The Alarmist takes a historical event and asks what actually happened. Who caused it? Comedian Rebecca Delgado-Smith asks these questions as she looks back on a past event and tries to figure out what's true and what's not.

The podcast covers some traditional historical events. It examines the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, the death of Cleopatra, and the sinking of the Titanic, to name a few. Other episodes feature moments in pop culture history. Subjects include the breakup of Ross and Rachel on Friends, or the disastrous Fyre Festival.

Whatever the topic, most podcast episodes discuss an event well-known to the public. Rebecca analyzes it and often discovers things that aren't quite what they seem. Each event spans two episodes, the main episode and a followup "Aftermath" episode. Each main episode is around an hour long, and each "Aftermath" episode is half an hour long. The podcast releases one of each show format per week.

Each main podcast episode begins with a summary of the historical event. After that, Rebecca asks a team of guests to explain what happened in detail. She's joined on each episode by a producer, fact-checker, and a special guest. The special guest is someone who has expert insight into the event, such as a writer or academic. In the followup "Aftermath" episode, the show tries to come to a conclusion. Who or what was to blame for the event, and how did it unfold?

The Alarmist makes history fun and accessible while adding in a few surprises. Host Rebecca and her team of guests are engaging. They bring humor while remaining thorough and accurate.