Very Special Episodes

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. 

*

We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — and we'll recommend something else you can listen to instead!

Hosted by Dana Schwar...

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.

*

We're hard at work on our next season of new VSEs. If you've already heard this one, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — an...

Hello, Very Special listeners! Today we're dipping into the archives of Zaron's other podcast, Ridiculous Crime, to share a tale of dog excellence from World Cup history. 

In 1966, England hosted the FIFA World Cup, an incredible honor and landmark moment for English football. Just one problem: someone made off with the cup itself just weeks before the start of play. How can you have a global tournament with no prize? How can ...

Thanks to her McDonald’s fortune, Joan Kroc was one of the world’s wealthiest people. And she was determined to die nearly broke.

*

Special thanks to our guests Lisa Napoli, Dick Starmann, and Stephanie Bergsma. Go check out Lisa's excellent book Ray & Joan. 

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris...

Comic Sans is a punchline. A design crime. Cultural shorthand for bad taste. But the notorious font's legacy isn't one of failure. Because Comic Sans succeeded in ways its critics never saw coming.

*

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Bess Lovejoy
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Jos...

In 1968, a woman wrote a romantic story about Kirk and Spock, passed it quietly among friends, and hoped it would never see the light of day. Before vanishing entirely, The Ring of Soshern had become the stuff of legend. The quest to recover it would lead back to a community of women who'd been building something remarkable in the shadows for generations.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by ...

In the winter of 1939, Finland faced overwhelming odds. The Soviet Union was invading with hundreds of thousands of troops. Standing in their way was an unlikely defender: a shy farmer and expert marksman who would later become known as “The White Death.” But behind the myth was simply a reserved man fighting for his homeland.

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

Emma has never felt the sun on her skin. Born with a rare condition that makes UV light dangerous, she lives by sunscreen, meters, and moonlight. But she’s also part of a community finding extraordinary ways to make ordinary childhood possible. And thanks to new research, the future may actually be bright.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
...

When Ian Fleming needed a name for the secret agent at the center of his new novel, he stole one from the cover of a birdwatching book. The real James Bond wasn’t a martini-drinking spy, but a shy American ornithologist who spent decades exploring the Caribbean. Then one surreal day, he finally tracked down the man who stole his identity.

Special thanks to Jim Wright and his excellent book, The Real James Bond: A True Story o...

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, which we originally published in early 2025, includes the murder of a beloved goose. And don't forget to check out Dana's new book, The ...

In June 1970, Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates somehow tossed a no-hitter while tripping on acid. The LSD stunt made him a legend, but it overshadowed a much deeper story: a man who spent the second half of his life searching for redemption, purpose, and a way to help others escape the same darkness that once enveloped him.

*

Today's episode was produced in partnership with School of Humans. For School of Humans, Producers are ...

In 1978, Soviet geologists flying over Siberia spotted something impossible: a family living in total isolation, untouched for decades by the modern world. But when outsiders finally reached their remote cabin, the family’s hidden world began to change forever.

*

Special thanks to Rebecca E. Marshall for letting us share clips from her documentary, The Forest in Me. We also want to shout out the film's composer, Xylouris Whit...

Today's episode is a tour of New York’s secret history with a very special guest!

Greg Young of the beloved Bowery Boys podcast joins us to prove the world is a very interesting place, if you just know where to look. There's hidden history in subway grates, SoHo stores, Central Park statues, and Hamilton lyrics. 

*

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dana Schwartz
Senior Produc...

Today we're sharing an excerpt from a new soccer podcast, The Away End with John Green and Daniel Alarcón. In a recent episode they covered the 1994 Caribbean Cup, which felt very Very Special Episodes-y. If you like soccer or enjoy listening to smart friends chat, check out their show! Dana, Zaron + Jason will be back with a new episode next Wednesday.  

About The Away End

Two novelists, Daniel Alarcón and John Green, friends...

Long before the NCAA Basketball Tournament became a billion-dollar business, there was a massive betting pool run out of a neighborhood bar on Staten Island. The Irish pub’s $10 game handed out million-dollar prizes and drew players from around the world. But when the pool got too big, it threatened to bring down the bar where it all began.

*

Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Zaron Burnet...

In honor of April Fools' Day, Zaron Burnett digs into a persistent legend surrounding VSE regular Richard Nixon. With a little help from his pops, Zaron ventures into smoky clubs to unpack a bizarre tale of jazz, drugs, and politics.

After the episode, Dana talks about her upcoming book, The Arcane Arts. Zaron discusses his role in a recent Jordan Peele documentary, and Jason reveals his real name for the first time on this podcast...

On a quiet morning in Hawaii, cell phones across the islands lit up with a text message that felt impossible — a ballistic missile was inbound, and this was not a drill. For 38 minutes, hundreds of thousands of people believed they were living their final moments. This is the real story of what happens when ordinary folks are forced to confront the end of everything, all at once.

*

Hosted by Dana Sch...

In the 1960s, a newly independent Zambia entered the space race with a bold — and baffling — plan. Led by self-declared “Minister of Space” Edward Nkoloso, a team of would-be astronauts trained in oil drums, dreamed of Mars, and captured the world’s attention. To Western observers, it looked like a joke. But Zambia's space ambitions may have been a front for something far more earthly — and far m...