National Comedy Center and CNN Partner To Present Live Tour in Promotion of “The History of Comedy”

National Comedy Center and CNN Partner To Present Live Tour in Promotion of “The History of Comedy”

CNN TO PREMIERE “THE HISTORY OF COMEDY” ON THURSDAY, FEB. 9, AT 9PM ET/PT – New CNN Original Series Features Interviews with Comedy Icons Norman Lear, Carol Burnett, Larry David and Betty White among others

 

NEW YORK – Jan. 4, 2017 – “The History of Comedy,” executive produced by Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner (Hazy Mills) with Emmy Award winners Mark Herzog and Christopher G. Cowen (Herzog & Company), will premiere Thursday, Feb. 9, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CNN, following a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Using archival footage punctuated by contemporary interviews with comedy legends, scholars and current stars, the new eight-part CNN Original Series explores what makes people laugh and how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history.

“The History of Comedy” also features interviews with Judd Apatow, Sarah Silverman, Senator Al Franken, Margaret Cho, Samantha Bee, Jimmy Kimmel, Kathy Griffin, George Lopez, Keegan-Michael Key, Conan O’Brien, Patton Oswalt, Dick Cavett, Ali Wong, W. Kamau Bell and more. The premiere episode, “Going Blue,” looks at groundbreaking comedians like George Carlin, Dick Gregory and Lenny Bruce who dared to embrace the risqué side of comedy.  Additional episodes look at women in comedy, political humor, parody and satire, comedy ripped from the headlines, the dark side of comedy, comedy in race and culture, and comedy found in everyday life.

In support of the series launch, CNN Original Series in partnership with the National Comedy Center, the first national non-profit cultural institution dedicated to comedy, will present “Stand-Up Live!” The showcase will feature some of today’s freshest and funniest stand-up comics and hit legendary comedy clubs in New York City, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles. Tickets can be purchased via the National Comedy Center’s website, www.comedycenter.org.

“The History of Comedy” will be available On Demand the day after the linear premiere on cable VOD and on CNNgo via iPad, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire, and desktop at www.cnn.com/go.