WBEZ Chicago is announcing the release of the latest season of the critically acclaimed podcast Making. This season, titled Stories Without End, premieres on April 8 and takes listeners on a six-episode journey through the fascinating origins and enduring legacy of soap operas.
From their humble beginnings on Chicago’s radio airwaves to their evolution through television and today’s streaming platforms, Stories Without End unpacks how soap operas have shaped popular culture and told intergenerational stories that continue to resonate. (Listen to the trailer here.)
“Daytime dramas are a cornerstone of American television history,” said Natalie Moore, former WBEZ reporter and editor, and host of Stories Without End. “For decades, soaps didn’t just entertain – they led the charge in tackling some of society’s most taboo topics. Issues like sexual assault, abortion, AIDS and LGBTQ+ representation found a platform in soaps long before mainstream media or primetime television were ready to engage with them.”
In Stories Without End, listeners will hear from historians, creators, writers, actors, and fans who reveal how these dramas not only reflected cultural change but often pushed the boundaries of what audiences were ready to confront.
New episodes of Stories Without End will debut every Tuesday, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR One, Pocket Casts, and wherever listeners find their favorite podcasts. WBEZ Chicago will also air the series on 91.5 FM every Friday at 2 p.m., starting April 11.
To celebrate the launch, DuSable Museum (740 E. 56th Pl., Chicago, IL) will host a special event featuring Moore in conversation about Black representation on daytime television on Sunday, April 6, from 2–3 p.m that will be open to the public.
About WBEZ Chicago
WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR news station, serves the community with fact-based, objective news and information. WBEZ’s award-winning journalists ask tough questions, dig deep for answers, and expose truths that spark change and foster understanding. In addition to its local and national news programming, WBEZ Chicago is home to a growing portfolio of popular podcasts, including the “Making” series of Making Beyoncé, Making Obama, and Making Oprah; an investigative podcast series, Motive; 16 Shots: A podcast about the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald; The Rundown and Curious City. WBEZ Chicago has a legacy of innovation as the birthplace of nationally acclaimed programs such as This American Life and Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!.
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