On Demand
The Next Big Thing
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Extra Ordinary
In these anxious and extraordinary times, The Next Big Thing offers a much-needed dose of the ordinary – a profile of cockroaches, a report on lives lived uneventfully, and an improvisational take on therapy-gone-awry starring Janeane Garofalo and David Rakoff. Plus a studio visit from Suzanne Vega, guitar in hand.
Part I: Bugs and Other Daily Features of Life
A Visit with the Roach Lady
Dr. Betty Faber is the staff scientist at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. She wears a silver cicada around her neck. And on her desk, she's got a tarantula. Faber introduces host Dean Olsher to some of the roaches on hand at the Liberty Science Center.
News from NPR: Normally Private Real-life
You give us three minutes, we'll give you the world of the ordinary. Written by Jule Gardner, with guest appearances from Rick Davis, Brooke Gladstone, Steve Inskeep and Karen Michel.
Part II: Musical Interlude
She’s Not in Tom’s Diner
She's here, in the studio with Dean Olsher. Suzanne Vega sings, plays guitar, and talks about that little melody loop you’ve probably heard before. For more on Ms. Vega, visit her website.
Part III: Shop Talk
The Doctor is in
Shopping took on mythic qualities over the course of the past year. It was supposed to show our indomitable spirit in the face of terrorism, to serve as a shot in the arm for a weak economy, and more. Shopping as a cure-all? What would your therapist say? Here are a few possible scenarios, as conceived by comic improvisers Janeane Garofalo and David Rakoff.
Buckle up for Safety
This is not the recording you usually hear in the backseat of a cab. Host Dean Olsher takes a ride with Terry Gelber from the Master Cabbie Taxi Academy.
