In 1981, 11-year-old Matt DeMeritt got a call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer break. But Matt had something no other kid had — something Steven Spielberg needed to make his most ambitious movie yet. 

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Note: This episode contains discussions of suicide. Please take care while listening.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Marisa Brown
Editing and Sound Design by Mary Dooe, Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Voice Actors are Jess Krainchich and Juliet English
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Research and Fact Checking by Jake Rossen and Austin Thompson
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Special thanks to Simon Brew. Check out the Film Stories podcast!

Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, please leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 

In 1981, 11-year-old Matt DeMeritt got a call that would change his life. He wasn&rsquo;t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer break. But Matt had something no other kid had &mdash; something Steven Spielberg needed to make his most ambitious movie yet.&nbsp;
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Note: This episode contains discussions of suicide. Please take care while listening.
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Jake Rossen Produced by Josh Fisher Story Editor is Marisa Brown Editing and Sound Design by Mary Dooe, Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier Voice Actors are Jess Krainchich and Juliet English Original Music by <a href="http://www.elisemccoy.com">Elise McCoy</a> Research and Fact Checking by Jake Rossen and Austin Thompson Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English
Special thanks to Simon Brew. Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://filmstories.co.uk/podcast-page/episodes/">Film Stories podcast!</a>
Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, please leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com.&nbsp;

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Very Special Episodes

Author Dana Schwartz explores the stories of some of history’s most fascinating royals: the tyrants and the tragic, the murderers and the murdered, and everyone in between. Because when you’re wearing a crown, mistakes often mean blood.

Author Dana Schwartz explores the stories of some of history&rsquo;s most fascinating royals: the tyrants and the tragic, the murderers and the murdered, and everyone in between. Because when you&rsquo;re wearing a crown, mistakes often mean blood.

Noble Blood

E.T. and Me

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/725c800b-af8d-480b-bbd4-b22e000f946b/transcript

In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children’s toys.  

Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America — igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season. 

And the frenzy didn’t end when the Kids disappeared from shelves. In an unexpected twist decades later, these dolls would get more care and attention than they ever had before.

Previously on VSE: The Furby Files

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Very special thanks to all our guests! You can hear more of Larry Mazza’s story in his book The Life, available on Amazon.

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Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans. 

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
From School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez
Research and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Social Clips by Yarberry Media
Executive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English

Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 

In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the New York mafia found itself selling children&rsquo;s toys. &nbsp;
Cabbage Patch Kids went from handmade curiosities to the most coveted object in America &mdash; igniting riots, corporate battles, and a moral panic that stretched from suburban malls to federal courtrooms. All in a single Christmas season.&nbsp;
And the frenzy didn&rsquo;t end when the Kids disappeared from shelves. In an unexpected twist decades later, these dolls would get more care and attention than they ever had before.
Previously on VSE: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-furby-files/id1727423228?i=1000673274343">The Furby Files</a>
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Very special thanks to all our guests! You can hear more of Larry Mazza&rsquo;s story in his book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Story-About-Brooklyn-Seduced-ebook/dp/B01MS2A02A">The Life</a>, available on Amazon.
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Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.&nbsp;
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Jake Rossen Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Story Editor is Virginia Prescott Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher From School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez Research and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin Thompson Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Social Clips by Yarberry Media Executive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English
Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to <a href="mailto:veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com">veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com</a>.&nbsp;

The Cabbage Patch Crisis

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/eca3aeea-d937-4cf4-9e14-b3b5012a3c33/transcript

In 1979, the world watched as NASA’s 77-ton space station made its fiery plunge back to Earth. When Skylab broke apart over a sleepy Australian town, the falling debris set off a global media frenzy. This is the story of the night the sky actually fell — and the teenager who became an improbable hero.

*

Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans. 

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
From School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez
Research and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Social Clips by Yarberry Media
Executive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English

Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 

In 1979, the world watched as NASA&rsquo;s 77-ton space station made its fiery plunge back to Earth. When Skylab broke apart over a sleepy Australian town, the falling debris set off a global media frenzy. This is the story of the night the sky actually fell &mdash; and the teenager who became an improbable hero.
*
Today's episode is a production of iHeartPodcasts and School of Humans.&nbsp;
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Jake Rossen Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Story Editor is Virginia Prescott Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher From School of Humans, producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez Research and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen, Virginia Prescott, and Austin Thompson Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Social Clips by Yarberry Media Executive Producers are Virginia Prescott and Jason English
Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to <a href="mailto:veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com">veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com</a>.&nbsp;

Skylab Is Falling

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3007da5b-7cd0-4fe5-a4a4-b3ae011a9b51/transcript

Two Jamaican musicians are making a bold claim. They say they invented the now-ubiquitous reggaeton beat on a specific track in 1989. They're suing some of the genre's biggest stars for billions in royalties.

But we found someone who’s telling a very different origin story. Hold onto your headphones as we dive into the mystery behind one of the most influential beats in modern music.

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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. 

Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson, Dave Roos, and Zaron Burnett
Original Music by Elise McCoy and Jonathan Washington
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Social Clips by Yarberry Media
Executive Producer is Jason English

Got a question for Dana, Zaron, and Jason? Hit us up at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 

Two Jamaican musicians are making a bold claim. They say they invented the now-ubiquitous reggaeton beat on a specific track in 1989. They're suing some of the genre's biggest stars for billions in royalties.
But we found someone who&rsquo;s telling a very different origin story. Hold onto your headphones as we dive into the mystery behind one of the most influential beats in modern music.
*
On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.&nbsp;
Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English Written by Dave Roos Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson, Dave Roos, and Zaron Burnett Original Music by Elise McCoy and Jonathan Washington Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Social Clips by Yarberry Media Executive Producer is Jason English
Got a question for Dana, Zaron, and Jason? Hit us up at <a href="mailto:veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com">veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com</a>.&nbsp;

The Fundamental Magical Element

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8691fdf6-5e2f-479f-83a2-b3a80029c395/transcript

E.T. and Me

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