Comedy

Craig Ferguson hosts CBS's Late Late Show, which should give him a fairly good vantage point from which to poke fun at pop culture and the entertainment industry. He has pounced on the opportunity with his novel, Between the Bridge and the River.

The director James Burrows is being honored this week with a career tribute at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Burrows made his name with classic TV sitcoms including The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show. After helping to create Cheers, Burrows directed episodes of many other hit sitcoms, including Night Court, Frasier, Friends and Will and Grace.

Drew Carey's sitcom about an everyday blue-collar guy stuck in the same job for 10 years remains popular in reruns. Now there's a new DVD collection of ABC's The Drew Carey Show. Aside from his work in comedy, Carey is the author of the book Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined.

Actor, comedian, composer and musician Michael McKean is best known for co-starring in the spoofs This Is Spinal Tap, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. He is currently co-starring in the Broadway revival of The Pajama Game.

Albert Brooks has a new movie: Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World. In it, he plays himself — and the comedian is sent to India and Pakistan by the State Department to find out what makes Muslims laugh.

The Emmy Award-winning host of The Carol Burnett Show receives a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild on Saturday. In 2003, Burnett spoke to Fresh Air about life and comedy.

Comic and journalist Stephen Colbert is the former senior correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. And true to the industry he parodies, Colbert's incisive work has landed him in the anchor's chair on a show of his own: The Colbert Report.

Director Harold Ramis brings his brand of dark -- and often silly -- humor to holiday audiences with The Ice Harvest. The irreverent film stars John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Randy Quaid.

Silverman won the Emmy for best writing for a variety special for her HBO special We Are Miracles. In 2005, she spoke with Fresh Air about her movie Jesus Is Magic.

From 1950 to 1956, the team of Martin and Lewis were America's favorite entertainers. A new memoir from Jerry Lewis details how their 10-year partnership was destroyed. Dean and Me: A Love Story details life behind the scenes of 16 films and numerous TV and club shows.