Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy with Randy and Steve

You might want to wait until 4:20 to fire up this episode. And why not -- this time we feature Seth Rogan, comedian, movie star, and enthusiastic cannabis consumer. Hailing from Vancouver, BC Seth managed to score a role in Freaks and Geeks at age 16, befriended the show's creator Judd Apatow who recognized his talent, then parlayed that beginning into a run of outrageously funny movies, award win...

People who are famous for just being famous have been around forever but this weeks Legend Orson Bean gladly took that role, calling himself a "Neo-celebrity." Orson is being far too modest about a career that started out with a magic act, evolved into stand up comedy, was featured on Broadway and in top NYC cabarets, logged many hours on game and talk shows, and worked steadily as a guest star on...

Here's a great career arc -- go from appearing in kid's movies and shows to starring in your own movie, then join Saturday Night Live and stay there for 23 years (and counting). Of course there is only one Kenan Thompson, but his career is so much more than his record setting SNL stint. What's the secret sauce? Being easy to work with helps, there is also Kenan's gift (in the words of an SNL head...

This time out we meet the only woman to be a cast member of both SCTV and SNL -- and no, it's not Catherine O'Hara. Say hello to Robin Duke, another product of the stellar Canadian comedy scene. A veteran of Second City Toronto, Robin was there when SCTV was launched in the mid-1970s as a recurring cast member, moving up to the full cast in season three. Lorne Michaels had convinced Catherine O'Ha...

One of the funniest -- and edgiest -- sketch shows of the 1990s was In Living Color which introduced many of us to the Wayans family (and Jim Carrey to boot). And one of the edgiest parts of that edgiest sketch show was Damon Wayans, brother of show creator Keenan Ivory Wayans and a fearless satirist. Whether it was a homeboy with great money making ideas, a supremely flamboyant gay film reviewer,...

Over its 50+ years Saturday Night Live has had many star making (and breaking) moments, including the coveted role of anchor on the show's Weekend Update news report. But when Seth Meyers departed that role for his own late night gig, who could have guessed that his successor would become the longest running anchor in show history. Colin Jost was born for the role, editing his high school newspape...

Whether you want to sell a dead parrot to an unsuspecting customer, travel around the world with a wry view of life, or simply figure out why a fish is called Wanda -- Michael Palin is your man. The creator of many of Monty Python's most beloved sketches, Palin carved out a fine post-Python career as the host of numerous BBC travel shows, as well as a full resume of character roles such as that of...

Grab a hi-ball and cue the rimshot, Jack E. Leonard is in the house. From Friars' Club roasts to tv variety shows to nightclub appearances Jack's routine never varied. He offered up a stream of comedy insults no doubt inspiring a young Don Rickles. Jack's insults were equal opportunity -- and he included himself in the mix frequently poking fun as his weight (who else makes a movie called "The Fat...

Anyone who came of age in the late 1960s is bound to have a soft spot in their comedy heart for Arte Johnson, a versatile comic and master of dialects who boarded the fame express when he joined the cast of Rowan and Martin's Laugh In. Originally pursuing Broadway roles, Arte saw the future in the television industry and decamped for Los Angeles in the mid 1950s. He build a resume of guest spots b...

In the 1970s and 80s you couldn't go to the movies without running into this week's legend Cloris Leachman. While the Oscar that catapulted her to stardom was for a drama (The Last Picture Show), here we remember her for bushels of laughs, expertly delivered on the Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Phyllis spinoff, and in some of Mel Brooks' classic films (notably Young Frankenstein). After that burst...

This time out we honor Stephen Colbert whose amazing career has seen him conquer the worlds of improv comedy, avant-garde sitcoms, avant garde sketch comedy (including one of tv's greatest comedy bombs), The Daily Show (and his own spinoff), and a late night talk show. Not bad for a kid from South Carolina who says he was an indifferent student -- we disagree, at least when it comes to comedy. And...

The eyes have it -- at least they do if you are Marty Feldman who came of comedy age along with the Pythons and other masters of British absurdity. Starting off as a comedy writer, Marty soon found roles in front of the camera as well with turns in "At Last the 1948 Show" and his own shows "Marty" and "The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine". And if you don't know him from those, how about his delightfu...

One of the delights of Trevor Noah's stint as Daily Show host was the prominent work of correspondent Roy Wood Jr., a comic who started his career making prank phone calls and who has risen to host his own CNN news quiz, as well as becoming a top standup draw and award show host. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Roy's dad was a black radio pioneer and broadcasting entrepreneur. So it was no surprise t...

Hide the kids and hide the dogs -- the curmudgeon to end all curmudgeons is here. We're talking about William Claude Dukenfield -- better known to comedy fans as W.C. Fields. From his start as a juggler in vaudeville shows, Fields added comedy to his act. Over time, he developed the comedy persona of a con artist who had a particular aversion to kids and dogs. Fields would often recycle old vaudev...

For a guy whose sitcom was called "Get a Life", we think that Chris Elliott has done pretty darn well. The son of legendary comedian Bob Elliott (of Bob and Ray fame), Chris has carved out his own niche playing slightly surreal and snarky characters. Beginning on Late Night with David Letterman, Chris was the focus of many recurring gags including him being a guy who lives under the theater seats....

Back in the mid-1960s American television networks were trying to get with the youth scene, and a big part of that scene was the British Invasion. So NBC said "we'll call your Beatles, Animals, Stones, and Kinks -- and raise you some Monkees. Recruited as actors more than musicians, at the time, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork were put down as the "prefab four" -- a wholl...

This week we sample the comedy of Phil Proctor and Peter Bergman -- half of the legendary Firesign Theatre and a superb comedy duo in their own right. First appearing during a Firesign hiatus, Proctor and Bergman offered sketches that were shorter and tighter, though often connected over the course of an album. The boys also became a touring unit and were favorites on the college comedy scene duri...

Get your cigar, your cowboy hat, and your copy of the First Amendment ready -- this week we salute musical satirist Richard "Kinky" Friedman who blended sarcastic and often offensive lyrics with Texas twang to create a singular comic persona. Way back in the early 1970s after a stint in the Peace Corps, Kinky returned to his home in Texas and set about forming his most famous -- and most outrageou...

From the hallowed halls of the University of Iowa back in 1975 came the Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre, a five man comedy troupe who found fame through great character and ensemble work -- plus some choice exposure on NPR and MTV. Bill Allard, Dan Coffey, Merle Kessler, Leon Martell, and Jim Turner comprised the Ducks -- though they may be more familiar under the names Dr. Science, Ian Shoales, Ran...

Can you tell a good joke? Sure! How about can you make a puppet tell a good joke? Yes, indeed. OK, so can you tell a good joke and make the puppet banter with you -- all without moving your lips? And that's what separates Willie Tyler (and his dummy Lester) from the rest of us! A ventriloquist since his school days, Willie Tyler brings top notch skills to his act which he has been performing since...

This episode we meet Kevin James, a practitioner of "blue collar" comedy, mining everyday life for laugh on television, in movies, and on the standup stage. Originally Kevin was on track to be an athlete (he was a high school wrestling buddy of WWE superstar Mick Foley), but injuries made him shift gears into standup comedy. Moving to Los Angeles to enhance his career opportunities, Kevin became f...

Great interviews? Check! Superb musical guest? Check! How about Stupid Pet Tricks, Top Ten Lists, and stunts such as having the host work a McDonald's Drive Thru? If the Legend is David Letterman, check all those boxes. For decades we have welcomed David Letterman and his singular brand of comedy into our homes. And it's really no wonder, because Dave ruled a late night empire that was an authenti...

One of the best things about British comedy is Dawn French, half of the legendary duo French and Saunders and a comedy titan in her own right. Since the 1980s, Dawn has maintained a solo career among with her duo work and the results are stellar. Beginning with small roles In cult classics such as The Young Ones, Dawn eventually became the star of shows including The Vicar of Dibley, Ted and Alice...

The category is 1990s SNL and the answer is "this comedian was an SNL mainstay, a huge movie star, and an internet comedy pioneer -- plus he played a mean cowbell." Of course the question is "Who is Will Ferrell" -- this week's legend. Thank goodness that Will Ferrell was bored at the prospect of being a sportscaster and hooked up with the Groundlings improv troupe. When Lorne Michaels came lookin...

Some ad campaigns live on in our hearts and minds -- think of "That's a spicy meatball" or "show us your pizza rolls". And the Ernest and Vern commercials created by today's Legend Jim Varney sure fit the bill. A talented mimic as a child, Jim started performing early in life, becoming a regular on shows including Johnny Cash and Friends and Fernwood 2 Night. In 1980, career lightning struck when...