A Family Tale Turned Crime Story

The New York Times has teamed up with Serial Productions to launch a new five‑episode true‑crime podcast called “The Idiot. ” The series follows the life of Allen, a relative of opinion columnist M. Gessen, whose shocking conviction for attempting to hire a hitman against his former wife sets the plot in motion. Gessen, who joined The Times as an opinion writer last May and has earned a George Polk award for his work, takes on the roles of host, writer, and reporter. He shares a personal history with Allen, describing their childhood rivalry and the surprise of discovering his cousin’s criminal actions. The narrative moves across continents, starting from a family estate on Cape Cod, then jumping to Russia and Zimbabwe before concluding in a federal prison in California. Each episode is scheduled for release on March 26 across all major podcast platforms.Serial’s executive editor, Julie Snyder, praised the project for its raw honesty and noted that Gessen’s “impatient contempt” for Allen mirrors the frustration many feel when a close family member turns out to be dangerous. Ira Glass, known for “This American Life, ” serves as an editor on the series and has called it a deeply personal reimagining of true‑crime storytelling. The partnership between The Times and Serial Productions began in 2020 after the newspaper acquired the company that created hits like “Serial” and “S‑Town. ” Since then, they have produced several award‑winning podcasts, including “Nice White Parents, ” “The Improvement Association, ” and the 2023 George Polk‑winning “The Kids of Rutherford County. ” Gessen’s background includes eleven books, such as the National Book Award‑winning “The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia. ” His experience lends depth to the exploration of power, betrayal, and family dynamics in this new series.