Month: April 2017

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Crimetown - S1 E17: The Trial of Buddy Cianci

Buddy Cianci faces justice. His lawyers say he’s the Renaissance Mayor, too busy rebuilding Providence to notice a few bad apples in his administration. The prosecution says he’s just another crooked politician, running a massive corruption ring out of City Hall. Which story will the jury believe?

For a full list of credits, and more information about this episode, visit our website at crimetownshow.com.

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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy - Cuneiform

The Egyptians thought literacy was divine; a benefaction which came from the baboon-faced god Thoth. In fact the earliest known script – “cuneiform” – came from Uruk, a Mesopotamian settlement on the banks of the Euphrates in what is now Iraq. What did it say? As Tim Harford describes, cuneiform wasn’t being used for poetry, or to send messages to far-off lands. It was used to create the world’s first accounts. And the world’s first written contracts, too. Producer: Ben Crighton Editors: Richard Knight and Richard Vadon (Image: Close-up of clay tablet, Credit: Kotomiti Okuma/Shutterstock)
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The Gist - The Incredible Lucas Brothers

Weeks before the end of their third-year final exams, twins Keith and Kenny Lucas became law school dropouts to pursue careers in comedy. But their whole lives had been about going the other way: Growing up in drug war–ravaged Newark, New Jersey, they were self-professed nerds trying to figure out why their dad was in prison. The Lucas Bros: On DrugsNetflix special shows off Keith and Kenny’s perfect timing as a comedy tag team (though they might also be just a little bit high). Their set pokes fun at dead presidents, and their jokes range from annoying drug dealers to Steph Curry, but the act feels like classic vaudeville. 

In the Spiel, it’s time to talk about Kim Jong-un’s rational dickishness. 

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The Gist - When Did Late Night Stop Being Fun?

Once upon a time, late-night talk shows were like boozy dinner parties, fun chat-fests where movie stars would reveal a little too much about themselves. Now, they’re marked by anti-septic games of charades and sing-alongs. Comedian Guy Branum wants to bring anarchy back to late night with Talk Show: The Game Show. “We’ll all watch these people in TV and singing; we know what they’re good at,” says Branum. “A talk show should let you inside of them a bit more.” 

Plus, we head back to Vexillological Corner for a discussion of city flags with flag expert Ted Kaye. 

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