Nerdette podcast, a casualty of public media budget cuts, re-launching as revamped indy Happy To Be Here

Created and hosted by journalist and book nerd Greta Johnsen, former host of WBEZ’s Nerdette podcast, Happy To Be Here launches on December 19, 2025. It will feature conversations with interesting people, recommendations for things to enjoy, and multiple ways for listeners to engage with Greta and each other.

Greta’s previous podcast, Nerdette, was a celebration of nerdiness in all of its forms, defining “nerd” as a measure of enthusiasm instead of expertise. Nerdette featured conversations with people like Tom Hanks, Lizzo, Margaret Atwood, and Roxane Gay and ran for 11 years, thanks to its loyal following. Listeners appreciated Greta’s energy and praised her show as consistently smart and fun, with a host who came to feel like a cherished friend.

When WBEZ leadership canceled Nerdette in May 2024 due to budget cuts, listeners were devastated. They rallied to keep the show, sending Greta moral and financial support and encouraging her to find a way to keep it alive.

Now she’s ready to do just that. Greta is working independently and collaborating with old friends and colleagues to help her make it happen. Greta says she’s excited about the freedom and possibilities independence will bring.

“I’m really looking forward to starting up again,” Greta says. "Nerdette was a labor of love and a joyful place to be, and I want this new show to feel the same way. I think we are all trying to figure out how we can carve our spaces for ourselves that feel like positive places to grow and learn and be absurd together, and that’s what I plan to create.

“Nerdette listeners were always such a loyal audience. For the past year and a half, many of them have stuck with me as I’ve written the GRETAGRAM newsletter on Substack. Lots of them didn’t even unsubscribe from the podcast after it was cancelled! I want to build on that existing sense of community and keep hosting stuff like the monthly book discussions on Zoom.”

Greta plans to start the new show with a handful of more standard interview episodes, then shift gears in January with a miniseries devoted to recaps of the 1994 ABC drama My So-Called Life.

In addition to hosting Nerdette, Greta also co-hosts HBO’s Official Game of Thrones Podcast, writes the GRETAGRAM newsletter on Substack, and serves as an event moderator with authors, comedians, and other excellent humans.

Early Episodes & Guests Will Include:

• A cookie baking party where listeners are invited to bake along with Greta and Faith Fedash, pastry director for Stephanie Izard’s Goat Restaurant Group
• A conversation about how to stop giving everything 100 percent all the time with activist and author Shannon Downey
• A look ahead to some of the books we’re most excited about in 2026 with NPR’s Andrew Limbong and Book Riot’s Liberty Hardy
• A reflection on some of our favorite news stories of the year with City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran and pop culture critic Margaret Willison
• A miniseries devoted to the 1994 ABC drama My So-Called Life with recaps, beginning in January

Praise for Greta, Nerdette, and GRETAGRAM:

“WBEZ’s Nerdette podcast has long been an excellent hang, and unsurprisingly, it’s responding to the sharp upswing in global/existential anxiety by kicking off a series of minisodes dedicated to serving you ideas on how to work from home, what to read and check out, plus some odd things here and there meant to perk up your spirits. A solid balm for isolation and loneliness.” - Nicholas Quah, writing for Vulture in 2020

This show is so enchanting!! Every listen/download is a little bit of sunshine in your pocket." - A picture is worth I always leave these podcast sessions feeling like I have left a good friend discussion. Very intriguing and worldview widening. Thank You!!!! - TarynScout (via Apple Podcasts)

Nerdette is like french toast made with Spatz’s bread. In other words, it is the perfect form of a potentially perfect product. In a podcast fight to the death, I would send Greta in against anyone. She would destroy all challengers. Long live Nerdette! - NickMonkeyMD (via Apple Podcasts)

Oh, you were a women’s studies major? You must know everything there ever was to know about that dusty old concept, what was it, feminism? Well BUCKLE UP, BUTTERCUP, because feminism is alive and well and has some patriarchy butt-kicking to do! And this podcast will help you to become the warrior goddess you always knew you were. It’s like audio glitter. For real, give it a listen, think about the stuffs, do the homework-- you will like yourself better. - Stepintothesunshine (via Apple Podcasts)

“Thank you for being a bright light in my week, every week! You give me hope, which is so important.” - Louise (via GRETAGRAM on Substack)

“I’ve followed Nerdette from the beginning and it has meant so much to me. Greta, your joy is contagious and your relentless pursuit of the delightful is truly inspirational.”- Emily (via GRETAGRAM on Substack)

“Greta, I’ve been with Nerdette from the very beginning. Watching the Nerdette Project adapt and grow brings out all my “proud mom feelings”. You’ve nurtured such a special and delightful space in the universe. I’ll follow you wherever the next adventure takes you!” - Sara (via GRETAGRAM on Substack)