The Most Destructive Podcast Cancellations of 2023
It’s been a tumultuous year for podcasts. In 2023, we saw some of our favorite shows canceled by their networks. (We still have hope that some of them will find a new home.) Don’t cry because they are over; smile because they happened. Pour one out for these amazing shows we are so sorry to see.
Heavy weight
Debuting in 2016, Gimlet’s Heavyweight , perhaps the most beloved podcast of all time, is a narrative show in which quirky host Jonathan Goldstein attempts to solve personal and intimate mysteries, such as whether the stories a woman’s father told her are true. , or why the most beautiful and popular girls in school invited a loser to prom. The self-deprecating Jonathan brings humor and heart to his investigations, and the best part is that it’s not just entertainment: Jonathan actually helps people. Everyone has a favorite episode of Heavyweight , from Gregor to the award-winning Skye . Every time a heavyweight moves from one fan to another, it feels like a secret treasure chest has been flung wide open. There is a chance that someone will take it back, and I hope so. A world with a heavyweight is a better world. I’ll listen 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 captured the hearts of American listeners, giving us a warm sense of “it’s a small world, after all.” Rough Translation lets you travel the world with headphones. We got to hear personal stories that we couldn’t have heard on our own if we’d plopped down in a bar in Ibiza or a piazza in Rome. Gregory has a sense of the world and how all these places and narrators fit into it as a whole. My favorite series is “Mom in Translation” . I hope Rough Translation finds new life – follow Gregory on his SubstackRough Transition , which is the best place to get updates on his work.
Louder than a riot
We’re only two seasons into Louder Than a Riot , NPR’s music podcast about the oppressive forces in hip-hop. While the first season explored the intertwined rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration, the second season explored how racist misogyny against black women and queer people is built into the very fabric of the music these people help create. Louder Than a Riot , hosted by NPR Music’s Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael, challenges, asks big questions and doesn’t hold back any punches. Silencing it in itself almost feels like an act of violence, especially since it feels like this cancellation takes away what little recognition women and queer artists have received in the music scene. My favorite episode was It’s Not a Trick Once You Get It: Trina, Trick Daddy and Latto . Follow Louder Than a Riot on Twitterhere .
Into It with Sam Sanders
Sam Sanders is an American podcast enthusiast, and the demise of his culture podcast Into It came as a huge surprise to his fans. I think I can confidently say that Sam’s connection with his listeners has defined a parasocial relationship – we feel like we know him as if he were our friend. Twice a week he created a place where one could 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 co-hosts with Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford. Even more than Into It , probably due to the perceived friendship in the series, Vibe Check feels like a big hug. Follow Sam on Twitter here .
Suitable for work
From October 2022 to October 2023, Anne Helen Petersen hosted the work culture show Crooked’s Work Appropriate . In each episode, she covered incredibly niche conversations about the unsavory things that happen in our 9-to-5s with what she felt was carefully curated content. guests who were well suited to discuss the topic at hand. Some topics were very specific, but the advice Petersen gave seemed universal. I’m not a veterinarian, but the episode about the veterinary industry struck a chord with me and resonated with me. I don’t even report to an office, but I was able to glean some tips from the episode about unionizing. As the author of Out of Office , Peterson has a keen sense of how work culture moves us, and these conversations have helped us feel a little less alone at work. You can follow Peterson through her newsletter , Exploring Culture , or her new podcast , Exploring Culture , which focuses on culture in general.
Stolen
You’d think that winning a Pulitzer Prize and a Peabody Award would ensure the show’s security. That’s not the case with Stolen , which was part of Spotify’s recent pushbacks. Stolen only had two seasons, but it really made a splash. In the first season, investigative reporter Connie Walker tracked the disappearance of a young Indigenous mother named Jermaine; Season 2 of Surviving St. Michael’s took things to a personal level. Connie looked into her family’s past to tell the dark story of Canada’s residential school system. This was a top-notch true crime series that shed light on something that didn’t get enough coverage. It was amazing and felt urgent. The first season was excellent, the second season was phenomenal. Who knows what season three will be like? I hope we can find out.
Death, Sex and Money (Update: not cancelled, after all)
WNYC’sDeath, Sex and Money is the OG – gasps were heard around the world when it was canceled earlier this year. Presenter Anna Sale started it when she realized there was no room to talk about difficult things, something she did for almost 10 years. Anna is an extremely thoughtful and empathetic interviewer and was able to get her guests to talk about personal topics such as their relationships, family dynamics, financial struggles, and end-of-life decisions. Every person I know has a favorite episode that really struck a chord with them. (Mine is called Why I Steal .) Each episode has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, which means a lot of people are grieving right now. Follow Anna Sale on Twitter .
Update: After this list was first published, someone from the Death, Sex and Money team contacted me to let me know that the show has not officially been canceled and that they are currently looking for a new partner and/or a new home for the show will take place until December 31 this year. We hope that this is not death, but resurrection.
Invisibilia
Since 2015, NPR’sInvisibilia has explored “the intangible forces that shape human behavior”—things like ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. It felt both super scientific and human, delving into topics you didn’t even know existed. Topics covered our secret thoughts, pain, superpowers, friendship and things that aren’t talked about. The episodes were a perfect blend of reporting and storytelling, and listeners always walked away with a new understanding of the world. Over the course of eight years, it has evolved through different mediums while remaining true to its mission of unlocking something from the tip of our brains. Invisibilia gave meaning to a person’s life in this world, and it didn’t make sense to fans when NPR canceled it this year. It’s hard to pick a favorite episode, but I’ve listened to The Fifth Vital Sign about pain many times. Follow Invisibilia on Twitter .