Revisionist History
Hosted by Malcolm Gladwell
Re-examining overlooked and misunderstood moments in history.
28 episodes processed
Episodes
General David Goldfein, former Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, and Dr. Heather Wilson, former Secretary of the Air Force, reflect on the worst day in their professional careers and the leadership lessons that emerged from tragedy. Drawing from their book 'Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership,' they explore how responding to catastrophic failure shaped their understanding of accountability and resilience in high-stakes environments.
A preview episode from the podcast What Went Wrong exploring The Shawshank Redemption's unlikely journey from box office disappointment to the highest-rated film on IMDb. The episode examines how a movie that failed commercially became a beloved American classic and the mistakes and challenges that shaped its path.
Michael Lynton, former head of Sony Pictures Entertainment, sits down with Malcolm Gladwell to discuss a pivotal mistake: greenlighting The Interview, a comedy film that sparked an international incident when North Korea hacked Sony in retaliation. Lynton reflects on the decision-making process, the consequences, and what he learned about corporate accountability and risk assessment in the age of geopolitics.
Richard Pryor redefined comedy by telling the truth, even when it scorched him. And today, we’re sharing a preview of a new podcast, Big Lives, and a special episode about Pryor.
Since Andrew Jarecki’s latest documentary The Alabama Solution debuted on HBO, it has stunned viewers with a story about a group of men seeking justice.
Did Disney make an anti-Disney movie? Ben and Malcolm engage in a bit of literary sleuthing to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Screenwriter Gary Goldman claimed the creators of the Disney franchise Zootopia stole his story. Malcolm investigates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Valley of Shadows is a new Pushkin true crime podcast that digs into a nearly 30-year old secret buried in the California desert. On June 11, 1998, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy Jon Aujay went for a run in California’s Devil’s Punchbowl park...and never came back.
Despite his disdain for birthdays, Malcolm finds himself celebrating ten years of Revisionist History by looking back on the making of the show with producers past and present. And, of course, his mother.
A journalist reporting from some far-flung remote location. A massive blackout. Ticketless entry to a huge sporting event. Behind some of the most technologically complex scenarios is a network making it possible to connect.
Malcolm recently went on the podcast of one of his favorite comedians, Hasan Minhaj. He enjoyed the experience so much, he wanted to share the conversation with you! Enjoy.
Today, we bring you our holiday epic from last year.When Arnold Schwarzenegger decided he wanted to direct a feature film, the choice of material was obvious: He would remake a 1945 holiday classic. Easier said than done. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For nearly 200 years, we have credited the most famous poem of the Christmas season to Clement Clarke Moore. But what if we got the wrong man? This holiday season: A centuries old family feud, a bold claim from an English professor, and the true meaning of Christmas.
Malcolm and Liliana Segura, a criminal justice reporter at Intercept, sat down for an episode of The Intercept Briefing to discuss The Alabama Murders, the inherent cruelty of the death penalty, and the concerning rise of executions in America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Holman Correctional Facility. January 2024. Over three decades after the murder of Elizabeth Sennett, the failure cascade comes to an end, but not before claiming one more life.
Manhattan, NY December. 2022. What do you do, after the state has tried to execute you, but failed? Kenny Smith’s legal team calls Kate Porterfield. A psychologist who specializes in trauma.
Holman Correctional Facility. November 2022. The State of Alabama tries to execute Kenneth Smith. Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.
Holman Correctional Facility. June 2010. John Forrest Parker is put to death by lethal injection. He didn’t appear to suffer. But did he? Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.
Colbert County. May 1989. One of the men charged with Elizabeth Sennett’s murder stands trial. But the prosecution’s case has problematic inconsistencies. His fate comes down to the jury’s decision –– at least at first.
Florence, Alabama. 1988. After a horrifying murder takes place, an anonymous caller names three young men as suspects. But speculation swirls about the victim’s husband. Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.
In a small town in the northwest corner of Alabama, a cascade begins with a man and an affair. Get early, ad-free access to the full season of The Alabama Murders by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.
Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help.
In 2019, Malcolm just wanted an excuse to hang out with Randy Newman so they sat down at the piano together and tried to answer the question: If you disagree with someone — if you find what they think appalling — is there any value in talking to them?
Malcolm’s habit of reading footnotes leads him to the psychologist Alan Elms, which leads him to the one song Elvis couldn’t sing. We revisit this 2018 episode as part of our encore music series. Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.
Why does country music make you cry, but rock and roll doesn’t? We revisit a musical interpretation of a divided America in this episode from 2017. Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.
How does genius emerge? Kicking off our summer series, Malcolm digs into the Revisionist History archive to revisit Elvis Costello’s song “Deportee” and explore the power of innovation. Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.
Starting next week, we revisit four of Malcolm’s favorite episodes from the Revisionist History archives, all about music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In our season finale, we team up with the Culinary Institute of America to reverse engineer the secret recipe for Thomas’s English Muffins. You can read our top secret muffin recipe here. Get ad-free episodes to Revisionist History by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm.