Greatest Escapes Podcast Premieres Next Week: From Dillinger To El Chapo

  For some inexplicable reason, people are obsessed with escapes. Even when those escapes are completed by the most odious of people, like drug cartel kingpin El Chapo.

Maybe, it's the pure balls of affecting an escape. Or that whole rooting for the underdog, even if that underdog is a psychopathic killer.

It could be that
people are often "obsessed" with escapes because they use it themselves as a coping mechanism to relieve stress, anxiety, or discomfort. In effect, they also want to escape, and for them, it's from difficult life situations, not prison.  

That may be why iHeartPodcasts and FilmNation Entertainment have announced the launch of Greatest Escapes podcast with Arturo Castro, who is a comedian and actor (Broad City, Narcos, The Menu). The podcast recounts history’s most daring escape stories, from El Chapo to John Dillinger, with humor and wit.

Greatest Escapes is set to debut episodes weekly starting on January 28, 2025. Fans can listen to the trailer now.

 Blending comedy, history, and a touch of improv, Greatest Escapes with Arturo Castro combines the casual and fun nature of a chat show with the exhilarating thrill of true crime. Each episode explores a new escape alongside a guest, offering both a deep dive into history’s most jaw-dropping and laugh-out-loud moments. Joining Castro will be a lineup of Hollywood celebrities including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ed Helms, Zoë Chao, Billy Magnussen, Sunita Mani, Kelsey McKinney, and more.

Arturo Castro first broke out in the beloved role of ‘Jaime’ in the Comedy Central series BROAD CITY. From there, he went on to be the writer, executive producer, and star of his comedy sketch series ALTERNATINO. He can previously be seen in Mark Mylod’s THE MENU for Searchlight, produced by Adam McKay, where he stars opposite Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, and Nicholas Hoult.

"Every episode of Greatest Escapes is like a late-night talk show but with danger, humor, and insane twists," insists Castro. “We’re telling some of the wildest escape stories in history, from daring jailbreaks to death-defying spy stunts, and my guests are some of the funniest, smartest people I’ve ever encountered. I’m beyond excited to partner with iHeartPodcasts, FilmNation, and Gilded Audio to bring these incredible stories to life.”

iHeartPodcasts and FilmNation are collaborators on the podcast SNAFU with Ed Helms, which won the 2024 Signal Awards for Best Writing and Best Host in the category Limited Series and Specials. FilmNation is also behind the popular true-crime podcast Murder on the Towpath with host Soledad O’Brien; Torched with host Molly Bloom; and Hyper-thetical hosted by Kerry Bishé.

 “From the moment we met Arturo, we knew he was the most perfectly hilarious and charming host and creative collaborator for this idea,” gushes Alyssa Martino, SVP of Podcasting at FilmNation and one of the show’s Executive Producers. “We wanted Greatest Escapes to feel like one of your favorite heist movies, with fun comedic elements a la Drunk History or My Favorite Murder. The final series is a wild ride that will take listeners all over the world and throughout time, all while enjoying Arturo and his guests’ laugh-out-loud antics.”

The podcast launches on January 28, 2025.