
Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
Publishing Consistency
Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
Most discussed topics
Brands & references
Total monthly reach
Estimated from 4 chart positions in 4 markets.
By chart position
- 🇦🇺AU · History#1965K to 30K
- 🇫🇮FI · History#723K to 10K
- 🇻🇳VN · History#144500 to 3K
- 🇰🇪KE · History#182500 to 3K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
2.7K to 14K🎙 Daily cadence·76 episodes·Last published 3d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
9K to 46K🇦🇺65%🇫🇮22%🇻🇳7%+1 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
3.6K to 18K
Market Insights
Platform Distribution
Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
Total Followers
—
Total Plays
—
Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 17 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
How a Dog Talks: The Surprising Redemption of Comic Sans
Jun 24, 2026
36m 31s
Searching for Soshern: The Forbidden Star Trek Fanfiction
Jun 17, 2026
50m 47s
The White Death
Jun 10, 2026
45m 34s
Children of the Moon
Jun 3, 2026
42m 37s
The Other James Bond
May 27, 2026
50m 25s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24/26 | ![]() How a Dog Talks: The Surprising Redemption of Comic Sans | Comic Sans is a punchline. A design crime. Cultural shorthand for bad taste. But the notorious font's legacy isn't one of failure. Because Comic Sans succeeded in ways its critics never saw coming. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Bess LovejoySenior Producer is Josh FisherStory Editor is Virginia PrescottEditing and Sound Design by Jesse NighswongerMixing and Mastering by Josh FisherResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Bess LovejoyOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Today's episode was produced in partnership with School of Humans. For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 36m 31s | ||||||
| 6/17/26 | ![]() Searching for Soshern: The Forbidden Star Trek Fanfiction | In 1968, a woman wrote a romantic story about Kirk and Spock, passed it quietly among friends, and hoped it would never see the light of day. Before vanishing entirely, The Ring of Soshern had become the stuff of legend. The quest to recover it would lead back to a community of women who'd been building something remarkable in the shadows for generations. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Edie Allard Story Editor is Carmen Borca-Carrillo Senior Producer is Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Mary DooeMixing and Mastering by Josh FisherOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Happy Pride month from Very Special Episodes! For more of your favorite LGBTQ+ content, check out the Outspoken Network from iHeartPodcasts. Today’s episode was produced in partnership with Acast Creative Studios. Very Special Episodes is a production of iHeartPodcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 50m 47s | ||||||
| 6/10/26 | ![]() The White Death✨ | Finnish historyWorld War II+3 | Miska Kajanus | — | FinlandSoviet Union | Simo HäyhäWhite Death+5 | — | 45m 34s | |
| 6/3/26 | ![]() Children of the Moon✨ | rare conditionchildhood+5 | — | — | — | rare conditionUV light+5 | — | 42m 37s | |
| 5/27/26 | ![]() The Other James Bond✨ | identity theftornithology+4 | — | The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, and Ian Fleming | — | James BondIan Fleming+5 | — | 50m 25s | |
| 5/20/26 | ![]() The Mysterious Death of Andy the Sneaker-Wearing Goose [Re-Release]✨ | mysteryanimal stories+4 | — | The Arcane Arts | Hastings, Nebraska | Andy the gooseHastings Nebraska+5 | — | 38m 20s | |
| 5/13/26 | ![]() Dock Ellis: High and Outside✨ | Dock EllisLSD+5 | — | Pittsburgh PiratesAmerican Public Media | — | Dock Ellisno-hitter+5 | — | 1h 01m 47s | |
| 5/6/26 | ![]() The Family Who Vanished Into Siberia for Over 40 Years✨ | isolationSiberia+4 | — | Pijama FilmsThe Forest in Me | — | Siberiafamily+5 | — | 50m 56s | |
| 4/29/26 | ![]() A Very Special Mini-Mailbag✨ | listener questionsyearbook quotes+3 | — | Very Special EpisodesiHeartPodcasts+1 | — | mailbaglistener questions+5 | — | 13m 00s | |
| 4/22/26 | ![]() Marilyn, Hamilton + John Wilkes Booth's Statue: NYC History Hiding in Plain Sight✨ | New York historyhidden history+4 | Greg Young | Bowery BoysYarberry Media+1 | New YorkSoHo+1 | New Yorkhistory+6 | — | 48m 42s | |
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| 4/15/26 | ![]() The Unintended Insanity of the 1994 Caribbean Cup (w/John Green and Daniel Alarcón of The Away End)✨ | soccer1994 Caribbean Cup+4 | John GreenDaniel Alarcón | The Away End | — | soccerCaribbean Cup+6 | — | 9m 04s | |
| 4/6/26 | ![]() Bar Trivia: How a Staten Island Pub Made College Hoops History✨ | college basketballbetting+4 | — | iHeartPodcastsBar Trivia | Staten Island | NCAAbasketball+5 | — | 20m 45s | |
| 4/1/26 | ![]() Richard Nixon and the Magic Suitcase✨ | politicsjazz+4 | — | The Arcane Arts | — | Richard NixonApril Fools' Day+6 | — | 44m 49s | |
| 3/25/26 | ![]() 10 Minutes to Live: Hawaii's Text Message Fiasco of 2018✨ | emergency responsepublic safety+3 | — | — | Hawaii | Hawaiitext message+3 | — | 54m 18s | |
| 3/18/26 | ![]() Zero Gravity: The Zambian Space Program✨ | Zambiaspace program+5 | — | School of Humans | — | Zambiaspace race+5 | — | 32m 46s | |
| 3/11/26 | ![]() Movie Mystery: The 2000 Oscars Heist✨ | Oscars heistAcademy Awards+3 | — | iHeartPodcasts | — | Oscarsheist+4 | — | 48m 24s | |
| 3/4/26 | ![]() The Galápagos Murders✨ | murder mysteryGalápagos Islands+4 | — | Eden Undone: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II | — | Galápagosmurders+5 | — | 43m 35s | |
| 2/25/26 | ![]() Taking On Water✨ | sailingOlympics+3 | — | iHeartPodcasts | — | Lawrence LemieuxOlympic podium+3 | — | 31m 21s | |
| 2/18/26 | ![]() The Olympic Prison✨ | Olympicshistory+4 | — | — | Lake Placid, New York | Olympic VillageWinter Olympics+5 | — | 50m 32s | |
| 2/11/26 | ![]() Breaking the Olympics | Elizabeth Swaney fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an Olympian, defying all odds. But it wasn’t supernatural athletic ability that got her there. And by the time she made it to the 2018 Winter Olympics, a lot of people were rooting against her. Here's the incredible story of a woman who made it to the Games by understanding those odds better than anyone else. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Mike SmeltzSenior Producer is Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsAdditional Editing by Mary DooeMixing and Mastering by Josh FisherOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason EnglishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 24m 12s | ||||||
| 2/6/26 | ![]() Meet the Steagles | During World War II, football itself was at risk. The Steagles—a hybrid of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers—were a desperate wartime experiment. With rosters drained by the draft, the NFL turned to mostly players deemed unfit for military service. And it might be the only way the NFL can survive the war. Special thanks to Matthew Algeo! Check out his book Last Team Standing. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Jake RossenSenior Producer is Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Jonathan WashingtonAdditional Editing by Mary DooeMixing and Mastering by Josh FisherResearch and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen and Austin ThompsonVoice Actors are Josh Fisher and Jonathan WashingtonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 52m 14s | ||||||
| 12/31/25 | ![]() JFK's Forgotten Summer [Best of 2025] | Eighty years ago, a young John F. Kennedy took a summer job as a journalist for Hearst newspapers, filing dispatches in the final days of World War II. Even the most seasoned JFK scholars often overlook this chapter, missing the influence those months had on the future president. * "JFK's Forgotten Summer," which we originally published in June, was our top performing episode of 2025. Tragically, it took on more significance earlier this month with the death of Rob Reiner. Rob — who, with Soledad O'Brien, hosted Who Killed JFK?, one of the most successful podcasts of 2023 — kindly shared with us his knowledge and passion about the Kennedy family and appears in this episode. He was under no obligation to do this. He just wanted to help. It was an honor to work with him. We still cannot believe he and Michele are gone. * Listen to Who Killed JFK? from Rob Reiner and Soledad O'Brien wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Fred Logevall's excellent book: JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century. And thanks to our JFK voice actor, Tom Antonellis, for nailing another role. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Joe PompeoProduced by Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh FisherAdditional Editing by Mary DooeMixing and Mastering by Josh FisherResearch and Fact-Checking by Joe Pompeo and Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason EnglishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 45m 14s | ||||||
| 12/24/25 | ![]() Big in Japan: Kentucky Fried Christmas | In much of the world, Christmas dinner means roasted turkey, glazed ham, or a table crowded with family recipes passed down for generations. But in Japan, millions mark the holiday with something far less traditional — a bucket of KFC. Today we unwrap one of the strangest and most successful marketing stories of the modern era: how an American fast-food chain became an essential part of Japanese Christmas. On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. See Also: Stealing Baby Jesus. Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason EnglishWritten by Maria TrimarchiSenior Producer is Josh FisherEditing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Chris ChildsOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English Got a question or comment for Dana, Zaron, and Jason? Hit us up at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 19m 15s | ||||||
| 12/17/25 | ![]() The Cabbage Patch Crisis | In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children’s toys. Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America — igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season. And the frenzy didn’t end when the Kids disappeared from shelves. In an unexpected twist decades later, these dolls would get more care and attention than they ever had before. Previously on VSE: The Furby Files * Very special thanks to all our guests! You can hear more of Larry Mazza’s story in his book The Life, available on Amazon. * Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Jake RossenSenior Producer is Josh FisherStory Editor is Virginia PrescottEditing and Sound Design by Jonathan WashingtonAdditional Editing by Mary DooeMixing and Mastering by Josh FisherFrom School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz PerezResearch and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaSocial Clips by Yarberry MediaExecutive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 49m 52s | ||||||
| 12/10/25 | ![]() Skylab Is Falling | In 1979, the world watched as NASA’s 77-ton space station made its fiery plunge back to Earth. When Skylab broke apart over a sleepy Australian town, the falling debris set off a global media frenzy. This is the story of the night the sky actually fell — and the teenager who became an improbable hero. * Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Jake RossenSenior Producer is Josh FisherStory Editor is Virginia PrescottEditing and Sound Design by Jonathan WashingtonMixing and Mastering by Josh FisherFrom School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz PerezResearch and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin ThompsonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaSocial Clips by Yarberry MediaExecutive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 47m 21s | ||||||
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4 placements across 4 markets.
Chart Positions
4 placements across 4 markets.






![The Mysterious Death of Andy the Sneaker-Wearing Goose [Re-Release] episode artwork](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/a9f8aaf1-b12b-40b8-85aa-b08f0126e2b6/1aab7d08-5771-4b05-931d-b44f0181530e/image.jpg?t=1779236698&size=Large)















![JFK's Forgotten Summer [Best of 2025] episode artwork](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/a9f8aaf1-b12b-40b8-85aa-b08f0126e2b6/350a2a46-5a66-4ad6-8a1b-b3c400e80670/image.jpg?t=1767192521&size=Large)


