This American Life
Hosted by Ira Glass and Ira · This American Life
4.5from 98,990 ratings
- 156
- Episodes
- 145
- Transcribed
- 98,990
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2001
- First episode
- 12M
- YouTube views
About This American Life
Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
- Publisher
- This American Life
- Category
- arts · news · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 5 Jan 2001
- Latest episode
- 2 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
145 of 156 episodes have a transcript.
2 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT
900: Talk Me Into It
26 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
506: Secret Identity
19 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
489: No Coincidence, No Story!
Inside a recent episode
900: Talk Me Into It
Published 2 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Because I can arrange that. This is one of Rose's, like, special moves. It's kind of a flex. This is exactly how she got her sister to vote for Detroit's current mayor. She just put them on the phone together. Oh, wow. But when Rose offered the same thing, like, do you want to meet El Syed in person? […]
Read the full transcript with a Pod Engine plan.
See plansWho has been a guest on This American Life
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
- Jon Ronson
- Elna Baker
- Yuri Herrera
- Sarah Koenig
- Sayre Quevedo
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
- YouTube views
- 12,218,066
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
- Apple Podcasts (US)
- 4.5 / 5
- 87,612 ratings
- Spotify
- 4.8 / 5
- 11,378 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 73 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
- Quality
- 68
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 93
- Engagement
- 100
Contact This American Life
- Guest appearances
- Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about This American Life
Who hosts This American Life?
Ira Glass and Ira host the show. Published by This American Life.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does This American Life take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Where can I read transcripts?
145 of 156 episodes have a transcript on Pod Engine. Full transcripts are available with a Pod Engine plan.
Host of This American Life?
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Explore this show
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