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
Jul 16
Introducing: American History Hotline
Hi, Very Special Episodes listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, American History Hotline. American History Hotline: Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — ... Show More
1m 20s
Jul 16
The 1932 Crime That Birthed Superman
Superman is everywhere this summer, but today's bonus episode has nothing to do with James Gunn or David Corenswet. Let's go back to the beginning, when young Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first conjured up the character. Superman may have never seen the light of day if not for a ... Show More
48m 47s
Jul 9
Hush! The Battle Over 'Goodnight Moon'
Today, Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon is considered a classic. The deceptively complex children’s book has been passed down for generations. But if the New York Public Library had gotten its way, you’d have never even heard of it. * Thanks to our Very Special guests Amy Gar ... Show More
49m 13s
Recommended Episodes
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
Westward Hoax: The Secret History of Palisade, Nevada
In the 1870s, Palisade, NV was the meanest little town west of the Mississippi. Every week, newspapers announced another gunpowder-fueled cowboy showdown. Palisade put the wild in the “Wild West.” But there was a lot more to the story that didn’t make the papers. * Very Special E ... Show More
34m 5s
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
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 here. From the ... Show More
9m 2s
Aug 11
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
Feb 2025
Bonus Episode: Jay-Z Developments, Sid and Nancy, and a One Buck Utopia
This week, Jake shares some surprising developments in the Jay-Z case and their ramifications for the ongoing Diddy cases. Plus we hear from you on the Sid and Nancy story, and Jake imagines a better world where hot dogs, coffee and cheap beer cost just one dollar.Next week, we'r ... Show More
40m 32s
Jul 29
Best Of: Barbara Kingsolver on ‘Urban-Rural Antipathy’
“It’s so insidious, people don’t realize it,” Barbara Kingsolver told me, describing the prejudice against “country people.” Kingsolver is one of those “country people,” as well as a literary legend in her own time, who set out to write the “great Appalachian novel.” And I think ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2025
Bonus Episode: RIP David Johansen and Gene Hackman
This week, Jake reflects on the recent passing of two legends: David Johansen and Gene Hackman. Plus, we hear from you on rock n' roll actors, great guitarists, and day drinking with punk legends in a strip club.Next week, we're bringing you a story about Thin Lizzy. In honor of ... Show More
43m 3s