S-Town released seven chapters.
The investigative journalism podcast was created by the team behind Serial and This American Life and hosted by Brian Reed. Rather than releasing episodes weekly, S-Town arrived as a complete, bingeable series on March 28, 2017. All seven chapters were made available on that date.
The series began with Reed investigating John B. McLemore’s complaints about corruption and neglect in Woodstock, Alabama, a town he called “Shit-Town.” The story changed direction as Reed uncovered a much more complicated narrative involving McLemore, his relationships, his interests, and the people around him.
A common mix-up is confusing chapters with seasons or assuming the podcast had a conventional weekly rollout. S-Town has one season and seven chapters, with a total running time of more than six hours. Its simultaneous release helped make it one of the earliest major podcasts designed for immediate full-series listening.