkeley Student Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  27. ^ Q, shathley (October 13, 2014). "The Iconographies - John Woo Said "For a Better Tomorrow:" CW's The Flash and This American Life's Serial". PopMatters. PopMatters.com. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  28. ^ Perlberg, Steven (November 5, 2014). "Serial Is The Hottest Show Of The Fall — Do Marketers Need a Podcast Strategy?". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  29. ^ Roose, Kevin (October 30, 2014). "What's Behind the Great Podcast Renaissance?". New York - Daily Intelligencer. New York Media LLC. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  30. ^ Kiernan, Louise (October 30, 2014). "Serial podcast producers talk storytelling, structure and if they know whodunnit". NiemanStoryboard. Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, The President and Fellows of Harvard. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  31. ^ Labrecque, Jeff (October 30, 2014). "Serial podcast makes Thursdays a Must-Listen event". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  32. ^ Yurcaba, Josephine (October 24, 2014). "This American Crime: Sarah Koenig on Her Hit Podcast Serial". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  33. ^ Rupp, Shannon (October 18, 2014). "Serial Podcast: True Crime Storytelling at Its Finest". The Tyee. The Tyee. News. Culture. Solutions. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  34. ^ "Subreddit Serialpodcast". Reddit SerialPodcast. REDDIT. 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  35. ^ Engel, Pamela (November 12, 2014). "Redditors Are Trying to Solve a Murder That's at the Center of the Wildly Popular Serial Podcast". Business Insider. Business Insider Inc. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  36. ^ Haglund, David; Waldman, Katy; Hess, Amanda (November 6, 2014). "Serial Takes a Step Back, and Gets Some Experts Involved. We Discuss the Latest Episode". Slate Browbeat. The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  37. ^ Singal, Jesse (December 5, 2014). "A Psychological Explanation for Why 'Serial' Drives Some People Crazy". New York Magazine, Science of Us. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  38. ^ Roe, Mike (November 8, 2014). "Serial: The hottest podcast with the most spot-on parodies". 89.3KPCC. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  39. ^ Scollins, Mike (November 3, 2014). "Mike at Funny Or Die Solves the Serial Podcast". Funny or Die. Funny or Die, Inc. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  40. ^ Fitzpatrick, Molly (November 6, 2014). "Why are Serial podcast fans so obsessed with MailChimp?". V[ ]cative. Vocativ. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  41. ^ Rial, Michelle (November 19, 2014). "Charts for people obsessed with Serial". The Bold Italic. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  42. ^ Sipress, David (December 5, 2014). "Daily cartoon: Friday, December 5th". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  43. ^ "The Colbert Report". Colbert Nation. Comedy Partners. December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  44. ^ Ronson, Jon (7 December 2014). "Serial: The Syed family on their pain and the 'five million detectives trying to work out if Adnan is a psychopath'". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
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