It’s been a tumultuous year for podcasts. In 2023, we saw some of our favorite shows canceled by their networks. (We’re left with the hope that some of them will find a new home.) Don’t cry because they’re over; smile because they happened. Pour one out for these amazing shows that we’re sad to see go.
Heavyweight
Debuting in 2016, Gimlet’s Heavyweight, quite possibly the most beloved podcast of all time, is a narrative show that puts quirky host Jonathan Goldstein in hot pursuit of solving personal and intimate mysteries, like whether or not the stories a woman’s father told her were true, or why the school’s prettiest, most popular girls asked a misfit to prom. Self-deprecating Jonathan brings humor and heart to his investigations, and the best part is that it’s not just entertaining: Jonathan really helps people. Everyone has a favorite Heavyweight episode, from Gregor to the award-winning Skye. Every time Heavyweight is passed from one fan to a new one, it feels like a secret treasure chest split wide open. There is a chance someone might pick it back up, and I hope so. A world with Heavyweight is a better world. I’ll be listening to The Weakerthan’s "Sun in an Empty Room," Heavyweight’s theme song, on repeat until it comes back.
Rough Translation
Hosted by former NPR foreign correspondent Gregory Warner and launched in 2017, Rough Translation told global stories that struck the hearts of U.S. listeners, giving us that warm “it’s a small world after all” feeling. Rough Translation lets you travel the world with your earbuds. We got to hear personal stories we wouldn’t have been able to discover ourselves, even if we had plopped ourselves at a bar in Ibiza or a piazza in Rome. Gregory has a sense of the world and how all of these places and storytellers fit into it as a whole. My favorite episode is Mom in Translation. I’m hoping Rough Translation finds new life—keep up with Gregory on his Substack Rough Transition, which is the best place to get updates on his work.
Louder Than a Riot
We only got two seasons of Louder Than a Riot, NPR’s music podcast about oppressive forces in hip hop. Season One explored the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration, season two was all about how racist misogyny against Black women and queer folk is embedded into the very fabric of the music that these people are helping to create. Hosted by NPR Music's Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael, Louder Than a Riot is challenging, asks big questions, and doesn't hold back any punches. Silencing it feels almost like an act of violence itself, especially since it feels like this cancellation is ripping away the small bit of validation women and queer artists were getting in the music scene. My favorite episode was It ain't trickin' if you got it: Trina, Trick Daddy and Latto. Follow Louder Than a Riot on Twitter here.
Into It with Sam Sanders
Sam Sanders is America's podcast sweetheart, and shutting down his culture podcast Into It came as a huge surprise to his fans. I think I can safely say Sam’s connection with his listeners defined the parasocial relationship—we feel like we know him, like he’s our friend. Twice a week, he created a place to meet and feel at home, listening to news and reviews of everything being watched, listened to, and read. We can thank our lucky stars for his other show, Vibe Check, which he hosts with Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford. Even more than Into It, probably because of the felt friendship of the show, Vibe Check feels like a big hug. Follow Sam on Twitter here.
Work Appropriate
Anne Helen Petersen hosted Crooked’s Work Appropriate, a show about work culture, from October 2022 to October 2023. On every episode, she covered incredibly niche conversations about prickly things that happen in our 9-5, with the help of what felt like carefully curated guests who were well suited to speak to the topic at hand. Some of the topics got very specific, yet the advice Petersen rounded up felt universal. I’m not a vet, but the episode about the veterinary industry was fascinating and resonated with me. I don’t even report to an office but I was able to pull tips from the episode about unionizing. As the author of Out of Office, Peterson has a sharp sense of how work culture drives us, and these conversations made us feel a little less alone at work. You can keep up with Peterson with her newsletter Culture Study, or her brand new podcast Culture Study, which is about culture at large.
Stolen
You’d think that winning a Pulitzer Prize and a Peabody would ensure a show’s safety. Not the case for Stolen, which was part of the most recent cancellations from Spotify. Stolen only had two seasons, but it really packed a punch. In Season One, investigative reporter Connie Walker tracked the disappearance of a young Indigenous mother named Jermain; in season two, "Surviving St. Michael's," things got personal. Connie peeked into her own family’s past to tell a dark story about Canada’s residential school system. This was a top-notch true-crime series that shined light on something that doesn’t get enough coverage. It was jaw-dropping and felt urgent. Season One was excellent, Season Two was phenomenal. Who knows what the third season would be like? Hopefully we’ll get to find out.
Death, Sex & Money
WNYC’s Death, Sex & Money is the OG—gasps rang throughout the world when it was canceled this year. Host Anna Sale started it when she realized there wasn’t a place to talk about hard things, and that’s what she did for almost 10 years. Anna is an extremely thoughtful and empathetic interviewer and was able to get her guests to open up about personal topics like their relationships, family dynamics, financial struggles, and end-of-life decisions. Every person I know has their own favorite episode, one that really hit them over the head. (Mine is called Why I Steal.) Episodes were getting more than 100K downloads each, which means that there are a whole lot of people in mourning right now. Keep up with Anna Sale on Twitter.
Invisibilia
Since 2015, NPR’s Invisibilia has been exploring “the intangible forces that shape human behavior”—things like ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. It felt both super science-y and human at the same time, diving into topics that you didn’t even know were topics. Topics covered our secret thoughts, pain, superpowers, friendships, and things that go unsaid. Episodes perfectly blended reporting and narrative, and listeners always walked away with a new understanding of the world. In eight years, it went through changes with different hosts, all while staying true to its mission to unfold something at the tip of our brains. Invisibilia made being a human living in the world make sense and it made no sense to fans when it was shut down by NPR this year. It’s hard to pick a favorite episode but I listened to The Fifth Vital Sign, about pain, many times. Follow Invisibilia on Twitter.
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