Serial seasons 2 and 3 are on the way, podcast returns Fall 2015

In an email newsletter sent to subscribers, Sarah Koenig, the host and executive producer, explained that the decision to report both simultaneously was made with the hope of reducing wait time between the second season’s end and the start of the third. (On behalf of fans everywhere: Thanks, guys!) Regarding the new seasons, Koenig shared that “they’re very different from Season 1, but no less interesting to us.”

In its 12-episode first season, Serial examined the 1999 murder of a teenage girl from Baltimore, Maryland and the subsequent murder conviction of her ex-boyfriend, who received a life-sentence. Listeners were hooked as the podcast investigated the circumstances of the murder and the discrepancies in the case. The series was credited by Dr. Jeffrey P. Jones, Director of the Peabody Awards, as having demonstrated “how new avenues and approaches to storytelling can have a major impact on how we understand truth, reality, and events.” Serial became the first podcast ever to win a Peabody Award.

Even with a completely new plot and cast of characters, we’re confident that the next installment of the wildly successful This American Life spin-off will continue to enthrall listeners. The creators have proven that they’re more than capable of putting together a fascinating series, and we look forward to hearing what they come up with for the second and third seasons.

Updated 12/16/15 by Stephanie Topacio Long: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Serial seasons 2 and 3 were being recorded simultaneously, based on an A.V. Club report.