Comedy History 101
Comedian and journalist Harmon Leon dives deep into the wild, weird, and hilarious history of comedy. Each episode explores the backstories of legendary comedians, iconic sketches, cult classics, stand-up milestones, and forgotten gems from the comedy world. From SNL to viral videos, we unpack the moments that shaped what makes us laugh. Whether you're a hardcore comedy nerd or just comedy-curious, this is your crash course in the funny business. Subscribe now and discover how comedy got to where it is today—one punchline at a time.
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- Update frequency
- every 9 days
- Average duration
- 42 minutes
- Episodes
- 203
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Jews and Comedy in America with Eddy Portnoy
Jewish comedians, such as Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, Gilbert Gottfried, have always broke norms and challenged taboos of American culture.
We talk to Eddy Portney of YIVO Institute for Jewish Resear…
00:40:21 |
Tue 19 Mar 2024
Just for Laughs with Darren Frost
Just for Laughs is (was) the largest comedy festival in the world. Based in Montreal, the festival has helped launch the careers of such comedians as Jerry Seinfeld, Mitch Hedberg, Jimmy Fallon, Ali …
00:40:32 |
Wed 13 Mar 2024
Comedy Cellar with Dave Juskow
The legendary Comedy Cellar - is the Yankee Stadium of NYC comedy clubs. Founded in 1982, the club has helped launch the careers of Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Amy Schumer…
00:41:39 |
Thu 29 Feb 2024
CH101 Select: The Mr. Bill Show with Creator Walter Williams
CH101 Select: Mr. Bill is one of the most iconic characters in the history of Saturday Night Live.
Mr. Bill got his start in the first season of SNL - as a viewer-submitted Super 8 film. In his heyd…
00:45:51 |
Fri 16 Feb 2024
The Best of 2023!
We wrap up the year with a sampling of the best of 2023 Comedy History 101 interviews.
Featuring episode excerpts on Kids in the Hall, Mr. Bill, Comedy Culture Wars, Shemp Howard, Found Footage Fest…
01:12:13 |
Tue 26 Dec 2023
Writing Jokes for President George W. Bush w/Bruce Cherry
Bruce Cherry is a comedian who wrote jokes and comedy material for George W. Bush and a host of other politicians. And we do a deep dive into the writing process on creating humor for the Commander-i…
00:28:35 |
Fri 22 Dec 2023
Shemp Howard and The Three Stooges
In the world of The Three Stooges, Shemp Howard deserves more love.
Shemp was the original Stooge who appeared in 76 Stooge shorts. He also virtually saved The Three Stooges, was noted as the Uglies…
00:40:12 |
Thu 14 Dec 2023
Kliph Nesteroff: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars
Kliph Nesteroff is one of the leading comedy historians and the author of the new book: Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.
And we talk about his book, censorship in comedy, how ev…
01:03:42 |
Fri 08 Dec 2023
Writing Jokes for President Bill Clinton w/ Mark Katz
Mark Katz is a former joke writer for President Bill Clinton. He shares stories about writing humor in the White House, writing presidential jokes during a time of impeachment - and his take on which…
00:31:05 |
Thu 30 Nov 2023
CH101 Select: Last Comic Standing with Rob Cantrell
A CH101 Select: The iconic TV show Last Comic Standing - ran from 2003 to 2015. It was a reality show, where comedians competed to be, well, the last comic standing. The show helped launch the career…
00:55:40 |
Thu 09 Nov 2023
The Jerry Springer Show Infiltration
The Jerry Springer Show has the notoriety of being the trashiest of all the trashy daytime talk shows. In 1995, a group of Canadian comedians pranked the Springer Show - and appeared on a segment ent…
00:43:41 |
Thu 02 Nov 2023
Celebrity Journalism of the 1980s
Irate encounters with Bill Murray. Cary Grant at The Friar's Club. Margarita lunches at The Russian Tea Room. This was all part of being a celebrity journalist at People Magazine in the 1980s - for o…
00:31:59 |
Thu 26 Oct 2023
The Harvard Lampoon w/Michael Small
Michael Small was a staff member of The Harvard Lampoon. He is our guest today - on his history at one of the oldest and most prestigious humor magazines in the world. The alumni of The Harvard Lampo…
00:46:45 |
Thu 19 Oct 2023
Satan Wants You with Directors Steve Adams & Sean Horlor
I interview the directors behind the new documentary, Satan Wants You - which tells the story how the Satanic Panic of the 1980s was ignited by the book, Michelle Remembers. Find out how the book was…
00:31:39 |
Mon 09 Oct 2023
Found Footage Festival and Chop & Steele
I talk to Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher curators of the Found Footage Festival - on their love of found videos, infiltrating TV shows, sabotaging America's Got Talent, and their new documentary, Chop …
00:49:22 |
Thu 28 Sep 2023
Grateful Dead Ticketing Office: PART TWO
More Grateful Dead stories? We talk to Frankie Accardi-Peri who co-managed Grateful Dead ticket sales from 1984- 1995- and she has some Dead insider stories to tell. This is a companion episode to my…
00:26:52 |
Wed 20 Sep 2023
Mad Magazine with Former Editor Joe Raiola
Joe Raiola was a writer and editor of Mad magazine for 33 years. And he has some stories to tell on how Mad shaped comedy in America - and whose voice resonates through such entities as The Onion, Th…
00:55:27 |
Wed 06 Sep 2023
CH101 Short: 2 Comedians Complain about the Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the biggest performance festival in world. It takes place during the month of August and has launched the comedy careers of Monty Python, Eddie Izzard, Fleabag - and …
00:15:36 |
Fri 25 Aug 2023
Revenge of the Nerds with Wormser aka Andrew Cassese
Revenge of the Nerds is one of the classic comedies of the 1980s. And we talk to Andrew Cassese who played child-genius: Wormser in the movie.
Revenge of the Nerds featured early roles from such acto…
00:33:19 |
Thu 10 Aug 2023
Seinfeld's Michael Richards Infamous Meltdown with Freddy Lockhart
Comedian Freddy Lockhart has the notoriety of being the very last person to EVER bring up Seinfeld's Michael Richard on stage as a comedian - the night he had his infamous meltdown at the Laugh Facto…
00:54:39 |
Thu 03 Aug 2023
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