Comedy History 101

What do Happy Tree Friends, Sonic the Hedgehog, Gumby, and Mr. Bumpy of Bumps in the Night have in common? Ken Pontac has been a creative force behind all these wonderfully bizarre projects Ken joins CH101 to talk about how dropping acid before an Eraserhead screening led to working on Gumby, why tragedy equals comedy on Happy Tree Friends and the overall ethos behind his creative process. Ken also has a new documentary, Colors of the Spectrum: Beauty in Neurodiversity, centerED on autistic artists at Autistry Studios, exploring the relationship between autism & creativity. Check out Ken’s documentary series: https://www.youtube.com/@colorsofthespectrum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ophira Eisenberg is known for hosting NPR’s Ask Me Another, The Moth mainstage, and her new stand-up special, I Used to Be Nicer. She also has the distinction of filming her previous special when she was 8 ½ months pregnant. Ophira joins Comedy History 101 to dive into the history of comedians who filmed their stand-up specials while pregnant. From Joan Rivers pushing pregnancy taboos on The Ed Sullivan Show to Ali Wong’s Baby Cobra, Jena Friedman’s Ladykiller, Kira Soltanovich’s You Did This to Me, and Ophira’s own pregnancy special, Inside Joke. At one time, a comedian couldn’t say the word ‘pregnant’ on TV. Now being pregnant on stage can make for the centerpiece of a stand-up special. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil is the new HBO Max doc series that revisits Juiced, O.J. Simpson’s trainwreck hidden-camera prank show. It was meant as a comeback project for the double “alleged” murderer. And, I, Harmon Leon was hired off Craigslist to be O.J. Simpson’s “funny little sidekick.” In this CH101 reprise episode, I go behind the scenes of Juiced and what it was really like pulling pranks with O.J. Simpson on the worst idea ever conceived for a reality TV show - now featured in O.J. Unseen: Exploitation of Evil. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You Can’t Do That on Television defined Nickelodeon—and gave the world GREEN SLIME! Comedy History 101 talks to Abby Hagyard, who portrayed “Mom” on YCDTOT, to reveal the wonderfully weird history behind the Ottawa-based cult comedy classic. From working with a young Alanis Morissette to kids telling jokes inside lockers, to the show’s Laugh-In, SCTV, and Monty Python influences. Plus, find out exactly what it felt like to be ‘slimed.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stairway to Stardom was a legendary NYC public access TV show that gave singers, dancers, comedians, and dreamers a chance to become stars. It's a cult classic that fans include Bjork, Alec Baldwin, & Paul Scheer . Long before social media, there was a Manhattan cable show that let people perform with the same passion they had dancing in front of their bedroom mirror - without fear of being torn down by the trolls. In this Comedy History 101 audio documentary we explore the rise, fall, and unlikely rediscovery of Stairway to Stardom. Featuring interviews with archivist Mitch Friedman, Joe Pickett of the Found Footage Festival, Artist, HP Mendoza, and past STS performers Rich Halke, Lola Perazzo. All The Kings Men Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices