Behind the Scenes: Celebrating 10 years of CuriosiD

WDET’s CuriosiD podcast answers your questions about everything Detroit. Subscribe to CuriosiD on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

For the past decade, CuriosiD has captivated WDET listeners with its unique take on Detroit-centric stories. But what does it take to bring an episode of this beloved series to life?

CuriosiD is a listener-focused podcast about Detroit, where listeners guide the content by asking questions that we provide the answers to.

“Our listeners write or call in with questions they have about Detroit or the metro area,” explains WDET reporter and CuriosiD host Amanda LeClaire. “They’re just curious about things.”

The process begins by exploring a continually evolving list of listener-submitted questions. LeClaire says she carefully selects the most compelling topics for each episode.

Each question requires extensive research. In some cases that means examining hard to find historical and archived documents, or researching Nike missile sites from the 1950s.

Sometimes that means physically investigating locations on-site, like visiting Detroit’s underground steam tunnels.

“It takes a great deal of time, energy, and planning,” LeClaire says. “We’re always thinking about how to keep the high level of creativity and thoughtfulness that CuriosiD is known for.”

Former CuriosiD producer and host Laura Herberg agrees.

“CuriosiD actually takes a lot of work,” she said. “The stories sound light-hearted, but they’re little mysteries that can take a lot of time and energy to tell well.”

WDET’s Pat Batcheller, a frequent contributor, recounts one of his favorite episodes, which answers the question of how the Detroit Lions chose the iconic Honolulu Blue as a team color.

“George Richards, the original owner of the Lions, saw the hue of the ocean in Hawaii and said, ‘That’s the color I want for my team,’” Batcheller said. To tell the full story, Batcheller consulted football historians and even tracked down historical recordings of the team from the 1930s.

The digital side of storytelling also plays a significant role in CuriosiD’s success, leveraging the power of social media to reach new audiences — and new potential questions from listeners. WDET Digital Manager Dave Kim says one of his favorite social videos for the series was about the origins of Superman ice cream, which became a hit on TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Whether it’s unraveling the history of Detroit’s Boston Cooler or exploring who Lewis Cass was, CuriosiD remains committed to bringing listener questions to life.

Batcheller emphasized that it’s the listeners who keep CuriosiD moving forward, calling it “an opportunity for our listeners to have an impact on what we do and guide our journalism.”

Since the series launched in 2014, CuriosiD has produced 70 episodes, with more in the works.

Listeners are encouraged to continue sending their questions, because the future of CuriosiD is in your hands.

We want to hear from you! 

Do you have a question about Detroit? Let us know here or fill out the form below.

More from CuriosiD:

• Who was Thomas Mollicone? The story behind the naming of an east side Detroit park
• What is the history behind the Belle Isle Boathouse?
• What happened to Detroit jazz venue Strata Concert Gallery?