First Day Back
First Day Back
Stitcher and Tally Abecassis
First Day Back is a documentary podcast series about people facing and trying to overcome life’s most challenging moments. Each season, host and creator Tally Abecassis tells the story of someone attempting their own personal comeback.In 2019, First Day Back is back. On May 3rd 2017, comedian Jason Weems collapsed on stage from an asthma attack. His heart stopped beating for a full 5 minutes. Jason was lucky enough to be revived by a member of the audience. Now the Baltimore comedian is dealing with his death the only way he knows how: by making jokes about it. Jason wants to turn these jokes into a 1 hour special that he hopes will make him a household name. For the past year, Tally Abecassis and the First Day back team have been following the life and career of Jason Weems, a man who lives and died for comedy.
S3E6: Unknown
We follow Jason in the hours leading up to the taping of his much-anticipated special. The excitement builds as his friends and family all gather at the theater. When Jason steps onto that stage, will he have transformed his near death experience into something meaningful?
Feb 26, 2019
29 min
S3E5: The Countdown
There’s one month to go before Jason is set to perform his new special and the pressure is on. It’s a mad dash to sell tickets, finalize his set, and get everything in order to film and shoot the special. Will Jason make it to the special or will the pressure of putting on the show derail him?
Feb 19, 2019
25 min
S3E4: Pulling for Every Breath
It seems like asthma is always with Jason Weems. In this episode, Jason's constantly being confronted by health scares - on stage, at home, even with his family. But at every turn, he surprises Tally with his resiliency.
Feb 12, 2019
26 min
S3E3: Absolute Certainty
Twelve years into his comedy career, what keeps Jason hopeful that his big break will still happen? We get a peek inside his creative process and find out what family drama pushed him to stay in a city that isn’t great for his national career ambitions
Feb 5, 2019
29 min
S3E2: Almost Famous
How do you build a career in comedy? Jason takes us through his journey and how a childhood filled with health issues drove his desire to be the funniest man in the room.
Jan 29, 2019
21 min
S3E1: The Attack
What happens on stage to set in motion comedian Jason’s Weem’s first day back story? On May 3, 2017, Jason collapsed at a Philadelphia comedy club after suffering a near fatal asthma attack. We hear a blow-by-blow account of Jason’s night as it shifts from raucous to downright terrifying.
Jan 22, 2019
19 min
Introducing First Day Back Season 3
First Day Back returns this season with the story of Jason Weems, one of Baltimore’s biggest comedians. Jason’s life changed on May 3, 2017 when just minutes into a set, he had a severe asthma attack. It was so bad, his heart stopped. Sixteen hours later, he was barely alive, recovering in a Philadelphia hospital. This season on First Day Back, host Tally Abecassis follows Jason as he tries to come back…from death. He wants to keep doing comedy— the stage is where he’s always felt the most alive. But now it’s a place of real trauma. Can Jason Weems transform the worst thing that ever happened to him in to the event that changes his life? Listen to the trailer now and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. New episodes drop every Wednesday beginning January 23, 2019.
Jan 8, 2019
2 min
Season 3 Update, and Introducing Dear Franklin Jones
We are hard at work on season 3 and are following another story that is unfolding as we speak. In the meantime, if you like First Day Back, check out Dear Franklin Jones by my friend Jonathan Hirsch. Growing up, Jonathan’s family was a little different. They followed a controversial spiritual leader named Franklin Jones. Join Jonathan on a journey to find out what really happened. Subscribe to Dear Franklin Jones, a new documentary podcast from Stitcher.   Subscribe to Dear Franklin Jones in your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-franklin-jones/id1348032695?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=172342
Feb 28, 2018
3 min
S2E6: The Refuge
Lucie obsesses over Gerry’s death, her regret about what she did and her inability to remember what happened the night she killed him. How will she find some sliver of peace? Her search for forgiveness leads her to an unlikely source.
May 16, 2017
22 min
S2E5: The Doubters
Six years after Gerry’s death, close friends from Lucie’s past make a startling accusation. How will Lucie cope?
May 9, 2017
20 min
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