The Orbiting Human Circus

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

New OHC Song and Live Shows!

New Orbiting Human Circus song — The Lost Angel — out now on Merge Records, everywhere! Plus, live shows! See https://www.orbitinghumancircus.com/live-shows for info and

Apr 20 2023
1 min

Introducing Milky Way Underground

Introducing a new fiction podcast from members of the team behind The Orbiting Human Circus: Join siblings Lydia and Elijah on a fantastical, surreal journey through a my

Sep 22 2021
2 min

A Orbiting Human Circus Holiday Event

Julian will be caroling holiday (virtual) gatherings and meet-ups of you, your loved ones, and friends old and new during the weekend of December 18th. You are invited to

Dec 14 2020
1 min

Naughty Till New Years: Season Finale, Part Two

Our grand conclusion. The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years was a co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Though this season has come to

Jun 17 2020
49 min

Naughty Till New Years: Season Finale, Part One

Our season begins its grand conclusion. A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Written and directed by Julian Koster and produced by Christy Gressman.

May 27 2020
29 min

Naughty Till New Years: Twelfthly, It’s a Scream (Pt. 2)

Tim Robbins plays our beloved flea and it's an absolute scream. The second half of a scream. A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Featuring David Bar

May 13 2020
25 min

Naughty Till New Years: Eleventhly, It's a Scream (Pt. 1), plus Season Recap

How to escape. Escape with the Janitor! The Orbiting Human Circus returns with twice the fun: the first half of a special double episode. It’s a scream! The first half of

May 6 2020
19 min

Special Announcement: An Orbiting Livestream

Julian Koster presents a livestream show of songs, stories, and games of the Orbiting Human Circus and the Music Tapes, on Wednesday, April 8th at 10:30pm Eastern Time. J

Apr 7 2020
1 min

Naughty Till New Years: Tenthly, a Time for Dreamers

We left the door open for you, come and see what’s inside... A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Featuring Drew Callander, David Barlow, Julian Kost

Mar 18 2020
31 min

Naughty Till New Years: Ninthly, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!

Fun with 2000 telescopes, and the stunning return of somebody very special. A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Featuring Drew Callander, David Barl

Mar 4 2020
29 min

Naughty Till New Years: Eighthly, a Booth by the Seaside

What was REALLY in the shoeboxes? A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Featuring Drew Callander, Harrison Beckwith, and Julian Koster. Written and di

Feb 20 2020
30 min

Naughty Till New Years: Seventhly, the Gift

The story of an unusual gift and several strikes of lightning. A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Featuring Drew Callander, John Cameron Mitchell,

Feb 5 2020
22 min

Naughty Till New Years: Sixthly, the Flea Talks

Tim Robbins stars as the flea. Yes, we convinced an Oscar winner to portray a flea. Poor man. He did nothing to deserve this. A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night V

Jan 22 2020
22 min

Naughty Till New Years: Fifthly, Do You Dream?

Dreams run amok as we learn new things about John Cameron, Laeticia, the stagehands, Coco, and of course the Janitor, when we return to a stunning cliffhanger moment in t

Jan 8 2020
24 min

The Orbiting Human Circus Holiday Vacation

Take a holiday break with The Orbiting Human Circus. This episode isn’t a part of the story of The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years, but the flea and the

Dec 18 2019
29 min

Naughty Till New Years: Fourthly... How to Disappear (Lesson III of III)

If you haven’t disappeared yet, don’t worry — there’s still time! Listen now! Stay tuned for a special holiday episode next week. A co-production of WNYC Studios and N

Dec 11 2019
11 min

Naughty Till New Years: Thirdly... How to Disappear (Lessons I and II of III)

We are introduced to a startling ability of the Janitor’s. New episodes every other Wednesday. A co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents. Starring John Ca

Dec 4 2019
21 min

Naughty Till New Years: Secondly, the Past

We travel back in time to the janitor’s first nights at the tower in this, Naughty Till New Years’ second installment. New episodes every other Wednesday. A co-producti

Nov 20 2019
26 min

Naughty Till New Years: Firstly, the Janitor

This is the perfect place for new listeners to begin. All your favorite Orbiting Human Circus characters return in a brand new adventure, inviting you into the mystery su

Nov 6 2019
40 min

The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years: Trailer

The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years is the perfect place for new listeners to begin. All your favorite Orbiting Human Circus characters return in a brand

Oct 23 2019
3 min

Chart trend

Position in the Comedy Fiction chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#83#165JunJulAugSep

#20

all-time peak

120

days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where The Orbiting Human Circus ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 25, 2026).

#57 ▲ 5 Comedy Fiction US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

This podcast leads you through a story more draped in mystery and confusion than any modern mysteries. The characters have so much personality and they push and pull you into liking them, disliking them, and loving them all at once. I could not have listened to a better podcast that makes me more emotional than any other media has managed before. I have never questioned the reality presented so much as I have with this podcast.

Ingalollol · Oct 2024

the moment i finished the two available seasons, i listened to them again and had to hold back from doing it a third time. julian’s voice is very lovely and his singing is even more so. i find it difficult to word the whimsical joy and nostalgia this podcast makes me feel. it’s all quite odd but in a charming magical way. julian’s experiences and feelings sp speak to me very personally in a way no media has before. this show has felt like both a home and an adventure, not to mention such an inspiration!! thank you for making it happen. there just aren’t enough words to explain how important it has become to me.

mykah’s important opinions · Aug 2023

This podcast is more of a mood and atmosphere than a story—the “plot” is secondary to the collection of audio cues for nostalgia and sentimentality. It’s a charming echo of radio variety shows of yore, and the audio is well-engineered. Many of the voices fit this pastiche too, adding depth to the charm. But ultimately this is all surface-level niceness, and the plot is too thin. I don’t really mind it—I like to repeat several early episodes because they are so well made and evoke another time and place. I agree with others who find the janitor’s voice annoying—it sounds like an adult trying to sound younger by mumbling, pitching higher, and not using his full voice. It does sound a bit like he’s on the verge of tears. Rather unpleasant to listen to, but several other voices are fantastic, including the narrator, the cricket, and the radio host. Leticia’s strong French accent is weird, but I guess it adds…something.

ra1137 · Jul 2022

I’ll admit I wasn’t taken with it at first. But once I finished my first episode…wow. I couldn’t stop listening to it especially the tapes part of the first season. Really love the story and hoping for a third season. 100% recommend

Purplekatarina · Mar 2022

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.