CH101 Select: In 2006, a producer thought it would be a good idea for double-acquitted murderer OJ Simpson's comeback project to be a zany hidden camera prank show called Juice'd. As in, a prank is pulled, OJ Simpson pops out, and goes, "You've been Juiced," at which point the person pranked goes, "HEY, AREN'T YOU THAT GUY WHO MURDERED THOSE PEOPLE?! 

And I, Harmon Leon, was hired off an ad on Craigslist to be OJ's funny little sidekick..I pulled hidden camera pranks alongside OJ Simpson. What followed was the worst trainwreck in reality television history.

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Chris Farley was one of the most dynamic and beloved comedians to ever grace the stage at both Second City and Saturday Night Live.

And I talk to Brent Hodge, director of the documentary, I Am Chris Farley. We do a deep dive into the life and times of this legendary comedian.

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Jewish comedians, such as Lenny Bruce, Joan Rivers, Gilbert Gottfried, have always broke norms and challenged taboos of American culture. 

We talk to Eddy Portney of YIVO Institute for Jewish Research - historian and curator of the course: Is Anything Okay? The History of Jews and Comedy in America.

We dive into the roots of Jewish humor from the Borscht Belt to modern times.

More at Yivo

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Just for Laughs is (was) the largest comedy festival in the world. Based in Montreal, the festival has helped launch the careers of such comedians as Jerry Seinfeld, Mitch Hedberg, Jimmy Fallon, Ali Wong, Amy Schumer, etc...

And it was announced last week that this year's festival has been canceled - due to bankruptcy.

We talk to Darren Frost - a Canadian comedian who started performing at the festival in the mid-90s - on the history of Just for Laughs.

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The legendary Comedy Cellar - is the Yankee Stadium of NYC comedy clubs. Founded in 1982, the club has helped launch the careers of Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Amy Schumer, Ray Romano...(you get the idea).

And we talk to comedian Dave Juskow, who is a Comedy Cellar regular - and host of the Comedy Cellar Tuesday podcast, on the history of this beloved club.

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CH101 Select: Mr. Bill is one of the most iconic characters in the history of Saturday Night Live.

Mr. Bill got his start in the first season of SNL - as a viewer-submitted Super 8 film. In his heyday, this bundle of Play-Do was the third most beloved character on SNL - right behind John Belushi and Gilda Radner.

And we talk to Walter Williams - the creator of Mr. Bill - who also became a staff writer at SNL.

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We wrap up the year with a sampling of the best of 2023 Comedy History 101 interviews.

Featuring episode excerpts on Kids in the Hall, Mr. Bill, Comedy Culture Wars, Shemp Howard, Found Footage Festival, the Dublin Comedy Scenes, Michael Richards Infamous Meldown, Last Comic Standing, The Harvard Lampoon, Revenge of the Nerds, and more..

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Bruce Cherry is a comedian who wrote jokes and comedy material for George W. Bush and a host of other politicians. And we do a deep dive into the writing process on creating humor for the Commander-in-Chief.

I originally interviewed Bruce for a story I did in Vice.

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In the world of The Three Stooges, Shemp Howard deserves more love.

Shemp was the original Stooge who appeared in 76 Stooge shorts. He also virtually saved The Three Stooges, was noted as the Ugliest Man in Hollywood, and is responsible for the phenomenon of 'The Fake Shemps.'

And we talk to Geoff Dale, the only man in history to have written a biography of Shemp Howard, aptly titled: Much More Than a Stooge: Shemp Howard.

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Kliph Nesteroff is one of the leading comedy historians and the author of the new book: Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.

And we talk about his book, censorship in comedy, how every generations declares that "comedy is over" - and how the old guard often refuses to accept culture shifts in the comedy biz.

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Mark Katz is a former joke writer for President Bill Clinton. He shares stories about writing humor in the White House, writing presidential jokes during a time of impeachment - and his take on which presidents are natural comedians. (Spoiler: Trump does not fit the mold.)

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