For our 400th show, we try something harder than anything we've ever tried in the previous 399. We take the random ideas that members of our own families have told us at weddings and family gatherings would be "perfect for the show"...and we actually try to make those ideas into stories.
Seth Lind
We Have a Winner!
Thank you to the 13,000 listeners who voted for their favorite stories.
Prologue
Host Ira Glass talks to his dad and stepmom about a story his dad thought might be good for the radio, concerning a mishap with a lost suit on a train. Ira then gathers the This American Life producers in their conference room, and announces a contest: Whoever makes the best story out of their parents' pitches wins. At the end of the show we announce the staff favorite. But what do we know? (7 minutes.)
Nancy's Dad's Story
The Erie Canal. (6 minutes.)
Alex's Dad's Story
Corporate Personhood. (6 minutes)
In the broadcast, we interrupt Alex's story in the middle. Listen to the whole thing.
Alissa's Mom And Sarah's Mom
Two short ideas that didn't work out so well as full stories. (3 minutes.)
All the songs in this episode prompted Senior Producer Julie Snyder to sing the unofficial This American Life jingle.
Related
If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these
Act Three: The Homesick Explorer
This American Life contributor Sarah Vowell tells the story of a mapmaker named Charles Preuss who charted the Western Territories with two of American history's legendary explorers—John Charles Fremont and Kit Carson.
Act One: Part One
Margaret Dunbar Cutright starts looking into her grandfather's disappearance.
Act Four: Bring Your Child to Work Detail
Michael May tells this story about two prison inmates in Texas—Daniel Johnson and Jesse Johnson—and the unusual bond they formed.
Staff Recommendations
The Giant Pool of Money
The surprisingly entertaining story of how the U.S. got itself into a housing crisis.
Mapping
The world redrawn by the five senses.