Comedy

Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" act ignited an obscenity case in the '70s. We listen back to two archival interviews with the late comedian, and David Bianculli reviews a new HBO documentary about him.

The comic, actor and writer opens up about his name, his family tree and his sexual orientation in a new HBO special. "The more honest I am, the freer I am," Carmichael says.

Gottfried was known for his unusual voice and cranky stage persona — which made him a perfect fit to play the evil parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin. He spoke with Fresh Air in 1992.

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.

The host of NBC's Late Night host is used to facing fear with humor. And that's why, after his wife gave birth to their second son in the lobby of their apartment building, Meyers appeared on TV the next day to tell the story.

David Sipress endured years of rejection before finally landing a gig with The New Yorker in '98. "I wasn't about to let all that rejection get in the way," he says. His new memoir is What's So Funny?

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.

Anderson grew up in Minnesota, in a family with 11 children. His Emmy-winning performance in the FX series Baskets was based upon his mother. Anderson died Jan. 21. Originally broadcast in 2016.

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.

In the series, Lebowitz talks with Martin Scorsese about getting kicked out of high school, driving a cab in New York City in the 1970s and not having a cell phone. Originally broadcast January 2021.

In 2004, Waters shared music from his album A John Waters Christmas, an anthology of catchy, entertaining and ridiculous holiday songs that reflect his fascination with the odd and unusual.

Now 95, the filmmaker/actor/comedian is a member of the exclusive EGOT club, for those who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award. His film credits include High Anxiety, Young Frankenstein, History of the World: Part 1, Blazing Saddles and The Producers, which was adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. He's also the author of the new memoir, All About Me!

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.

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 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.

Desus Nice and The Kid Mero started out doing comedy together on Twitter, then created the Bodega Boys podcast. Their comedy series on Showtime is now in its third season.

Rogen's film credits include Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Steve Jobs and Long Shot. In his new memoir, Yearbook, Rogen shares funny stories of his early years and his more recent life.

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.

Sacha Baron Cohen talks about reviving his signature character Borat a dimwitted, anti-Semitic, sexist TV journalist from Kazakhstan and playing Abbie Hoffman in the real-life activist in the film The Trial of the Chicago 7.

In the 1960s and '70s, Johnson, who died Jan. 11, played on recordings by Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner and Carla Bley. He also led his own ensembles, including Gravity. Originally broadcast in 1984.