Make Em Laugh: A Must See PBS Series For Comedians

As you are probably well aware by now, my interest in comedy goes beyond simply how to develop stand-up and perform stand-up comedy material like a pro.

I am also keenly interested in the history and how comedians from the past have influenced and shaped the art today.

I watch the second installment of the PBS series called Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America. And I have to say that any comedian who is interested in knowing more about the origins of the art of stand-up should review this amazing series.

This particular installment covered the early part of the 20th century when burlesque and vaudeville shows were the comedy shows of the time, all the way to the 80’s.

Commentary about The Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields launches this installment of the series, followed by the likes of Jack Benny, Phil Silvers, and Don Rickles (yes, Don Rickles probably did shake hands with Moses).

As 20th century moved into the 60’s, comedians like Red Foxx, Joan Rivers, and Paul Lynde are covered in fascinating detail, leading to the conclusion of this particular chapter in American comedy with more modern day comedians like Larry David, Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy.

I really can’t do this program justice with mere words in a single blog post. There is commentary on comedy and comedians by a “Who’s Who” list of A-List comedians as well, which further add to the amazing stories being revealed.

Here’s why I think comedians need to absorb this kind of programming:

You will quickly find that the comedy “stars” of today struggled and struggled hard to become stars. It was anything but easy and these comedians beat the “odds”.

So if you are in the stand-up comedy trenches and are ready to throw in the towel, I can only strongly encourage you to check out this fascinating series.

You are not alone, nor have you ever been when it comes to gaining traction in your stand-up comedy career.

For more information about this series along with videos and more, check out PBS.org.

Cheers,
Steve Roye
The Professor of Funny for Money

For more information about Steve Roye, author of this blog and the Killer Stand-up Online Course, click here.

Tags: american comedy, comedians, comedy stars, funny business, history, make 'em laugh, PBS series, stand up comedy