With the summer season kicking off, documentary and narrative non-fiction shows are perfect to bring along on vacation.
The same way people pack a good book with them, these shows have stories that will leave you hanging on every word!
The shows in this list don’t fall into the typical true-crime subject matter of many documentary podcasts, but they’re just as captivating so summer is a perfect time to binge them.
Even if it Kills Me
Even If It Kills Me chronicles four high school friends — a gang, bonded together by dead-end small town upbringings and dreams of something bigger.
When [REDACTED] signed to [REDACTED] Records in the early ‘00s, Jon, Mac, Ryan, and Pete were thrust headlong into the rockstar whirlwind they had only barely imagined possible. At least, that’s how it seemed.
Over six episodes, writer/narrator Aaron Joy documents his time spent on the road with his friends as they flirted with stardom through the ‘00s. This is the story of the band that almost was. You won’t hear what this band sounds like. You won’t even learn their name. But you know this band, even if you don’t.
Everyone Knows That: The Search For Ulterior Motives
How far would you go to discover a lost song? In 2021, anonymous user Carl92 uploaded a 17-second sample of a song that changed lost media forever.
The catchy tune sounded familiar to so many people. But for years nobody could find it! Was it an unreleased demo from a major artist? An AI generated hoax? The beginning of an alternate reality game?
Everyone Knows That: The Search for Ulterior Motives is a five-part internet mystery miniseries about the history of the song, the theories pursued, the hoaxes created, and the song’s shocking discovery.
You Probably Think This Story’s About You
You Probably Think This Story’s About You is a riveting podcast series that takes listeners on a powerful journey of love, betrayal, and self-discovery.
The show follows Brit, a woman who falls deeply in love with Kanon, only to uncover a shocking web of deceit that extends far beyond their relationship.
As Brit searches for answers, she unravels the extent of Kanon’s lies and the devastating impact he had on the lives of so many women.
It’s Glass Castle meets Baby Reindeer and if you’re familiar with either of those, you know you’re in for a wild ride.
Come by Chance
A very small hospital in Newfoundland, Canada is the cause of a deeply personal and emotional switched at birth story. The first episode introduces you to the small town vibe that exists throughout Newfoundland and the two men who realized that after 52 years, they might not be the people they thought they were.
This realization sends them and their families down a path of discovery, denial, and DNA test. The scripting and narrative choices throughout this series reveal layers to the story so strategically that it leaves you on the edge of your seat. You think you know the depth of the story, and then it takes a turn, especially when you hear the full history of the hospital that started it all.
This Is Propaganda
Even if you think you know the extent of the impact that marketing and advertising has on us, this show may reveal layers you had never considered. It’s thorough, it’s pace is quick, and its style grips you harder than a Don Draper pitch meeting.
In this Webby Award-winning narrative podcast, co-hosts Josh and Malcolm challenge the marketing profession’s delusions about the origins, techniques and cultural impact of the work they do. The first season investigates how propaganda became the foundation of all consumer marketing, its omnipresence and evolution across generations of media, and the consequences we face today.
Broomgate: A Curling Scandal
This is the curling true crime story you didn’t know you needed. While other sports have introduced many new technologies to help athletes become even more competitive than ever, when the world of curling was met with a new style of broom it almost broke the game.
This series introduces you to the curling community and how a new broom entered the area, the drastic impact it had on competitions, and the passionate reaction that erupted when people realized the advantage it was giving to any team that used it.
The Competition
Speaking of competitive events that reveal an unexpectedly compelling story, The Competition goes behind the scenes of the Distinguished Young Women program (formerly known as America’s Junior Miss) and gives you perspectives from 50 girls, across 50 states who you might never hear from all together. What do a girl whose mother crossed the border as a teen and an 18 year old who just won the Republican primary have in common?
The Competition. Every summer, 50 of the nation’s best and brightest high school seniors—one from every state— take part in the country’s most lucrative scholarship competition exclusively for teen girls. The series follows seven radically different teenage girls as they experience the highs and lows of competing for two weeks. But, what happens when a Supreme Court decision catapults all 50 girls into the center of a nationwide debate about their rights as women in America? After fighting for months to make it to nationals to take home the $40,000 top prize, the girls are faced with a tough decision: do they speak up for their political beliefs or do they stay focused on winning the money? And what might this mean for their futures – and their friendships?
Tihany’s Illusion: The Search for Franz Czeisler
Tihany’s Illusion: The Search for Franz Czeisler tells the captivating true story of a man who used his illusions to survive and escape Nazi-occupied Europe, only to become one of the Greatest Showmen the world had ever seen.
From vibrant circuses to lower ship decks; from a schoolyard in Hungary to the bustling streets of Montevideo, this story explores how someone created a life of illusion so big it ensured his survival.
This historical podcast is a mix of mystery and drama, with a theatrical flair!
Nuances: Our Asian Stories
Queer histories are often dominated by modern Western narratives, but research increasingly shows that premodern Asia was rich in sexual diversity.
The tales are fascinating. For example, did you know that gay and lesbian couples could marry in some areas of China during the Qing dynasty? Or that, in premodern Japan, there were s*x toys specifically designed and marketed to lesbian women?
Unfortunately, these stories rarely make it out of academia. LAZOU, host of the Nuances podcast, is out to change this. On its newest season, Queering Premodern Asia, the award-nominated producer LAZOU brings these stories to light with queer Asian guest hosts and scholars.
BEEF with Bridget Todd
BEEF is a podcast perfect for a summer binge, blending stories of business rivalries and pop culture with educational insights. Hosted by award-winning Bridget Todd, it’s a must-listen for anyone interested in how competition drives innovation and shapes our world.
With stories about the space race, fashion icons, and Sex and the City, there’s a frenemy dynamic in almost every industry and niche that will make you realize the pros and cons of having people who push you forward
