About Serious Pod
The network
Serious Pod is an independent podcast network built on a simple idea: take the questions seriously, even when the answers are funny. Law, science, skepticism, media criticism, and the occasional courtroom drama — made by a small crew who actually read the filings.
The shows
- Opening Arguments — America's favorite legal podcast. Real analysis of the legal news that matters, from Supreme Court arguments to the fine print nobody else reads, with host Thomas Smith and immigration attorney Matt Cameron. New episodes three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) since 2016.
- Where There's Woke — Every "woke" panic falls apart the moment you actually investigate it. Thomas and Lydia Smith dig into today's manufactured outrages — and yesterday's — to show the pattern behind the panic.
- Serious Inquiries Only — The show that started it all, back in 2014 as Atheistically Speaking. Science, skepticism, and critical thinking, with experts and deep dives — because "do your own research" should actually mean something.
- Gavel Gavel — Thomas and Lydia Smith take you inside the trials everyone is talking about, straight from the actual transcripts and filings. No law degree required.
- Dear Old Dads — Three dads (Thomas, Eli Bosnick, and Tom Curry) deconstructing fatherhood, one questionable parenting decision at a time.
Meet the hosts
Thomas Smith
Founder · host of every show on the network
Thomas started podcasting in 2010 with an odd little quest: read the entire Bible cover to cover, with critical commentary and a healthy dose of humor. That project turned out to be a gateway drug. Now at the helm of five shows, Thomas brings the same mix of curiosity and irreverence to whatever he's covering — science, philosophy, and skepticism on Serious Inquiries Only; the law on Opening Arguments (with co-host Matt Cameron) and its sister show Gavel Gavel (with Lydia); parenting and positive masculinity on Dear Old Dads (with Eli Bosnick and Tom Curry); and the manufactured outrage of the culture wars on Where There's Woke (with co-host Lydia Smith). Whatever the subject, expect sharp questions, sharper jokes, and zero patience for nonsense.
Lydia Smith
Co-host, Where There's Woke & Gavel Gavel · network producer
Lydia left a leadership role in California state government in 2023 to bring her research instincts to podcasting full-time. Alongside Thomas on Where There's Woke, she doesn't just fact-check the "woke controversy" of the week — she traces it back to the people funding it and the corporations profiting from it. She also co-hosts Gavel Gavel, the courtroom-focused sister show to Opening Arguments, and serves as producer across the entire Serious Pod Network, keeping the trains running behind the scenes on every show in the lineup.
Matt Cameron
Co-host & legal producer, Opening Arguments
Matt has practiced immigration law since 2006, with deep experience in criminal and appellate work as well. A graduate of Seton Hall Law School, he's licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and admitted to practice before the Federal District Court of Massachusetts and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Matt co-hosts and serves as legal producer of Opening Arguments, which has been breaking down the law behind the headlines for an international audience since 2016.
Plus Dear Old Dads co-hosts Eli Bosnick and Tom Curry.
Alongside the hosts: a rotating cast of guests, experts, and very patient editors. Want to get in touch? Contact us here. Want to support the shows? Every show has a Patreon (Opening Arguments, Serious Inquiries Only, Where There's Woke, Gavel Gavel, Dear Old Dads), and that's what keeps independent podcasting independent.