SNAFU with Ed Helms

iHeartPodcasts

<p>Hosted by Ed Helms, SNAFU is a podcast about history's greatest screw-ups. This is Season 3: Formula 6 - how prohibition's war on alcohol went so far off the rails the government poisoned its own people.</p>

  • 44 minutes 45 seconds
    Bowen Yang and Tulip-Mania

    Bowen Yang is an unwitting student of Dutch Economics. This week, Bowen joins Ed on a journey to 17th century Netherlands, where they help burst one of history's first ever economic bubbles, known today as Tulip-Mania. You thought NFT's were crazy, but did you know one Tulip bulb in 1637 could purchase an entire HOUSE? Find out what wilted this mad tulip fever, and don't forget to subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 46 minutes 46 seconds
    Revisiting the Prohibition Era (Ext. Interview with Terence Winter of Boardwalk Empire)

    Welcome to another Bonus Episode of SNAFU! On Season 2, we discovered an eerie plot to poison the nation's alcohol; the government's last ditch effort to quell consumption and protect Prohibition. For color commentary, Ed brought in the preeminent producer, writer and showrunner, Terence Winter - the man behind HBO's Boardwalk Empire. With a heavy dose of wit and New York flare, Terry and Ed touch upon the fashion, ideologies and mishaps of the 1920s, whilst peeking behind the curtain of Hollywood productions. Enjoy Ed's conversation with Terry Winter and we'll be back with new episodes next Wednesday.

    Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    15 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 1 minute 3 seconds
    Introducing: CrimeLess

    Trailer Description: What’s the best way to rob a bank? How do you fake your own death? Can you deploy a swarm of bees to get rid of the cops? And if so, how (theoretically) would one do that? All of these questions and more are answered on CRIMELESS, a weekly talk show that breaks down crazy crimes and answers the questions that you’re too embarrassed, or too afraid, to ask, lest it land you on an FBI watchlist.


    Each week, comedian Rory Scovel and his co-host, the veteran journalist and true crime podcaster Josh Dean, break down a brazen heist, outlandish scam, crypto caper, monkey gang war, or otherwise outrageous crime. The story will catapult the hosts into an exploration of the minutia of the crime, the wild characters who committed it, and how the hosts could do it better. While the show will be funny, first and foremost, listeners will also learn something — at least enough to seem interesting for 10 minutes at a party. It’s How Stuff Works, if How Stuff Works got drunk and robbed a Papaya King, to pay for the Bored Ape NFTs it bought to cover its gambling losses.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    9 April 2026, 9:00 am
  • 58 minutes 59 seconds
    Jad Abumrad and the Charles Francis Hall Whodunnit

    Jad Abumrad is the definition of inquisitive. As the creator of hit shows RadioLab and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad has the innate ability to calculate idionsyncrasies, question the peculiar, and posit grand deductions. Perfect for this week's Murder Mystery of a SNAFU. Ed leads Jad on a tangled journey to the Arctic, where late 19th Century explorer Charles Francis Hall fell fatally ill. Was it the unforgiving tundra, or was there something more sinister afoot? Don your detective deerstalker alongside Jad as he tries to unravel this week's SNAFU WHODUNNIT!

    And watch this week's episode on the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    8 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 51 minutes 48 seconds
    From Business History: How E.T. The Extra-Terresterial Destroyed Atari

    I’m taking a break to share an episode of another podcast I think you’ll enjoy, Business History. Former Planet Money hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith examine the surprising stories of businesses big and small, bringing to life the greatest innovations, the boldest entrepreneurs and the craziest mavericks in the archives of commerce. They share why some company stocks soar, while other business ideas crash, and explore the ideas that shaped our economy—and the lessons behind their success and failure.

    Today’s episode: how E.T. brought down Atari. Fueled by hot tubs, recreational drugs, and a love of games, Nolan Bushnell took computer games out of research labs and into bars, launching an industry. Bushnell and his engineers were pushed aside as Atari expanded and, in a desperate bid to cash in on Hollywood hype, the company concocted a wild plan for a game based on Steven Spielberg's hit, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The game tanked...and brought Atari down with it. 

    Find Business History, on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 46 minutes 23 seconds
    Bob Crawford and Lord Dunmore's Folly

    Bob Crawford is a musician with a historian's heart. Bassist and founding member of The Avett Brothers, his expertise on the Founding Fathers of the United States comes in handy on today's SNAFU, where Ed and Bob delve into the folly of Lord Dunmore, a Scottish-born supporter of the King and assigned royal Governor of Virginia in the 1770s. When whispers of revolution were building to an insurmountable roar, Lord Dunmore inadvertently mobilized the revolutionary war cries with one massive misstep after another.

    Watch this week's episode on the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 April 2026, 10:00 am
  • 47 minutes 21 seconds
    Live at LA Talks with Tig Notaro

    Today is another SNAFU treat from the book tour archives! Tig Notaro joins Ed live on stage at Live Talks Los Angeles, where they break down Ed's book, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History's Greatest Screwups. Tig also roasts Ed like a campfire marshmallow, which will indeed leave you asking for "S'more."

    Find your copy of the New York Times Bestseller wherever you get your books, or go to: www.snafu-book.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 49 minutes 57 seconds
    Rory Scovel and Arbitrage on Wall Street

    Rory Scovel is a man of opulence. But he won't let greed go to his head like the subject of today's SNAFU. Ed and Rory discuss a modern Wall Street legend: the story of Ivan Boesky, a wall street trader who turned Arbitrage into front page headlines, until it all came crashing down.

    Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    18 March 2026, 11:32 am
  • 42 minutes 12 seconds
    Chelsea Handler and The Hindenburg

    Chelsea Handler is a world traveler. Ed and Chelsea discover whether they're cut out for luxury Air Travel of the 1930's; the catch being it's aboard the infamous Hindenburg Zeppelin. Oh the Humanity!

    And watch this week's episode on the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    11 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 54 minutes 8 seconds
    Adam Scott and Air Transat Flight 236

    Adam Scott is fearless. Ed and Adam explore a high-flying SNAFU that showcased just how valiant pilots must be when the engines run dry...literally. This is the tale of the Azores Glider; a complimentary mid-flight snack of FEAR at 30,000 feet.

    Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    4 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 50 minutes 3 seconds
    Chris Winterbauer &amp; Lizzie Bassett - Starfish Prime

    Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer are film afficianados. This week, they help Ed uncover cinematic treasures that just may be synonomous with a very spooky moment in American hubris; the time we decided to literally NUKE SPACE! Find out what "Dr. Strangelove," "The China Syndrome," and "The Iron Giant" all have in common with today's SNAFU built for Cinemascope.

    Subscribe to the SNAFU YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@SNAFUPod

    Buy the SNAFU book: www.snafu-book.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 February 2026, 11:00 am
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