Comedy

Monty Python's Life of Brian — a biblical satire — is being re-released in theatres, 25 years after its first release. We feature archive interviews with four of the players from Monty Python's Flying Circus, starting with Graham Chapman. He was the straight man in the Monty Python troupe, who would come in and break up the skits. A physician by training, he was a writer and activist for gay rights. He died in 1989. (Rebroadcast from July 2, 1987.)

Palin recreated the journey Jules Verne described in Around the World in 80 Days and turned his journey into a successful eight-part BBC television series. He is, of course, also known for his tenure as a member of Monthy Python and his appearances in The Missionary and A Fish Called Wanda. (Rebroadcast from April 17, 1990.)

Weide is executive producer and a writer for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show stars Larry David, who co-created Seinfeld, as himself. One reviewer calls Curb Your Enthusiasm "a comedy of hostility, resentment, paranoia and obsessiveness." The show is currently in its fourth season.

Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick have just returned to Broadway and their starring roles in The Producers -- the show based on Brooks' first feature film. They're doing a limited run through April 14. The Producers won 12 Tonys in 2001, including best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, and best actor. The book, the music and lyrics were written by Brooks. He's made some of the funniest films in movie history, including The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles.

Before The Onion, Weekend Update and The Daily Show, Sahl's shtick satirized the news of the day. It's the 50th anniversary of the comedian's first appearance at the "Hungry I" nightclub in San Francisco. Before Sahl, tuxedo-clad borscht belt comedians made tame jokes about your mother in law. After Sahl came the dark, satirical wit of comedians like Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen and Bill Cosby.

He was the "Weekend Update" anchor on Saturday Night Live from 1998 to 2000, and was known for his satirical coverage of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. He's now starring in Comedy Central's Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. He appears in the documentary, Comedian, about Jerry Seinfeld, out now on DVD and VHS.

She earned wide critical and popular acclaim and an Emmy for her work on The Garry Moore Show (from 1959-62). The Carol Burnett Show debuted in 1967 and won 22 Emmys in a run of more than a decade. She has starred or appeared in a number of TV movies and specials. In December, she'll be a Kennedy Center honoree for her body of work. In 1981 she struck a blow for fellow celebrities by winning a lawsuit against The National Enquirer tabloid. Her memoir One More Time was recently republished in a paperback edition. There's also a DVD collection of The Carol Burnett Show.

Late night talk show host Conan O'Brien celebrates ten years on the air Sunday September 14, 2003, with a primetime special on NBC. In 1993, he moved into the Late Night host slot when David Letterman went to CBS. Prior to Late Night, O'Brien was a writer for Saturday Night Live and writer and producer for The Simpsons.