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
History of Fred Willard
Fred Willard was a true comedy legend. Not only did he appear in the classic Christopher Guest mockumentaries - but he also got his start at Second City in Chicago and was a member of a comedy team t…
00:43:23 |
Wed 20 May 2020
History of Comedy After 9/11
Needless to say, we are currently living through a crisis. But we know that laughter is the best medicine - and comedy will help us prevail.
It’s helped us in the past - in dealing with tragic events…
00:44:57 |
Sat 02 May 2020
History of Sam KInison & the Texas Outlaw Comics
We dive into the Sam Kinison origin story - and his role as a member of the Texas Outlaw Comics in Houston, Texas during the mid-1980s..
Kinison was a former preacher who turned to stand up comedy. D…
00:45:07 |
Fri 10 Apr 2020
History of Bill Hicks & the Texas Outlaw Comics
The Texas Outlaw Comics were a group of comedians based in Houston that formed at the Comedy Workshop in the mid-1980s. This collective of
like-minded comedians became an incubator of a unique style …
00:33:07 |
Sat 04 Apr 2020
History of Yakov Smirnoff
Yakov Smirnoff is a comedian from Russia. He's known for his catchphrase: "What a country."
Yakov's comic persona was of a naive immigrant who was perpetually confused and delighted by life in the Un…
00:49:56 |
Fri 27 Mar 2020
CH101 Select: History of Gallows Humor
From the archives: Gallows humor is witticism in the face of – and in response to – a hopeless, tragic, or deathly situation. Gallows humor is typically made by or about the victim of such a situatio…
00:44:05 |
Thu 19 Mar 2020
History of Spuds MacKenzie: The Original Party Animal
Spuds MacKenzie was the original party animal - that women adored. The fictional dog made his debut in a Bud Light beer commercial during the Super Bowl in 1987.
Spuds appeared in a series of commer…
00:43:37 |
Thu 12 Mar 2020
History of Fake Charlie Chaplins
When Charlie Chaplin hit the silver screen - the country suffered from a case of ‘Chaplinitis’. Audiences couldn’t enough of his films - so in 1917 a fake Charlie Chaplin, named Billy West, popped on…
00:41:05 |
Fri 28 Feb 2020
History of Where's the Beef?
"Where's the beef?" became the legendary commercial catchphrase for Wendy's.
Back in 1984, the ad starred cantankerous old lady, Clara Peller, who uttered: "Where's the beef?" The commercial skyrocke…
00:32:09 |
Tue 04 Feb 2020
History of Yo Mama Jokes
Yo Mama jokes are a comedic staple. But did you know Yo Mama jokes date all the way back to ancient Babylon? Making fun of one’s mother was also mentioned in the Bible - and Shakespeare even utilized…
00:38:18 |
Fri 24 Jan 2020
CH101 Select: History of SCTV
From the archives: We dive into the history behind the legendary sketch comedy show: SCTV.
Learn how SCTV was an offshoot of the original Toronto company of Second City - and find out more about the …
00:59:59 |
Fri 17 Jan 2020
History of Mother-In-Law Jokes
Mother-in-law jokes were big back in the era of Mad Men and the ‘50s. The joke genre was once a mainstay for stand up comedians. The premise includes the stereotype that mothers-in-law are generally …
00:30:31 |
Mon 06 Jan 2020
History of Comedians, The Mob, and The Copacabana
Remember in Goodfellas when mobster Henry Hill took his date, Karen, to The Copacabana? That was pretty true to form. The mob actually owned the legendary club. We saw this recently in the movie The …
00:47:58 |
Sat 28 Dec 2019
CH101 Select: History of the Comedy Straight Man
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00:47:18 |
Fri 20 Dec 2019
History of Don Rickles, The Irishman, and The Mob
Have you seen The Irishman? There’s a scene where Don Rickles (played by comedian Jim Norton) is performing at the Copacabana for mobster, Crazy Joe Gallo - on the night he was gunned down. The incid…
00:47:05 |
Fri 06 Dec 2019
History of the World's Oldest Jokes
The oldest recorded joke in the world - dates back to 2,300 BC. It’s attributed to the Sumerians, Back in those old-timey days - fart jokes were all the rage. Go figure.
In this episode, we dive into…
00:31:09 |
Mon 18 Nov 2019
CH101 Select: HIstory of Moms Mabley
From the archives: The history of Moms Mabley, who was the first successful female standup comedian and had a career that spanned over 50 years. Moms bridged the gap between vaudeville and modern sta…
00:43:58 |
Mon 04 Nov 2019
History of Gallows Humor
Gallows humor is witticism in the face of – and in response to – a hopeless, tragic, or deathly situation. Gallows humor is typically made by or about the victim of such a situation. In this episode …
00:44:14 |
Wed 23 Oct 2019
(Pt 2) History of Dolemite
We continue our history of: Dolemite. Eddie Murphy has a new Netflix bio-pic on comedian Rudy Ray Moore - and the making of the movie Dolemite. The movie was made for $100,000 in 1974- and in this ep…
00:49:08 |
Mon 14 Oct 2019
(Pt1) History of Dolemite
“Dolemite is my name and f*cking up motherf*ckers is my game!” says Dolemite - the comedy creation of Rudy Ray Moore.
There’s a new Netflix bio-pic coming out on Rudy Ray Moore called: Dolemite is M…
00:44:24 |
Mon 07 Oct 2019
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