Goodbye to Hang Up

I was hoping that by now, I'd be writing with a different kind of update.

For the last two years, I’ve been trying to make a Season 3 happen. I wanted to go through the whole process again— a new city, casting new people, putting them all together, and then seeing the magic that comes out of that. But I just haven’t been able to raise the funds we need, and I’ve decided to stop actively pursuing funding. Meaning, there most likely won’t be another season of Hang Up.

This is the close to a chapter of my life; I’m no longer the same person I was when I started to think about Hang Up more than five years ago. Since then, I've moved twice, bought a house, and got two dogs. I’m surrounded by friends and family— my twin nieces were born right before Season 1 came out, and they’re now 3 years old. I’ve never felt happier or more myself.

Hang Up has been a through line in all these years to get me to where I am today. During production, I would dial in the Star and their Caller, put them on mute, and get to eavesdrop for hours on these essentially strangers doing their best to connect. Then, I listened and re-listened to these conversations as I shaped them into episodes. It made me think about how I connect to other people, what my desires are, and what I want out of my relationships.

That’s the serious part of what I learned, but the most important part of Hang Up has always been joy. I laughed and laughed and laughed making this show, and I still do when I listen back. Hang Up taught me that joy is a worthy goal, not just a means to an end. And over the years since I started making the show, the pursuit of joy has become central to the way I live my life.

So even though I feel sad about not having the opportunity to make more of Hang Up, I do feel joyful for what we’ve made. The two seasons that do exist only exist in spite of a lot of things that were stacked against us. They exist because of an incredible level of trust from those involved and a willingness to participate in this silly project of mine— both seasons were cast before we had released anything, so the Stars and Callers were stepping into the unknown.

And it's also because of you that we were able to make two seasons. Because you were listening, we got press and sponsorship and the feedback we needed to keep going when things were tough.

I cannot begin to express what it means to me to have had your support, particularly from paid subscribers. Because I no longer have an intention of making another season, I’m cancelling all paid subscriptions (you will be moved to free subscriptions), and I’m making all paywalled content available to everyone. I hope you will consider supporting other independent media that you love because they really need it right now. Some I highly recommend are:

Our Ancestors Were Messy dives into the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines and then history in pre-Civil Rights Era America. Host Nichole Hill takes her guests through the story of an ancestor in search of opportunity, adventure, love, and a way to beat Jim Crow. Along the way, these ancestors make messes that land them in the gossip columns of Black newspapers!

Proxy brings host Yowei Shaw (formerly of Invisibilia) the unresolved emotional cases they haven’t been able to close. She finds someone who’s lived something close enough, and brings them together for a conversation.

5050MATIC is New Mexico's worker-owned independent civic media co-op. You can find our producer Ben Montoya’s reporting here!

The Richmonder is a nonprofit news organization in Richmond focusing on local news that matters to residents of the community.

When I first started imagining Hang Up, I had no idea what incredible things awaited me. So I feel joyful and trusting about what will spring up in the space that opens up as I close out the show. I already have a bit of a sense of that, as I started a craft ice studio last Fall called Lady Chiller... if you want to join me as I explore something completely different.

Until we meet again, big big gratitude to you. Hang Up would have meant nothing without knowing you were listening. If you feel moved to share what Hang Up meant to you, I would love to read it. Please comment or email me at hangupshow@gmail.com.

Love,

Caitlin