Why Did These Podcasts Die? Why Podcasting Should Care About Canceled Shows?

Why do podcasts die? And how do they die? 

On TV, series cancellation is a very public event, with numerous network announcements and media articles. Sometimes, these announcements of cancellation even generate a tsunami of protest and the show is "uncanceled" and brought back, such as Chuck on NBC. Or the show is picked up by another network or streaming service, like Lucifer going from Fox to Netflix. 

 Sadly, podcasts die quietly. It almost begs the existential question: If a podcast dies and no one knows, has it really died? After all, its archives can live on for years.

By contrast, popular TV shows can have multiple lives in reruns. Travel to any TV market throughout the U.S. and you can find Seinfeld, Friends, and The Big Bang Theory reruns. I think we all know the tale of the original Star Trek TV series on NBC from 1966-1969 that was canceled and then resurrected in reruns, where it blossomed and became one of the most popular and profitable entertainment franchises in history. 

Sadly, podcast archives, or reruns to use the TV vernacular, have little or no second shelf life. That's a shame because there are some terrific podcasts that were canceled that can be still enjoyed via their archives.

In this article, we will discuss two podcasts that I have reviewed in the past that are no longer "alive." No new episodes are being made or planned as far as I know.

Sadly, unlike Theresa Caputo, I cannot communicate with podcasts that "have passed on." 

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First up is Internet Urban Legends, which was released in April 2021. This series was from Spotify and Parcast, in collaboration with Wheelhouse DNA, and was hosted by beauty gurus and internet sleuths, Loey Lane and Eleanor Snitchery.  The marketing line was: "they scour the web for the most chilling unsolved mysteries that have plagued the curious with endless questions. Paranormal and true crime obsessives can follow Loey and Eleanor’s journey into the unknown as they investigate the Internet’s biggest mysteries in search for the truth."

Each episode, Loey and Eleanor took a deep dive into one big story, investigating clues and conspiracy theories that surround the paranormal tale to try to determine if it is a hoax or a haunt.

Snitchery is known for her stunning cosplay on Instagram and TikTok, transforming herself into super-glam versions of Luigi, Harley Quinn, and the like. Lane is known for projecting a body-positive image and combines fashion and beauty advice with paranormal material on her popular YouTube channel.

The two are good friends in real life, so their chemistry was genuine, and the show was interesting and quirky.

The debut episode featured the terrifying story of “The Watcher House” in the small town of Westfield, New Jersey; the second episode chronicled the horrifying TikTok Tyson Chandler’s stalking encounter that went viral and got downright paranormal.

The show ran from April 2021 until March 2023, when Spotify pulled the plug on the show, along with 10 other shows, and the Gimlet and Parcast production companies. 

In March 2023, Spotify also canceled How to Save a Planet, Crime Show, and Medical Murders, Every Little Thing from Gimlet and Female Criminals, Crimes of Passion, Dictator, Mythology, Haunted Places, and Parcast’s Horoscope Today.

The last episode of Internet Urban Legends was about trees and the petrified forest. This message was included on the Spotify episode page of the podcast. "This is the last episode of Internet Urban Legends. On behalf of everyone here at Parcast, we thank you for listening!"

In this case, we know why this podcast was canceled. It was part of Spotify's "boy, did we screw up podcasting, and now we're desperate to fix it" strategy. 

Was this a great show? No, but it was a good show with a decent audience, engaging social media hosts, and a lively topic.

As manager of Ear Worthy, a publication that promises its readers podcast reviews, recommendations, and industry trend articles, I receive numerous marketing pitches for new podcasts, or podcasts beginning a new season. 

Why don't I, or other podcast review sites, receive marketing pitches for terrific podcasts that have been canceled but still possess a high interest level, a uniquely fascinating topic that isn't covered by other podcasts, or charismatic hosts? 

After all, one of my favorite all-time podcasts is Spectacular Failures with Lauren Ober, which ran for two seasons a few years ago. The story of high-profile business failures is still pertinent. 

Seinfeld and Friends reruns are everywhere on broadcast, cable, and streaming TV, whether I want them or not. Why can't Spotify continue to make money from a canceled podcast and, at the same time, offer listeners a show with a proven track record?

These episodes of Internet Urban Legends are available in the archives
and, for listeners with a taste for true-crime, the paranormal, and social media celebrities, this show is a perfect match. 

Why doesn't Spotify advertise the archives of this show? They can add new programmatic ads to monetize the show and continue to find new listeners. Just like broadcast TV plays Last Man Standing, The King of Queens, and Mike And Molly. 

How about limited-series podcasts? These shows are typically single-topic podcasts with anywhere from five to 12 episodes. These podcasts can be some of the most powerful shows in the podcast industry.

Take, for example, The Nightingale Of Iran. The show ran from February 2024 until April 2024 with nine episodes and two bonus episodes. It is an exquisitely crafted and moving show about family, geopolitics, and the consequences when these two elements clash.

What if I told you that a Jewish singer was a national celebrity in the nation of Iran? You'd probably scoff and head to a fact-checking service to confirm my inaccuracy. With the socio-political and religious events in the 40 years, you'd be right in answering, "impossible"

However, politics is like the weather in its capriciousness and shifting winds. Back in the 1950s, Tehran under the Shah was a cultural center of the world and called the Paris of the Middle East.

It was a golden age for Jews in Iran. In the 1950s, a religious Jew – Younes Dardashti – became a national celebrity, singing at the Shah’s palace and on the radio. In the 1960s, his son Farid became a teen idol on TV. They were beloved by Iranian Muslims. 

 Younes Dardashti was so famous that he was known as The Nightingale Of Iran. The nightingale is the official national bird of Iran.

In medieval Persian literature, the nightingale's enjoyable song has made it a symbol of the lover who is eloquent, passionate, and doomed to love in vain. In Persian poetry, the object of the nightingale's affections is the rose, which embodies both the perfection of earthly beauty and the arrogance of that perfection.

But at the height of their fame, Younes Dardashti and his Farid left the country. Why? Why would a revered entertainer and his teen idol son leave a nation? Would Taylor Swift bolt from the U.S. for Sweden or France? Not without Travis Kelce!

It has always been a mystery to host Danielle Dardashti and her sister Galeet. Danielle and Galeet are the granddaughters of The Nightingale Of Iran.

Why did their family leave Iran at the height of their fame? Now, in this enthralling documentary podcast series, the sisters reveal painful secrets unspoken for generations. 

This nine-part podcast will be relevant for years, even decades. But how can listeners find it after its initial run? Other than Danielle and Galeet Dardashti, who will be promoting this podcast? 

It's a show with a strong and poignant message about family, inclusion, living together, and the roots of racial hatred. 

The show should not be forgotten after April 2024. And, to be fair, there are thousands of ear-worthy limited run podcasts that deserve either reincarnation. 

I hope that important people in podcasting receive this message and develop a system by which either canceled podcast series or limited-run podcasts can be revived with new programmatic ads to monetize them, and re-released to podcast fans who deserve the full breadth of the content podcasting has to offer. Not just the flavor of the month.