Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! | NPR

Episode: Cynthia Nixon

Date: September 27, 2025

Host: Peter Sagal
Notable Panelists: Negin Farsad, Adam Burke, Casey Shornima (debut)
Celebrity Guest: Cynthia Nixon

Episode Overview

This lively episode of NPR’s beloved news quiz show features classic quips, sharp news commentary, and an entertaining interview with acclaimed actor Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City, And Just Like That, The Gilded Age). The show rolls through rapid-fire news games, hilarious panel banter, and a deep-dive into Cynthia Nixon’s unique Broadway history and pop culture legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. “Who’s Bill This Time?”: The News Quiz Opener

• (02:40 – 09:28)
  • Donald Trump’s UN Escalator Debacle:
    • Trump and Melania’s escalator malfunction at the UN prompts mockery and riffs on Trump’s history with escalators.
    • Panel joke: His political life is “bookended by escalators” (Adam Burke, 04:15).
    • “He just stands there waiting for it to start working.” (Adam Burke, 04:37)
  • Broadway Musicals in Trouble:
    • Not one of 18 new Broadway musicals has made a profit this year.
    • Negin Farsad shares her love for the NYC musical scene, recounts a Rosh Hashanah story where “a guy...writes musicals for a living” breaks into a Jewish new year song (05:34).
    • Peter Sagal quips about “legalized gambling” saving the industry:
      • “I got $5,000 on the Sharks over the Jets. Come on, Maria!” (06:38)
  • The Rapture Rumor:
    • Viral TikTok “RaptureTalk” forecasts the apocalypse for Sept 23rd or 24th.
    • Panel riffs on the logistics: Can one get to heaven if indoors?
    • “Can you imagine...you get sucked into a jet engine.” (Peter Sagal, 08:43)
    • “Do you keep hitting your head on the ceiling like a video game?” (Casey Shornima, 08:53)

2. Legal Witnesses and Animal Testimony

• (10:07 – 11:37)
  • AI & Animal Witnesses:
    • The American Bar Association considers if pets could soon testify in court.
    • “We all know that, but now you might have to worry about all your pets d[a]iving you out.” (Peter Sagal, 10:33)
    • Adam Burke: “By hostile witnesses, I mean cats...just gonna send everybody down the river.”

3. Bluff the Listener: Fish Tales

• (14:55 – 19:02)
  • Three wild-but-true stories about fishing:
    • Robotic Catfish Prank: Legendary “Commodore” catfish exposed as a remote-control prank.
    • Fish-or-Phony Dating App: Verifying if men caught their dating profile fish (Casey Shornima’s tall tale).
    • Freckled Redfish Spelling Words: Real story—spotted redfish found with natural markings forming words.
      • “They have this connection with our world and pop culture. They’re trying to tell us something.” (Negin Farsad, 18:32, quoting a real “redfish freckle connoisseur”)
    • WINNER: The ‘redfish with secret messages’—confirmed by Andrew Brown, founder of Drum Spots.

4. Celebrity Interview: Cynthia Nixon

• (20:47 – 30:49)

Her Broadway Double-Duty

• At age 18, Cynthia performed in two Broadway shows at once—alternating acts between “Hurly Burly” and “The Real Thing.”
• “I would change my clothes...walk two blocks...wait, and then I would go on in the real thing.” (Cynthia Nixon, 21:37)
• “My character...by the third act had become a street hooker.” (21:51)

Sex and the City Legacy

• “We knew there was nothing like it on television...but by the second season, they put us on the cover of Time magazine. At that point, we weren’t just entertainment. We had fully entered the zeitgeist.” (Cynthia Nixon, 22:54)
• On fans moving to NYC:
  • “Women are often coming up to me and saying, ‘I moved here because of your show.’ And I do feel a little guilty.” (23:33)
  • “People have also said...the most unrealistic [thing] was that there were that many attractive single men...” (23:42)

On Costumes: The Gilded Age vs. Sex and the City

• Corsets in The Gilded Age: “I’m not gonna say they’re [not] formidable...There’s a lot of people in Uggs and a lot of people in clogs.” (25:15)

5. Not My Job Game: The New York Knicks

• (25:50 – 30:49)
  • Peter quizzes Nixon on Knicks trivia.
  • Notable moment:
    • LeBron James Knicks pursuit—Sopranos ending filmed just for him.
    • On James Dolan using facial recognition to keep lawyers out.
    • Locker room tension “broken by an epic fart”—“The fart wins.” (Bill Curtis, 30:30)

6. Panel Banter & News Questions

• (32:38 – 37:07)
• Zuckerberg’s demo of $800 AI glasses fails.
• Men’s short shirts trend—“Grab your scissors, fellas.”
• Scientists record leopard shark threesomes: “A menage a shark.” (36:01)

7. Listener Limerick Challenge

• (38:11 – 42:29)
  • Groaning at impossible-to-open Talenti gelato jars.
  • The rise of tooth tattoos (“I thought I got a piercing in my tooth, but it was just a cavity.” – Casey Shornima, 41:06)
  • Baywatch reboot gets greenlit—“Isn’t it amazing that hot people in bathing suits can still get a TV show?” (Negin Farsad, 42:20)

8. Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank

• (44:00 – 49:10)
  • Panelists rapidly answer news questions.
  • Casey Shornima, in her panel debut, wins the game: “How does it feel?” — “Incredible.” (49:12)

9. Closing Jokes: Musicals to Save Broadway

• (50:14 – 50:29)
  • Adam Burke: “Epstein! (exclamation point)”
  • Negin Farsad: “Phantom of the Miserable on the Roof.”
  • Casey Shornima: “Chicago, based on the movie, based on the musical, based on the play.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Peter Sagal: “I've never myself watched the show. I’m assuming that’s a compliment. He’s a great guy and that to this day he’s alive and well. Right?” (00:44)
• Adam Burke: “Trump does look like a guy who thinks all stairs are just a broken escalator.” (04:36)
• Cynthia Nixon: “By the third act, [my character] had become a street hooker...very garish makeup...with William Hurt...after 11 o’clock.” (21:51)
• Casey Shornima: “I recently rewatched the episode where Miranda has chlamydia. And let me say, it’s measured up. No, I’m kidding.” (24:29)
• Adam Burke: “By hostile witnesses, I mean cats.” (11:20)
• Peter Sagal: “The fart wins.” (30:37)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:21 – Show open
• 02:40 – “Who’s Bill This Time?” quiz
• 10:07 – Animal witnesses in court discussion
• 14:55 – Bluff the Listener: Fish stories
• 20:47 – Cynthia Nixon interview
• 25:50 – Not My Job: Knicks quiz with Cynthia Nixon
• 32:38 – More panel news questions & banter
• 38:11 – Limerick Challenge
• 44:00 – Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank
• 50:14 – Panelists predict new Broadway musicals
• 50:29 – Credits and sign-off

Episode Tone & Atmosphere

• High-energy, playful, and irreverent as always; Cynthia Nixon blends seamlessly with the fun as she reflects candidly on TV, theater, and fame.
• The panelists riff off the news and each other’s jokes, with wit that’s both sharp and warm.

For listeners new to Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!:
This episode is a quintessential blend of real news, quick-witted commentary, and playful interviews, with an especially delightful (and revealing) segment featuring Cynthia Nixon. Perfect for pop culture fans and news trivia buffs alike.