S-Town (from Serial team)

Mr E · 14-03-2017 9:22pm #1

From the team behind Serial and This American Life, they are launching a new podcast on March 28th.

JOHN DESPISES HIS ALABAMA TOWN AND DECIDES TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who's allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man's life.

3 minute preview on their website. If you are subscribed to Serial in your podcast client, you should get S-Town automatically.

https://stownpodcast.org/

steve_r · 15-03-2017 10:08am

So they are going back to True crime so maybe that's a reaction to the poor reception recieved by Season 2.

I'll check it out, thanks for the heads up

steve_r · 19-03-2017 8:31pm

I checked out the trailer, it's not Sarah Koenig but it sounds very similar to Serial Season 1, short snippets of recorded dialogue, unsolved murder etc.

All the episodes are released in one batch, which I prefer.

I don't really follow True crime podcasts (mainly because I've a lot of podcasts that I listen to regularly) but it appears from this forum that there are now a lot of true crime podcasts out there. It'll be interesting to see how S-Town does against the new competition.

Parchment · 20-03-2017 7:56pm

Thanks for the heads up - i really enjoyed Serial Season 1 but Season 2 not so much so glad to hear it will go back to the original formula!

CaoimheSquee · 21-03-2017 4:19pm

Preview gave away very little but will definitely give it a go

Homesick Alien · 23-03-2017 3:20pm

Why are they not just calling Serial Season 3? Just because Koenig isn't the narrator?

Kingp35 · 23-03-2017 3:36pm

Homesick Alien wrote: »

Why are they not just calling Serial Season 3? Just because Koenig isn't the narrator?

Because it's not Serial, this is a different podcast. Serial 3 is still in production.

Homesick Alien · 23-03-2017 3:42pm

Kingp35 wrote: »

Because it's not Serial, this is a different podcast. Serial 3 is still in production.

Right so it's a totally separate serialised podcast series about a true crime investigation. Nothing like Serial.

Next there'll be a new podcast brought to you by the producers of This American Life, Serial and S-Town.

steve_r · 28-03-2017 8:56am

Homesick Alien wrote: »

Right so it's a totally separate serialised podcast series about a true crime investigation. Nothing like Serial.

Next there'll be a new podcast brought to you by the producers of This American Life, Serial and S-Town.

I agree to a certain extent, but:

they got such a backlash after season 2 that the safer option is to re-brand this as a "new" show to avoid comparisons with Serial
Serial was a story told weekly, this is released all at once - today actually

But yeah, there's a lot of "If you liked Serial season 1 you'll like this but it's not Serial Season 3 in case you didn't like Serial Season 2".

ILikeBoats · 28-03-2017 4:13pm

It's live now

GeordieRebel · 28-03-2017 8:17pm

Have it on in the background while studying so onto the last episode. If you're expecting a Serial Season 1 style murder mystery, you'll be disappointed.

Lucas Hood · 28-03-2017 11:06pm

I love your man's accent.

optogirl · 29-03-2017 9:49am

On Chapter 3 - really enjoying this

Kingp35 · 29-03-2017 11:40am

Listened to the first two episodes. It's good so far but feels a little drawn out at times. I suspect the pace will pick up from this point on though.

Mr E · 29-03-2017 3:57pm

Finished the first one. It's a bit rambling, but I like it.

Will I Am Not · 29-03-2017 6:09pm

Just finished the 4th episode. I'm liking it. Aside from the mystery element of it all, John B is just such an interesting, eccentric character that it makes for good listening just hearing from him and about him.

The story itself is starting to pick up now too.

I honestly thought it was fiction at first and it was being voice acted in a studio. I've heard of a Southern drawl but he is something else

bobbysands81 · 30-03-2017 1:04am

Just finished this.

First three/four Chapters are good or great... but it goes seriously downhill after that.

What was the point of making this? Once the original story line wasn't adding up, and after the death in the story, it just felt like the story had to be completed because of the amount of resources the story sucked up.

In the end a very well made and polished podcast but a hugely disappointing story.

ED E · 30-03-2017 1:10am

Music at the end really gets my back up.

optogirl · 30-03-2017 9:09am

ED E wrote: »

Music at the end really gets my back up.

The Zombies! Love that album

brevity · 30-03-2017 10:36am

The benchmark of podcasting. Amazing stuff. It's hit me like a train...I can't stop thinking about it.

John Mason · 30-03-2017 11:21am

On EP 4
absolutely loving it.

John B. reminds me of Eugene from TWD.

It is in the back of mind for the last 2 days.

Really interesting

Kingp35 · 30-03-2017 11:31am

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Just finished this.

First three/four Chapters are good or great... but it goes seriously downhill after that.

What was the point of making this? Once the original story line wasn't adding up, and after the death in the story, it just felt like the story had to be completed because of the amount of resources the story sucked up.

In the end a very well made and polished podcast but a hugely disappointing story.

I completely agree with this. It grabbed my attention in the first 4 episodes but then it went nowhere and ended up essentially being a biography on John B.

Very well made but the story went nowhere. Disappointing.

GeordieRebel · 30-03-2017 12:15pm

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Just finished this.

First three/four Chapters are good or great... but it goes seriously downhill after that.

What was the point of making this? Once the original story line wasn't adding up, and after the death in the story, it just felt like the story had to be completed because of the amount of resources the story sucked up.

In the end a very well made and polished podcast but a hugely disappointing story.

Yeah that's exactly how I felt about it too.

ElChe32 · 30-03-2017 5:40pm

Yeeeeeaaaaaap! Yesss suh'!

Just finished it now, really enjoyed it!

ILikeBoats · 31-03-2017 9:49am

I don't know if I liked it or not, it's definitely not what I thought it would be!
I liked John B.

http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/3/30/15084224/s-town-review-controversial-podcast-privacy

FouxDaFaFa · 31-03-2017 2:16pm

I really enjoyed it. I think it helped that I hadn't read any press before listening so I wasn't expecting true crime, I was just going in blind.

I found it very moving. Yes, it did technically become like a biography but I thought it went beyond that. It was about human nature, the way the mind works, they way we treat each other, regrets in life.

The episode with Orlin (sp?) was a perfect example of a situation I can't relate to in a literal sense but I think we can all appreciate because everyone knows what it's like to regret not taking that chance, wondering what life would be like if things had gone down a different path.

I do think the series was slightly bloated, could have maybe lost an episode or two in terms of time and Reed's vocal quirk of rising the ends of his sentences did grate once or twice but overall, brilliantly made and observed piece of work.

BackforFPL · 31-03-2017 7:50pm

It was really a character study in the end.

I found it quite interesting but if you went into it expecting another Serial you'd be sorely disappointed.

Will I Am Not · 31-03-2017 8:31pm

BackforFPL wrote: »

I found it quite interesting but if you went into it expecting another Serial you'd be sorely disappointed.

I didn't expect it but to whip up the mystery in the first 4 episodes only to more or less abandon it for the remainder was a bit of a letdown.

Having said that I enjoyed it for what it was. The strength of the character of John was enough to carry it through.

david75 · 01-04-2017 9:48am

I finished this last night. I thought it was some really well produced radio drama. Then I read he was a real guy and all this actually happened? I'm totally flummoxed.
I do hate the way they just dropped the investigation aspect of it. It's strange but you could see the producer meeting brick walls in a small town and that mentality.

Really cool series though. Well worth listening to.

pc7 · 01-04-2017 9:34pm

I didn't have any expectations but really really enjoyed it. JohnB very interesting character. Wonder how Tyler will finish up

Ciaran_B · 02-04-2017 9:14pm

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Just finished this.

First three/four Chapters are good or great... but it goes seriously downhill after that.

What was the point of making this? Once the original story line wasn't adding up, and after the death in the story, it just felt like the story had to be completed because of the amount of resources the story sucked up.

In the end a very well made and polished podcast but a hugely disappointing story.

Totally agree. It was well made and edited but it felt like poverty-tourism at times.

S-Town (from Serial team)

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