There won't be a new episode of "Serial" released on Thanksgiving, but fans of the show have something else to be thankful for: a second season. Producers of the podcast announced on Wednesday that the future of the long-form series had secured by listener donations and sponsorship deals.
Last week, we asked people who’ve been listening to Serial to chip in if they wanted a second season. "This American Life" funded the bulk of Season One, but for Serial to continue, it needs to pay for itself. Today, we have good news: between the money you donated and sponsorship, we’ll be able to make a second season. We don’t know yet what the story will be or exactly when we’ll be airing Season Two, but we’ll be working on it as soon as this season ends.
Thanks so much to everyone who gave.
- the Staff of Serial
Executive produced by Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, and hosted by Koenig, the first season of "Serial" has focused on the death of Hae Min Lee, a Baltimore teenager who was killed in 1999. Lee's ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was convicted of her murder and is currently serving out a life sentence. Syed maintains his innocence. Since "Serial" debuted in October, it has become the biggest podcast in the world, with more than 5 million streams and downloads on iTunes during the last two months.
Head to the podcast website for more on the show. New episodes of "Serial" are available on Thursdays.