S-Town podcast release date: The Serial team’s new true crime series about clocks and murder in a ‘shit town’

The small town true crime murder mystery has been three years in the making

(S-Town)

The podcast world gets a major new release today in the form of S-Town, a seven-episode true crime series from the makers of Serial and This American Life that’s been three years in the making.

Here’s what we you need to know:

The premise

‘John despises his Alabama town and decides to do something about it. He asks a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who's allegedly been bragging that he got away with murder. But then someone else ends up dead, sparking a nasty feud, a hunt for hidden treasure, and an unearthing of the mysteries of one man's life.’

Why is it called S-Town?

The investigation started with a phone call from John, who in the preview clip is heard saying: “Something’s happened. Something has absolutely happened in this town. There’s just too much little crap for something not to have happened. And I’m about had enough of ‘Shit Town’ and things that goes on.”

Basically, it’s about an unusual murder mystery in small town Alabama.

Who is hosting?

This American Life producer Brian Reed. It’s a spin-off from Serial, whose host Sarah Koenig said of S-Town: “It’s weird, it’s beautiful, it has a plot that goes in fascinating directions that I never saw coming.”

How can I listen to it?

Unlike Serial, S-Town dropped all seven of its episodes at once today. You can subscribe to the podcast to get all of them on iTunes, Stitcher, RadioPublic and other apps.