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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a...
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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.
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Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
Transcribed
14 MAY 2025 · The Harlem Globetrotters always beat the Washington Generals. It's just what they do. As of 1971, they’d done it 2,495 times. But for one gloriously confusing night that January, the underdogs got to raise their hands in victory. Today on Very Special Episodes, the untold story of the greatest upset in sports history. * Very Special Thanks to Israel Gutierrez for lending his voice, and Peter Coughter for production support. Izzy and Peter have a new show out on our NBA slate about the rise of the Golden State Warriors. https://link.podtrac.com/dubdynasty wherever you get your podcasts. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Jonathan Washington
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English Got a question or comment? You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com.See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
7 MAY 2025 · In 1973, NASA gifted a piece of the moon to a teenage astronomy fan, inadvertently pulling him into the seedy underground moonrock trade. Hello VSE friends! We published a new episode on Monday, so we're playing a rerun in our regular Wednesday slot. 'Operation Lunar Eclipse' is one of our early favorites and originally ran in February 2024. Questions or comments? You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
5 MAY 2025 · Happy Cinco de Mayo! To celebrate, Zaron Burnett is here with a mini-episode about the frozen treat that is quietly and quickly taking over the world. * Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Jonathan Washington
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason EnglishSee https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
30 APR 2025 · When two of the most influential figures in film become the personal hostages of Kim Jong Il, they have two objectives: to elevate North Korean cinema on the world stage, and to plot their daring escape. SOURCES + FURTHER READING/LISTENING/VIEWING https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250054272/akimjongilproduction/, by Paul Fisher
https://www.ampersandbooks.org/book/9781956005585, by Ravi Mangla
https://www.eas.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/michelle-cho, assistant professor, University of Toronto
https://podcasts.apple.com/fi/podcast/are-you-there-godzilla-its-me-kim-jong-il/id1608230191?i=1000598436509&l=fi [Ridiculous Crime podcast]
https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41646.htm, U.S. State Department
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-brother-north-koreas-forgotten-prince/id1606009390 [An iHeart Original Podcast]
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/29529/kim-jong-il-director-he-kidnapped-and-awful-godzilla-film-they-made-together [Mental Floss Magazine]
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bomb-korean-war/ [PBS] * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Adrien Behn and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at https://wondermedianetwork.com
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason EnglishSee https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
23 APR 2025 · Velvalee Dickinson ran a doll shop on Madison Avenue that catered to wealthy collectors. But in one of the strangest espionage cases of World War II, Dickinson's clients had no idea she was using correspondence about doll orders to transmit coded U.S. military intelligence to the Japanese. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Joe Pompeo
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Research and Fact-Checking by Joe Pompeo and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English We'll be back with another Very Special Episode next Wednesday. See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
16 APR 2025 · On a cold day in 1973, a crowd gathered on a farm for one of history's strangest funerals. It was an elite group, including the Governor of Michigan, bank presidents, and local dignitaries. Even Walter Cronkite sent a correspondent. But they weren’t mourning anyone human. No, this was a pizza-based catastrophe. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Bess Lovejoy
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Research and Fact-Checking by Bess Lovejoy and Austin Thompson
Guest Voice Actor is Mike Coscarelli
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English Special thanks to the https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.50617/ at the Library of Congress. We'll be back with another Very Special Episode next Wednesday. See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
9 APR 2025 · When he published The Great Gatsby 100 years ago this week, F. Scott Fitzgerald thought he'd written the Great American Novel. But it was a commercial flop. The year Fitzgerald died, he received a royalty check for a paltry seven copies. It would take an unlikely series of events to posthumously pluck a masterpiece from obscurity. * Very special thanks to Molly Guptill Manning. Go check out When Books Went to War. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Joe Pompeo
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Research and Fact-Checking by Joe Pompeo and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English See you next Wednesday!See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
2 APR 2025 · Gene Fleming and his pet goose Andy made headlines around the world. They brought out the best in the people of Hastings, Nebraska. But amid all this attention, Andy also brought out the worst. And three decades later, Andy's legacy is still reverberating around their hometown. Note: This episode includes the murder of a beloved goose. * Very Special thanks to Jessica Korgie for sharing her family's story with us. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Sara Schleede and edited by Carmen Borca-Carrillo at Wonder Media Network
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English We'll see you back here next Wednesday. See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
26 MAR 2025 · On August 26, 1965, LBJ issued a surprise executive order eliminating marriage as grounds for deferment from the Vietnam draft. The announcement set off a panic across the country. The problem was, nearly every state required blood tests or a waiting period — every state, that is, except Nevada. If you could somehow convince someone to marry you, get to Nevada, and get hitched before midnight, you'd be in the clear. Which is exactly what thousands of young people tried to do that day. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English Very Special thanks to the talented filmmaker Ashton Avila, who shared her invaluable research and contacts from making her short film "I Got You Babe." Go check it out!See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcribed
14 FEB 2025 · During its first 50 seasons, Saturday Night Live has welcomed legendary actors, superstar athletes, and notable politicians. But for one memorable night in 1977, Lorne Michaels turned the show over to an 80-year-old amateur. * Special thanks to Connie Crawford for sharing her story. And thanks to the great Bill Carter for stopping by! You can read more of his work at https://latenighter.com/author/billcarter/, or check out his https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bill-Carter/author/B001HCUSKW?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Original Music by http://www.elisemccoy.com
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English Thanks for listening. We'll return to our weekly publishing cadence later next month. Exciting things in the works! Until then, you can always email the show at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com, or go check out the back catalog. See https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a...
show more
On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.
show less
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