…

The Big Dig

…

GBH News

“This is a town where there are three pastimes: politics, sports and revenge.” 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. --- CREDITS Producer: Isabel Hibbard Story Editor: Lacy Roberts Host & Creator: Ian Coss Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins Contact us as [thebigdig@wgbh.org] (mailto:thebigdig@wgbh.org)

#25

The Big Dig Returns

NEW name. NEW art. NEW season. NEW events. NEW mailing list. Listen for all the updates an... more

15 Oct 2025

05 MINS

05:06

15 Oct 2025

#24

BONUS: How to sue the government, and win

Last week, we heard about a movement to challenge the authority of government agencies and... more

09 Apr 2025

45 MINS

45:20

09 Apr 2025

#23

BONUS: Why do some parts of government work better than others?

This podcast has featured two stories about government endeavors: the much-criticized infr... more

02 Apr 2025

43 MINS

43:55

02 Apr 2025

#22

BONUS: Should we be nostalgic for machine politics?

There’s a lot of talk lately about patronage politics returning to Washington – a system b... more

26 Mar 2025

39 MINS

39:10

26 Mar 2025

#21

BONUS: Why does sports betting feel different?

Lotteries are part of a long trend toward more and more legal gambling: bingo helped open ... more

19 Mar 2025

49 MINS

49:05

19 Mar 2025

#20

Scratch & Win | 8. The Other Massachusetts Miracle

Part 8: Most lottery games follow a predictable life cycle: a burst of interest followed b... more

12 Mar 2025

46 MINS

46:32

12 Mar 2025

#19

Scratch & Win | 7. The Dirtiest Race in the Commonwealth

Part 7: By 1986 Treasurer Bob Crane has turned the lottery into the most successful operat... more

05 Mar 2025

51 MINS

51:05

05 Mar 2025

#18

Scratch & Win | 6. The Game Dreams Are Made Of

Part 6: The Mass Lottery stumbles when it attempts to launch the nation’s first ‘lotto’ ga... more

26 Feb 2025

45 MINS

45:59

26 Feb 2025

#17

Scratch & Win | 5. The Cherry Sheets

Part 5: The lottery was never just about stopping crime; it was about bringing in money. I... more

19 Feb 2025

56 MINS

56:02

19 Feb 2025

#16

Scratch & Win | 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. Luck... more

12 Feb 2025

43 MINS

43:48

12 Feb 2025

#15

Scratch & Win | 3. Have You Played Your Number?

Part 3: Before the Massachusetts Lottery can claim to be number one, they have to take out... more

05 Feb 2025

50 MINS

50:52

05 Feb 2025

#14

Scratch & Win | 2. The Lottery Czar

Part 2: When states got into the gambling business, they wanted the same thing organized c... more

29 Jan 2025

56 MINS

56:50

29 Jan 2025

#13

Scratch & Win | 1. The Instant Ticket

Part 1: It’s 1974, illegal bookies are everywhere and the brand new state lottery is strug... more

29 Jan 2025

49 MINS

49:36

29 Jan 2025

#12

Introducing Season Two: Scratch & Win

Legal gambling is everywhere. But how did it get like this? And why can't we fully embrace... more

22 Jan 2025

04 MINS

04:02

22 Jan 2025

#11

BONUS: A note from the team

Just dropping in to share some news about the show, and what's coming next.

12 Jun 2024

02 MINS

02:50

12 Jun 2024

#10

The Big Dig | 9. Hearts and Minds

Part 9: It’s been fifty years since the Big Dig was first conceived, thirty years since co... more

15 Nov 2023

37 MINS

37:32

15 Nov 2023

#9

The Big Dig | 8. I Want Justice for What Happened

Part 8: Just as the project turns the corner towards completion, its entire legacy becomes... more

08 Nov 2023

56 MINS

56:59

08 Nov 2023

#8

The Big Dig | 7. The Turnpike Revolt

Part 7: By the year 2000, the Big Dig has passed through many hands, but in its final year... more

01 Nov 2023

56 MINS

56:34

01 Nov 2023

#7

The Big Dig | 6. The Up Down Charts

Part 6: As work progresses through the 1990s and the tunnels take shape, the true cost of ... more

25 Oct 2023

50 MINS

50:07

25 Oct 2023

#6

The Big Dig | 5. Hatchet Man vs. the 800 Pound Gorilla

Part 5: In 1991, the Big Dig is handed off to a new leader – the brash, aggressive, hatche... more

18 Oct 2023

53 MINS

53:37

18 Oct 2023

#5

The Big Dig | 4. The Double Cross

Part 4: The project faces an unexpected challenge on the home front: resistance from local... more

11 Oct 2023

56 MINS

56:05

11 Oct 2023

#4

The Big Dig | 3. All Politics is Local

Part 3: The Big Dig needs federal funding. House Speaker Tip O’Neill is determined to get ... more

04 Oct 2023

53 MINS

53:32

04 Oct 2023

#3

The Big Dig | 2. Unholy Alliance

Part 2: In the early 1970s a radical idea took shape: tearing down Boston’s elevated downt... more

27 Sep 2023

52 MINS

52:00

27 Sep 2023

#2

The Big Dig | 1. We Were Wrong

Part 1: There is a strange irony behind the Big Dig: the most expensive highway project ev... more

27 Sep 2023

54 MINS

54:17

27 Sep 2023

#1

Introducing Season One: The Big Dig

Can America still do big things? Can we build the ambitious projects we will need to survi... more

13 Sep 2023

05 MINS

05:03

13 Sep 2023

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#25

The Big Dig Returns

#24

BONUS: How to sue the government, and win

#23

BONUS: Why do some parts of government work better than others?

#22

BONUS: Should we be nostalgic for machine politics?

#21

BONUS: Why does sports betting feel different?

#20

Scratch & Win | 8. The Other Massachusetts Miracle

#19

Scratch & Win | 7. The Dirtiest Race in the Commonwealth

#18

Scratch & Win | 6. The Game Dreams Are Made Of

#17

Scratch & Win | 5. The Cherry Sheets

#16

Scratch & Win | 4. The Last Mafia Boss of Boston

#15

Scratch & Win | 3. Have You Played Your Number?

#14

Scratch & Win | 2. The Lottery Czar

#13

Scratch & Win | 1. The Instant Ticket

#12

Introducing Season Two: Scratch & Win

#11

BONUS: A note from the team

#10

The Big Dig | 9. Hearts and Minds

#9

The Big Dig | 8. I Want Justice for What Happened

#8

The Big Dig | 7. The Turnpike Revolt

#7

The Big Dig | 6. The Up Down Charts

#6

The Big Dig | 5. Hatchet Man vs. the 800 Pound Gorilla

#5

The Big Dig | 4. The Double Cross

#4

The Big Dig | 3. All Politics is Local

#3

The Big Dig | 2. Unholy Alliance

#2

The Big Dig | 1. We Were Wrong

#1

Introducing Season One: The Big Dig