THE DAILY SMILE
Everyone needs a reminder about just how good people can be. On Wondery’s series The Daily Smile, host Nikki Boyer tells stories that will make you feel good each weekday morning. With interviews, inspiring clips, and chats with special guests and passionate friends, The Daily Smile takes you on a journey into goodness, gives you all the feels, and will leave you with a smile on your face.
The Daily Smile was a concept I pitched to Wondery in early 2020. While working on the show for nearly a year, I wrote and produced over 60 original episodes.
WHERE’S WILLOW
February 8, 2021
A car is stolen with a beloved calico cat still inside. Nikki and Mr. Malone attempt to solve the Case of the Missing Calico in this episode and — a final farewell to the Daily Smile.
Austin’s extraordinary playlist
January 28, 2021
Nikki talks to TV writer and producer Austin Winsberg about his work, his inspiration, and how he turned heartache into a whimsical, uplifting, and meaningful hit TV show.
70 years in the making
January 25, 2021
Good things take time, right? This week, Nikki tells Mr. Malone two stories about special relationships that have each spanned seven decades.
the hunt for happiness series
January 18-22, 2021
Everyone wants to be happier, right? But how do you actually increase your everyday happiness? This week, we dive into five different ways to think about happiness.
the meaning of happiness
January 22, 2021
What if chasing happiness actually leaves you feeling unhappy? Nikki talks to author Emily Esfahani Smith about how pursuing meaning in different ways can actually lead to a happier life.
the atlas of happiness
January 20, 2021
Author Helen Russell knows that happiness isn’t just black and white. Other cultures around the world have many different ways to think about happiness that might actually make your daily life happier.
the aesthetics of joy
January 19, 2021
How do tangible things create an intangible feeling of joy? This is the question author and designer Ingrid Fetell Lee pondered while researching the relationship between joy and design.
how to be a rebel girl 💪
January 14, 2021
How do you instill confidence in young girls in a world that constantly depicts them as damsels in distress? You change the narrative. CEO Jes Wolfe and the Rebel Girls team are doing just that.
a pandemic fairytale 🧚♀️
January 11, 2021
Nikki tells Mr. Malone a wonderful story about a lonely little girl and the incredible fairy she befriends during the pandemic.
A LOVE LETTER TO THE USPS 💌
January 5, 2021
Mary Welcome has loved snail mail since she was a kid sending letters around the country. As an adult, that evolved into a photo project that pays tribute to the USPS.
waggin’ in the new year
January 4, 2021
To ring in the new year, Nikki tells Mr. Malone two incredible stories — about a dog with lots of business-savvy and another with a keen sense of direction.
a holiday trivia treat
December 16, 2020
Fellow Wondery co-hosts Aricia Skidmore-Williams and Brooke Siffrinn join Nikki for two rousing rounds of holiday-themed trivia. And this game comes down to the wire!
a blizzard of goodwill
December 14, 2020
Nikki and Mr. Malone tell some snowy stories from around the world and delve into their own stories of Christmases past for this fun holiday episode!
letters to santa 🎅🏼
december 10, 2020
Each year the U.S. Postal Service receives letters bound for the North Pole. Documentary filmmaker Dana Nachman set out to tell the story of what happens to all those letters.
the boston typewriter orchestra… ding!
december 9, 2020
All the sounds, beats, and rhythms by the Boston Typewriter Orchestra are made using vintage typewriters. You’ve never heard songs like this!
the christmas owl 🦉
december 7, 2020
What happens when a tiny owl stows away in the most famous Christmas tree in the world? Nikki and Mr. Malone find out in this festive episode.
animals with attitude
november 30, 2020
Animals have been getting angsty during the pandemic too! Nikki tells Mr. Malone about a group of thieving raccoons, a sad grouper in Finland, and an English peacock with a big personality.
a good day for gratitude
NOVEMBER 20, 2020
Thanksgiving is always a time for reflection. With that in mind, we reached out to family, friends, and you — our wonderful listeners — to find out what folks are grateful for this year.
the houses of beirut
NOVEMBER 18, 2020
When Joe and Gabi took photos in some of Beirut’s historic neighborhoods, they never imagined the meaning their photos would take on after a tragic event devastated large parts of the city.
to grandmother’s house we go
NOVEMBER 16, 2020
Kids do the darnedest things! Today, Nikki shares three incredible stories about kids who went the extra mile, literally and figuratively!
mr. malone for mayor
NOVEMBER 9, 2020
Not all election stories are stressful. Nikki and Mr. Malone have the 2020 election coverage you’ve been craving, including stories about animals running for office and an unexpected candidate who cleans up at the polls.
week of women
NOVEMBER 2-6, 2020
This weeklong series includes five untold stories of incredible women throughout history. With author Marie Benedict, Nikki talks about the legacies these women left and what they mean for today’s modern women.
the other einstein
NOVEMBER 6, 2020
Mileva Marić Einstein was a rare and gifted scientific mind. But as her husband Albert went on to define modern physics, she was left out of the story. Was Mileva the true Mother of the Atomic Age?
Master of mystery
NOVEMBER 2, 2020
Before she became a world famous author, 36-year-old Agatha Christie disappeared in a way only she could have written. The mystery caused the largest manhunt in English history and changed the course of her life.
abandoned beauty
OCTOBER 29, 2020
Abandoned buildings can be pretty creepy, right? Not for Irish photographer Rebecca Brownlie. For the past decade, she’s made it her goal to showcase the beauty that can be found in the forgotten buildings of Ireland’s countryside.
SOUNDS LIKE MAGIC
OCTOBER 27, 2020
Adam DeCoster is a member of a secret Hollywood club. He’s one of the 40 Foley artists in the industry, and it’s his job to make sure that everything you hear in movies and TV shows sounds perfect.
A VERY MALONE HALLOWEEN
OCTOBER 26, 2020
In a special spoooooooky episode, Nikki and Mr. Malone go house-haunting and “visit” a one-of-a-kind haunted experience in Japan. Don’t forget your flashlight — there are ghosts in this episode!
ACCIDENTALLY WES ANDERSON
OCTOBER 20, 2020
Sometimes the places in movies are incredible, but not at all real. But two longtime fans have found a way for adventurers to explore very real places that look like they belong in one of Wes Anderson’s movies.
THE OTTER AND THE RAT
OCTOBER 19, 2020
A lonely otter searches for love and a life-saving rat is rewarded for his hard work in this fun episode featuring Nikki and Mr. Malone.
A GLITTER OF ARICIAS
OCTOBER 14, 2020
What is it called when our host Nikki Boyer and Wondery’s Even the Rich co-host Aricia Skidmore-Williams decide to play animal-related trivia? A whole lotta laughs…
NINA DRAWS SCIENTISTS
OCTOBER 7, 2020
When Nina Chhita moved to London, she started drawing famous residents from the city’s history. But a trivia night sparked a brand new idea and set her on a new path.
THE CANDYMAN CAN… AND DID
OCTOBER 5, 2020
Thought buried treasure was the stuff of movies? Think again! Nikki and Mr. Malone venture on some real-life treasure hunts in this adventurous episode.
LITTLE SMILES 😄
OCTOBER 2, 2020
In celebration of World Smile Day, Nikki tells Mr. Malone a bunch of small, smile-worthy stories from around the world. Get ready to grin!
SIMRAN JEET SINGH KEEPS GOING
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
As a kid, Simran Jeet Singh always looked for books with Sikh-Americans like him but never found any. So he vowed to write one.
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
SEPTMEBER 23, 2020
A message-in-a-bottle travels over 4,000 miles in the ocean and a precious item goes missing in a garden for nearly four decades.
A SMILE FOR RBG
SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was iconic. And her journey to the highest court in the land was just as incredible as the woman herself.
LET’S GET THIS HOUSE!
SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
Demi Skipper has been trading one thing for another for months now, trying to trade her way to a house. And it all began with one small bobby pin.
A REAL LIFE PARENT TRAP
SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
When Catherine and Allison realized that their mom and dad were perfect for each other, they set a scheme in motion that’s straight out of a romantic-comedy.
THE HAMBURGLAR AND WONDER WOMAN
SEPTMEBER 14, 2020
What do emu siblings, a Chilean Batman, chocolate rain, and a lazy sloth have in common? Find out in this wacky conversation between Nikki and Mr. Malone.
IN USED BOOKS
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
Emma Smreker searches through used bookstores on the weekends. But she isn’t looking for an amazing deal… she’s searching for things hidden within the pages of secondhand books.
THE ADVENTURES OF TUCSON & CLAWDIA
SEPTEMBER 4, 2020
Nikki and Mr. Malone share stories of a lost pup who finds his dream job and a blue lobster who doesn’t have the blues anymore.
THE FIRST PIPER
september 2, 2020
Ross O’Connell Jennings has pipes. Bagpipes, that is! What started as a hobby has become a passion, and now he’s on a round-the-world mission to do something big.
MY FRIEND FUNGIE 🐬
august 21, 2020
A woman forged a special relationship with a dolphin more than 20 years ago. Little did she know, a dolphin halfway around the world would play such a vital role in her life.
THE LAND OF MISFIT BAGS
august 18, 2020
Ever wondered where lost luggage ends up? Turns out… Scottsboro, Alabama. In this episode, Nikki learns all about the Unclaimed Baggage Center.
LOST AND FOUND
august 17, 2020
A family discovers an unexpected time capsule and clothes mysteriously disappear from a Louisiana neighborhood. Nikki and Mr. Malone are on the case.
THE MAGIC OF COOKING
august 12, 2020
Jennifer has always loved cooking up new creations, but had no idea that time spent in the kitchen would lead to a new and better life.
HOUSE HUNTERS
august 10, 2020
Ever imagine leaving your life behind, moving to an exotic locale, and starting a new life? Nikki and Mr. Malone go house-hunting in four amazing locations around the world.
FINDING JOY AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
august 5, 2020
When Gil Roscoe needed something to take his mind off his grief, he applied for a new job with no idea it would lead to a whole new world that would reopen his heart.
THE CASE OF THE MISSING BEAR
August 4, 2020
A beloved teddy bear is stolen in Vancouver, Canada, and an A-list celebrity offers to help.
ICE CREAM DREAMS
july 31, 2020
Dr. Maya Warren has the sweetest job in the world. Traveling the globe, with only one thing on her mind. And it's probably not what you think.
the adventures of justin and yip yip
july 29, 2020
Nikki and Mr. Malone take a wild ride down the river as they discuss the tale of a Canadian man and his animal sidekick.
when a chicken goes to costco
july 24, 2020
What happens when the chicken crosses the road and ends up at the local COSTCO? Nikki and Mr. Malone are going to find out...
re: do not tell mommy 🤫
July 22, 2020
Bing and Joji Mendoza had a beautiful marriage. But when it came time to celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Bing had a plan that no one in the family expected.
made from scratch
july 20, 2020
When Michelle Brenner was put on furlough, she decided to use her extra time and some tomato sauce, ground beef, and noodles to provide comfort to her Washington community.
a mysterious letter
july 17, 2020
You get a letter in the mail asking you to call. You don’t know the person who sent it. What would you do? When Nikki gets one of those letters, she follows her curiosity to a surprising end.
tiny adventures
july 14, 2020
When adventurer and travel photographer Erin Sullivan is forced to stay at home, she finds a unique way to continue exploring without even leaving her apartment.
notes in the walls
july 13, 2020
There must be something about the houses in England. Nikki and Mr. Malone discuss two separate cases of people finding hidden notes in the walls of their homes decades after the messages were written.
a hitchhiker’s guide to doing good
july 8, 2020
Forty years ago, Merlin Clarke left his job and his life in New England to hitchhike around the country. The experience inspired him to create a trip where people can do good together.
yelitsa’s dream doll
july 1, 2020
When Yelitsa Jean-Charles was growing up, she didn’t have dolls that looked like her. But a project in college set her on a path to make sure that doesn’t happen for the younger generation.
nine ducks and the seven dwarves
june 30, 2020
What would you do if a baby duck fell into a sewer? That's just one of the crazy real life stories Nikki and Mr. Malone explore in a conversation about the deep, dark depths and the things we find when we get there.
notes from dad
june 19, 2020
When Chris Yandle noticed that his daughter was anxious about starting yet another new school, he did something simple and special to make her feel better. Not only did it make them closer, it also made him a better dad.
CHEERS TO THE CLASS OF 2020!
June 12, 2020
From principals going the extra mile to make sure students get their diplomas to parents who threw home graduations, these 2020 graduation celebrations are unlike any other.
MYSTERY MONEY BAGS
June 11, 2020
A Virginian family was out for a drive when they found two bags full of cash in the middle of the road. What would you do if this had happened to you? A conversation featuring Mr. Malone.