Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.

PodSkip has analyzed 15 episodes of This American Life, averaging 3.5 ads per episode (10% of runtime).

एपिसोड

889: There’s Something About Hail Mary
Jun 21, 2026
We spend an hour in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, behind and desperate, with people trying any damn thing they can think of. Prologue: Five years after Ora first started experiencing…
1 ads · 0 min · 0% ads
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★★★★☆ 8.1/10
This American Life '676: Here's Looking at You, Kid' Review This American Life is the gold…
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354: Mistakes Were Made
Jun 14, 2026
It’s the late 1960s, and a California TV repairman named Bob sees an opportunity to help people cheat death with the new science of cryonics. But freezing dead people isn’t easy. And apologizing for…
6 ads · 3 min · 0% ads
Squarespace sponsorship, AT&T sponsorship
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888: Not Today, Hades!
Jun 07, 2026
Regular people trapped inside Greek myths. Prologue: When a mysterious, ripped-open package arrives on Pablo's doorstep, he takes it as a sign. (4 minutes) Act One: Pablo flies closer to the…
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137: The Book That Changed Your Life
May 31, 2026
We want to believe our lives can be changed by the ideas contained in a book. Prologue: When Alexa was seven, she started going through her grandfather's books. Her grandfather was a playwright…
2 ads · 1 min · 0% ads
Planet Money promo, This American Life Membership/Life Partners Promotion
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887: Two Is One, One Is None!
May 17, 2026
One family faces the Trump administration’s ban on trans people serving in the military, and responds with a surprising secret weapon. Prologue: Geirid and Chrissy are extreme planners. But about…
1 ads · 0 min · 0% ads
Membership/Support Pitch
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886: Blackout
May 03, 2026
Since the war began in Iran, we've heard very little from people inside the country — and there's a reason for that. The entire country has been under an internet blackout. We worked with reporters…
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Ira (Reluctantly) Gives a Graduation Speech
Apr 30, 2026
Ira always hated commencement speeches. Then he felt like he had to give this one.
2 ads · 1 min · 0% ads
Promotional intro for bonus episode, Promotional outro for bonus episode/subscription
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885: Bless This Mess
Apr 12, 2026
At a time when the U.S. government is trying to make American history tidier, we try to learn from the mess. Including the untold, messy story of Paul and Essie Robeson. Prologue: Guest Host…
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884: The Idiot
Mar 29, 2026
M. Gessen returns to our show with a true-crime story that takes place entirely within their own family. This story comes to us from the producers at Serial Productions—who invented the true-crime…
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883: Call Your Parents
Mar 22, 2026
In the early days of the radio show, Ira did a series of interviews with his parents that completely changed his relationship with them. This week, he returns to those interviews. Prologue: Ira…
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882: Give a Little Whistle
Mar 08, 2026
Two lawyers who work for ICE step forward and lift the curtain on what is really happening inside our immigration system right now. Prologue: Two lawyers dive into the details of what they’ve…
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New Lore Drop
Jan 08, 2026
People discovering information about their own lives that they did not know and suddenly everything looks very different.
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An Update from Ira
Oct 15, 2025
Ira Glass shares some news about This American Life
1 ads · 5 min · 0% ads
Subscription pitch / fundraising appeal
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Bonus: Nancy's Deep Cuts
Jul 16, 2025
Ira Glass talks with Nancy Updike about the most personal stories they have put on the radio.
2 ads · 1 min · 0% ads
Membership/subscription promotion
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