Apple Podcasts has just named its Show of the Year for 2024, and it’s a limited-run series called Hysterical that tells a fascinating story. Here are the full details.
Limited series debuted in July as an instant hit
Hysterical is a seven-part limited series from Wondery with an intriguing premise:
Hysterical investigates a mysterious illness that spreads among a group of high school girls in upstate New York.
The show debuted earlier this year in July as the #1 show in Apple Podcasts. It ended the year as the #9 top show of the year.
Apple interviewed the creator about the origins of the series.
Creator Dan Taberski was compelled to pursue this story when news of “Havana syndrome” — a mysterious illness impacting thousands of diplomats and hardened CIA agents around the world — started to spring up in the media. He recalled the story about a group of high school girls in Le Roy, New York, who were affected by a separate mysterious illness several years prior. Drawn to the potential parallels between these unlikely groups of people, he thought, “What if it’s a hysterical illness?”
Questions in interview with creator
For anyone interested in podcasting, Apple’s wide-ranging conversation with Taberski is available on the Apple Podcasts for Creators site. Questions covered include:
- What advice do you have for somebody who’s trying to produce a limited-run series?
- Do you have any tips for podcasters on how they can channel their own voice when writing for the ear?
- How do you know that you have an idea for a multipart series versus a single-episode story?
- How do you plot a serialized story? How do you think about the storytelling and plotting over multiple episodes?
- You worked in TV and film before coming to podcasting. What do you think podcasting offers in terms of storytelling that those other mediums may not?
Last year’s Show of the Year was Wiser Than Me from Julia Louis-Dreyfus. If you need more podcast recommendations, Apple recently revealed the top shows of the year in a variety of categories.
You can listen to Hysterical now on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have you listened to Hysterical? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.
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