The Pod Spotter

It started as a social experiment in 1981. You'd call a phone number and leave a message in which you would apologize for a crime or misdeed you'd committed. But to the man who created it, Allan Bridge, the “Apology Line” became a fascination.On this episode, we feature The Apology Line podcast from Wondery and speak to the host, Marissa Bridge, wife of "Mr. Apology", who details the behind-the-scenes story of the social phenomenon and the man who created it.

Chris Garcia was in denial when his father was diagnosed with dementia. Until the day his dad didn't recognize him. So Chris did what any comedian would do – he joked about it. The result is his podcast, Scattered, from WNYC Studios. Often funny and always touching, Scattered follows Chris as he attempts to learn the story of his dad's life and honor his last request.

Serving life in prison since the age of 17, “Suave” Gonzalez assumed he would die behind bars. But one day he met a journalist whose words gave him purpose. Then when a Supreme Court ruling set him free, he truly was given a second chance.“Suave” is a podcast about the juvenile criminal justice system, life after prison, and an unlikely friendship between an inmate and an investigative reporter.This week, David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez and journalist Maria Hinojosa are guests on The Pod Spotter.

No one listens to the last 5 minutes of any podcast. And so each week Zack and our guests use that time to reveal secrets, get something off their chest, or just share something personal. It’s resulted in some of our best audio.Unfortunately, no one has heard it because, well, no one was listening.Until now.This week we present Part 1 of "The Best of No One’s Listening."

Some of the greatest stories in sports didn’t happen between the lines, during the games, or in front of the cameras.They are the best sports stories you've never heard.This week we talk to Matt Waxman, creator and host of iHeart's Trickeration. A podcast dedicated to the best pranks, schemes and scams in the history of sports.

To some, gambling isn’t much of a gamble.Certainly no more risky than investing in the stock market.Of course, there is the chance you’ll get hassled by law enforcement, the government, or “rolled” in a convenience store parking lot for the wad of cash hidden in your shoe.Our featured podcast this week is Gamblers from The Ringer Network. Author and journalist, David Hill joins us to talk about his deep-dive into the lives of professional gamblers.

On this special Mother’s Day episode, we celebrate the realities of motherhood with a couple of moms who know that there’s no such thing as a perfect mother or a perfect kid.The Pod Spotter welcomes the Band of Mothers podcast and hosts Shayna Ferm and Tracey Tee. They know all about the joys of motherhood, but also that sometimes mommy needs some peace, quiet, and wine…not whine.

There are tons of investigative, True Crime podcasts. But how many actually contributed to solving a cold case?This week we feature Bear Brook, an investigative series that profiled, and helped solve, a 30-year old quadruple-murder.Host and reporter, Jason Moon, joins us to discuss the science, amateur sleuthing and all the details of this very complicated case.

In 2014, the Houston Astros were the laughing stock of Major League Baseball, if not all of sports. But just 3 years later, they were World Champions.Was it brilliant coaching? Exceptional talent evaluation? Superior player development? Or did they somehow cheat their way to the top?In his 6-episode podcast, The Edge: Houston Astros, sportswriter & host Ben Reiter talks to key figures and digs deep into the scandal that rocked the Astros' franchise and the baseball world. This week, Ben joins The Pod Spotter to talk about his pod and the anatomy of the scheme.

Roughly 53,000 juveniles are in some form of lockup. Nearly 60 percent are black or Latino. We all make dumb mistakes when we’re young. But for these kids, those “dumb mistakes” have a lasting impact.This week we talk to Kai Wright, host of the award-winning podcast Caught: The Lives of Juvenile Justice, which tells the stories of kids in lockup with the help of some very raw & intimate audio.

A child is injured. The injury is diagnosed as being the result of abuse and the child is removed from the parents’ home.  Another child saved?Not in this case. Misdiagnoses can leave children scarred, parents distraught and families traumatized.We talk with the host of Do No Harm, NBC News National Investigative Reporter Mike Hixenbaugh, and the subject of his podcast, Melissa Bright.If you’re a parent, there are important lessons to be learned from this week’s episode.

Why do kids' clothes have pockets?What’s a chambray shirt?Should I burn my cargo shorts?If you have a question about what’s in your closet, don’t miss this episode.This week we talk to Avery Trufelman, creator and host of the award-winning Articles of Interest from @99piorg, a podcast that looks at what we wear and why we wear it.

What’s the story behind Wonder Woman? Charles Ponzi’s scheme? Dynamite? The worst video game ever?The Smithsonian is home to over 150 million artifacts and every one of them has a backstory you wouldn’t learn during your average museum tour. This week on the Pod Spotter we profile Smithsonian Sidedoor and talk to Host Lizzie Peabody and Producer Justin O’Neill about the weird, the wonderful and the unknown treasures of the Smithsonian.

From clown fetishes to tales of hunting Bigfoot, the hosts of our next featured podcast have heard it all. Comedian and YouTuber, Joe Santagato and Greg Dybec are the hosts of Other People’s Lives, which features conversations with anonymous guests who have fascinating jobs, dark secrets or unusual turn-ons.

The Worldwide Tribe podcast features the human stories of displaced people. Stories from those who fled religious, political or economic oppression in their home country, desperately looking for a better life. They’re the people behind the cold, immigration statistics.This week we feature the pod’s creator and host, Jaz O’Hara. A great episode focused on a great pod which puts a face on a worldwide issue.

Hundreds of women missing. Many of them ultimately found murdered. Discarded. No public outcry. Police inaction. The only people who seem to care are their devastated families. And our next guests.Mónica Ortiz Uribe and Oz Woloshyn are the hosts of the podcast, Forgotten: Women of Juáre‪z. We talk to them about the apathy, the cover-up, and the profound heartbreak.

An introspective can of soda.A pillow with aspirations.A ten-dollar bill who questions its worth.If you thought everyday objects were inanimate, Ian Chillag wants you to think again.The host and creator of Everything is Alive, sits and chats with everyday objects that you otherwise might never have thought much about. His interviews are funny, intimate and surprisingly, well, human.

Uncover is an investigative series from CBC Podcasts. With 8 seasons in the books and more on the way, now is the time to check it out if you haven’t already.This week we feature the investigative, true-crime pod and talk to Arif Noorani, CBC’s Executive Producer, and Michelle Shephard, Investigative Reporter and Host of Season 8, “Brainwashed.”

Imagine your most private, deepest, darkest secret.Got it?Now imagine standing on a stage and telling that secret, in intimate detail, to a couple hundred strangers.Then imagine it’s recorded, published as a podcast, and made available on every platform out there.That’s Risk!, our next featured podcast. Zack talks to host, Kevin Allison, about some of the craziest, funniest, shocking-est Risk! stories told on his pod by regular people like you, and also reveals some of his own.

Two women are sexually assaulted 35 years apart but their cases are inextricably linked. This week we speak with Amy Brittain, an investigative reporter and host of the podcast Canary: The Washington Post Investigates. It’s a story about the bravery of the women who fought back when the system failed them.

Autism. Postpartum depression. Painful sex.Serious health issues for women are often misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or dismissed, which can lead to additional physical complications. But the mental toll is equally crippling. This week we feature the podcast, “Bodies.” Host Allison Behringer joins us to discuss the physical, mental & emotional effects women endure when it comes to their most sensitive health challenges.

What’s the story behind the theme from Seinfeld?What about the Netflix audio logo?How did they create the sound effects for the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park?If you have a question about sound, our next guest can answer it.Dallas Taylor is the world's foremost expert on sound and the host of this week’s featured pod, Twenty Thousand Hertz. A podcast that is dedicated to the unique and interesting stories behind the sounds we hear, and often take for granted, every day.

John Adams was the first president not to attend the inauguration of his successor.Millard Fillmore couldn’t read until he was 17.George Washington was a great dancer.The Washington Post’s Lillian Cunningham knows everything you would ever want to know about the Presidents. And some things you’d rather not know.This week, we talk to the host of the pod "Presidential" about all things, well, presidential.

Verified: Dust Up is a David vs. Goliath story. This terrific pod details how one woman stood up to a powerful, international pharmaceutical company. Her long, hard battle empowered others to also take a stand.Our guest this week is host, Natasha Del Toro, who reports the story with emotion and humanity.Dust Up is a classic tale of a bully who picked on the wrong person.

Over 50,000 Americans lost their lives in The Vietnam War. The faces of almost all of those can be seen at vvmf.org, a virtual tribute that humanizes those brave men and women. But not all of the names have a face.Ryan Kern’s pod, Finding Faces, chronicles his mission to find all of those missing pictures so we can better remember those killed in Vietnam.

This week’s guest couldn’t be more in demand. Josh Dean, one of the hosts of Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen, recently unmasked the con artist who’d been impersonating top Tinseltown power players.The story has been all over the news, all over the world, and his pod continues to update, refresh, and “epilogue” as the unbelievable details continue to unfold.We talk to Josh and get some behind-the-scenes nuggets you won't hear anywhere else.

It’s a story about a father and daughter.And the Hell’s Angels.And drug dealing, arson and … a double-murder suicide.But mostly it’s about a father and daughter.In this episode of The Pod Spotter, we feature the podcast, Relative Unknown.We’re joined by Executive Producer and Emmy Award-Winning Director, Zak Levitt as well as Jackee Taylor, whose father turned state’s evidence against the Hell’s Angels forcing her into Witness Protection at age 7. It’s quite a ride.

This week we talk to Saredo & Surer Mohamed - sisters and the co-creators & hosts of On Things We Left Behind, a podcast that puts a human face on war. Their pod tells the stories of those who are forced to flee their home leaving a life, memories and loved ones behind.

From underground bunkers in Helsinki to a Jackson Hole in China, there’s so much we don’t know about the world around us. This week we talk to Neil Innes and Andrés Bartos, hosts of Passport, a travel pod that unearths the odd, the funky and the ‘who knew?’ about travel destinations around the globe.

From discovering a partner’s secret bank account to learning that you’re being paid less than a co-worker with less experience – money is complicated. It can also become… uncomfortable. Zack talks to Reema Khrais host of this week’s featured podcast, This is Uncomfortable. Reema dishes up advice on how to deal with tricky, and delicate, money matters.

This week, Zack talks to Dylan Marron host of Conversations with People Who Hate Me. Conversations is a podcast that puts online “feuders” in touch to find out what happens when people with different points of view step out from behind the keyboard and get to know the person on the other side of the screen.

MoviePass. Toys R Us. Forever 21. Napster. Pan Am. Once powerful, or at least profitable, brands are now history. What happened? This week, Zack talks to Lauren Ober of Spectacular Failures - a pod that details the rise and very steep falls of some of the biggest business busts of all time.

The story of Martin 'Mac' McNally reads like a Hollywood screenplay that even Michael Bay would consider “over the top.” But good luck finding much information about it online. Enter American Skyjacker. The incredible true crime story that very few had previously heard. This week, Zack talks to the creative team, Eli Kooris and Joshua Shaffer, about their incredible binge-worthy pod.

Soon, the number of “non-traditional” families will outnumber those once considered "traditional." This week’s featured pod celebrates the diversity of families today. Hosted by the editor of parents.com, Julie Dennison, and Dad, Author and Fitness Motivator, Shaun T, We Are Family teaches us what family really means and the role their pod can play.

Don’t know who to consult about an eye-lift? How about breast surgery? Maybe an O-Shot, (whatever that is)?On their podcast, The Guinea Pig, Fiona Golfar and Dr. Maryam Zamani give their unbiased opinions about cosmetic treatments, or “tweakments.”And when in doubt, Fiona will often test the procedures on herself...all under Dr Maryam's watchful eye.This week, Zack talks to the duo about their pod and what makes it such a good listen.

What’s a bunch of Broadway-trained actors supposed to do when theaters are shuttered due to Covid?Get together for a limited-run podcast that’s both hilarious and charitable.Benefitting The Actors Fund and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, this “radio-play” is Mel Brooks meets, well, Mel Brooks.This week, Zack talks to the star of Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors, Christopher Sieber, as well as the creators and producers, Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen.

You are a budding actor and you’ve just landed a role in a major series produced and directed by Tom Hanks! But, wait...Mr. Hanks wants you to audition, again, for the role you “landed.” Afterwards, you’re told they are "going in another direction” because you have ... “Dead Eyes.” Whatever that means.For actor and comedian, Connor Ratliff, recovery from this body-blow to his career has taken 20 years. And counting.This week, Zack talks to Connor about his podcast, Dead Eyes. It's part investigation, part rehash and full-on coping mechanism for the blow to his career 20 years ago. Dead Eyes is a great pod and Connor was a great guest - on this week’s Pod Spotter.

This week, Zack talks to Jess McKenna and Zach Reino, the crazy-talented duo behind Off Book: The Improvised Musical podcast.What exactly IS an ‘improved musical?’ Kind of what it sounds like, but funnier.Zach & Jess have written more songs than Andrew Lloyd Weber, but unlike him, they write and perform them on-the-spot, off-the-cuff, and under-the-gun. You'll laugh, you'll cry. This week's Pod Spotter is better than Cats.

Competitive Lactating? Badger Dick Tie Clip? Freelance Messiah? What sick and twisted minds could come up with such things?This week’s guests, that’s who. Andy Matthews and Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall are the minds behind this week’s featured podcast, Two in the Think Tank. TITTT is a comedy podcast where the duo throws sketch ideas against the wall to see what sticks. This week, Zack talks to Andy and Al about their podcast, their process and their plans for show #300.

With episodes entitled, 'Iron Chef: The Musical' and 'Oprah’s Day Off', this week’s featured podcast is aptly titled Musicals That Never Made It.In this episode of The Pod Spotter, Zack talks to the creators, Gabe Gibbs & Josh Colyer. We’ll find out how they come up with their terrible ideas, how they convince accomplished Broadway stars to participate and what makes their pod about bad musicals so good.

Mortified features adults sharing the embarrassing things they wrote as kids and teens. Secret crushes, personal details, feelings on life and love. The Mortified Stage Show has been seen all over the country since 2002. The podcast numbers nearly 200 episodes. It’s humbling, embarrassing and hilarious. So, Zack wants to know, why isn’t The Modified Podcast in everyone’s library?

Tales of surviving shark attacks, abusive relationships, plane crashes and religious cults, All the Wiser host Kimi Culp knows great stories when she hears them ... and luckily she shares them with her listeners. This week, Zack talks to Kimi about her show and some of the inspirational guests she’s interviewed. All the Wiser is a pod library must-add.

This week, Zack talks to a man who is laser-focused on solving a mystery that keeps him awake at night, Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald’s? Was it a conspiracy? A missed opportunity? A mirage?This comedy podcast started as a goof but now consists of nearly 200 episodes and has taken host Brian Thompson from Florida to Alaska in search of the elusive truth.

Welcome to The Pod Spotter. Host Zack Robidas listens to every podcast on the planet so you don’t have to. Each Monday he profiles the best of the lesser-known pods.