Come join us on
The Backlot.
Step onto The Backlot — the members-only Patreon of When They Were Making It.
Inside, you’ll find bonus episodes, companion pieces, behind-the-scenes stories, extra research, and deeper dives into the films, stars, scandals, studios, myths, and backstage machinery of classic Hollywood.
It’s where the stories continue after the main episode ends — with more context, more discoveries, and more of the glorious, messy, utterly human history behind Hollywood’s greatest legends.
Join us on The Backlot and help keep these stories alive, at https://www.patreon.com/whentheyweremakingit/.
$5 / month
Your Visitor Pass gets you through the studio gate and onto The Backlot of WTWMI — the first stop for bonus stories, members-only extras, and a little more movie magic between episodes.
Every month, you’ll get two mini-episodes on the films, stars, scandals, studios, myths, and backstage machinery of classic Hollywood.
Every main-feed subject also comes with its own exclusive Backlot audio companion: why I chose the subject, ten facts that didn’t make the cut, what surprised me in the research, and how the story shaped Hollywood and culture. The episode after the episode.
The gates are open — come on in.
What’s included:
Two monthly Visitor Pass mini-episodes
Main-feed episode bonus audio companions
$10 / month
Studio Insider takes you deeper into The Backlot of WTWMI — with everything in Visitor Pass, plus even more bonus audio for listeners who want to go further.
Inside, you’ll get all Visitor Pass benefits, including two monthly mini-episodes and monthly Backlot audio companions — one for every main-feed episode subject.
You’ll also get a monthly, main-feed-worthy full-length bonus episode on a classic Hollywood person, film, or story — plus two additional Studio Insider mini-episodes each month. Together with your Visitor Pass mini-episodes, that means five bonus audio releases beyond the main feed every month in total — plus an audio companion for every main-feed episode subject.
Each month also includes a Q&A audio episode — submit your questions about classic Hollywood, the research, or the show via Patreon comments, social media, or email, and I’ll answer them every month.
The studio doors are open — you’re on the inside now.
What’s included:
Full-length monthly bonus episode
Monthly Q&A episode
Two monthly Studio Insider mini-episodes
Two monthly Visitor Pass mini-episodes
Main-feed episode bonus audio companions
Full Bonus Episodes (Studio Insider Tier)
Barbara Stanwyck
Grace Kelly
Mini Bonus Episodes
Thelma Todd: Hollywood's Ice Cream Blonde Mystery
The Haunted Soundstage: Stage 28 at Universal
Central Casting: The Factory Behind the Faces
Queer Hollywood: The Hidden Lives Under the Studio System
The Hollywood Sign: From Real Estate Ad to Hollywood Ghost Story
Lillian Roth: The Star Hollywood Built Up, Broke Down, and Couldn't Forget
The Production Code: The Rules That Shook Up Hollywood
Poverty Row: Hollywood's Other Studio System
A century of Marilyn.
June 1, 2026, marks 100 years since Marilyn Monroe was born. To honor her centennial, WTWMI launches with a three-part series tracing her invention, her rise, and the cost of becoming the most famous woman in the world.
Listen to Part One, Part Two, and Part Three now.
A story of strength, ambition, and self-invention — about a girl who shouldn't have had a chance, and the woman she gave everything to become.
WTWMI — listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.