The History of Comedy
Utilizing archival footage punctuated by contemporary interviews with comedy legends and scholars, this is the history of not only what makes us laugh, but how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history.
- 2017-2018
- 2 seasons
- CNN
- Documentary, Comedy
- TV-MA
Utilizing archival footage punctuated by contemporary interviews with comedy legends and scholars, this is the history of not only what makes us laugh, but how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history.
Season 2 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2018
Episode 1
Carnal Knowledge
Sun, Jul 15, 2018 42 mins
How sexual humor, one of the oldest forms of comedy, pushes the limits of both comfort and political correctness.
Episode 2
Sketch & Improv
Sun, Jul 22, 2018 42 mins
Exploring the history of sketch and improv comedy and how it evolved into a significant part of comedic talent today.
Episode 3
Drawn To Be Funny
Sun, Jul 29, 2018 60 mins
The history of humor in animated cartoons, their writers, directors, animators and voice actors.
Episode 4
Gone Too Soon
Sun, Aug 5, 2018 60 mins
It's always tragic when people die before their time, but what is it about comedians that makes the public feel a special kind of loss when they are suddenly gone, even if they were well into their old age.
Episode 5
In It Together
Sun, Aug 12, 2018 60 mins
Comedy teams and duos were always one of comedy staples, but what made the best of them so great and why aren't there more of them today?
Episode 6
Going Clean/Flipping Funny
Sun, Aug 19, 2018 60 mins
Famous comedians debate what are the differences between, qualities of and reasons for going off-color or keeping one's act clean, what makes a filthy joke work, and why some famously clean comedians will never take the R route.