Comedy History 101

By Harmon LeonComedy TV & Film Society & Culture History

Comedy History 101 episodes

August 02, 2018 History of Sasha Baron Cohen and Who Is America?
Sasha Baron Cohen has a new show: Who Is America? Is it funny? Is it not funny!? We explore the history behind the making of Who Is America? - and compare it to Cohen's other classic shows/characters: Borat and Ali G.
Come do a deep dive with us as we find out the "who" behind Who Is America?
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34 min
July 27, 2018 (Pt 2) CH101 Select: History of Rutland Weekend Television
We continue on with Part 2 of the history of Rutland Weekend television - and dive into the origins of The Beatles parody band: The Rutles.
A segment on Rutland Weekend Television later spun off into the full-length mockumentary, The Rutles; which was a direct influence on Spinal Tap and the other films of Christopher Guest.
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30 min
July 20, 2018 (Pt 1) CH101 Select: History of Rutland Weekend Television
It's summer, so we are bringing you a CH101 Select
What did Eric Idle right after Monty Python? Rutland Weekend Television. Harmon and Scott dive into the history behind the 1975 cult TV show that was responsible for launching the legendary Beatles parody: The Rutles. Idle teamed with musician Neal Innes - from the Bonzo Dog (Doo-Dah) Band - who was considered the seventh member of Monty Python and crooned songs in Monty Python in the Holy Grail.
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26 min
July 13, 2018 (Pt 3) History of William Topaz McGonagall: The Worst Poet in Scottish History
Our last part on the history of William Topaz McGonagall (1825 –1902) - the worst poet in Scottish history.
We dive into who are the modern day McGonagalls - artists who are so bad, that they unwittingly cross into genius. We cover such artistic horrors as The Room, The Shaggs, the poetry of Susan Somers, and Nicholas Cage in the movie: The Wicker Man.
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26 min
July 06, 2018 (Pt 2) History of William Topaz McGonagall: The Worst Poet in Scottish History
We continue on with the history of William Topaz McGonagall (1825 –1902) - the worst poet in Scottish history, whose performances usually ended with being pelted with rotten eggs, peas, and herring.
Not only did McG once walk 60 miles through a thunderstorm - to read his poetry for the Queen (though not invited), but he also went on to influence the likes of Monty Python, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, The Muppets, and Harry Potter.
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33 min
June 29, 2018 History of William Topaz McGonagall: The Worst Poet in Scottish History: Part One
William Topaz McGonagall (1825 –1902) has the notoriety of being the worst poet in Scottish history. What they said about McGonagall back in the day was:
“He was so giftedly bad he unwittingly backed in genius.”
When McGonagall would perform his poetry, it usually resulted in being pelted with rotten eggs, peas, and herring. The comedy legacy of McGonagall is he went on to influence the likes of Monty Python, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, The Muppets, and of course, Harry Potter.
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36 min
June 22, 2018 CH101 Select: History of the Imrov Comedy Club
We dive into the history of the legendary Improv comedy club. Learn about Bud Friedman and his club that launched the careers of Andy Kaufman, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Sarah Silverman, and just about everyone else who is famous in the world of comedy.
Find out about the humble beginnings in Hell's Kitchen. When did the iconic brick wall come about? How did the Improv became a megalopolis comedy brand?
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58 min
June 15, 2018 History of Racist British Comedians: PART TWO
We continue our deep dive into the history of racist British comedians. In this episode we talk about such racist British sitcoms as Til Death Do Us Part, Curry and Chips, and Peter Sellers role in The Party.
Plus we recap some of the highlights of the racist comedy careers of comedian Jim Davidson, Roy Chubby Brown, and Bernard Manning. And what finally changed the face of British comedy?
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32 min
June 08, 2018 History of Racist British Comedians: PART ONE
Roseanne Barr was on top of the world again - until she wrote a racist tweet. ABC responded by yanking her show off the air. Meanwhile, over in the UK, the country has a long history of racist comedians - who say things on stage that are even worse than what Roseanne wrote.
Such comedians as Roy Chubby Brown, Bernard Manning, and Jim Davidson are fixtures into British comedy history; despite doing very racist material. In this episode we dive deep into the history of racist British comedy.
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36 min
June 01, 2018 History of OJ Simpson's Hidden Camera Prank Show Juiced
In 2006, a producer thought it would be a good idea for double-acquitted murderer OJ Simpson's comeback project 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 Craigslist to be OJ's funny little sidekick.. I actually got to pull hidden camera pranks alongside OJ Simpson. What followed was the biggest train wreck in reality television history.
In this episode of CH101, we dive into the full history behind the scenes. You been Juiced!
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1 hr 7 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.