Boomtown

Wondery Presents: Frozen Head

Hosted by Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart from the hit show Morbid. When 90-year-old Laurence Pilgeram drops dead on the sidewalk outside his condo, you might think that’

Special Preview Episode: Elizabeth the First. The Early Years

Here’s your special preview episode of the new series Elizabeth the First – about the remarkable life of Elizabeth Taylor. In this preview, we learn how Elizabeth’s ambi

Boomtown Follow-up: The One-Two Punch | Chapter 12

Christian Wallace talks to some familiar faces from the Boomtown series in an attempt to understand what happened on April 20, 2020—when oil prices went negative for the

The Last Frontier | Chapter 11

Record-breaking oil production in the Permian Basin has brought the boom to the doorstep of the Big Bend for the first time. Is it too late to save this pristine landscap

The Mitchell Paradox | Chapter 10

No oil and gas baron since John D. Rockefeller has made more of an impact on society than George P. Mitchell. But this son of poor Greek immigrants who died a billionaire

A Dark Horizon | Chapter 9

Christian talks with renowned business writer Bethany McLean about how the finances of fracking aren't what they're cracked up to be. Upstart: Find out how low your rate

Wild West Texas | Chapter 8

The uneasy alliance between ranchers and the oil industry goes all the way back to the early wildcatting days in West Texas. But today, that relationship is more fraught

Mojo Magic | Chapter 7

The Permian Basin is the birthplace of Friday Night Lights. But the historic oil boom threatens beloved high school football traditions. Learn more about your ad choices.

A Thin Line | Chapter 6

During booms, the Permian Basin sees a rise in prostitution charges. But misperceptions and stereotypes about sex work have led to policies that may actually harm the wom

Boobtown | Chapter 5

We explore a different kind of boom in the Permian Basin. Meet the women working at a lingerie coffee shop, a “breastaurant,” and two area strip clubs. Upstart: Find out

Life and Death on the Rig | Chapter 4

In the Permian Basin, the rewards of roughnecking come with incredible risk. For one Andrews family, that danger became a true nightmare. Learn more about your ad choices

Dust to Dust | Chapter 3

A devastating bust transforms the Permian from a promised land into a wasteland. Then, thanks to a quiet, unassuming Texas oilman named George Mitchell, the region comes

Rise of the Permian | Chapter 2

We go back to 1923, and the Santa Rita No. 1, the well that put West Texas oil on the map. We recount the beginnings of rowdy boomtowns and the swaggering wildcatters who

Highway To Hell | Chapter 1

Host Christian Wallace takes us back to his hometown in the Permian Basin, which is nearly unrecognizable to him today. We meet a few of the people whose lives have been

Trailer: Boomtown

In a rugged corner of West Texas, billionaire wildcatters and roughnecks are fueling an oil boom so big it’s reshaping our climate, our economy, and our geopolitics.    B