The Big Dig

GBH News

Seemingly dry topics become gripping political dramas in this Peabody Award winning show from creator Ian Coss and GBH News. Each season of “The Big Dig” uncovers a different facet of society – infrastructure, gambling, food, healthcare – together the pieces connect to tell the story of modern America.    Season One: The Big Dig  The highway project known as “The Big Dig” is infamous – a shorthand for government failure – but it all started as one engineer’s dream to correct the wrongs of the past, and its legacy is far from simple.   Season Two: Scratch & Win  America’s most successful state lottery – and its greatest innovation, the scratch ticket – all starts with mafia bookmakers and state bureaucrats going toe to toe in a battle to own the future of gambling. 

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  1. The Instant Ticket

    EPISODE 1

    The Instant Ticket

    Part 1: It’s 1974, illegal bookies are everywhere and the brand new state lottery is struggling to compete. But a simple piece of paper is about to change the game forever: the nation’s first scratch ticket.  --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    50 min
  2. The Lottery Czar

    EPISODE 2

    The Lottery Czar

    Part 2: When states got into the gambling business, they wanted the same thing organized crime wanted: money and power. The question now is who in government will get to wield that awesome power?  --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    57 min
  3. Have You Played Your Number?

    EPISODE 3

    Have You Played Your Number?

    Part 3: Before the Massachusetts Lottery can claim to be number one, they have to take out the competition. So in 1976 the state lottery challenges organized crime head on by copying their most popular game: 'the numbers.' --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    51 min
  4. The Last Mafia Boss of Boston

    EPISODE 4

    The Last Mafia Boss of Boston

    Part 4: The state lottery can’t run the mob out of the numbers business on their own. Luckily they’ve got help from the FBI, who are just launching a daring operation of their own – to bug the headquarters of the Boston mafia. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    44 min
  5. The Cherry Sheets

    EPISODE 5

    The Cherry Sheets

    Part 5: The lottery was never just about stopping crime; it was about bringing in money. In 1980, an anti-tax ballot measure throws Massachusetts state finances into chaos, putting new pressure on the lottery to close the gap. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    56 min
  6. The Game Dreams Are Made Of

    EPISODE 6

    The Game Dreams Are Made Of

    Part 6: The Mass Lottery stumbles when it attempts to launch the nation’s first ‘lotto’ game. But that failure soon becomes an opportunity – and a national craze – when Treasurer Bob Crane brings in a new agency to take over the state’s marketing efforts. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    46 min
  7. The Dirtiest Race in the Commonwealth

    EPISODE 7

    The Dirtiest Race in the Commonwealth

    Part 7: By 1986 Treasurer Bob Crane has turned the lottery into the most successful operation of its kind, but now he’s in the fight of his political life with a challenger who says he’s the real crook. To cement his legacy he will have to win one last election, and it’s a dirty one. --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    51 min
  8. The Other Massachusetts Miracle

    EPISODE 8

    The Other Massachusetts Miracle

    Part 8: Most lottery games follow a predictable life cycle: a burst of interest followed by a long decline. But something else happened with the scratch ticket, and it changed how every lottery in the country operates.  --------------------------- Credits: Host and scriptwriter: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Producers: Isabel Hibbard and Ian Coss Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Editorial Advisor: Jenifer McKim Fact Checkers: Ryan Alderman and Isabel Hibbard Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Project Manager: Meiqian He Graphic Design: Bill Miller

    47 min
See All Season 2 (13)

Trailers

Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
74 Ratings

About

Seemingly dry topics become gripping political dramas in this Peabody Award winning show from creator Ian Coss and GBH News. Each season of “The Big Dig” uncovers a different facet of society – infrastructure, gambling, food, healthcare – together the pieces connect to tell the story of modern America.    Season One: The Big Dig  The highway project known as “The Big Dig” is infamous – a shorthand for government failure – but it all started as one engineer’s dream to correct the wrongs of the past, and its legacy is far from simple.   Season Two: Scratch & Win  America’s most successful state lottery – and its greatest innovation, the scratch ticket – all starts with mafia bookmakers and state bureaucrats going toe to toe in a battle to own the future of gambling. 

Information

  • Creator
    GBH News
  • Episodes
    23
  • Seasons
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2023 WGBH Educational Foundation
  • Show Website
    The Big Dig

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