This past year, Serial, a nonfiction audio podcast, has taken millions of people by storm. The podcast is an investigation into the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee in Baltimore, Maryland. The episodes, which became available for download weekly over the past few months, quickly became a global phenomenon with countless of adults and teenagers becoming attached to the show. Radio podcasts had been known to have a relative niche-following. However, Serial has proven to be an exception in this, and perhaps a stepping stone for the future of radio shows. “I never thought I would be one to listen to radio shows in my spare time,” said Senior Ryan Connors. “Serial has actually become one of my favorite things to listen to on the way to and from school, and on any long trips. I’m attached to it the same way many kids are to TV shows.”
Serial is hands-down the top podcast around the globe right now. Apple announced that the podcast was the fastest to reach 5 million downloads and streams in iTunes history. Serial is currently the number one podcast in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia, and in the top 10 in many other countries. The massive popularity of the show has resulted in viral parody videos and even a sketch on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.