For its next project, the investigative podcast series “Serial” will take a deep dive into the U.S. public school system.
The still-untitled series will track the history of a single public school through a century of sweeping social changes and major educational reforms. Through personal stories and plot twists, it will examine how the school reflects an ultimately failed effort to create equality in America. It’s set for release during the fourth quarter of 2019.
The new project, to be hosted by Peabody Award winner Chana Joffe-Walt and produced by “Serial” co-creators Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, will be a limited series rather than the official fourth season of “Serial.” But will be presented in a format similar to the flagship podcast, according to Public Media Marketing CEO David Raphael, who announced the project Wednesday at the Winter Podfront, the Podcast industry’s upfront event, in Beverly Hills.
“Serial” won a Peabody award in 2015 for its first season, which investigated the murder of Hae Min Lee, and cast doubt on the case against Adnan Syed, who was convicted of killing her and sentenced to life imprisonment. Syed’s conviction was overturned in 2016 and a new trial is scheduled for later this year. His attorney later credited “Serial,” the most popular podcast of all time with more than 340 million downloads, with building a “groundswell of support” that contributed to that outcome.