CLASSIC STAND-UP COMEDY ON TELEVISION: A MUSEUM
OF TELEVISION & RADIO SPECIAL (TV)
Summary
Presented by The Museum of Television & Radio, this special salutes the television work of a talented array of stand-up comedians. Spanning over forty years of television history, the program features numerous clips that chronicle the evolution of stand-up comedy. Host Marlo Thomas examines the art of stand-up comedy and introduces clips from comedians' routines, which are divided into segments by theme. In the first segment, the following stand-up artists offer comic observations about everyday life: Jerry Seinfeld, Alan King, Bob Newhart, Phyllis Diller, Lily Tomlin, and Tim Allen. In the second section, comedians David Brenner, Joan Rivers, and Garry Shandling describe the habits of dogs. In the third section, Jackie Gleason, Bill Cosby, Robin Williams, and Rita Rudner joke about kids. In the fourth section, Jack E. Leonard, Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, and Robert Klein explore their relationships with their parents; Elaine May and Mike Nichols portray a self-martyring mother and a guilt-ridden son; and the Smothers Brothers tell Jack Benny how they decided to get into show business. The fifth section examines the early years of television and features clips from the work of the following comedians: Milton Berle, Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, Sid Caesar, Red Skelton, Jimmy Durante, Danny Thomas, Arthur Treacher, and Henny Youngman. Next, John Byner performs an impersonation of Ed Sullivan on "The Ed Sullivan Show." The sixth section features the work of the following comedians who became prominent in the 1960s: George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Woody Allen, and Richard Pryor. The seventh section profiles artists who frequently appeared on "The Tonight Show," including Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Freddie Prinze. The eighth section features clips from comedians who helped create a "comic revolution" in the 1970s and 1980s, including Robert Klein, George Carlin, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Roseanne, and Ellen DeGeneres. In the ninth section, the following comedians partake in "the battle of the sexes": Alan King, Roseanne, Jean Carol, Elayne Boosler, Rita Rudner, Jackie Mason, Woody Allen, Steve Martin, Garry Shandling, DeGeneres, Richard Pryor, Henny Youngman, and Phyllis Diller. In the tenth section, the following comedians dissect the joys and prospects of being married: Alan King, Youngman, Danny Thomas, Buddy Hackett, Rudner, Brett Butler, and Elayne Boosler. In the eleventh section, George Carlin, Steve Allen, and Lenny Bruce use their stand-up routines to comment on censorship. In the twelfth section, the following African-American artists use comedy to examine stereotypes and ease racial tension: Dick Gregory, Godfrey Cambridge, Redd Foxx, and Richard Pryor. In the thirteenth section, the following comedians make statements about social issues: Paul Rodriguez, Damon Wayans, Elayne Boosler, Dennis Miller, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, Sam Kinison, and George Carlin. In the fourteenth section, the following comedians engage in political humor: Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Hope, Jack Paar, Jackie Mason, Vaughn Meader, the Smothers Brothers, Pat Paulsen, Rowan & Martin, Johnny Carson, Bill Maher, Richard Belzer, Eddie Murphy, Paula Poundstone, David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Dennis Miller. The final section features excerpts of routines by the following "wild and crazy" comedians: Steve Martin, Milton Berle, Jonathan Winters, Steven Wright, Albert Brooks, Bobcat Goldthwait, Andy Kaufman, and Robin Williams. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: September 14, 1996 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:10:21
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:45665
- GENRE: Comedy; Public Affairs/Documentaries; Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Most Popular (Top 100); African-American Collection - Comedy; Women's Collection - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV, 1996
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- George Zaloom … Executive Producer
- Les Mayfield … Executive Producer
- Jean-Michael Michenaud … Executive Producer
- Robert M. Batscha … Executive Producer, The Museum of Television & Radio
- Diane Lewis … Production (Misc.), Executive in Charge of Production, The Museum of Television & Radio
- Charles Duncombe … Producer
- Michael L. Mahler … Co-Producer, Writer
- Walter C. Miller … Director
- Ivan Menchell … Writer
- Laura Karpman … Composer
- Cheryl Johnson … Researcher
- Richard Hutt … Researcher
- Barbara Multer … Researcher
- Preston Miller … Researcher
- Marlo Thomas … Host
- Steve Allen
- Tim Allen
- Woody Allen
- Richard Belzer
- Jack Benny
- Milton Berle
- Elayne Boosler
- David Brenner
- Albert Brooks
- Lenny Bruce
- Burns & Allen
- George Burns
- Gracie Allen
- Brett Butler
- John Byner
- Sid Caesar
- Godfrey Cambridge
- George Carlin
- Jean Carol
- Johnny Carson
- Bill Cosby
- Billy Crystal
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Phyllis Diller
- Jimmy Durante
- Redd Foxx
- Jackie Gleason
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Bobcat Goldthwait
- Dick Gregory
- Buddy Hackett
- Bob Hope
- Andy Kaufman
- Alan King
- Sam Kinison
- Robert Klein
- Jay Leno
- Jack E. Leonard
- David Letterman
- Bill Maher
- Dick Martin
- Steve Martin
- Jackie Mason
- Elaine May
- Vaughn Meader
- Dennis Miller
- Eddie Murphy
- Bob Newhart
- Nichols & May
- Mike Nichols
- Jack Paar
- Pat Paulsen
- Paula Poundstone
- Freddie Prinze
- Richard Pryor
- Joan Rivers
- Paul Rodriguez
- Roseanne (See also: Barr, Roseanne; Arnold, Roseanne)
- Rowan & Martin
- Dan Rowan
- Rita Rudner
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Garry Shandling
- Red Skelton
- Smothers Brothers, The
- Dick Smothers
- Tom Smothers
- Ed Sullivan
- Danny Thomas
- Lily Tomlin
- Arthur Treacher
- Damon Wayans
- Robin Williams
- Jonathan Winters
- Steven Wright
- Henny Youngman