Everyone starts a podcast with the intent of keeping it going as long as possible. Unfortunately, circumstances may change and cause a podcast to come to an end. Such is the case with the Undone podcast that has informed its fans that it is done.
Undone was a podcast from Gimlet Media. Undone was hosted by Pat Walters. The show was about how big stories we thought were over were actually the beginning of something else. The very last episode of Undone was posted on January 23, 2017. It is about the Space Shuttle Columbia.
The same day that Undone’s very last episode was posted, an explanation appeared on the Undone Facebook page. It said:
Hey everybody, we’re sorry to announce that Undone will not be coming back for a second season.
Making this first season was incredible and we’ve loved seeing how the stories resonated with you. Which made this decision really hard. Undone was performing well, but the show requires a very particular kind of editorial support, and as we got into the first season, it became clear that as of right now, we don’t have everything we need for it to keep growing and experimenting and finding its way. Gimlet is a start-up. Some things we try are going to continue on for a long time. And some things won’t.
So after a lot of thought and discussion, we reached the decision to stop making the show. We’re tremendously proud of the work we’ve done this season, and overwhelmed with gratitude for all of you who have listened, posted reviews, and written to us. Thanks also to Retro Report, the documentary film series we worked with on coming up with the idea for the show; to Gimlet; and to our fantastic team. We’re excited to bring you new stories and other projects down the line.
Pat Walters provided further explanation on his Twitter account:
And in case you’re wondering, Gimlet + I are on good terms. This was a tough call. But the right one. I’ll stay on as an editor.
— Pat Walters (@patwalters) January 24, 2017
It’s always sad when a podcast that was doing well, and had a lot of fans, comes to an end. The right thing to do was to reach out to fans and explain why the show was ending, and I think Pat Walters handled that very well.