Heavyweight, an Acclaimed Narrative Podcast, Returns

Almost nine years ago, a Minneapolis writer revealed a family skeleton to a podcast host.Steve Marsh had a “secret sister” — an older sibling his parents had placed for adoption before they were married, when they were not ready to raise a child.He wanted help finding her.Luckily for Mr.

Marsh, his thorny problem fit neatly into the premise of a new podcast: “Heavyweight” was dedicated to ultra-personal quests, confronting regrets and healing resentments.It was hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, a longtime audio journalist who blanketed the show’s vulnerability in dry humor.“This conceit of having this nervous Jewish fellow who has to insert himself into the most sensitive parts in people’s lives — it’s just entertaining,” said Mr.

Marsh, whose episode took almost three years to produce, as (spoiler alert) his family contacted and got to know his sister.“Heavyweight” was an early hit, reaching No.1 on Apple Podcasts shortly after its 2016 debut and earning wide critical acclaim.

A co-host of the “Longform” podcast called it “one of the most compelling and moving things that anyone puts out in media anywhere.”The podcast was canceled by Spotify in 2023, as the audio giant made significant company layoffs.And as more time passed after the final episode of “Heavyweight” — about stoic twin brothers tracking down their deceased younger brother’s pet parrot — it seemed more unlikely the show would return....