Very Special Episodes

Two Jamaican musicians are making a bold claim. They say they invented the now-ubiquitous reggaeton beat on a specific track in 1989. They're suing some of the genre's biggest stars for billions in ro...

3 Joulu 202536min

It's Fandemonium! This week Dana, Zaron, and Jason respond to listener emails. They tell their Very Special origin stories, pick their favorite episodes, cast the movie version of the podcast, and pre...

26 Marras 202518min

When Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of starving dogs were trapped inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. For years, Oregon-based veterinarian Dr. Jenn Betz had been their lifeline. Now, with Putin’s t...

19 Marras 202545min

In 1989, Boris Yeltsin walked into a Houston supermarket, and walked out ready to end an empire. What he saw in Texas that day would shake the foundations of the Soviet Union. * On the Very Special Ep...

12 Marras 202543min

In 1897, a Swedish engineer set out to reach the North Pole ... by balloon. With two companions, a crate of champagne, and the faith of a nation, he rose into the Arctic fog — and vanished. Decades la...

5 Marras 202553min

In the golden age of 1980s television, few faces were more familiar — or more dishonest — than Joe Isuzu’s. Actor David Leisure brought the fast-talking car salesman to life, turning a parody of adver...

29 Loka 202548min

In the 1960s, there were 36,000 Americans living in the Canal Zone. They had Friday night high school football games, sock hops, and Hollywood movies at the local theater. It looked like a mid-century...

22 Loka 202557min

Hi, Very Special Episodes listeners! We're hard at work on the next season of VSE, which lands October 22nd. In the meantime, did you know our own Dana Schwartz has a new podcast? Give it a listen! Ho...

27 Syys 20251min