Heavyweight (podcast)

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Heavyweight
Heavyweight podcast cover.jpeg
Podcast art for Heavyweight
Presentation
Hosted byJonathan Goldstein
FormatNon-fiction short stories
LanguageEnglish
Production
Ending theme"Sun in an Empty Room" by The Weakerthans
No. of episodes43
Publication
Original releaseSeptember 2016 (2016-09) – present
ProviderGimlet Media
Websitegimletmedia.com/shows/heavyweight

Heavyweight is a Gimlet Media podcast created and produced by humorist Jonathan Goldstein where he helps people try to resolve a moment from their past that they wish they could change.[1]

Goldstein told The New Yorker that the name Heavyweight "is meant to suggest the emotional burdens that we carry around, as well as 'the connotation of the boxer juxtaposed with the connotation of me . . . the non-boxer.”[2]

Podcast format[]

In each episode, host Jonathan Goldstein attempts to help a guest — typically an ordinary person, not a celebrity — find closure for an unresolved question in their lives. The New York Times described it this way: "Jonathan Goldstein climbs inside the stories that shape people’s lives to see if he can help them create better endings."[3] And The Atlantic described it this way: "Each episode finds the host Jonathan Goldstein moderating a fraught moment intensified by years of distance: a time when someone broke a promise, or another person’s heart. The hurt is still there—sometimes for everyone, sometimes for just one person who can’t let something go. Goldstein leads special-ops soul-searching missions, seeking common ground between the aggrieved and the blissfully ignorant."[4]

As described in the Financial Times: "The first episode featured Goldstein’s 80-year-old father, Buzz, and his estranged brother. When he got them talking you could feel the temperature plummet. The second episode revolved around Goldstein’s friend Gregor, who once loaned the pop musician Moby a box of CDs. In this collection, Moby found the songs that he sampled for his mega-selling 1999 album, Play. Now Gregor wanted his CDs back, along with the life he thought he could have had."[5]

The show's absurd yet earnest tone has been compared to that of Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.[2] In his role as host, Goldstein has been described as "Louis Theroux without the gaucheness"[6] and a dry commentator whose willingness to "crack mean jokes...saves the podcast from ever becoming saccharine."[7]

Reception[]

Heavyweight has been positively reviewed in The New York Times,[8] The New Yorker,[2] The Atlantic,[9] and The Guardian, which described one episode as a "toe-curling delight".[10] Writing in the Financial Times, Fiona Sturges called the show "terrifically moving".[6] In The Atlantic, Laura Jane Standley wrote: "As Goldstein presides over these thorny divisions, he injects the narrative with a buddy-cop mania, letting the listeners laugh at how flawed his subjects (himself included) are, without ever being demeaning."[4]

The New Yorker wrote: "With gumption, empathy, and comic awkwardness, [Goldstein] ventures into people’s lives and tries to help them resolve things from the past: an unsolved human mystery, lingering guilt, a falling-out, hurt that’s turned to grievance." The Guardian wrote: "Goldstein leads his subjects back to that crucial moment when things went wrong and then helps them confront it so they can move on. Enthralling."[10]

Heavyweight was named the Number One podcast of 2016 by The Atlantic[4] and one of the best podcasts of 2019 by The Economist.[11]

The show spent 4 days at #1 on the US iTunes podcast charts in September 2016, following its series premiere.[12] In Canada, the show was at #1 for thirteen days and the show has spent nearly three times as many days in the top 100 there as it did in the US.[13]

Awards[]

In 2017, the episode "Gregor" was awarded the TC/RHDF 2017 Skylarking Award from the Third Coast International Audio Festival. The episode was produced by Jonathan Goldstein, Chris Neary, Wendy Dorr and Kalila Holt.[14]

In 2020, “The Marshes” episode(#30)was nominated for an IDA Documentary award for best audio documentary. https://www.documentary.org/awards2020 Heavyweight - The Marshes Reporter, Producer and Executive Producer: Jonathan Goldstein Reporter and Producer: Kalila Holt Producers: Stevie Lane, Jorge Just, BA Parker, Bobby Lord

Series overview[]

Season Episodes Release date Notes
First episode Last episode
1
  1. Buzz[15]
  2. Gregor[16]
  3. Tara[17]
  4. Tony[18]
  5. Galit[19]
  6. James[20]
  7. Julia[21]
  8. Jeremy[22]
 September 23, 2016 (2016-09-23) November 15, 2016 (2016-11-15)
2
  1. Milt[23]
  2. Rose[24]
  3. Christina[25]
  4. Jesse[26]
  5. Kenny[27]
  6. Isable[28]
  7. Dina[29]
 October 26, 2017 (2017-10-26) December 7, 2017 (2017-12-07)
3
  1. Rob[30]
  2. Skye[31]
  3. Sven[32]
  4. Joey[33]
  5. Soraya[34]
  6. Rachael[35]
  7. Marchel[36]
  8. Alex[37]
 October 4, 2018 (2018-10-04) December 13, 2018 (2018-12-13) A special episode, a recording of a Heavyweight live show was released between episodes #18 and #19.
3.5
  1. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 1[38]
  2. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 2[39]
  3. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 3[40]
  4. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 4[41]
  5. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 5[42]
  6. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 6[43]
  7. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 7[44]
  8. The Heavy Wait Diaries: Chapter 8[45]
 August 1, 2019 (2019-08-01) September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19) The Heavy Wait Diaries: Short essays from Goldstein released in the lead up to Season 4.

Episodes available only on Spotify

4
  1. Jimmy and Mark[46]
  2. Becky and Jo[47]
  3. Beverly and Van[48]
  4. Scott[49]
  5. Dr Muller[50]
  6. Elyse[51]
  7. The Marshes[52]
  8. Marie-Claude[53]
 September 26, 2019 (2019-09-26) December 19, 2019 (2019-12-19)
4.5
  1. Heavyweight Checks In 1[54]
  2. Heavyweight Checks In 2[55]
  3. Heavyweight Checks In 3[56]
  4. Heavyweight Checks In 4[57]
  5. Heavyweight Checks In 5[58]
  6. Heavyweight Checks In 6[59]
  7. Heavyweight Checks In 7[60]
  8. Heavyweight Checks In 8[61]
 March 8, 2020 (2020-03-08) June 18, 2020 (2020-06-18) Heavyweight Check in: Short stories primarily covering how Heavyweight cast and former guests are doing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
5
  1. Vivian[62]
  2. Bobby[63]
  3. Annie[64]
  4. Rachael and Jon[65]
 October 26, 2017 (2017-10-26) December 7, 2017 (2017-12-07)
5.5
  1. Check In: Do You Like Music?[66]
  2. Check In: Curtis Sittenfeld[67]
  3. Check In: Holiday Special[68]
  4. Heavyweight Short: Hallie[69]
  5. Heavyweight Short: The Sharing Place[70]
  6. Heavyweight Short: A Canadian Tale[71]
 December 3, 2020 (2020-12-03) July 15, 2021 (2021-07-15) Heavyweight Check in: Short stories primarily covering how Heavyweight cast and former guests as well as a Trio of "Shorts".
6
  1. Brandon[72]
  2. John[73]
  3. Justine[74]
  4. Stephen[75]
  5. Barbara Shutt[76]
  6. Barbara Wilson[77]
  7. Mark[78]
  8. Maura[79]
 September 30, 2021 (2021-09-30) December 16, 2021 (2021-12-16) The series transitioned to Spotify exclusive with episode #41.

References[]

  1. ^ "Heavyweight". Gimlet Media. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Larson, Sarah (8 December 2017). ""Heavyweight," the Podcast That Contends with Our Regrets". The New Yorker. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  3. ^ Mills, Andy (May 26, 2017). "What we're reading: special podcast edition". The New York Times. Retrieved Jan 26, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c Standley, Laura Jane (Dec 18, 2016). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2016". The Atlantic. Retrieved Jan 26, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Sturges, Fiona (Oct 9, 2016). "Podcast review — Heavyweight: 'Terrifically moving'". Financial Times. Retrieved Jan 26, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b Sturges, Fiona (9 October 2016). "Podcast review — Heavyweight: 'Terrifically moving'". Financial Times.
  7. ^ Griffin, Sarah (23 March 2019). "Podcast of the week: Heavyweight". The Irish Times. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  8. ^ The Daily Team (26 May 2017). "What We're Reading: Special Podcast Edition". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  9. ^ Standley, Laura Jane; McQuade, Eric (18 December 2016). "The 50 Best Podcasts of 2016". The Atlantic. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  10. ^ a b Verdier, Hannah (29 September 2016). "Heavyweight: the podcast that goes back to when people's lives went wrong". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  11. ^ Prospero (2019-12-18). "The best podcasts of 2019, The best podcasts of 2019". The Economist. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  12. ^ "Gimlet - 'Heavyweight' American iTunes Chart Performance". iTunes Charts. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Gimlet - 'Heavyweight' Canadian iTunes Chart Performance". iTunes Charts. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Announcing the winners of the 2017 Third Coast/Richard H. Driehaus Competition!". Third Coast International Audio Festival. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  15. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/68kq3bNz6hEuq8NtdfwERG?si=vu3IXoH8Q0u7ujurLucR1Q
  16. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LKrLVEAY3tsqHPURec6ke?si=eKncYBARSNeTt7cUGkGepQ
  17. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/7LMLJrRwxlM0SjXQMZKm02?si=dHP7atMSTGySq4wjlhQQcg
  18. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/3bOBw2rcYr1zcazpuRNOC2?si=_Jv2iBNnRquNdjmdqrhvAw
  19. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/171C8grV9yyXvTfeZP8KDg?si=PKz96q6HRl23WG_qjkSsIw
  20. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PHM3WlpceQnpVNhBKsWyK?si=U_zCIo29S6GlS0viUqg5IQ
  21. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gyp1ojVkEPGAthe0Io1TT?si=uflGcmRmRG2dhF5zVRTLUQ
  22. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FKSFGbWwmsCSLF0Nux23i?si=DtMH0PxpS-S11s4K9-TMmA
  23. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0yrrNYCLE3zU23X1HhQmRo?si=5T9BIcpBQkaV-uUAtODn1A
  24. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LCxtHAKFz353gOIiCqSy1?si=yQKfJ_oeS8StSFBexLdGNw
  25. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/4X7IyUWzLzIx9im5BapC27?si=stazNNjjR1iwwAssj3pFpw
  26. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2h7zw4DA0zBVm2qD4Tu7xz?si=aZEe-c6zRhCAHc4wJBFUug
  27. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6bqp6Ep6LDB2kWHF9aNxzO?si=gHXD474NSo21O3SWVdCPbA
  28. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IQcwYFKk3i9MvWQR1wNkW?si=3rsBGcTvSNS46Ysnn9Ro2w
  29. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/1oIjRKM1wT2xVVUJTYdePn?si=rUfslM_pSkKRC8aVGzEi4Q
  30. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ujjIbe8EuyUHENrHjdgRj?si=wuJJGBHfT_WlIGbwh-qo8g
  31. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xvawJYLebA5zipoDnwhju?si=umT9XwdgSU21zYdbjlLU2A
  32. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/31KTj6QvGuM5g7VoEkP9Ax?si=6tAoSeIMT--x2-_T58ehGw
  33. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/4WPRFrthdKNX410a5Z2JMZ?si=xHLiUflGSdu1MhjcwUYAVw
  34. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0GEVgoNZVFn8U0ApdXC0NX?si=izVs3xdCQySigA1AihzaYg
  35. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/4MY69fA8LBsodltQwR5CqW?si=7NPdBxxQQUOlNyrqBT6g8A
  36. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aBJTNyRSAw2a2s98GLatw?si=sa7t83zmQySi_ziJpizusQ
  37. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/342vSTJhgIVas4ve1nUyCH?si=VZBNWXFzQ8GRcMFbYAlczw
  38. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6XQg66lomPh56wjvknwqNK?si=rRyjkW4fQ4CUBb6lTdF42w
  39. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/78xY6tJQruilb1tHuz5hvj?si=_xrS0SZVT6OF1nXAwaUI7Q
  40. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Wf7Y4ro8CWXrBmSJSdSR7?si=wRE-dViUSJ-9r22BFJZaOw
  41. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NoyZeXpo3IZLLor7iXfY1?si=HYaNhrvnThCzrARFOEealQ
  42. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/5YzEsVO2kj8Gq2qWtujGll?si=_gFcusGjSTu-tDi_BRDDsA
  43. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/3nVJISM70kQC7cW2N8c8Tu?si=u2i4wHUXRoGMMjlLe_A0pg
  44. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pEloTCHZA5bQHdf6oopq9?si=8KOtoHsqTqKz9IdcwUuZ9A
  45. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wxTyDKcBAsaI1t9qsJDHO?si=XymSQFVGTku0EsB5PvnXcQ
  46. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6szrriPwbHodLLv9bUcJPP?si=S41a9BSBT_6dfNR1HO1fwg
  47. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xTzU8lcNdFVoaK4fwCgj2?si=u7WhA0McQ9qDoQi6jh8YNA
  48. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/1i0lq4KRorbmqZY2Xeo2Q0?si=gkotnVtQTci7lEyTfIZD8Q
  49. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ZBwxPjR3OxCThz3PEkVyI?si=hgawTpEPTZiCqyFTuQHOLQ
  50. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2lV7SJiUiCtBAGBY91KMaF?si=ogSRQ_RMQYyVavzxe-RoFw
  51. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cravvuXyaeZxbP0I7yXMR?si=ciz-tOGiS2eFer_Ypu9lrw
  52. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0IEbDo5NWHqHtkA8BEijl4?si=X4X0Grg5QMaoyyTnC64l7w
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  56. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WUtx6YZN4iO2kHb7iAHi4?si=mRCxC4S6QPOo_sV_iX-Hqg
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  58. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6oUMel4VioFGVywUCkkI4u?si=HsUoD0QZTKCWKv7T8QDoNA
  59. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0GyBE3B9EhN1gsUGCO5soX?si=a3xLlca-QSuD_VwELwgqSg
  60. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/45INHfAbW5f7yG3sxpsBWt?si=8239qrQTRo2hhatqiXhIZA
  61. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/7HWu5SMBwAxSLGA80oUT1O?si=YmxZQw7LTiSD699rVFfBJg
  62. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/0h4nFE0qhocuMcfEXym259?si=GoujVB7zTlOhTwlVi_XJVQ
  63. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YjgiZpS7tioIlL4y8QAA8?si=GAP4a8BERX-lLTpIGX2Uaw
  64. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6in5V1yLC4AdjRTpBx0BeC?si=BdNVb4_oThy_AgorvA1Ufg
  65. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jiqezUBhbDOfbCuFJK2TP?si=SVZrxUQ1SlG_qxh0lqLAKg
  66. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2BGff1AkNxqZFym6xxaxK2?si=yKbuLychQs2Wxecw83sS8w
  67. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TvP8RDSUPHln5rRqfAJ5e?si=7yR_zNfMQQegY5Q1WiFEgg
  68. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/10H4pUN8ZscXoL9N0ZfoRk?si=QOkj-NwtQZOo4f0CsBJ5QA
  69. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/7nH4q5cQ8pAVDefoNd1XK5?si=wxc3oeyfQO21scGl3mlCaw
  70. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ObhPZdfvyt0KKaaLPdwAW?si=lrAI-rYTT2Gl687NCHDu8A
  71. ^ https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ez00BLaDYwKc07iPj6SYJ?si=OrDPUOvOQj2oIP17rKORVw
  72. ^ "#36 Brandon". Spotify. 30 September 2021.
  73. ^ "#37 John". Spotify. 7 October 2021.
  74. ^ "#38 Justine". Spotify. 21 October 2021.
  75. ^ "#39 Stephen". Spotify. 28 October 2021.
  76. ^ "#40 Barbara Shutt". Spotify. 18 November 2021.
  77. ^ "#41 Barbara Wilson". Spotify. 18 November 2021.
  78. ^ "#42 Mark". Spotify. 9 December 2021.
  79. ^ "#43 Maura". Spotify. 16 December 2021.

External links[]

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