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Unobscured

iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild·Hosted by Aaron Mahnke·72 episodes

HistorySocietyCultureDocumentarySeasonal narrativeHistorian interviewsTrue storiesInvestigativeCinematic40-100 min episodes

Each season of Unobscured digs deep into one of history's darkest and most misunderstood moments, and sheds light on the true story beneath the myth.  Explore the Salem witch trials (S1), the Spiritualist Movement (S2), Jack the Ripper (S3), and Grigori Rasputin (S4) through the narrative storytelling of Aaron Mahnke, along with prominent historian interviews.

Why listen

Unobscured digs deep into history's darkest moments, uncovering the true stories buried beneath legend and myth. Each season tells a complete narrative about one historical mystery (Salem witch trials, spiritualism, Jack the Ripper, Rasputin), woven together with interviews from leading historians who provide context and challenge popular assumptions. It's investigative storytelling that's both deeply researched and compulsively listenable.

Series(4)

Episodes

2 min
Jan 29, 2026
EXHUMED is coming...

Let’s go on a brand new adventure together. EXHUMED officially arrives on August 4th, but you can pre-order it right now.  Visit aaronmahnke.com/exhumed to pre-order your copy today! And, if you buy the hardcover, you can submit your receipt and get a free EXHUMED tote bag.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 min
Aug 19, 2025
Introducing: Havoc Town

Hi, Unobscured listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, Havoc Town! Havoc Town: A strange plague has struck Abbesstown, NH, a sleepy farming village in the foothills of the White Mountain: Fever, the vomiting of blood, wild night terrors that wrack the victims. No medicine seems to work against it, and so the Reverend Josiah Abbess, believing something infernal is at work in his flock, begins his campaign to root out the evil. What follows becomes known as The Abbesstown Vampire Panic.  200 years later, and the peace is once again violently shattered when a man drives his truck into the side of city hall, attacking those who come to assist him with an ax. Wild-eyed and sweating blood, ranting of a coming storm, he is finally taken down by the town’s police and brought to the hospital. In the following days, a familiar old plague follows. In the midst of the ensuing panic, Jury Havock, scion to the Havock business empire, appears. He is cool-headed. Pragmatic. Determined to get control over the sickness overtaking the population. But Corinne Abbess, the last of her disgraced bloodline, is suspicious of this would-be messiah and becomes determined to uncover the truth about his sudden appearance in town, and all of the unbelievable events that follow. Listen to Havoc Town on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 min
Oct 19, 2022
Introducing: 13 Days of Halloween Season 3, Devil's Night

Hi, Unobscured fans! Things are getting spooky. Since you love Grim & Mild content, we think you'll want to experience season three of 13 Days of Halloween. New episodes air 10/19 - 10/31, so here's a snippet to get you excited for Devil's Night! About this season: Season Three: Devil's Night. When a 12-year-old boy and his dog are stranded far from home, they must find a way back through the chaos and mayhem of the most dangerous night of the year. Headphones recommended. Listener discretion advised. A co-production of iHeart3DAudio, Blumhouse Television, and Grim&Mild from Aaron Mahnke.  Listen to 13 Days of Halloween on the free iHeartRadio app, or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 min
Jul 8, 2022
Grim & Mild Presents: Season 2 Trailer

This summer, Grim & Mild Presents continues its journey into the strange, the unusual, and the fascinating. For our newest season, we’ll be taking to the high seas to explore one of history’s most notorious types of criminal: pirates. From naval battles and buried treasure, to deadly sword fights and stolen rum. Prepare to raise anchor! Grim & Mild Presents: Pirates sets sail on Friday, July 8th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 min
May 5, 2022
Some Unobscured News

The spirit of UNOBSCURED has evolved and transformed into a brand new show called GRIM & MILD PRESENTS. We'll still be doing season-long deep-dives into major topics, but releasing episodes bi-weekly throughout the year, rather than all lumped into October and November. Learn more here. Subscribe to Grim & Mild Presents here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 25 min
Jan 26, 2022
S4 – Interview 4: Helen Rappaport

Our interview with Helen Rappaport, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and best-selling author of books on Russia and the Romanovs. Her books like "Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses," and "The Race to Save the Romanovs: The Truth Behind the Secret Plans to Rescue Russia's Imperial Family," provide the most intimate and dramatic portraits available of the lives of the Romanov family and their place in the modern world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 34 min
Jan 19, 2022
S4 – Interview 3: Joshua Sanborn

Our interview with Dr. Joshua Sanborn, Professor of History at Lafayette College. His book on the collapse of the Romanov regime, "Imperial Apocalypse: The Great War and the Destruction of the Russian Empire," provides a rich history of the Great War through stories of the people on the ground. Restoring focus on the Eastern Front of the war, Dr. Sanborn's work traces the forces changing early twentieth centry Russia, and through Russia, the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 47 min
Jan 12, 2022
S4 – Interview 2: Heather Coleman

Our interview with Dr. Heather Coleman, Professor of History at the University of Alberta. In her teaching and writing on the religion of the ninteenth and twentieth centuries, Dr. Coleman has shed new light on the role that religious life played in the modernization of the Russian empire in the last years of the Romanovs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 58 min
Jan 5, 2022
S4 – Interview 1: Douglas Smith

Our interview with Douglas Smith, award-winning historian, author, and translator. His book "Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs" is a major study of Rasputin's rise and influence, and the very best historical work available on the life, death, and legacy of the Siberian peasant who became advisor to the Tsar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

49 min
Dec 8, 2021Episode 10
S4 – 10: Ghosts

Grigory was mortal. The autopsy proved that. But as the Romanovs grappled with that reality, the world found that legends and myths were much harder to kill. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

40 min
Dec 1, 2021Episode 9
S4 – 9: Let This Cup Pass

It seemed Grigory Rasputin was untouchable. If the plots laid against him weren't exposed before they hatched, then the hands set against him failed in their courage at the last moment. But even for a man like Grigory, some day the charm runs out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

41 min
Nov 24, 2021Episode 8
S4 – 8: A Time to Live

The empire was bleeding. Who was to blame? As the accusations flew thick and fast, Grigory Rasputin proved once again that the ladder of chaos was an old friend. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37 min
Nov 17, 2021Episode 7
S4 – 7: Great Will Be the Ruin

Grigory struggled to heal. But as he swam back to life, another more successful assassination shot a hole in divine autocracy, and The Great War swept over the empires of his world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

43 min
Nov 10, 2021Episode 6
S4 – 6: Laying On of Hands

Venomous rumors wrapped Rasputin and the Romanovs in a whirlwind. Grigory himself was at the center of the storm. But when the holy man seemed to promise the only path to healing, it made his grateful patrons turn a blind eye. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

40 min
Nov 3, 2021Episode 5
S4 – 5: Standoff

Nicholas and Alexandra found themselves in an endless cascade of battles. Comfort and rest was in short supply. Every path before them seemed to lead to the same dead end. But one voice promised to guide them home. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

42 min
Oct 27, 2021Episode 4
S4 – 4: Sheep's Clothing

At the right hand of the Tsar, Grigory Rasputin turned his newfound power and prestige to vicious ends. And he wasn't the only one. Predators across the empire were howling for blood. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50 min
Oct 20, 2021Episode 3
S4 – 3: Made Manifest

The Tsar and his people wrestled for control of the empire. A voice whispering that control was his divine right was exactly what Nicholas wanted to hear. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

36 min
Oct 13, 2021Episode 2
S4 – 2: Man of Contradictions

His hometown was a crossroads. Money and merchandise passed him by, so when Grigory set out on the road himself, it just made since. But he walked into a future that no one could see coming. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

42 min
Oct 6, 2021Episode 1
S4 – 1: In Search of a Friend

When she traded her name for an empire, Alexandra faced a world that bewildered her—imperial Russia. Even her wedding was overshadowed by death. The darkness of those waters left her searching for a lineline. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 min
Sep 29, 2021
S4 – Trailer

Unobscured—the popular historical documentary podcast from Aaron Mahnke—returns for a brand new season. This time, the team aims to separate fact from fiction about one of history’s most mysterious characters: Grigori Rasputin. Season 4 premieres on October 6th, 2021. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 min
Aug 6, 2021
Introducing: Bridgewater

Hi, Unobscured fans! Since you love this podcast, we think you'll like Bridgewater, too. Check out the trailer and decide for yourself! About Bridgewater: When a relic from his past is rediscovered, folklore professor Jeremy Bradshaw puts his life on hold to solve the mystery. Along the way, he’s helped by people who challenge everything he believes in, and ultimately tries to answer the question: can the past be rewritten? A supernatural thriller for your ears, starring Misha Collins, Melissa Ponzio, and Nathan Fillion. Created by Aaron Mahnke and written by Lauren Shippen. Listen to Bridgewater on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

3 min
May 12, 2021
Strange Arrivals Teaser: Rendlesham

Hey, Unobscured fans! We’d love to tell you about another series from Grim & Mild: Strange Arrivals. In this extended trailer, we give you a sneak preview of the story at the heart of Strange Arrivals season two: The Rendlesham Forest Incident, sometimes known as Britain's Roswell. Listen to Strange Arrivals season 2 on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

2 hr 25 min
Jan 27, 2021
S3 – INTERVIEW 4: Paul Begg

Our interview with writer Paul Begg. To wrap up our exploration of Whitechapel in 1888, we turn to the historian and researcher whose dedication to the original documents laid the foundation for deep and rigorous study of the murders. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 hr 16 min
Jan 20, 2021
S3 – INTERVIEW 3: Drew Gray

Our interview with Dr. Drew Gray, historian of the 18th and 19th centuries, and Subject Lead in History at the University of Northampton. With Dr. Gray, we explore the history of police magistrate hearing, the development of Victorian model dwellings, and meditate on the power of the Ripper industry.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 hr 57 min
Jan 13, 2021
S3 – INTERVIEW 2: Louise Raw

Our interview with Dr. Louise Raw, whose book, "Striking a Light," became a new landmark in British labor history. We explore her journey into historical writing, the process of discovering the matchwomen, and hear the stories that brought them to life for Dr. Raw and for all of us as well. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 48 min
Jan 6, 2021
S3 – INTERVIEW 1: Adam Wood

Our interview with Adam Wood, publisher of Mango Books and executive editor of "Ripperologist Magazine." His book, "Donald Swanson: The Life and Times of a Victorian Detective," gave us a dramatic and on-the-ground perspective. Our conversation explores how it came to be and what the life of Donald Swanson offers to readers today. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

44 min
Dec 9, 2020Episode 10
S3 – 10: Never Done

Cases were closed and the files were sealed. Investigators went back to careers scattered across the British empire. It would be decades before their conclusions would shed light on London's dark Autumn of Terror. It would be almost one hundred years before what they knew offered answers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31 min
Dec 2, 2020Episode 9
S3 – 9: Making a Killing

Turmoil swept England, from Whitechapel's mean streets to the halls of power. Public servants savaged each other in person and in the press. Blame was thrown on all sides. None of it helped. Vulnerable women continued to die. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

45 min
Nov 25, 2020Episode 8
S3 – 8: Solitary

A terrorist bombing campaign left London crawling with spies. Paranoia and isolation afflicted everyone, from the clandestine service to the people they were sworn to protect. But even efforts of the government's Special Branch couldn't prevent one of the most horrifying moments in the history of English crime. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

46 min
Nov 18, 2020Episode 7
S3 – 7: House to House

Taunts in red ink sent a wave of fear through London. The Metropolitan police knew they had to respond. So the forces under Charles Warren mobilized like never before, and everything was on the line. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39 min
Nov 11, 2020Episode 6
S3 – 6: Mismatch

The version of events all depends on where you stand. Eye witnesses and identifications are key to detective work, but even veteran investigators can struggle to see through the screen of their assumptions. Matching perception to reality can be the biggest challenge of all. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37 min
Nov 4, 2020Episode 5
S3 – 5: Flaws

Chief Inspector Swanson inherited a complicated legacy. The history of the Metropolitan Police was full of twists and turns. No less the city they patrolled, that had never grown completely comfortable under a watchman's eye. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

46 min
Oct 28, 2020Episode 4
S3 – 4: Synthetical Turn

They said London was a den of vice and violence growing grimmer by the day. The police had their orders to put the pieces together. But there were plenty of visitors who had no trouble taking pleasure in a community falling apart. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

49 min
Oct 21, 2020Episode 3
S3 – 3: Stardom

Victorian journalists had learned the lesson well: true crime sells. They were investigators, but they were storytellers too. And the story they told was meant to shock middle class London, as much as it was meant to inform. Not a hard job when the news was this horrifying. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

44 min
Oct 14, 2020Episode 2
S3 – 2: Rome & Babylon

A city divided. It didn’t happen by accident. A century of destroying the old to bring in the new left many without homes. If glossy West London was the city’s pride, the poor pushed to the margins were shamed. All the more when the knives came out. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

38 min
Oct 7, 2020Episode 1
S3 – 1: Temple Mount

Victorian London was the world’s greatest city. But building an industrial empire of steel and treasure comes at a startling human cost. The ancient city’s cults of personality raised heroes and villains for a new era: the Scotland Yard Detective and the killer he hunted. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 min
Sep 30, 2020
S3 – Trailer

The deep-dive historical documentary podcast, Unobscured, returns for a dark and bloody 3rd season. Follow along as we take a journey into what many consider to be the most infamous true crime story in history: Jack the Ripper. Season 3 premieres on October 7th. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 min
Sep 1, 2020
Introducing: The Hidden Djinn

Around the world, and throughout history, billions of people have believed in an entire race of creatures known as the djinn. Ancient, powerful, and hidden from the human eye, djinn lore spans continents and centuries. Join host Rabia Chaudry every week as she takes you into the world you never even knew existed, the world of the Hidden Djinn. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

1 hr 23 min
Feb 26, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 8: Molly McGarry

Our interview with Molly McGarry, Associate Professor of History at the University of California, Riverside. To wrap up our exploration of spiritualism, we follow her observations about the power and influence of spiritualism in American life, from past to present. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 44 min
Feb 19, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 7: Cathy Gutierrez

Our interview with Cathy Gutierrez, who has served as Professor of Religion at Sweet Briar College and Scholar in Residence at the New York Public Library. We discuss the nuances and historical development of spiritualist theology, as she explores it in her book Plato's Ghost: Spiritualism in the American Renaissance. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 hr 13 min
Feb 12, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 6: John Buescher

Our interview with John Buescher, co-director of the International Association for the Preservation of Spiritualist and Occult Periodicals. His dedication to cataloging and preserving spiritualist newspapers give his books on mediums a remarkable command of the people and ideas driving the movement forward. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 46 min
Feb 5, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 5: Mary Gabriel

Our interview with Mary Gabriel, whose books have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critic's Circle Award. Her biographies of Victoria Woodhull and Karl & Jenny Marx unveil the radical threads running through American spiritualism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 3 min
Jan 29, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 4: Nancy Rubin Stuart

Our interview with Nancy Rubin Stuart, whose award winning biographies of American women include The Reluctant Spiritualist, our guide to the life of Maggie Fox for this season of Unobscured.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 56 min
Jan 22, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 3: Emily Clark

Our interview with Emily Clark, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Gonzaga University. Her first book, A Luminous Brotherhood, explores spiritualism in New Orleans, giving us a perspective on spiritualism beyond the northeastern hubs of the movement.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr 49 min
Jan 15, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 2: Margaret Washington

Our interview with Margaret Washington, professor of History and American Studies at Cornell University. Her work on Sojourner Truth's life in the American landscape was invaluable for seeing spiritualism in a broad historical context. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 hr 16 min
Jan 8, 2020
S2 – INTERVIEW 1: Ann Braude

Our interview with Ann Braude, Senior Lecturer on American Religious History at Harvard Divinity School. Her book, Radical Spirits, was a guiding light for our exploration of the role of spiritualism in American life.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

51 min
Dec 18, 2019Episode 12
S2 – 12: There Is No Death

Blows fell. Times changed. New voices rose up with answers to the nation’s pressing questions. But through it all, spiritualists worked to create an enduring place for themselves where the spirits could go on speaking. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50 min
Dec 11, 2019Episode 11
S2 – 11: The Sheep and the Ghosts

What power did the spirits wield? They had convinced millions of their presence. They had moved mediums into high places. They had crossed oceans and shaken slumbering nations. Now the movement's leading lights saw a world to win.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

46 min
Dec 4, 2019Episode 10
S2 – 10: Invisible Hands

Seances circled a high stakes table. Spirits were still comforting families, but in cities like New Orleans and New York, they also held to a glowing vision. The future of the nation's laws, and the levers of its economy, were up for grabs. Now was the time to bring heaven down to earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

44 min
Nov 27, 2019Episode 9
S2 – 9: Wounds

The war was over but the fight to determine the future of the nation continued. And the spirits had much to say. Devastated families cried out for their lost loved ones. Sometimes, the beloved dead answered back. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.