5 Reasons to Catch Up on Serial This Thanksgiving

You need to be listening to the podcast that everyone is talking about!

You watch Law & Order reruns on the regular, but you're not listening to Serial? Really?!

Serial is the new crime drama that everyone is talking about. What makes it different is: It's an audio podcast, and it's real.

A spinoff of the radio program This American Life, the addictive show is already pulling in a million listeners per episode, which is way more than some TV shows.

A reporter, Sarah Koenig, unveils information week by week in the case of a 1999 murder of a Baltimore-area high school student, Hae Min Lee. She talks to friends of the victim, potential suspects and the man serving time for the crime, Adnan Syed.

We don't want to give too much away, but we will tell you why you should be on the Serial bandwagon!

1. Be in on the Conversation: This is by far the top watercooler conversation at the moment. Colleagues, classmates, family and friends have been whispering for weeks about conspiracy theories, the latest evidence, and questions about the legal system. Why be the odd person out at holiday gatherings this year?

2. Your Favorite TV Show Is on Hiatus: It's so long until we get more True Detective, and most of your favorite shows are about to take a holiday break. Instead of mindlessly sifting through reruns of old shows you could be listening to original, captivative programming that's more suspenseful than most shows on the air.

3. It Will Make You Think: Serial is a podcast for an active listener. We're pretty sure it's impossible to tune in without developing your own theories or at least focusing to understand the investigative process.

4. It's So Easy to Binge: Most episodes are 30 minutes to an hour, and you can't get enough. Seriously, Serial. Once one ends, we have the next cued up. We assume everyone with earbuds, in the gym, at the mall, in the breakroom, is listening too.

5. It's Relatable: Serial is a very real and human story. Learning a teenage girl's favorite slow dance song from her diary. Hearing a friend describe what it's like to try and account for a random afternoon from years ago. Listening to a man convicted of murder plead his case. Serial shows us the inside of a tragedy and how it effects all parties. It's heartbreaking and fascinating and challenging, and it it something, unfortunately, that could happen anywhere.

You can stream episodes on Serial's website or on iTunes.