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Artwork for The Big Dig Season 4: Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story
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The Big Dig Season 4: Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story

GBH News

“This is a town where there are three pastimes: politics, sports and revenge.” The town is Boston.

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 1: "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 2: "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. 


Season 3: "Catching The Codfather"

A fishing tycoon is arrested in an elaborate sting operation, but claims he’s the real hero fighting back against the state.


Season 4: "Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story" 

Mitt Romney and Ted Kennedy began their political journeys on opposite sides of the healthcare issue, and they ended once again on opposite sides, but for a brief period in the middle they worked together to pass a groundbreaking law – one that promised to finally transform the politics of American healthcare – the law known as Romneycare. So what brought this odd couple together, and what ultimately pulled Mitt and Ted apart?

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CREDITS:

Host & Creator: Ian Coss

Executive Producer: Devin Maverick Robins

Producer: Isabel Hibbard

Story Editor: Lacy Roberts 

Contact us as thebigdig@wgbh.org

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  • 25 episodes
  • Avg 40 min
  • English

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  • S3 · E7
    March 25 · 42 min

    Have we entered a new era for government regulation?

    John Vecchione represented a group of fishermen who challenged government regulations all the way to the Supreme Court. Together, they helped overturn the decades-old “Chevron Doctrine,” which has been cited thousands of times in federal court rulings. But Vecchione is not done, and you might be surprised to learn what regulations he is challenging next. For a very different take on the future of regulation after the fall of the Chevron Doctrine, check out this article from climate reporter Molly Taft: The Koch Brothers Are Getting What They Wanted: The Supreme Court Is Gutting Environmental Protections

  • S3 · E6
    March 18 · 1 hr 7 min

    Catching The Codfather | 6. It’s Your Job to Catch Me

    A new revelation forces federal investigators to close down the case, fast. But what will taking down The Codfather mean for the port of New Bedford? Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co. --------------------------- 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 Intern: Fiona Boyd Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Graphic Design: Bill Miller

  • S3 · E5
    March 11 · 1 hr 1 min

    Catching The Codfather | 5. Painting Fish

    When federal agents first meet with Carlos Rafael, the fishing mogul offers up a tantalizing clue: a special system for ‘painting fish.’ It’s the key to understanding the entire fraud, and why Carlos is the only one who could pull it off. Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co. --------------------------- 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 Intern: Fiona Boyd Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Graphic Design: Bill Miller

  • S3 · E4
    March 4 · 52 min

    Catching The Codfather | 4. Mosquitos on the Balls of an Elephant

    A new regulatory system is meant to end overfishing, but Carlos Rafael exploits it to accumulate even more boats and power – drawing resentment from other fishermen, and attention from the feds. Major sponsorship for "Catching The Codfather" is provided by Roger’s Fish Co. --------------------------- 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 Intern: Fiona Boyd Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Graphic Design: Bill Miller

  • S3 · E3
    February 25 · 48 min

    Catching The Codfather | 3. Punch in the Kisser

    The west has cowboys, the east has fishermen – it's a job defined by freedom and self-reliance. But in 1991 a contentious lawsuit forces the government to step in, setting Carlos Rafael and the regulators on a collision course. You can watch the full film of “A Fish Story” on YouTube. Major sponsorship for “Catching The Codfather” is provided by Roger’s Fish Co. --------------------------- 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 Intern: Fiona Boyd Scoring and Music Supervision: Ian Coss Graphic Design: Bill Miller

Showing 21–25 of 25 episodes