logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
51m 21s

Live From New York, It's Your Grandmothe...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

During its first 50 seasons, Saturday Night Live has welcomed legendary actors, superstar athletes, and notable politicians. But for one memorable night in 1977, Lorne Michaels turned the show over to an 80-year-old amateur. 

*

Special thanks to Connie Crawford for sharing her story. And thanks to the great Bill Carter for stopping by! You can read more of his work at LateNighter, or check out his many classic books.

*

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Thanks for listening. We'll return to our weekly publishing cadence later next month. Exciting things in the works! Until then, you can always email the show at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com, or go check out the back catalog. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Very Special Places: New York City History Hiding in Plain Sight
Today's episode is a tour of New York’s secret history with a very special guest! Greg Young of the beloved Bowery Boys podcast joins us to prove the world is a very interesting place, if you just know where to look. There's hidden history in subway grates, SoHo stores, Central P ... Show More
48m 42s
Apr 15
The Unintended Insanity of the 1994 Caribbean Cup (w/John Green and Daniel Alarcón of The Away End)
Today we're sharing an excerpt from a new soccer podcast, The Away End with John Green and Daniel Alarcón. In a recent episode they covered the 1994 Caribbean Cup, which felt very Very Special Episodes-y. If you like soccer or enjoy listening to smart friends chat, check out thei ... Show More
9m 4s
Apr 6
Bar Trivia: How a Staten Island Pub Made College Hoops History
Long before the NCAA Basketball Tournament became a billion-dollar business, there was a massive betting pool run out of a neighborhood bar on Staten Island. The Irish pub’s $10 game handed out million-dollar prizes and drew players from around the world. But when the pool got to ... Show More
20m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2021
#40 Barbara Shutt
<p>In 1968, Jonathan&rsquo;s mother-in-law Becky spent one of the best summers of her life with a woman named Barbara. But then they never spoke again. Now, over fifty years later, Becky learns something about Barbara that makes her question whether she ever really knew her at al ... Show More
36m 36s
Dec 2024
Big Parma
Stuffed crust pizza. Grilled cheese burritos. How did so much cheese get into so many things? On today's episode, we peel back the curtain on the Dairy Industrial Complex — AKA Big Parma.  * VERY SPECIAL CREDITS On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story e ... Show More
40m 30s
Jun 2024
Miles Davis
Miles Davis admitted in his autobiography to being a pimp that sold women for sex to support his heroin habit, and that was just the tip of the iceberg for this brilliant jazz musician who was incredibly honest about his many, many vices. You can find clips of the show on TikTok ... Show More
45m 18s
Apr 2024
Charles Dickens and JM Barrie
A literary Scumbags double-header! Featuring the not-so-great personal histories of the authors of "A Christmas Carol" and "Peter Pan".Scumbags of History is a production of Voyage Media and Enthusiast Gaming. The series is produced by Nat Mundel, and Dan Benamor (Voyage Media), ... Show More
53m 35s
Dec 2024
Episode 508 || Yes, Virginia
<p>This week on From the Front Porch, Annie’s dad, Chris Butterworth, reads the New York Sun reporter Francis P. Church’s timeless response to eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon’s question: “Is there a Santa Claus?” Read the letter from 1897 and learn about its history <a href='htt ... Show More
9m 2s
Aug 2025
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Flood’s Town Hall
Check out the JVN Patreon for exclusive BTS content, extra interviews, and much much more - check it out here: www.patreon.com/jvn This week on The Monday Edit we're talking: Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Flood’s disastrous town hall, sports coverage on Peacock, Gilded Age takeawa ... Show More
31m 15s
Dec 2024
Stealing Baby Jesus
While leafing through 75 years of local newspapers, Zaron Burnett uncovers an American Christmas tradition as ingrained in our culture as the red-and-white Santa: sneaking up to a nativity scene and stealing the Baby Jesus. And, in many cases, immediately regretting it. Note: Ple ... Show More
22m 39s
Aug 2025
Americana Music Live with Drew Holcomb and Malcolm Gladwell
Wrapping up our summer music series, the Memphis-born, East Nashville-based singer songwriter Drew Holcomb talks with Malcolm in front of a live audience at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village. Drew plays original songs and a few covers you might recognize on this explor ... Show More
1h 18m