Videos
Yes we have videos! Animations, music videos, speeches, our live stage shows, and more.
Live Shows
The Radio Drama Episode
Our most ambitious live show ever! Nearly 50 actors, singers, dancers, musicians, and comedians onstage including Sasheer Zamata, Stephin Merritt, Mike Birbiglia, and an original mini-musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The Invisible Made Visible
David Sedaris, David Rakoff, Tig Notaro, Glynn Washington, Terry Gross, Mike Birbiglia, Ryan Knighton, dance by Monica Bill Barnes & Company, music by OK Go (who created an app so the audience could play along with the band).
Return to the Scene of the Crime
Dan Savage, David Rakoff, and Mike Birbiglia. Plus: Joss Whedon sings!
Videos
I Love You
Episode 1 in our Videos 4 U series: we helped Maia say three words to her boyfriend she’d never said before. This video won an Emmy!
Maia's Boyfriend Watches the “I Love You” Video
Maia surprises Alex with her Videos 4 U short where she finally says, “I love you.”
Tattoos
Episode 2 in our Videos 4 U series: We helped Maggie tell her parents that she had lots of tattoos, a fact she’d hidden for years.
Chris Ware: Animated New Yorker cover
Our collaboration with The New Yorker. This was the cover of their Dec 7, 2015, issue. Everyone who got the digital version of that issue on this iPad or phone could push “play” and the cover would come to life as an animated short.
Chris Ware: The Cameraman
Chris Ware and animator John Kuramoto made two cartoons for the TV version of our radio show. This is the first.
Chris Ware: Every Marriage Is a Courthouse
The second cartoon Chris Ware and John Kuramoto made for our TV show, animating a story told by Radiolab host Robert Krulwich and his wife, Tamar.
Seriously
15 million people watched this on Facebook. Right before the 2016 election, we asked Sara Bareilles to imagine what President Obama might be thinking about Donald Trump, but couldn’t say publicly. Leslie Odom Jr. sang.
A Better Way
Just before the 2016 election, we asked the Frozen songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez to imagine what Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was feeling, but couldn’t say publicly, about Donald Trump. Neil Patrick Harris sang the part of Paul Ryan.
Party Guy
The third song we commissioned on the eve of the 2016 election. Broadway composer Michael Friedman imagined what RNC Chairman Reince Priebus might be thinking, but not expressing publicly. John Ellison Conlee sang.
Fresh Air 2: 2 Fresh 2 Furious
Mike Birbiglia directed this short film — starring him and Fresh Air host Terry Gross — for our “Invisible Made Visible” live show.
Quimby the Mouse
For our “Return to the Scene of the Crime” live show, Chris Ware and John Kuramoto created this animated short, about a mouse falling in love with a cat head. Set to a song by Andrew Bird.
Bet Against the American Dream
This is a tribute to the song "We Can Do It" from The Producers where Nathan Lane explains his unlikely get-rich-quick scheme. Written by Robert Lopez (Book of Mormon, Frozen) to describe the financial deal in our episode "Inside Job."
Toxie’s Dead
An animation about “Toxie,” a toxic asset that reporters from Planet Money bought in 2010.
Ira Glass on Storytelling
Ira writes: “Somehow, this interview I did with Current TV long ago became so well-known among creative types, that sometimes it feels more famous than our radio show.”
Commencement Speech at the Columbia Journalism School
Ira Glass talks to the graduating journalists about the challenges they and all journalists face these days, with fewer people believing fact-based reporting.
Commencement Speech at Goucher College
Ira gives a commencement speech denouncing the very idea of commencement speeches. He also tries to give helpful pointers to the grads.
How to Listen to a Podcast, with Ira and Mary
When we launched Serial, we learned how many people still didn’t know how to hear a podcast. Ira asked an octogenarian friend, Mary Ahearn, to help him explain it.
Brian Reed on How to Construct a Compelling Story
S-Town host and This American Life Senior Producer Brian Reed spoke about the three key elements of a good story: action, reflection, and stakes.
Shortcut
Ira explains how to use our Shortcut app to share clips from This American Life on social media.
Ira Explains How Producing Movies Sucks
Ira writes: “I did this interview in the press tour for Sleepwalk with Me. Every now and then, I run into someone who makes movies – or tries to make them – who tells me how much they related to it.”
Ira on Letterman
Ira talks about our “Poultry Slam” episodes and one particular listener’s reaction.
Sarah Koenig on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Sarah Koenig, host of Serial, talked to Stephen Colbert about Season Two.
Brian Reed on The Tonight Show
Brian Reed, host of S-Town, talked to Jimmy Fallon about how a chance email sent by a fascinating Alabama antique clock restorer led to the podcast.
Ira Talks About Michael Jackson at the Academy of Arts and Letters
When the Academy of Arts and Letters gave Ira a medal for spoken language, he gave this speech.
Ira Gives Teens Advice and Makes Balloon animals
As part of its Ask a Grown series, Rookie Magazine had Ira shared some of his children’s-entertainment skills while answering reader questions.
Ira at Google
Google sometimes invites people in to give little talks or Q&As. Ira was asked, while he was visiting California.
TV Show
Reality Check
Three stories of people hatching a plan and believing they’ve made a dream come true, until they’re snapped back to reality.
God's Close-Up
An artist, his Jesus-model, the model’s girlfriend, the girlfriend’s father, and a bunch of bearded men all converge in Utah.
The Cameraman
Being behind the camera changes you. It's not just that you see everything differently; you act differently also.
Growth Spurt
What do you do if you don't like where you are in life? You simply decide to move forward, into the next stage, by sheer force of will.
Pandora's Box
Three stories of consequences that follow from human beings doing what we do best: poking our noses everywhere, fixing things that may or may not be broken, and opening our big mouths.
Going Down in History
Stories of people trying to make — and remake — history, while others go down in history in ways they never intended.
Every Marriage Is a Courthouse
Even the happiest marriage sometimes comes down to the rule of law. And more so for the sad ones.
John Smith
The story of one life, told through the lives of seven people who have one thing in common: They’re all named John Smith.
More Recommended
New to This American Life?
“When I’m trying to explain our program to someone who doesn’t know it, I stammer a bunch of words like ‘entertaining,’ ‘funny,’ ‘surprising plot twists,’ ‘true stories but not boring I swear’ … and then I just give them this list.” — Ira Glass
View this list
Stories Kids Seem to Like
We asked our listeners which stories they like to listen to as a family.