The BEST episodes of The History of Comedy

#1 - One Nation, Under Comedy / Cultural Divide

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 7/16/2017

The evolution of racial humor and how comedy about shared experiences can cross cultural barriers to unite people in laughter are explored.

#2 - The Spark of Madness

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/30/2017

The mind of the comedian is explored, as well as the difficult road that many seem destined to take where mental illness and substance abuse are remarkably common.

#3 - F***ing Funny

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/9/2017

The evolution of inappropriate humor throughout history is traced, showcasing the work from groundbreaking comedians who risked their careers, prison sentences and even their lives as they fought against censorship.

#4 - The Comedy of Real Life

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/23/2017

A look at how comedians find humor in the simple, daily experiences most people share.

#5 - Ripped from the Headlines

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/23/2017

The origins of topical humor are traced, from the invention of the monologue to the "fake news" shows of today.

#6 - On Parody and Satire

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/6/2017

Demonstrating how effective and funny it can be when you look at something serious and just twist it ever so slightly.

#7 - The Funnier Sex

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/16/2017

A look at the greatest female comedians and how they were able to succeed in every genre where humor is found despite rampant sexism and prejudice.

#8 - Sketch & Improv

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/22/2018

Ever since Commedia dell'Arte brought traveling troupes through Renaissance Europe presenting short shows with improvised dialogue, sketch and improv comedy has been an important part of new comedic talent. On television, sketch comedy has always been present with Your Show of Shows, Monty Python's Flying Circus, SCTV, The Kids in the Hall, Mr. Show and In Living Color, providing decades of short-form comedy to audiences. In comparison, Saturday Night Live has spent over 40 years recruiting talented performers from influential improv groups to create the longest-running sketch show in American television history.

#9 - Carnal Knowledge

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/15/2018

One of the oldest forms of comedy, sexual humor, has been a part of funny storytelling throughout history. From Aristophanes to Shakespeare to Sarah Silverman, the ubiquitous nature of relationships and sexual pursuits throughout life has made sexual humor an attractive topic for comedy—frequently pushing the limits of both comfort and political correctness. Whether it be Mae West or Animal House, Eddie Murphy or American Pie, sexual humor has always found a way to get past the puritanical and continue to land on the front lines of comedy.

#10 - In It Together

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 8/12/2018

Comedy teams have always been an important part of classic comedy – think Laurel & Hardy, Abbot and Costello, the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Martin and Lewis, and Nichols and May. The tradition of comedic teams has continued over the decades with the examples of Cheech and Chong, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, the Blues Brothers, and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. It continues to reinvent itself today in the form of sketch teams like Key and Peele, musical acts like Garfunkel and Oates, and twin brother stand-up team, the Lucas Brothers.

#11 - Politics Aside

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 8/13/2017