The Apology Line

Wondery
The Apology Line

Listen early and ad-free on Wondery+.

£5.99/mo or £44.99/yr after trial

If you could call a number and say you’re sorry, and no one would know…what would you apologize for? For fifteen years, you could call a number in Manhattan and do just that. This is the story of the line, and the man at the other end who became consumed by his own creation. He was known as “Mr. Apology.” As thousands of callers flooded the line, confessing to everything from shoplifting to infidelity, drug dealing to murder, Mr. Apology realized he couldn’t just listen. He had to do something, even if it meant risking everything. From Wondery the makers of Dr. Death and The Shrink Next Door, comes a story about empathy, deception and obsession. Marissa Bridge, who knew Mr. Apology better than anyone, hosts this six episode series. Listen to The Apology Line ad-free on Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-apology-line/ now.

Episodes

  1. EPISODE 1

    Who’s Sorry Now?

    Marissa Bridge has only had a premonition twice in her life: one was on the day in 1981 that she met “Mr. Apology.” As posters for the Apology Line appear all over New York City, callers start to leave messages that confess their deepest secrets and darkest fears. Mr Apology quickly realizes he will have to do more than just sit back and listen.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    37 min

  2. EPISODE 2 • WONDERY+ ONLY

    Going Public

    Even as Allan reckons with a frightening threat, he continues to engage with callers in ways he hadn’t previously imagined. A regular cast of characters forms on the Line. From this sea of voices one caller named “Richie” emerges and pulls Allan in even deeper, much to Marissa’s dismay. Sign up on wonderyplus.com/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery.

    33 min

  3. EPISODE 3 • WONDERY+ ONLY

    Your Dungeon or Mine?

    Richie details his murders and answers Allan’s many questions on the Line. Allan wants to keep Richie talking. He wants to use the Apology Line as a space to reform and study violent criminals. But will Allan’s efforts be enough? Sign up on wonderyplus.com/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery.

    37 min

  4. EPISODE 4 • WONDERY+ ONLY

    To Catch A Serial Killer

    Richie is back and Allan is in over his head this time. Help comes in the form of Detective Ray Pierce. Together they devise a plan to find out who Richie really is. Sign up on wonderyplus.com/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery.

    34 min

  5. EPISODE 5 • WONDERY+ ONLY

    Mrs. Apology

    With Richie gone from his life, Allan must reinvent himself and the Line. The community around the Line grows, while being married to Mr Apology becomes ever more challenging. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, here are some additional resources. For the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call 1-800-273-8255. For the National Alliance on Mental Illness dial 1-800-950-6264. And for the Crisis Text Line Text HOME, H-O-M-E to 741741. If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence here are some additional resources. For the National Domestic Violence Hotline call 1-800-799-7233. Or visit thehotline.org to chat with someone live at any time. Sign up on wonderyplus.com/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery.

    39 min

  6. EPISODE 6 • WONDERY+ ONLY

    Strawberry Fields Forever

    Allan’s death is like an atomic bomb going off in Marissa’s life. She’s left to make sense of his life, and his life’s work. And twenty-five years later, Marissa learns the truth about what happened to Richie. Sign up on wonderyplus.com/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery.

    31 min

  7. EPISODE 7 • WONDERY+ ONLY

    And The Calls Live On

    Marissa talks to long time callers and listeners about the making of Apology Line then and now and what the making of this series has meant to her. Sign up on wonderyplus.com/applepodcasts and stay up-to-date on the latest new podcasts and more from Wondery.

    42 min

  8. 05/01/2021

    Introducing: The Apology Line

    If you could call a number and say you’re sorry, and no one would know…what would you apologize for? For fifteen years, you could call a number in Manhattan and do just that. This is the story of the line, and the man at the other end who became consumed by his own creation. He was known as “Mr. Apology.” As thousands of callers flooded the line, confessing to everything from shoplifting to infidelity, drug dealing to murder, Mr. Apology realized he couldn’t just listen. He had to do something, even if it meant risking everything. From Wondery the makers of Dr Death and The Shrink Next Door, comes a story about empathy, deception and obsession. Marissa Bridge, who knew Mr. Apology better than anyone, hosts this six episode series. All episodes are available now. You can binge the series ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    2 min

  9. 27 JAN

    Listen Now: We Came to the Forest

    Vienna is working a delivery job when she hears about Cop City, a massive police training facility planned for Atlanta. She decides to join the activists trying to stop construction. When Vienna arrives in the South River Forest, she quickly finds a community, a cause and a love unlike any other. But the events of one morning shatters everything. Vienna and everyone connected to the forest begin to question what are you willing to die for? Wondery, Campside and Tenderfoot TV present: We Came to the Forest. Listen to We Came to the Forest wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge the entire series early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts: Wondery.fm/WeCametotheForest See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    6 min

  10. BONUS

    Where to find Episodes 2-7 of The Apology Line

    The Apology Line has moved. You can listen to all seven episodes ad-free by subscribing to Wondery+ in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app, or you can listen on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership: Wondery.fm/The_Apology_Line See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 min

Trailers

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • With 1 in 6 people experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, it’s never been more important to find out how people are dealing with these challenges. In this podcast, comedian and broadcaster John Robins brings his trademark approach of heart and humour to the conversation, sitting down with guests and experts each week to ask the very simple question - How Do You Cope? Tune in every Monday for new episodes of How Do You Cope? with bonus minisodes landing every Thursday. Listen to How Do You Cope? on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/how-do-you-cope.

    • 4.9 (131)
    • MENTAL HEALTH

  • Well done. You’ve sorted through the embarrassment of riches that is the modern podcast landscape and found me, Rob Brydon, on my podcast. It’s terrific conversation, full of anecdotes and reminiscence where appropriate. Listen to Brydon & on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/brydon/ now.

    • 4.3 (472)
    • COMEDY

  • From Wondery and Goalhanger Podcasts, Afua Hirsch and Peter Frankopan tell the wild stories of some of the most extraordinary men and women ever to have lived – and ask whether they have the rep they deserve. Should Nina Simone’s role in the civil rights movement be more celebrated than it is? When you find out what Picasso got up to in his studio, can you still admire his art? Was Napoleon a hero or a tyrant - or both? (And, while we’re at it, was he even short?) Legacy is the show that looks at big lives from the perspective of now – and doesn’t always like what it sees. Listen to Legacy on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/legacy now.

    • 3.5 (456)
    • HISTORY

  • Halfway between South America and New Zealand is a small piece of volcanic, British territory; Pitcairn. It has one shop open for a few hours a day, it’s accessible only by boat, it was born out of Naval mutiny in the 18th Century, it’s home to 37 British subjects...and an almighty scandal. If you're interested in sponsorship and advertising in The Pitcairn Trials, then we'd love to hear from you. Just email sales@audioalways.com and we'll tell you more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 4.3 (104)
    • TRUE CRIME

  • RedHanded the podcast jumps head first into all manner of macabre madness. We cover everything from big time serial killers (and those you may never have heard of), to hauntings, possessions, disturbing mysteries, bizarre whodunits and basically anything that tickles our creepy fancy. So, join us, plug in, sit back and prepare for scares.

    • 4.4 (6625)
    • TRUE CRIME

  • These are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma and Raza Jaffrey, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own. Listen to The Spy Who ad-free on Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-spy-who now.

    • 4.5 (251)
    • HISTORY

Listen early and ad-free on Wondery+.

£5.99/mo or £44.99/yr after trial

View Subscription FAQs

Hosts & Guests

4.4
out of 5
491 Ratings

About

If you could call a number and say you’re sorry, and no one would know…what would you apologize for? For fifteen years, you could call a number in Manhattan and do just that. This is the story of the line, and the man at the other end who became consumed by his own creation. He was known as “Mr. Apology.” As thousands of callers flooded the line, confessing to everything from shoplifting to infidelity, drug dealing to murder, Mr. Apology realized he couldn’t just listen. He had to do something, even if it meant risking everything. From Wondery the makers of Dr. Death and The Shrink Next Door, comes a story about empathy, deception and obsession. Marissa Bridge, who knew Mr. Apology better than anyone, hosts this six episode series. Listen to The Apology Line ad-free on Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-apology-line/ now.

Information

More From Wondery

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada