Comedy History 101

By Harmon LeonComedy TV & Film Society & Culture History

Comedy History 101 episodes

March 18, 2019 Comedy History 101 - Live
Comedy History 101 Podcast: Live is coming to NYC: Tues, 3/19, 7pm, The PIT Loft
Harmon Leon (Vice) and Scott Calonico (Sundance Film Festival) are joined by Chris O'Neil (StoryFest) will be bringing you: The History of XXX Party Records

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4 min
March 11, 2019 (Pt 2) HIstory of the Purple Onion Comedy Club
Yes, we dive further into the history of the legendary San Francisco comedy club, The Purple Onion - up until it closed in 2012.
In the early days, the club launched the careers of Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, and Phyllis Diller. In this episode we cover the decline of the Purple Onion in the 70s and 80s - and how it resurrected as a garage rock club, and eventually returned to its comedy roots in the 90s. In fact, Zach Galifianakis filmed his comedy special, Live at the Purple Onion, ironically, live at the Purple Onion.
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43 min
March 04, 2019 History of the Purple Onion Comedy Club in San Francisco
The Purple Onion was a legendary comedy club in San Francisco. It was a small, basement club that had its heyday in the 1950s and 60s -and helped launch the careers of Phyllis Diller, The Smothers Brothers, Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, and Richard Pryor.
Opened in 1952, the Purple Onion ran for roughly 60 years before closing its doors in 2012.
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51 min
February 22, 2019 History of the Smothers Brothers Meeting President Reagan
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ran from 1967-1970. It was considered the edgiest comedy show of the time. It also launched the careers of Steve Martin - who was a writer for the show, along with Rob Reiner and Bob Einstein aka Super Dave Osborne.
The Smothers Brothers constantly butt heads with the censors. But on November 12, 1987 President Ronald Reagan welcomed the duo into the White House.
What went down?
Find out more in this episode of Comedy History 101…
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36 min
February 15, 2019 (Pt 2) History of National Lampoon Radio Hour
We continue with Part 2 of our history of the National Lampoon Radio Hour; the show that evolved into Saturday Night Live and featured such iconic comedy figures as John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Christopher Guest, Richard Belzer, and Chevy Chase.
We cover our favorite episodes of the NL Radio Hour and how Lorne Michaels scooped up all the talent for SNL.
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30 min
February 08, 2019 History of National Lampoon Radio Hour
The National Lampoon Radio Hour hit the airwaves in 1973 and was a direct offshoot of National Lampoon magazine. But it gets better - the evolved into the first season of Saturday Night Live and launched the careers of John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, and Chevy Chase.
When the National Lampoon Radio Hour ran its course, nearly everyone involved - both writers and performers - were scooped up by Lorne Michaels to create SNL history.
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30 min
January 28, 2019 (Pt2) CH101 Select: Comedy That Crosses The Line
It’s Part Two of our episode on comedy that crosses the line. You know, the edggggy comedy that goes too far for the times. We dive into Bill Hicks getting censored on the David Letterman show to the revolutionary comedy of Dick Gregory in the early ‘60s - to the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo.
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42 min
January 21, 2019 (Pt1) CH101 Select: Comedy That Crosses The Line
On this episode of CH101, we explore the history of comedy that crosses the line. You know, the edggggy comedy. Sometimes it’s comedy that’s revolutionary and creates change, such as the comedy of George Carlin and Lenny Bruce. And sometimes, its comedy that goes too far - and is there just for shock value. (Michael Richards - we are talking to you.)
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37 min
January 14, 2019 (Pt 2) History of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Comedy Influences
Rachel Brosnahan won for Best Actress at the Golden Globes for her portrayal of the Mrs. Maisel. On this episode, we dive into Part Two of the real-life comedy influences on the fictional Mrs. Maisel - and cover such legendary comics as Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, Anne Meara, Moms Mabley, Elaine May, Totie Fields, and Jean Carroll.
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25 min
January 07, 2019 History of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's Comedy <a href="http://www.comedyhistory101.com/comedy-history-101/2019/1/6/history-of-marvelous-mrs-maisels-comedy-influenes" target="_blank"#x3E;Influences</a#x3E;
Did you see the Golden Globe Awards? The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was nominated for several. Rachel Brosnahan won for Best Actress for her portrayal of the Mrs. Maisel. The show is about a stand up comedian in New York City during the 1950s. But who were the real-life standup comedy influences on the fictional character?
We do a deep dive into the comedians that helped shape the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
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37 min

About Comedy History 101

From the publisher's feed

Comedian and journalist Harmon Leon dives deep into the wild, weird, and hilarious history of comedy. Each episode explores the backstories of legendary comedians, iconic sketches, cult classics, stand-up milestones, and forgotten gems from the comedy world. From SNL to viral videos, we unpack the moments that shaped what makes us laugh. Whether you're a hardcore comedy nerd or just comedy-curious, this is your crash course in the funny business. Subscribe now and discover how comedy got to where it is today—one punchline at a time.