Comedy

TV Critic David Bianculli talks about the history of television laugh tracks and a new development in their usage.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the season premiere of the satirical HBO comedy. Bianculli says it was worth the wait.

O'Brien took over David Letterman's spot in 1993, and his "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" has just celebrated it's third birthday. Previous to that, he was a writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons.

In the 1950s, Gelbart he was part of a team of television writers that included Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, and others who wrote for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour." Gelbart went on to develop and write for the television version of "M*A*S*H. Also, he wrote the screenplays for "Oh, God!" and "Tootsie," and the stage play for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" There's a new PBS special about Sid Caesar's comedy team, "Caesar's Writers."

TV critic David Bianculli reviews Saturday Night Live's new late-night comedy show competitor: Saturday Night Special on FOX.

T.V. critic David Bianculli explains how two programs are making changes to appease their respective audiences: "Murder One" and Dana Carvey's Variety Show.

Actress Mary Tyler Moore. She starred in the Emmy award television show "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and the film "Ordinary People." She is now starring in a new CBS series "New York News," a drama about life at a fictional New York newspaper, and has recently written her autobiography, "After All," (Putnam's Sons).

Actress Mary Tyler Moore. She starred in the Emmy award television show "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and the film "Ordinary People." She is now starring in a new CBS series "New York News," a drama about life at a fictional New York newspaper, and has recently written her autobiography, "After All," (Putnam's Sons).

Jonathan Katz is another comic who has broadened his horizons. He went into animation. His "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist" is a half-hour animated sitcom on Comedy Central (Sundays at 10:30 PM and Tuesdays at 8:30 PM). Katz is the voice of the psychiatrist, and fellow comics supply the voice of the patients, and the routines on therapy. (Also: Tonight Jonathan Katz will be doing standup on HBO's Comedy Half-Hour)

TV. Critic David Bianculli reviews "The Larry Sanders Show" on HBO and "TV Nation" which debuts on Fox.

Mull became known for his performance as the anchor man on "Weekend Update," the news parody on Saturday Night Live," and as talk show host for late night show "Fernwood Tonight." He recently released his book Paintings, Drawings and Words. It provides not only a generous survey of his enigmatic art works, but the process by which he creates them. Mull is presently a regular on the TV sitcom "Roseanne."

Simms is the creator of the new NBC sit-com "News Radio." He previously worked as writer for both the "The Larry Sanders Show," and "Late Night with David Letterman."

Al Franken is a writer and actor on "Saturday Night Live." His characters have included the one-man mobile uplink unit, Pat Robertson, Paul Tsongas, and Stuart Smalley, host of "Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley." In 1992, Franken published a book under Stuart's name; Stuart's new project is an upcoming movie called "Stuart Saves His Family."

Television critic David Bianculli reviews tonight's debut of Warner Bros' WB Television Network.

Most people would call Ullman an actor and comedian. She was the star of "The Tracey Ullman Show," where she played characters including "girls half her age and matrons twice her age; ...

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the new shows "Madman of the People," with Dabney Coleman, and "The Martin Short Show."

Comedy writer Alan Zweibel discusses his 14 year friendship with Gilda Radner. They met working on the original Saturday Night Live and teamed up to create such memorable characters as Roseanne Roseannadanna and Emily Litella. Zweibel has written a new memoir about their friendship, called "Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner: A Sort of Love Story."

TV critic David Bianculli reviews two new comedy shows that that look at humor from a woman's point of view -- ABC's "She TV" and Showtime's "National Lampoon's Attack of the 5 Foot 2 Women."

Actor Rip Torn, who now plays the Arty, the producer on the HBO comedy series, "The Larry Sanders Show". Torn has been a stage actor since the mid-1950's, when he left his native Texas (and his first name "Elmore") behind, for New York City and the Actors Studio. Described by one reviewer as "the good-looking no-talent with the ludicrously sinister name", Torn was often typecast as a heavy in television shows like "Dr. Kildare" and "Bonanza." (He also portrayed Henry Miller in an X-rated film version of "Tropic of Cancer.").

Actress and comedian Janeane Garofalo. She's a regular on HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show," where she plays the caustic casting agent, and was a regular on FOX's "The Ben Stiller Show." Now she's appearing in the new film directed and starring Ben Stiller, "Reality Bites." Her stand-up persona has been described as "a bitter, boot-wearing feminista." Which they go on to describe as "no act" on her part.