Hysterical is a podcast hosted by Dan Taberski and produced by Wondery and Pineapple Street Media. The podcast is composed of seven episodes. The podcast discusses a mysterious ailment that affected multiple students in Le Roy, New York in 2011.
Synopsis Over a dozen girls experienced symptoms similar to Tourette syndrome without any clear causes. The show discusses the 1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment as a potential cause. The town also has a large former Jell-o factory that has polluted a nearby river. The show explores the misogynistic history of hysteria. Throughout the show Taberski interviews most of the people involved with the incident.
Reception James Marriott wrote in The Times that "There is much to enjoy here but, as with so many shows nowadays, there is way too much padding."
Awards AwardDateCategoryResultRef.Apple Podcasts Award2024Show of the YearSignal AwardsLimited Series DocumentaryAmbies2025Podcast of the YearBest ReportingBest Society and Culture PodcastiHeartRadio Podcast AwardsPodcast of the YearBest Overall HostBest EmergingPulitzer PrizeAudio ReportingWebby AwardsPodcasts: Documentary (Limited-Series & Specials)Podcasts: Best Writing 2025
References Transcripts available at slate.com/transcripts. .
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