Comedy

The star of NBC's 30 Rock talks to Terry Gross about his tough childhood, how he made the grade in the comedy college that was Saturday Night Live, and why even though he may cry a little on the radio, "the funny bus is still sitting downstairs." (Rebroadcast from Oct. 22, 2009)

Terry Gilliam's new film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is another entry into his long line of dream-like films. But it's also the final performance of the late Heath Ledger. Gilliam joins host Terry Gross to talk about the personal and professional challenges of creative filmmaking.

A new six-hour documentary about Monty Python's Flying Circus commemorates the show's 40th anniversary. Reviewer David Bianculli calls it entertaining and "completely different."

Jay Leno has been in the world of late night programming since he took over The Tonight Show from Johnny Carson in 1992. In this archival interview, he speaks to Terry Gross about his struggle to break into comedy.

Former Saturday Night Live writer and producer Robert Smigel uses animal puppets to say and do the lewdest things. His most infamous creation is Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog, who made a name for himself "pooping" on guests of Late Night With Conan O'Brian.

Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter are creators and stars of Michael and Michael Have Issues — a series about two neurotic sketch-comedy writers who can't stand each other.

Stand-up comedian and Seinfeld writer Carol Leifer recounts her experiences in love and comedy in her new memoir, When You Lie About Your Age, the Terrorists Win.

Comic Artie Lange of The Howard Stern Show opens up about his problems with food, women and drugs in the memoir Too Fat to Fish.

Critic John Powers reviews the Starz comedy series Party Down, which follows a group of oddball dreamsers who work for a Hollywood catering company.