Welcome to Iowa Public Television! If you are seeing this message, you are using a browser that does not support web standards. This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device. Read more on our technical tips page.

Iowa Public Television

 

Make 'em Laugh: The Funny Business of America

Satire and Parody: Sock It to Me? (#106)

Features Johnny Carson, Mel Brooks, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and the Saturday Night Live casts.

Education Record Rights: 1 year from each broadcast.

This show aired...

Program Description: MAKE 'EM LAUGH: THE FUNNY BUSINESS OF AMERICA, a six-part documentary, exploring more than a century of American comedy through social and political change. Hosted by Billy Crystal, with narration by Amy Sedaris, each episode highlights a different comic genre. MAKE 'EM LAUGH: THE FUNNY BUSINESS OF AMERICA combines performance, biography and history, and includes more than 90 interviews with comedy writers, producers and performers including: Judd Apatow, Roseanne Barr, Anne Beatts, the Smothers Brothers, Carol Burnett, Sid Caesar, George Carlin, Larry David, Will Ferrell, Cheech Marin, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Mort Sahl and Dick Van Dyke.

All Upcoming Episodes

There are no broadcasts currently planned. Please check back for future broadcast dates.

Past Episodes

These episodes of Make 'em Laugh: The Funny Business of America aired in the last few months on Iowa Public Television.

« Back to Programs A-Z