Comedy History 101

Stan Zimmerman was a writer for The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Gilmore Girls, and the feature film, A Very Brady Sequel. He is also the author of the new book: The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore. We do a deep-dive on TV comedy writing, pitching, and what it was like working on the Russian version of Roseanne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jim Vallely was a writer/producer on the iconic comedy show: Arrested Development – which earned him an Emmy. Jim also worked on The Golden Girls, Two and a Half Men, The John Larroquette Show, and got his start on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson - with his comedy duo: The Funny Boys. We do a masterclass deep-dive with Jim on comedy writing, producing, and what it was like having Larry David a...

Joel Thurm was the casting director for such iconic movies as Airplane, Grease, Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well being the head of NBC casting for a solid decade. He is also the author of the new book, Sex, Drugs, and Pilot Season.   We do a deep dive into casting in Hollywood, turning down Tom Cruise and Madonna, and insider stories on Taxi, David Hasselhoff, and what role Bob Hope played in ge...

Moms Mabley bridged the gap between vaudeville and modern standup comedy. She was the first successful female standup comedian who had a career that spanned over 50 years. Our guest Rhonda Hansome, who has appeared on SNL, The Arsenio Hall Show, and has performed with Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, recently portrayed Moms on stage, and we do a deep dive into the history of this iconic comedian Le...

CH101 Select: The Kids in the Hall are one of the most iconic sketch comedy groups in history. We do a deep dive into their origin story with Paul Myers - who knew KITH in their early days. Paul is the author of The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy, the executive producer of the documentary The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, as well as the brother to Mike Myers - and he gives insights into what it...

MAD Magazine poked fun at everything - and changed the comedy world. And we talk to Alan Bernstein, director of the documentary When We Went MAD. Modern satire, from The Simpsons to The Daily Show was influenced by MAD. Alan's documentary celebrates the nutty geniuses behind MAD, and features interviews from such fans as Bryan Cranston, Gilbert Gottfried, Judd Apatow, and Quentin Tarantino. Learn...

CH101 Select: The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest performance festival in the world. It takes place during August and has launched the comedy careers of Monty Python, Eddie Izzard, Fleabag - and just about every major comedy figure in the UK. It's where comedians go to get their Beatles' 10,000 hours of Hamburg performing skills. The Edinburgh Festival is both amazing and soul-crushing at...

Sean Cullen is a Canadian comedian, actor, and author - who you might know from his numerous TV appearances on The Tonight Show, MadTV, The Ellen Show, and with his legendary musical comedy group, Corky and the Juice Pigs. We do a deep dive into comedy Sean's history, the Canadian comedy scene, and how he had to turn down Lorne Micheals when offered a spot on SNL. Learn more about your ad choices....

Adam Spiegelman was a comedy producer for Jimmy Kimmel Live. He was there right from the start - and he’s our guest today. Adam gives us a deep dive into producing comedy and and comedians for this iconic late-night talk show, where he brought such comedians as Neil Hamburger, Eddie Pepitone, and Andy Dick to the airwaves. Adam gives the lowdown of what he looked for when booking standup comedians...

Dan Dion is the world’s most prolific comedian portrait photographer. He has photographed such icons as Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Maria Bamford, Zack Galifianakis… His work has been exhibited at the Gotham Comedy Club, Montreal’s Just for Laughs, and the Edinburgh Festival – and we are pleased to have him as our guest today on Comedy History 101. Dan dives deep into his process o...

Yuk Yuk’s is the cornerstone of Canadian standup comedy. The Toronto club was founded in 1976 and has helped launch the careers of such iconic Canadian comedians as Jim Carrey, Howie Mandel, Russell Peters, and Norm Macdonald. And we talk to comedian Evan Carter - who was there at the very beginning on the history of this legendary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...

Dangerfield’s was a NYC comedy club – named after part-owner Rodney Dangerfield. It opened in 1969 (and closed in 2020) and was plain CREEPY. Dangerfield’s can be seen in the movie, The Joker and the legendary Young Comedian’s special that launched Sam Kinison, Andrew Dice Clay, and Louie Anderson. And we talk to comedian Dave Juskow about the history of this creepy comedy club. Learn more about y...

CH101 Select; Michael Small was a staff member of The Harvard Lampoon. He is our guest today - on his history at one of the oldest and most prestigious humor magazines in the world. The alumni of The Harvard Lampoon include such icons in comedy as Conan O'Brien, Greg Daniels, Jim Downey, Colin Jost, BJ Novak - and numerous writers for SNL, The Simpsons, Letterman, Curb Your Enthusiasm - as well as...

CH101 Select: In 2006, a producer thought it would be a good idea for double-acquitted murderer OJ Simpson's comeback project to be a zany hidden camera prank show called Juice'd. As in, a prank is pulled, OJ Simpson pops out, and goes, "You've been Juiced," at which point the person pranked goes, "HEY, AREN'T YOU THAT GUY WHO MURDERED THOSE PEOPLE?!  And I, Harmon Leon, was hired off an ad on Cra...

Chris Farley was one of the most dynamic and beloved comedians to ever grace the stage at both Second City and Saturday Night Live. And I talk to Brent Hodge, director of the documentary, I Am Chris Farley. We do a deep dive into the life and times of this legendary comedian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jewish comedians, such as Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, Gilbert Gottfried, have always broke norms and challenged taboos of American culture.  We talk to Eddy Portney of YIVO Institute for Jewish Research - historian and curator of the course: Is Anything Okay? The History of Jews and Comedy in America. We dive into the roots of Jewish humor from the Borscht Belt to modern times. More at Yivo Learn mo...

Just for Laughs is (was) the largest comedy festival in the world. Based in Montreal, the festival has helped launch the careers of such comedians as Jerry Seinfeld, Mitch Hedberg, Jimmy Fallon, Ali Wong, Amy Schumer, etc... And it was announced last week that this year's festival has been canceled - due to bankruptcy. We talk to Darren Frost - a Canadian comedian who started performing at the fes...

The legendary Comedy Cellar - is the Yankee Stadium of NYC comedy clubs. Founded in 1982, the club has helped launch the careers of Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Amy Schumer, Ray Romano...(you get the idea). And we talk to comedian Dave Juskow, who is a Comedy Cellar regular - and host of the Comedy Cellar Tuesday podcast, on the history of this beloved club. Learn more ab...

CH101 Select: Mr. Bill is one of the most iconic characters in the history of Saturday Night Live. Mr. Bill got his start in the first season of SNL - as a viewer-submitted Super 8 film. In his heyday, this bundle of Play-Do was the third most beloved character on SNL - right behind John Belushi and Gilda Radner. And we talk to Walter Williams - the creator of Mr. Bill - who also became a staff wr...

We wrap up the year with a sampling of the best of 2023 Comedy History 101 interviews. Featuring episode excerpts on Kids in the Hall, Mr. Bill, Comedy Culture Wars, Shemp Howard, Found Footage Festival, the Dublin Comedy Scenes, Michael Richards Infamous Meldown, Last Comic Standing, The Harvard Lampoon, Revenge of the Nerds, and more.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a...

Bruce Cherry is a comedian who wrote jokes and comedy material for George W. Bush and a host of other politicians. And we do a deep dive into the writing process on creating humor for the Commander-in-Chief. I originally interviewed Bruce for a story I did in Vice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the world of The Three Stooges, Shemp Howard deserves more love. Shemp was the original Stooge who appeared in 76 Stooge shorts. He also virtually saved The Three Stooges, was noted as the Ugliest Man in Hollywood, and is responsible for the phenomenon of 'The Fake Shemps.' And we talk to Geoff Dale, the only man in history to have written a biography of Shemp Howard, aptly titled: Much More Th...

Kliph Nesteroff is one of the leading comedy historians and the author of the new book: Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars. And we talk about his book, censorship in comedy, how every generations declares that "comedy is over" - and how the old guard often refuses to accept culture shifts in the comedy biz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Katz is a former joke writer for President Bill Clinton. He shares stories about writing humor in the White House, writing presidential jokes during a time of impeachment - and his take on which presidents are natural comedians. (Spoiler: Trump does not fit the mold.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A CH101 Select: The iconic TV show Last Comic Standing - ran from 2003 to 2015. It was a reality show, where comedians competed to be, well, the last comic standing. The show helped launch the careers of such comedians as Amy Schumer, Gary Gulman, Nicky Glaser - and our guest today: Rob Cantrell. Rob was a finalist on Season One of Last Comic Standing - where he lived in a house in the Hollywood H...