On what date did the first episode of Serial premiere?

The first episode of Serial premiered on October 3, 2014.

Serial was created by journalist Sarah Koenig and produced by This American Life and WBEZ Chicago. Before launch, the team announced that the podcast would tell one story over multiple episodes, investigating the 1999 murder of Baltimore high-school student Hae Min Lee and the conviction of her former boyfriend, Adnan Syed.

The premiere, titled “The Alibi,” introduced the case and Koenig’s doubts about how confidently the evidence had been interpreted. Episodes were released weekly rather than all at once, making the show’s unfolding investigation part of the listening experience. The first two episodes were made available on launch day, October 3.

A common mix-up is October 10, 2014, which was the date associated with the following week’s release cycle, not the premiere. Serial’s first season ultimately ran for 12 episodes and became a landmark in the modern popularity of narrative true-crime podcasting.