Television comedies
How 'SNL' alum Molly Shannon found profound healing after childhood tragedy
As a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2001, Molly Shannon became famous for playing Catholic schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher. That should have felt like a triumph, but instead, she felt depressed. Shannon's mother, along with her 3-year-old sister and a cousin, died decades earlier, when her father, who had been drinking, crashed the family car into a pole. For years, the memory of her mother and sister propelled her forward in her career. Her new memoir Hello, Molly! recounts the tragic as well as the wonderful turning points in her life.
Remembering 'WKRP in Cincinnati' actor Howard Hesseman
Hesseman, who died Jan 29, performed in the San Francisco improv troupe The Committee in the 1960s and later played DJ Johnny Fever on WKRP from 1978 to 1982. Originally broadcast in 1988.
'Schmigadoon!' star Cecily Strong and co-creator Cinco Paul embrace musical satire
SNL's Cecily Strong co-stars in the Apple TV+ satire series Schmigadoon!. It centers on a couple who gets trapped in a town where people burst into song. We talk with Strong as well as Cinco Paul, the show's co-creator.
"'Office' Star B.J. Novak Wants To Surprise You With His New Project"
B.J. Novak served as a writer and an executive producer of The Office, and played Ryan, one of the stars of the series. Novak created the new topical anthology series The Premise. Each episode deals with an important cultural issue, like social justice, sex tapes, guns, and how we’re shaped by social media. Novak talks about both shows, his early days doing standup, and how his idea of comedy and good writing was affected by his father, writer William Novak.
'Put Me On Blast': Kenan Thompson On 'SNL' And His New, Self-Titled Sitcom
Long time SNL cast member Kenan Thompson has been nominated for two Emmys-- for his comedy performances on Saturday Night Live, and for his starring role in his new NBC sitcom Kenan (which has been renewed for a second season).
Cecily Strong On 'SNL,' 'Schmigadoon!' And Coping In The Early Days Of The Pandemic
Cecily Strong stars in the new Apple TV+ satire — a couple gets lost in the woods and end up trapped in a town where life is a musical and the townspeople frequently burst into song.
From 'Designing Women' To 'Hacks', Jean Smart's Career Is Still Going Strong
After co-starring in HBO's Watchmen, Smart is now in two series — HBO's Mare of Easttown and the HBO Max comedy series Hacks, about the clash in sensibility between women comics of two generations.
Comic Ramy Youssef On Being An 'Allah Carte' Muslim: 'You Sit In Contradictions'
Youssef is up for two Emmys for the second season of his comedy series, Ramy, about a practicing Muslim who's torn between his faith and his desire to fit in. Originally broadcast June 25, 2019.
'Fresh Air' Remembers Carl Reiner, A Legendary Writer, Producer And Performer
We listen to archival interviews with Reiner, who died June 29; with Mary Tyler Moore, who worked with Reiner on The Dick Van Dyke Show; and with Mel Brooks, a longtime friend and collaborator.
For Pete Davidson And Judd Apatow, 'Comedy Is A Beautiful Escape'
Saturday Night Live's Pete Davidson lost his firefighter father in the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on New York City. Davidson explores the loss of his father in the new dramatic comedy, The King of Staten Island. In it, he plays Scott, a fictionalized version of himself who's grieving after his father dies fighting a hotel fire. Director Judd Apatow calls the film a "hopeful story about somebody who starts opening up and getting support."