Metro Podcast Preview: Sarah Koenig's New Serial Show + Trailer

Captain Ron -

Sarah Koenig, the OG host of popular true crime series, Serial has a new show, it's called Metro, an "always-on" podcast, and it's about New York City. (Yes, the Serial Sarah Koenig.)

We don't have critic reviews yet, so this is the preview. Here's what we know, where to listen, and what to watch for this weekend when the first reviews land.

The short version: Metro with Sarah Koenig is a new weekly podcast from Serial Productions and The New York Times, hosted by Sarah Koenig. The first episode comes out Thursday, October 22, 2026, and a one-minute trailer is already out. Great Pods has no critic reviews yet.

Last updated: October 20, 2026

What is Metro with Sarah Koenig?

Metro is a new podcast from Serial Productions and The New York Times, hosted by Sarah Koenig. It's built around stories about New York City and its residents, told through investigations, personal stories, essays, and interviews. The New York Times describes the raw material as "stories about New York City and its most fascinating raw material: New Yorkers."

It's also made with the Times's Metro desk, the newsroom team that covers the city. That's a big part of what's new here: a Serial show that sits inside a working newsroom.

When does Metro come out?

Metro premieres Thursday, October 22, 2026. A one-minute trailer came out October 16. Back in September, when Koenig and Serial co-founder Julie Snyder announced the show, it was described as coming "later this fall." The format is a weekly, always-on show, which is a change from Serial's long, single-story seasons.

Who is behind Metro?

  • Host: Sarah Koenig, who hosted Serial from its launch in October 2014.
  • Production: Serial Productions, which The New York Times Company acquired in July 2020.
  • Newsroom partner: the Metro desk at The New York Times.
  • Extras: the team has talked about companion short-form video for social media alongside the audio.

Is Metro like Serial?

Same host and same production team, but a different shape. Serial's seasons followed one story across a whole season, starting with the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan Syed. Later seasons covered Bowe Bergdahl and the Cleveland courts.

Metro is described as weekly and always on, with a mix of investigations, personal stories, essays, and interviews, all about one city. Descriptions so far don't point to a single true crime case, so go in expecting a broader mix. We'll know more once full episodes are out.

What has Sarah Koenig done before?

Koenig hosted Serial, which premiered October 3, 2014 and won a Peabody Award in April 2015. Its first two seasons passed 340 million downloads by September 2018, which was a podcast record. Season one looked at the Adnan Syed case, season two at Bowe Bergdahl, and season three at cases in the Cleveland justice system.

In July 2020, The New York Times Company acquired Serial Productions. Metro is one of the first shows to put the Serial team and the Times's city reporters in the same room.

Are there reviews of Metro yet?

Not yet. Great Pods has no critic reviews of Metro as of October 20, 2026, and the first episode isn't out until Thursday, October 22. Serial shows tend to get reviewed fast, so we expect critics to weigh in after the premiere. We'll update this post when they do, and the reviews will show up on the Metro with Sarah Koenig page on Great Pods.

METRO with Sarah Koenig Podcast: Reviews & Ratings
Read listener reviews, ratings and episodes for METRO with Sarah Koenig on Great Pods. From the team that brought you Serial comes “METRO with Sarah Koenig,”…
Great PodsSerial Productions & The New York Times

How to listen to Metro

Head to the Metro with Sarah Koenig page on Great Pods and hit Where to Listen. It opens the show in your favorite podcast app. The trailer is up now, the first episode arrives Thursday, October 22, and the New York Times has a Metro podcast page too.

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