Art Carney

A beloved actor and part of the greatest television comedies ever, Art Carney will forever be identified as Ed Norton, blue collar pal of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) in The Honeymooners. First a radio star, Art started working with Jackie in the early 1950s on The Cavalcade of Stars where the Honeymooners began as a series of sketches. Those sketches earned Art five Emmy awards and an enduring legion of fans. But Art was much more than Norton -- he racked up an impressive number of leading and supporting roles on tv and in movies including that of Harry Coombes in the sweet film Harry and Tonto about a cross country trip by a man and his cat. The Academy agreed with Art winning an Oscar for the role! As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Art Carney? The Honeymooners is a seminal bit of early television magic -- here's the full bit where Art's Ed Norton teaches a little golf to Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden. https://youtu.be/QNauilZRzHk?si=j7amLMQNP7NFWefw Art was a favorite of Johnny Carson and he always managed to bring a little comic anarchy along for his guest spots. https://youtu.be/aUelHDAh1kk?si=CHj_4LZj9xPrS-Ax Art won an Oscar for Harry and Tonto -- and it also made Art a cat person! https://youtu.be/jxInBUR2zLU?si=CXn7bSFqU4B8oXku

Say hello to Red Skelton, a favorite of comedy fans for five decades. Red considered himself more of a clown than a comedian and his routines were filled with colorful characters and sight gags. A solid draw in movies back in the 1940s, Red took the leap to television when that medium arrived and he was a smash. Red was also famous for "working clean" which made him a family favorite both on screen (large and small) and on stage. Red also had a side career as a painter, specializing in -- what else -- portraits of clowns. And, in a sweet honor, Red's hometown of Vincennes, Indiana has the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy. Not bad for a clown!! As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows. Want more Red Skelton? Red's skits often had a bit of mime and this one -- the Doughnut Dunkers -- was a routine he revisited throughout his career. https://youtu.be/F4NcL3U6LHU?si=MnySSB2ZG50IVZur Red had many famous characters including boxer Cauliflower McPugg who may have stayed in the game a little too long. https://youtu.be/ID9B2i_BvFY?si=vMzQ1_yxNZt-_vj0 Red went way back with Johnny Carson and his visits to the Tonight Show were always fun! https://youtu.be/jnZwa6w0rcI?si=736Xaz3BwehKgLD9

Meet Louie Anderson, who started off writing punchlines for Henny Youngman, the King of one-liners, and ends with an Emmy-winning career that spanned television, movie roles, and best selling books. Louie had a self-deprecating style that endeared him to audiences and he was fearlessly honest about the myriad childhood issues that informed his comedy. When he passed in 2022 tributes from fellow comics were voluminous, including Dennis Miller who once said that Louie was "one of lightest on his feet comedians I know. There are very few guys I'm going to leave my dressing room early to watch." As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Louie? Louie got a big break when he killed in his first Tonight Show appearance back in 1984. https://youtu.be/2bRe1CeGe7g?si=Ea1HfaQ-1ll9ks8l Louie scored a short but important "cult classic" role as Maurice, a fast food jockey who dreams of bigger things. https://youtu.be/CEnp84dgNfs?si=FoWxrUci8UIwV0Dh Louie conquered many forms of filmed entertainment -- including the animated kind -- with Life with Louie which explored childhood issues with a big dose of humor. https://youtu.be/4IseTA__0lY?si=1TF5cJYUduMLD6de Louie had a late career triumph in Baskets, a hit FX show that featured Louie -- in drag -- as mother to twin brother played by Zach Galifinakis. He won an Emmy for the portrayal and it's well-deserved -- Louie is great! https://youtu.be/ap4iSflYAhg?si=J7DS0EQ6AYvX1Xkm

Say hello to the King of Cleveland, the Lord of TV improvisation, and Potentate of the Price is Right game show -- Drew Carey. A regular guy, Drew's enduring and broad appeal has made him a fixture on television since the late 1980s when he competed on Star Search. His Tonight Show debut in 1991 won Johnny Carson's approval and earned Drew the fabled invite to join the guests on the couch. From there Drew became a reliable guest on talk shows and helmed cable specials, then in 1995 launched the Drew Carey Show sitcom, a smash which also featured one of his future improv co-stars Ryan Stiles. Speaking of improv, that was Drew's next conquest, hosting the American version of Whose Line is it Anyway which led to his next star turn, as the replacement for Bob Barker on the Price is Right game show. All the while, Drew has never lost the everyman touch, in whichever medium he chooses! As always find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows. Want more Drew? A successful first appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show has launched many a comedy career, and when Drew got his turn at bat in 1991 he knocked it out of the park. https://youtu.be/k6Bt-q_pRh8?si=AdWSqigtOcxJW5nR The Drew Carey show was a hit sitcom and like other hits it had a memorable supporting cast. Here's a nice set of highlights from the show. https://youtu.be/5VN1A5yab5o?si=Ok7fGP_71Ss5Xdza Drew was the host and sometimes participant for the wildly successful improv game show Whose Line is it Anyway? Drew's back and forth with the Improv players was always sharp. https://youtu.be/2vUb8tVZoW0?si=wvk5QW4Zd6YS5hFS

There are legends and then there are LEGENDS -- and Chicago's Second City comedy troupe is the second kind. This episode we focus on Second City in the 1960s - before they became known as a talent pool for SNL and SCTV! After morphing from the Compass Players improv troupe, Second City became known for finely tuned sketches -- often deriving absurd and hilarious results from a normal setting (or vice versa). And the name itself -- The Second City -- had its own comedy meaning, having been pulled from a series of unflattering articles about Chicago in the New Yorker in 1952. The impact of Second City on the comedy world has been immense with players from Robert Klein to Joan Rivers to Harold Ramis to John and Jim Belushi to Bill and Brian Doyle-Murray gracing the stage over time. So, if you are ever in Chicago, make a pilgrimage to 1616 North Wells Street where the Second City awaits, busy at work training the next generation of sketch comedy stars! As always, find extended cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows. Want more Second City? An early classic from Second City asked the question "What would happen if the University of Chicago had a football team? Ask no longer!https://vimeo.com/195830483?fl=pl&fe=sh Fred Willard and Robert Klein are two of our favorite comics -- and they both worked the boards at Second City early in their careers. This bit features both men in a parody of Ripley's Believe It or Not! https://youtu.be/MAB4ZIgL6j0?si=rVahywZ8OBrtpTa7&t=1115 It's always fun to go back in time and listen to future comedy stars honing their craft. This fine collection gathers sketches from throughout the years (and thanks for the time stamps!). Dip in anywhere and laughter will follow! https://youtu.be/MAB4ZIgL6j0?si=cgNkZeeM4Hk4Qqkk

When Hee Haw first debuted in 1969 many saw it as a cornpone knockoff of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and while the show did indeed trade in cornpone comedy it also carved out it's own niche, running in syndication until 1993. Hosted by country music Hall of Famers Buck Owens and Roy Clark, the show mixed regular features with bits involving special guests -- usually another top country musician. For much of urban America Hee Haw served as a gateway to country music and the show retains a devoted following through DVD releases and streaming. As always, find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Hee Haw? Hosts Buck Owens and Roy Clark were spotlighted in Pickin' and Grinnin' which saw groaner jokes alternate with blazing guitar and banjo licks. https://youtu.be/2m7FifTu39I?si=mBcHZrEqinUtV4K6 Hee Haw drew the best in country comedy -- and in this case the country is Canada. Don Harron reprised his popular Charlie Farquharson character from Canadian television -- bringing you all the updates from Radio KORN.https://youtu.be/8XiOJQIEDC4?si=0TCNIjXDAQkNy0f5 One of Hee Haw's recurring bits was The Cornfield -- an homage to Laugh-In's Joke Wall. Performers would pop up alone or in small jokes and deliver a rim-shot worthy joke. https://youtu.be/pQH6Py7YmYI?si=bDVMehmKH8VDs-Il&t=419  

One of the most popular film and tv comics ever (with some novelty tunes tossed in for good measure), Danny Kaye delighted audiences with his wordplay whether remembering if "the vessel with the pestle has the brew that it true," speeding through the names of dozens of Russian composers, or engaging is some good natured "faux-Swedish" dialogue on the Muppet Show. Danny was also a humanitarian, serving as the first goodwill ambassador for the United Nations' children's charity UNICEF. Danny was also a part owner of a famed Seattle recording studio (Kaye-Smith) and an initial investor in the Seattle Mariners. We would report what he did in his spare time, but it appears he didn't have any! As always find extended cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!  Want more Danny Kaye? Any child of the 50s knows this bit of wordplay magic. The vessel with the pestle. . .https://youtu.be/WzmnSyqv37A?si=v6TNh8A2FZfYStpA See if you can keep up with Danny as he rolls through Russian composers in this gem taken from the musical "Lady in the Dark". https://youtu.be/KJm1pvOyyXc?si=_Zq_e893UXJh635_ Danny was a prolific novelty song artist and one of his best was a tribute to his beloved Dodgers. Oh, really? No -- O'Malley!" https://youtu.be/zBQlbtJqjUI?si=jtCNe9wP00UZAo4M Danny Kaye was a welcome presence on television anytime he appeared, and one of his best late career spots was on The Muppets Show. https://youtu.be/MyLTknMEiR4?si=vrftANsa7RmPx_eP  

Say hello to this week's Legend Rob Reiner -- director, actor, writer, producer, activist and all-around mensch. Son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob found his own path in Hollywood first as a writer for the Smothers Brothers, then with a breakout role in All in the Family, then as a movie director and actor. Rob practically invented the "mockumentary" format in the 1980s with This Is Spinal Tap (and boy are we eager for the sequel). His run of directorial credits in the 1980s is a murderer's row of classics and his periodic on-screen appearances are always welcome. And Rob still has no problem speaking his mind! As always, find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Rob? As we have all recently learned again the crew at South Park has no boundaries on their satire so when Rob popped up as an antismoking activist the South Park crew was there. Ouch! https://youtu.be/VvpK998H6Kk?si=1dsnRgFfKG-cR9Up All in the Family was a stunning departure from typical sitcom fare when it debuted in 1971 and the full volume battles between Rob's uber-liberal Michael Stivic and his bigoted father-in-law Archie Bunker (played by Carroll O'Connor) were a highlight. https://youtu.be/7toc7JDoFPk?si=RSS05fOj5Ohqrh2_ This is Spinal Tap was a cult classic from the start, one of the first "mockumentary" films of that era. A sequel is about to come out (over 40 years later!) and fans are salivating. Here's a short clip of one of the classic bits from the original.https://youtu.be/uMSV4OteqBE?si=_C8dkCvCrYrbK1iN Rob doesn't appear on camera that often but when he does it's a gem such as this clip from Sleepless in Seattle in which Rob explains to Tom Hanks the realities of dating in the 1990s.https://youtu.be/CVwwYxZzlSM?si=kVCQFe1JlKY9GoUI

This week it's across the pond to meet one of Great Britain's most beloved comedians, Frankie Howerd. After serving in WWII, Frankie launched his show business career, first gaining fame on radio and in music hall revues. When his popularity began to wane, Frankie tried different formats but it was a regular spot on David Frost's hit show That Was The Week That Was that brought him back into pubic view. After that, Frankie mixed movie roles. stage appearances, and television guest spots. He even had a key role as Mr. Mustard in the Bee Gee's ill-fated movie version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A recipient of the Order of the British Empire, Frankie has also been remembered with documentaries and a biopic. As always find extended cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Frankie? Frankie was part of the cast of That Was the Week That Was -- a seminal slice of British satire and one that showcased his unusual delivery. https://youtu.be/oLk4g3TL6Rk?si=5_KsO6KbRpGqd_1c After a stint on TW3 returned Frankie to the public eye he got his own variety show. Not much exists online from that show, but this episode will give you a taste. https://youtu.be/Jys5-x-Flew?si=DNCrGxx1g8oYYqs3 After Frankie starred in a smash revival of A Funny Think Happened on the Way to the Forum, which led to a fun series -- Up Pompeii! -- set in Ancient Rome. Frankie played a smart aleck slave named Lurcio who would often talk directly to the audience. Here's a full episode. https://youtu.be/SoyuS1niq6E?si=uEnsYVkiHpQ3grjo Later in his career, Frankie was a mainstay on tv variety programs, including this bit from the Royal Variety Performance in 1982.https://youtu.be/Qw6kSF0ZLZw?si=tzdzr45Oymtdfp0j  

Get your pjs on, grab a big bowl of cereal, and plant yourself in front of the TV (at least in your mind) -- its Saturday Morning Cartoon time with one of the seminal voices of animation. The name Daws Butler may not ring as many bells as Mel Blanc, but his characters sure do -- Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw and many more. A fortuitous early partnership with Stan Freberg paid off for Daws with tons of voice work in 1950s Hollywood, and when William Hanna and Joseph Barbera started their namesake studio in the 1960s, Daws was their as a key voice talent. Along the way Daws also was a mainstay of commercials (Captain Crunch anyone?) and founded a voice workshop that trained many of the next generation(s) of voice actors. As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Daws Butler? When the Beatle's stormed America, drummer Ringo Starr was a sensation and Daws caught the wave with Bingo Ringo -- featuring Daws as Huckleberry Hound fantasizing about being a rock and roll star. https://youtu.be/j8l-UakqV28?si=Puvt-4UbfQ67TuR9 Early in his career Daws worked with Stan Freberg on the Beany and Cecil kids who's, then on Stan's series of groundbreaking Capitol records releases including Christmas Dragnet -- a parody of the Dragnet television show -- and Daws was a perfect partner to Stan Freberg's Joe Friday parody. https://youtu.be/VUcEnZZxO9Y?si=vOtthAGBgz1Xn7wo Daws was the king of Hanna Barbera studios which popularized "limited animation" as a way to cut costs and keep cartoons on the air. With the motion limited, solid voice work was essential. Daws says -- no problem!https://youtu.be/kT_ykjMWDGc?si=sqhJ87kitSfNp6f5