This article reads the non-fiction podcast The Bowery Boys: New York City History (2007-) as a significant example of the connection between the serial poetics and the participatory potentials of podcasts. It places the podcast in the context of ‘participatory culture’ (Jenkins) and argues that its serial aesthetics and longevity are crucial to its popular appeal. The podcast’s transformation into an increasingly professionalized franchise that uses a variety of digital convergence tools to engage with its loyal, active audience is related to its serial strategies and transmedial proliferation. Through case studies of episodes that highlight and incorporate the podcast’s interaction with its audience, this article outlines different forms and ways of participation in podcasting.