Very Special Episodes

In 1987, long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a glimmer in Stan Lee's eye, Marvel promised a different kind of blockbuster: Spider-Man and Mary Jane would get married. Not just in the comics — in front of 51,000 screaming fans at Shea Stadium. And those fans were not happy about it.

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VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Ed...

In 1981, 11-year-old Matt De Meritt got a phone call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer before he had to go back to school. But Matt had something no other kid had — something Steven Spielberg needed in order to embark on his most ambitious movie yet. 

Note: This episode contains discussions of suicide. Please take care while listening.

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V...

In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart ducked out of a White House event and commandeered a plane. The First Lady and the first lady of aviation flew to Baltimore and back. The event was documented by journalists, and later recounted in books. But there was more to this spontaneous joyride that didn't make the papers. 

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VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dylan Heu...

Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. But her biggest mystery unfolded outside the pages of her books. Today Dana examines the 11 days in 1926 when the beloved author went missing, and the rollicking media circus inspired by her disappearance.

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories ...

Eugene Bullard would not let America diminish him. So he left to find a place that would let him live free — and found freedom in the skies.

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 us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted...

In 1834, the Three Kichis were on a routine journey to deliver rice to Tokyo. But when a typhoon interfered, they were swept out into the Pacific for 5,000 miles — and became the first Japanese people in the Pacific Northwest. But that was only a single moment in one of history’s most amazing journeys.

The trio would end up going halfway around the world and back again, seeing things they never could have imagined, accidental pione...

In late 1998, a furry, nonsense-babbling creature arrived on the toy scene. The Furby could squeal, snore, sneeze, and … learn to speak English? Immediately upon release, thousands were backordered. Fights broke out in stores. The early internet lit up with conspiracy theories. And Furby was actually banned from the National Security Agency for its alleged potential for espionage. For today’s episode, we partnered with Celia Anisko...

Greetings, VSE listeners! Dana, Zaron, and Jason will be back in October with another season. In the meantime, we wanted to share a new podcast from several members of the Very Special team. Introducing, The Legend of SwordQuest!

Episode One: The Sword and the Stoned. 

In the early 1980s, Atari is one of the biggest entertainment brands in the world and seeks to promote the biggest video game contest to date, promising $150,000 in ...

A bar fight and a stint on the lam transformed Samuel Clemens into Mark Twain — and changed the course of American literature. Settle in for Mark Twain's origin story.  

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Zaron Burnett
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design: Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering: Baheed Frazier
Story Editor: Marisa Brown
Research and Fa...

The 1904 St. Louis Olympics featured the strangest sporting event in history. During the marathon, runners paused for naps, got chased by dogs, went apple picking, and doped with rat poison — all while being unwitting participants in a cruel scientific experiment.

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Thanks for listening! Our next episode comes out Wednesday, June 26th.

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Produced by...

Mykal Riley’s name isn’t mentioned alongside the likes of Steph Curry or Larry Bird. But neither of those guys can say they hit a three-pointer that literally saved thousands of lives.

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VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Original Music by Elise McCoy...

Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy was a French countess with a dubious claim to nobility and one brilliant idea: she was going to steal a diamond necklace from Louis XVI. After weaseling her way into court, Jeanne impersonates Marie Antoinette in a series of letters, starts a tabloid scandal, and inadvertently lights the fuse of the French Revolution.

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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. ...

This week, we present a smattering of stories you might have missed. If you've inhaled all these, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — and we'll recommend something else worth your time.

Operation Lunar Eclipse
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Boat Trip
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The Pledge
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Old Man on Campus
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Seed Wars
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We're back with a new episode...

Martha's Vineyard once was a place you could gossip with neighbors, shop for supplies, or play a cutthroat game of cards — all without saying a word. That's because it had a thriving Deaf community. Residents, Deaf and hearing alike, communicated with a unique version of sign language that predates ASL. But it's mostly forgotten today. 

Today we dig into Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) and the folks who are working to keep i...

Right now thousands of people are on a mathematical treasure hunt from the comfort of their home offices. Our own Zaron Burnett is one of them. Here's how you can join him — and compete for $50,000.

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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Lucas Reilly
Produced ...

In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wild in the “Wild West.”

But there was a lot more to the story that didn’t make the papers.

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Very Special Episodes is a podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana ...

In the summer of 2016, the entire world was going crazy for a new mobile game. All these years later, it’s easy to forget the wildest part about Pokémon GO: the whole thing began as an April Fools’ joke.

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Very Special Episodes is a new podcast where we tell one incredible story each week. Episodes usually go up on Wednesdays. We made an exception for April Fools' Day.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Writte...