iHeartPodcasts and SNAFU Media have announced the launch of the fourth season of the podcast “SNAFU with Ed Helms.” The new season introduces a weekly episode format, a video component, and features a lineup of guest appearances. The show is produced by SNAFU Media, a partnership between Pacific Electric Picture Company and FilmNation Entertainment, in collaboration with iHeartPodcasts.
The podcast, hosted by actor, writer, and comedian Ed Helms, explores historical mishaps with humor. Each episode focuses on a different incident from history. Guests for this season include Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (Office Ladies), Nick Kroll, Adam Scott, Jenny Slate, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, Adam Grant, Paul Scheer, Mike Schur, Jordan Klepper, Kal Penn, Jake Tapper, Sophia Bush, Desi Lydic, Dan Taberski, Jon Lovett, Sarah Spain and others.
The first episode features Helms in conversation with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey about “The Lost Nuke of Japan,” covering the 1965 incident when a U.S. Navy aircraft lost a hydrogen bomb off the coast of Japan.
Ed Helms’ recent book inspired by the podcast was listed as a New York Times bestseller. The book elaborates on some of history’s most notable blunders since World War II.
Season four will discuss events such as the Donner Party tragedy, Teapot Dome scandal, Great Molasses Flood in Boston in 1919 (https://www.history.com/news/the-great-molasses-flood-of-1919), Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ernest-Shackleton), the 1977 New York City blackout (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/13/nyregion/1977-blackout-nyc.html), Tammany Hall’s political machine (https://www.history.com/topics/us-politics/tammany-hall), Johnstown Flood (https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/johnstown-flood), and the Mona Lisa heist (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-theft-that-made-the-mona-lisa-a-masterpiece-10404942/).
“SNAFU” is distributed by iHeartPodcasts. New episodes will be available weekly on the iHeartRadio app and other major podcast platforms. Video episodes will also be released on YouTube.
The term “SNAFU” originated as military slang during World War II meaning “Situation Normal: All F***** Up.”
According to FilmNation Entertainment’s background information provided in the announcement: “FilmNation Entertainment is a leading independent entertainment company that produces, finances, and distributes award-winning films, television series, podcasts and theater productions that combine strong creative voices and global appeal. Recent FilmNation productions include Sean Baker’s Academy Award-Winning Anora…”
Pacific Electric Picture Company was founded by Ed Helms and Mike Falbo in 2012. The company has credits including RUTHERFORD FALLS for Peacock & UTV; TRUE STORY WITH ED & RANDALL for Peacock; AUNTY DONNA’S BIG OL’ HOUSE OF FUN for Netflix; THE FAKE NEWS WITH TED NELMS for Comedy Central; COFFEE AND KAREEM for Netflix; CORPORATE ANIMALS which premiered at Sundance Film Festival; as well as ongoing projects in television and film.
In addition to its work in TV and film production, Pacific Electric Picture Company has an active podcast business. The company plans to release additional podcasts under the SNAFU Media umbrella in coming months.
