S-Town

From Serial Productions, the team behind Serial, comes S-Town, a story that begins with a mystery but unfolds into something far deeper and more human. Hosted by Brian Reed, this podcast is drawn into the world of John B. McLemore, a brilliant and troubled clock restorer living in a small Alabama town he bitterly nicknames "Shittown." John’s plea for an investigation into an alleged murder covered up by a wealthy local family seems like the start of a true-crime saga. Yet, as Brian digs in, a sudden and shocking death twists the narrative into unexpected territory. What follows is less a straightforward investigation and more an intimate, sprawling journey into one man’s labyrinthine mind, the hidden tensions of a rural community, and a peculiar hunt for buried treasure. The series becomes a profound exploration of loneliness, genius, and the secrets people carry, all meticulously captured through real conversations and events. Listening feels like stepping into a rich Southern Gothic tale, where every revelation about John and the town peels back another layer of a deeply moving, true-life story about the complexities of life and the stories we leave behind.