Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy with Randy and Steve

David Cross is one of the best of the alternative stand-up comics who emerged in the 1990s. He also co-created a legendary HBO sketch show AND was the actor behind one of the most cringe-inducing characters in a show full of them. We wonder what he does in his spare time! A self-described "misfit" in his Georgia hometown, David found his people when he moved first to New York, then to LA in search of comedy stardom. He found it -- but in an alternative way issuing a number of well-received comedy albums on the SubPop label (at that...

Every great comedy troupe has a cast member who provides "glue" as well as laughs and for the brilliant cast of SCTV, that "glue" was provided by Joe Flaherty. A bit older than the rest of the cast, Joe was part of the Second City Chicago troupe who went north in the early 1970s to establish one in Toronto. Good move -- that cast attracted young comics such as Dan Ackroyd and Gilda Radner (who would be poached by SNL) and the comedic "murderers row" who joined Joe at SCTV -- Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara...

Time to get your rock and roll shoes on with Tenacious D -- the musical comedy creation of Jack Black and Kyle Gass -- who turned a fun novelty act into an ever more fun worldwide recording and touring machine. When Black and Gass first met in an LA theater troupe they couldn't have known how much their futures would be intertwined. While an early HBO show didn't catch fire, their debut album was a smash -- earning airplay on traditional hard rock stations as well as on comedy shows. The secret is that their music is REALLY good...

Sometimes comics start down unusual career paths (at least for a comic). How about accountancy? Bob Newhart famously plied that trade early in life. And today's Legend -- Ray Romano -- figured out his comedy path after studying accountancy in college. We suspect that Ray can hire out for an accountant these days after a career that includes a wildly successful sitcom, juicy voice acting roles, frequent guest spots on television (sometimes in dramatic roles), and a little professional poker tossed in the mix. Ray's family friendly brand of humor has gone down well with audiences since he first...

While today he is best remembered for an iconic television character, today's Legend also has deep roots as a stand-up comic -- one with a particularly biting and intelligent approach. We're talking about Richard Belzer, who surmounted a difficult childhood through comedy. After moving to New York as a young man Belzer immersed himself in a burgeoning satirical scene, cutting tracks for the National Lampoon Radio Hour, serving as the warm-up comic for SNL, and even acting as the opening act for Warren Zevon on his Excitable Boy tour. Today, Belzer has a whole different fan base who discovered...

Sometimes wrangling comedians can seem like herding cats -- but in 1986 everyone and everything came together for Comic Relief US -- a charity originally focused on helping America's homeless population which mounted a series of comedy spectaculars right up until the early 2000s. The organization continues to do good work today -- even staging a live LA Fire benefit -- but it's those early televised events (aired on HBO) that cemented its legendary status. The Comic Relief shows were hosted for many years by Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robin Williams and they featured top stand-up, sketch, and musical...

Think of late 1960's television comedy shows and Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In is sure to come to mine, and you can't think of Laugh-In without thinking of today's legend -- Goldie Hawn! On Laugh-In she played a sweet but ditzy blonde who would frequently steal the show. But there was so much more to Goldie than that as she has shown over an Oscar-winning film career. Goldie radiated star-power and was a top draw in movies including Cactus Flower, Shampoo, Foul Play, and Private Benjamin. Goldie has also won the Harvard "Hasty Pudding" woman of the year award, a...

Get you best "woof woof woof" on for today's Legend, standup comic, television host, and television and movie star Arsenio Hall. From humble beginnings Arsenio graduated from Kent State University then headed west to follow his comedy dreams. After some early success, Arsenio vaulted to national prominence when he played Eddie Murphy's friend in the comedy hit Coming to America. Hall played several roles and was so popular that Fox tapped him as a late night host, first as a substitute for Joan Rivers, then with his own show -- one that opened with that "woof woof woof" chant...

Ruth Buzzi has been on our episode schedule for a few weeks now, so we were both shocked and saddened to see the news of her passing -- but pleased that the response from the public was filled with so much admiration and affection. Best known for her stint on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In -- she was the only cast member to appear in every episode, Ruth's credits are much more extensive and diverse including appearing on Broadway, being a favorite on early variety shows (Gary Moore Show, Steve Allen Comedy Hour), and after Laugh-In, keeping a full slate...

From shock jock to The Man Show -- to elder statesman of late night tv? That's the path Jimmy Kimmel has taken on his way to a legendary career. Along the way, Jimmy has also become a reliable and popular host for the Oscars and the Emmy -- as well as helping bring to the screen the Crank Yankers prank phone call show. A pretty diverse resume! As Kimmel has matured he has also developed a political voice which he deploys to great effect on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, most notably when he helped galvanize opposition to repealing Obamacare during...

OK, with golf season fully underway, it's time to salute Caddyshack, one of the classic 1980s comedy that featured the directorial debut of Harold Ramis, the big screen breakthrough for Rodney Dangerfield, some arrogant Ted Knight, some crazed Bill Murray and a lineage that drew heavily from both Saturday Night Live and the National Lampoon. Don't worry too much about the plot -- it's merely a launchpad for comedy bits galore. Whether you're a hacker, a duffer, or a scratch golfer, Caddyshack has something for you. And if you are a real big fan, you can watch it wearing...

Meet Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie -- known to comedy fans as Fry and Laurie -- one of the funniest and best loved British comedy duos to emerge in the 1980s. Introduced to each other by Emma Thompson when they were students at Cambridge, Stephen and Hugh got their biggest boost when BBC hosted A Bit of Fry and Laurie from 1989 to 1995. Their sketch interplay was stellar, as was their bit of breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly. And their acting chops served them well when they were cast as Jeeves and Wooster in an adaptation...

Be honest, how many of you majored in bong hits at college? If so, you are in good company with today's legend -- Jon Stewart -- who claims he did just that back in the day. It doesn't seem to have lowered his productivity -- after three decades in the public eye Jon is as busy as ever with his second stint on the Daily Show. Since his early days, Jon has shown his ability to mix serious factual news with razor sharp satire first as a standup, then as an MTV host, and finally at the Daily Show...

Grab a bottle of Courvoisier and some "quiet storm" music because Leon Phelps, the Ladies' Man is in the house! Well, ok, it's actually Tim Meadows, the talent behind Leon who became an SNL favorite throughout the 1990s and who has built a solid career as a comic actor ever since. A product of Michigan, Tim learned improve there and at the Second City in Chicago where Lorne Michaels discovered him and added him to a strong cast. When Tim left he was (at that time) the longest serving SNL cast member and he turned that into a busy...

The name may not ring too many bells today, but from the 1960s through the 1990s you just had to turn on your television or (hit up your local comedy record store) and you were sure to run into the work of Sandy Baron who rose from playing the Catskills "borscht belt", to improv and satirical shows (including the US version of "That Was The Week That Was), to becoming a fixture in Vegas, in movies, and on television talk and game shows. In 1984 Sandy was introduced to a new generation of fans with his a role in Broadway...

OK, we're a day late but it's still a Happy St. Patrick's Day here at Laugh Tracks. And why wouldn't it be when we are featuring Irish comedy star of the small and big screen, Chris O'Dowd. From early roles in British tv, Chris got his breakout role on the classic British sitcom The IT Crowd playing Roy Trenneman, an information tech worker who is a master at avoiding work. The show's success launched Chris onto the big screen with a number of juicy supporting roles before he scored the role of Officer Nathan Rhodes in the 2011 blockbuster Bridesmaids...

Have an extra cup of coffee because you are going to need to be on your toes to keep up with this week's Legend, improv comedy superstar, as well as a a fine television actor, Ryan Stiles. Born in the US, Ryan was raised in Vancouver, BC and got his start doing standup and writing for the CBC when he was tapped for the British version of Whose Line is it Anyway. He was lured back to the US as a regular in the Drew Carey show, then what do you know -- Drew launches a US "Whose Line"...

Grab your best duds, we're hopping in the Time Machine for Las Vegas in the 1950s to catch up with The Rat Pack -- or at least the comic relief -- in the form of Joey Bishop who was a presence in Vegas showrooms, in movies, and on television well into the 1980s. A product of the New York nightclub scene, where Frank Sinatra caught and liked his act, Joey was Frank's opener for years and when Sinatra took the helm of the Rat Pack, he brought Joey along for the ride. That association would end in the early 1960...

If we were playing television trivia and said "Sally Rogers" you would say "Rose Marie" -- this week's legend. But there was a whole lot more to Rose Marie than her role as a comedy writer on The Dick Van Dyke show. A child singing sensation, Rose Marie spent time on the vaudeville circuit, eventually making it to Broadway with a featured role in South Pacific. She frequently guested on early tv sitcoms before she landed the role of a lifetime and became part of television history along with Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, Carl Reiner...

Take a wooden puppet, a guy who can't quite keep his lips from moving, and add impeccable comic timing and you just might come up with Edgar Bergen, often considered the premiere ventriloquist of the 20th century. With his "dummies" Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, Bergen was a hit in vaudeville, then on radio -- quite a feat for someone whose act generally requires the audience to see the artist. But Bergen's rapid verbal repartee with his puppets -- especially Charlie McCarthy -- captivated audiences and led to movie roles and tv appearances down the line. Bergen earned not...

Let's venture downunder to meet Adam Hills, a superb standup comedian and television presenter who has charmed Australians since the late 1980s with comedy that is sharp and playful -- and by the way, that often focuses on the fact that since birth he has been missing a foot. After starting as a radio host, Hills turned to standup and was a smash in Australia, the UK, and Canada. He became host of a popular Aussie game show in 20005, followed by a talk show. At the same time, Adam has become a star in the world of Paralympic sports both...

Talk about political comedians and people are sure to mention Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, George Carlin and the like, but don't forget Will Rogers who blended sharp political points with homespun humor to become a huge star in the 1920s and 30s. From his beginnings as a vaudeville rope trick artist, Will developed patter that made his audience both laugh and think. When the Great Depression impoverished much of America he became a much more pointed commentator, especially about the inequality of rich and poor. In 1935 a tragic plane crash claimed Will's life, but his legacy lives on with...

Each generation has their favorite SNL cast member and for those who started watching in the 1990s it wouldn't be surprising if Chris Farley topped their list. Chris' ability to match physical shtick with over the top characters was uncanny, whether Chris was doing a Chippendale's strip off with Patrick Swayze, extolling the superiority of Da' Bears, or ranting as Matt Foley, the world's most unlikely motivational speaker. A promising movie career (Tommy Boy, Black Sheep) had just begun when Chris followed his idol John Belushi (almost to the letter) and succumbed to an overdose at the age of 33...

One of the titans of early tv sitcoms, as well as a massively successful producer, singer, and philanthropist, Danny Thomas earned his stripes as a radio comedian (especially on The Bickersons) in the 1940s, then hosted his own radio variety show, then in the early 1950s jumped to television and began his classic show "Make Room for Daddy". After that, while Danny would continue to make tv and stage appearances (including a 1970's reboot called Make Room for Granddaddy), he also conquered the tv production world with shows including The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The...

A chance meeting in 1950s Orange County, California led Bill Skiles and Pete Henderson to create a comedy team that lasted all the way until 2010. Henderson was a singer and pianist who played the straight man, and Skiles was a sound effects madman who could punctuate (and puncture) anything Pete was trying to say or sing. The boys got their start at Disneyland as a song and dance team, then got their first Vegas break in 1960 at the Golden Nugget. Serving as regular openers for musicians such as Andy Williams and The Carpenters, Skiles and Henderson worked clean, making...

Time for some country comedy today, courtesy of the legendary Sheb Wooley who was a fine actor and songwriter as well as comic performer. Sheb started out as a rodeo rider, as well as a guitar and fiddle man. When injuries from the rodeo kept him out of the military in WWII, Sheb pivoted to music scoring his first his with a bona-fide rock and roll novelty classic, The Purple People Eater. From there Sheb kept racking up the hits, using the name Ben Colder when contractual issues kept him from issuing new material. He also was a solid...

Take a cigar, a tumbler of scotch, a twinkle in the eye. and some salty opinions and you get Ron White, a stand-up star for nearly 40 years and one of the original "Blue Collar" comedians who mounted one of the most successful comedy tours ever back in the early 2000s. Ron's most famous catch phrase is "you can't fix stupid" which fit right in with Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a redneck," Bill Engvall's "Here's your sign" and Larry the Cable Guy's "Get R Done" delighting the audience and turning a 26 show tour into six years of shows. Since...

In the 1940s and 50s Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were on top of the comedy world with a smash act that dominated nightclubs, the silver screen, and that new-fangled television thing. The premise was simple -- Dean was a crooner and straight man who tried to keep the show going according to plan, while Jerry was an overactive man-child who would mug shamelessly, croon off key, walk around in the crowd, and generally cause chaos. The crowds loved it, but as you can imagine those were two large talents (and in Jerry's case ego) to contain in one...

This time out we have a real treat from across the pond. Neil Innes may not be the most recognizable name in comedy, but without him the Monty Python movies would be much the poorer (and we wouldn't have a Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band at all). Coming up as part of the British satire boom of the early 1960s, Neil was an artist and musician with a flair for the absurd. That certainly came to the fore in the Bonzos, where Neil often sang lead and wrote their biggest hit. He soon crossed paths with the Pythons who...

One of the most popular comics of the 2000s, Amy Schumer is gifted with a tart tongue, superb timing, and a willingness to put TMI out there in search of a laugh. Amy also has turned her comedy into television and movie gold with an Emmy winning tv show ("Inside Amy Schumer"), cable specials, and juicy roles in films such as "Trainwreck." Her memoir -- "The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo" was a New York Times bestseller and more recently she made her Broadway debut in "Meteor Shower", (written by Steve Martin) and nabbing a Tony nomination in...

When we say today's comic is a real scream, we mean it! For most of us, our first introduction to Sam Kinison was his scream, often played as part of a radio station's "5:20 Funny". But there was so much more to Sam -- a bad boy who conquered the world of standup comedy (and music videos) for a few years back in the 1980s. Originally starting as a pentecostal preacher -- no doubt where he acquired his lung power -- Sam set down his bible and picked up a standup microphone as part of the Texas Outlaw Comics (which...

In the 1950s Leslie Nielsen was best known as a dramatic actor in movies and on television. But in 1980, that was about to change. Leslie took a role in a new comedy movie that was looking for a solid, deadpan type to be in the center of "joke-a-minute" action. That movie was Airplane! and it launched Leslie on a comedic career that would include the Police Squad tv show and the Naked Gun movie franchise. Along the way, Leslie became a master at poking fun at his own image, hosting Saturday Night Live and being a frequent guest on...

When Chelsea Handler exploded onto the standup scene in 1994 her bracingly honest style was an instant hit with fans, launching a career as a standup comic and a talk show host that is still going 30 years later. Chelsea has always embraced her flaws -- her best selling memoir is "Are You There Vodka, It's Me, Chelsea" after all. But her candor also brought that out in her talk show guests starting with the long running Chelsea Lately on the E! Network. A recent guest hosting stint on The Daily Show was a success as was her most recent Netflix...

Well it isn't St. Patrick's Day, but we still have the luck of the Irish with us because today's Legend is Brian Doyle-Murray. The older brother of Bill Murray, Brian has carved our a fine for career for himself with work at Second City, The National Lampoon Radio Hour, Saturday Night Live, and a slew of classic comedy flicks including Caddyshack, Wayne's World, and Groundhog Day. He even voices a great character (The Flying Dutchman) on Spongebob SquarePants. Brian -- like his brother Bill -- is also an avid golfer, co-hosting a Murray Brother golf tourney, and being part...

Without these guys, there may well not have been Monty Python or Firesign Theatre yet to much of the world they are just a distant (and very funny) memory. Who are these titans? It's the Goon Show which tickled British comedy fans during the 1950s with comedy that was smart, surreal, and sometimes just plain silly. The core Goons -- Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe worked off scripts penned by Milligan, playing a variety of off the wall characters. The voice work was superb and the structure of the shows is best described as avant-garde and four...

An absolute titan of 20th century comedy, Carl Reiner also was one of the most beloved writers/actors/producers/directors that Hollywood has ever produced beginning with his work on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, then creating The Dick Van Dyke Show, then directing Steve Martin in The Jerk and George Burns in Oh God! And, oh yeah, he also created The 2000 Year Old Man routine with his best friend Mel Brooks. It was a simply amazing comedy career and, as always, you can find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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One of the brightest stars in comedy today, Andy Samberg started out just wanting to make some funny experimental films with his buddies. When some of those films reached Lorne Michaels he recognized the talent behind the movies and signed Andy (and his Lonely Island comedy mates) up as SNL writers, also adding Andy to the cast. A couple of years later Andy (teaming with Chris Parnell) unleashed a great video sketch -- Lazy Sunday - and a new SNL megastar was born. After SNL, Andy had a long run as Jake Peralta in the Fox sitcom Brooklyn 99, and...

Fans of classic Vegas lounge comics rejoice, one of your idols awaits this week and we guarantee a "slap-happy" time. We refer, of course, to Slappy White -- a legendary standup who opened for (among others) Dean Martin and Dinah Washington as well as headlining the big rooms himself. A veteran of the "chitlin' circuit" Slappy also became a frequent guest star in 1970s movies and tv shows with a particularly juicy role as Melvin White (Slappy's real name) on Sanford and Sons (courtesy of Redd Foxx, another chitlin' circuit graduate). Later in his career, Slappy teamed up with...

This week we meet an architect of 1960s British Satire and a titan of 20th century media, Sir David Frost. From humble beginnings, David found his true course in college where he edited the school paper, edited the literary magazine, and for our purposes most importantly joined the Cambridge Footlights Society where he dove head first into the evolving British comedy scene. A genial presenter, David's first big break came as host of That Was The Week That Was, and he followed it up with more clever series including the Frost Report. Drawing on a writing and acting staff...

The 50th (!) anniversary of Saturday Night Live has spawned a "biopic" focused on the debut show and the original cast. A fond look back is certainly deserved for Garrett Morris who battled stereotypes (think Chico Escuela and "Beisbol has been bery-bery good to me") to become part of television history. A fine actor and singer, Garrett was initially hired as part of the writing staff, then added to the cast after Lorne Michaels saw his work in Cooley High. After SNL, Garrett didn't enjoy the starring movie and tv roles of some of his colleagues, but he carved out...