You Can’t Make This Up

Forrest Fenn caught the imagination of the world when he announced he’d hidden a treasure chest filled with riches somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. All you had to do was solve a riddle to find it. The quest for gold drew many a treasure hunter into the wilderness, all with different theories on where each arcane clue should lead them. But for some, the ten-year-long hunt became an obsession, caus...

In 1969, Los Angeles was on edge after a bloody killing spree in the Hollywood Hills - one of the victims, a pregnant movie star. The killers all said they committed their crimes at the direction of their leader, Charles Manson. While the Manson Family murders still fascinate today, one question remains unanswered: how was the mastermind able to convince his followers to kill at his direction? Was...

Step into the mysterious and visually stunning world of The Electric State as host Francesca Amiker takes you behind the scenes with the creative masterminds who brought Simon Stålenhag’s dystopian vision to life. In this premiere episode, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and producers Angela Russo-Otstot and...

In the 1990s, mothers in the English industrial town of Corby noticed their children were born with similar disabilities. Could they have been poisoned during their pregnancies by toxic waste being removed from the old steel mill? Led by Susan McIntrye, the group rallied to seek justice, but the borough council denied there was any connection between the children and the reclamation project essent...

In October 1993, US soldiers operating in the middle of a civil war in Somalia were on a mission to capture high ranking militia leaders linked to the fighting. But their extraction from the streets of Mogadishu was blocked by an unexpected counter attack from Somali warriors resulting in an all-out urban firefight. While the Army Rangers were pinned down in the streets, resistance fighters shot d...

In 2021, Gabby Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie set off in a van for a cross country adventure they’d document for a travel vlog. Despite images of a carefree journey she posted online, the trip was beginning to sour. Then - Gabby’s parents couldn’t reach her. And police discovered Brian had returned home in the van…with his girlfriend nowhere to be found. The Netflix documentary series Ame...

At the dawn of the social media era, Belle Gibson became a pioneering wellness influencer - telling the world how she beat cancer with an alternative diet. Her bestselling cookbook and online app provided her success, respect, and a connection to the cancer-battling influencer she admired the most. But a curious journalist with a sick wife began asking questions that even those closest to Belle be...

Belle Gibson was an early social media health influencer, with a best-selling  book and a popular wellness app. She drew attention after claiming she had several forms of malignant cancer, and was treating them with alternative therapies and diet. When Gibson told the world her holistic approach was keeping her alive and well despite her diagnoses, followers and readers put their faith in her guid...

In 1994, two people were slain in Brentwood, California - one of them the ex-wife of a beloved celebrity. Then the world stood transfixed watching a televised police chase of the famous fugitive through Los Angeles. It seemed like a mountain of evidence would convict OJ Simpson for the murders of Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. But his aggressive defense team attacked the science and the...

After making his fortune in tech, Bryan Johnson has set his sights on an even more valuable goal: finding a fountain of youth through cutting-edge science. Employing a mix of smoothies, fitness, regimented sleep, high-tech therapies, and more than 100 pills and supplements, Bryan has been able to slow the aging rate of his body. His Blueprint Protocol has earned him lots of attention, and lots of...

Jerry Springer’s dull new talk show was relegated to an overnight time slot and the likelihood of cancellation. But when he teamed up with a new executive producer - one with a taste for the sensational - the show evolved into a must-watch television circus. And when guests started punching each other, the ratings went through the roof.  The Netflix documentary series Jerry Springer: Fights, Camer...

On today’s episode, we take a look back at one of our favorite documentaries from 2024: the Netflix series American Nightmare. Host Rebecca Lavoie talks to filmmakers Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched American Nightmare yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.  Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

In the documentary, The Biggest Heist Ever, we learned about Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan and Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein, who were accused of conspiring to launder $4.5 billion in stolen bitcoin. But this is just a peek into the world of crytpto criminals and the people who track them. Today we're bringing you a recent episode from our friends at American Criminal, where each week host Jeremy Schwar...

At the height of World War II, transporting the mail to GIs took a back seat to moving supplies to the front. Soon, millions of letters and packages were piling up with no one to sort them. Commanders reluctantly gave the job to a battalion of Black female soldiers, convinced the task would be too much for them. Despite facing racism and sexism - and grueling working conditions - the women of the...

Let the new games begin! Starting Thursday, December 26th, join hosts Phil Yu (aka “Angry Asian Man”) and Kiera Please as they dive into each episode of Squid Game Season 2. Joined by a lineup of special guests, they’ll unpack the deadly new challenges, explore the layered characters, and debate the moral dilemmas that will leave you questioning everything. From Gi-hun’s relentless quest for justi...

Kevin Curtis was one half of a double Elvis tribute act, living in the Mississippi birthplace of the King. But after he stumbled onto what he thought was a black market organ harvesting scheme, Kevin went down a rabbit hole of conspiracy and on a quest to root out corruption. As his paranoia grew, threatening letters, sprinkled with deadly ricin, turned up at the offices of his enemies - as well a...

The 1996 murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey gripped the nation with its unusual twists. The bizarre ransom note…the uncooperative parents…and those child beauty pageants! The police, the press, and the public all focused on John and Patsy Ramsey and whether they staged the break-in, assault, and murder of their daughter. But even though all the physical evidence pointed to an intruder, years l...

On this episode, we’ll turn things over to one of our sister shows “The Piano Lesson: The Official Podcast.” Host Jazmine Hughes looks at the making of the The Piano Lesson, talks to actors, and discusses August Wilson’s plays about the Black American experience in the 20th century. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Piano Lesson yet, make sure to add it to your watch list before listening....

They train for a lifetime, all for ten seconds at glory. But who will take the gold on track’s biggest stage: the Paris Olympiad? Will it be the brash Noah Lyles, the earnest Kenny Bednarek, or the enigmatic Kishane Thompson? Can Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce grab a medal at her fifth games? Or will up-and-comers like Sha’carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson take her place at the top of the sport? Or w...

In this episode, we’re turning things over to one of our sister shows, The Diplomat: The Official Podcast. Host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika talks with actors, producers, and real-life diplomats for a deeper look into the show's creation and the real-life inspirations that shaped the storylines in season 2 of The Diplomat. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Diplomat season 2 episode 2, titled "...

After a 2020 Olympic performance marked by disappointment, questions lingered on whether the most decorated gymnast of all time would ever return to the world stage. But Simone Biles was determined to go out on top and capture gold in Paris. With the glare of the world upon her, and not feeling 100%, Biles took this summer’s XXXIII Olympiad by storm.  Her story resumes in Simone Biles Rising Part...

Mats Steen appeared to live a life of isolation. A Norwegian teen suffering from a degenerative muscle disease, reliant on adaptive technologies, Mats spent all of his time on his computer. It wasn’t until he died at age 25 that his parents learned what he’d been doing.  The gamers did not know Mats’s medical condition. Instead, they knew him as Ibelin: a brawny medieval nobleman in search of adve...

What goes through the mind of a killer just as they take a life? And how do they feel about their actions after spending years in prison? Season five of the Netflix documentary series I AM A KILLER explores those questions, allowing admitted killers to talk about their crimes and reflect on how taking a life has changed them.  But their tales don’t go unchallenged. Investigators, prosecutors, and...

In a league filled with superstars, they stand out among the rest. But what does it take to achieve greatness in the NBA, as well as away from the court where you can’t call a timeout in real life? The ten-part Netflix sports series Starting 5 provides an intense, behind-the-scenes look at the 2023-24 season through the eyes of five of the league’s biggest players - Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards,...

Part 3: Hope for the Future. Today, over 30 years after their crime, Lyle and Erik feel they have healed and evolved. Alejandro learns how they've spent decades in search of peace and fulfillment in their lives behind bars. The brothers speak on the renewed interest in their case spawned from social media sites like TikTok, and share their hopes for the future. As their hours of conversation come...