Each of the six, half-hour episodes has a theme that touches on all the stories in it: Underdogs, Going Down in History, Two Wars, Escape, Scenes from a Marriage, and John Smith. Host Ira Glass guides audiences through each episode with a direct, informal style. Surprising, funny, dramatic, new. It’s the second season of the TV series This American Life, based on the award-winning and wildly popular public radio show.