Meet Kate McKinnon, one of Saturday Night Live's greatest "most valuable players" in this miniprogram. From early work in a college sketch troupe, to a breakout role in The Big Gay Sketch Show, Kate next made the leap to Saturday Night Live where her versatility and mimicry made her a legend. At the same time, Kate began to establish herself in movie comedies including the all-female Ghostbusters reboot and this year's smash hit Barbie in which Kate plays -- you guessed it -- "Weird Barbie"....

Meet Morecambe and Wise -- that's Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise -- who formed one of Britain's most illustrious and best-loved double-acts of all time. From beginnings in post-WWII Great Britain the lads soon found a home first on radio, then with television series and specials that spanned 20 years. And, for many of those years, they produced Britain's most watched Christmas special -- a real tradition. Morecambe and Wise were versatile, with both men capable of song and dance as well as...

This week we sample some classic Halloween Humor from everyone ranging from Bo Diddley and Tom Lehrer to Joe Flaherty and Bobby "Boris" Pickett. While Christmas remains the big dog among holidays for comedy records, Halloween has a more than respectable showing, particularly in the 1940s and 60s, the heyday of novelty songs reaching the Billboard Top 40 charts. So if you aren't able to sneak enough candy from you child (or grandchild's) treat bag, enjoy these comedy confections (plus no...

Today we meet a man who is a true perspiration to both of us, the great Norm Crosby -- also known as the master of malaprop. Born out of the need for a shtick when he was a young comic, Norm's ability to mangle the language on command was a hit with audiences and led to a decades long career in comedy clubs, long runs in Las Vegas, and myriad appearances in film and on television. Norm was also a staple at the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (and the much naughtier Friar's Club version), a...

Meet Alan Arkin, a sly comic actor who turned his fine eye for characters into a legendary career that spanned 50 years and won him many awards, including an Oscar at age 72 for Little Miss Sunshine. From his beginnings as a folk singer, to a stint with the Second City Improv troupe, to an iconic role in Catch-22, to late-in-life triumphs on the big and small screens, Arkin always imbued his supporting characters with first-rate humanity. As always, find more clips below and thanks for...

No, "EGOT" isn't a Tolkein or Star Wars character. In fact, EGOT status is far more rare, with fewer than a dozen winners of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, AND Tony Awards to date, including this week's legend, the very funny, very pointed, and very bawdy Whoopi Goldberg. From an early one-woman tribute to Moms Mabley, to movies including The Color Purple, Ghost, and Sister Act, to a long run on ABC's The View, Whoopi has been a ubiquitous part of pop culture for nearly 50 years -- and she shows no...

The Wayans family has been associated with film and television comedy since the 1980s and Keenan Ivory Wayans is the patriarch of that talented group. After almost graduating with an engineering degree, Keenan pivoted to Hollywood with his good friend Robert Townsend, starring in the superb satire about the life of black actors called "The Hollywood Shuffle". From then on Keenan would mix film triumphs ("I'm Gonna Get You Sucka'!) with groundbreaking tv work ("In Living Color"). His comedy is...

If you'd like some pie with your coffee we can't help, but if it's a pie in the face you crave let us introduce you to a modern master of that slapstick art -- Soupy Sales! After starting as a teen dance television show host in Cincinatti (ala Dick Clark), Soupy switched to hosting a children's show -- a gig that on-and-off would serve him for four decades. Soupy's show was goofy, including lots of interplay with a cast of puppet co-stars and yes, lots of pies in the face for Soupy and his...

Meet a longtime favorite from North of the Border -- Rick Mercer! Over a career now over 30 years, Rick has had a hand in creating some of Canada's best loved satirical shows, including This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Made in Canada, and The Rick Mercer Report. Rick's gifts at blending news, parody, sketch comedy, and "person in the street" interviews have earned him multiple Gemini Awards (the Canadian Emmy), membership in the Order of Canada, and a Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award from The...

Meet Andy Kaufman whose performance-art style comedy had the power to amuse, mystify, and (sometimes) offend during a short but brilliant run in the 1970s and 80s. A master of oddball characters, Andy first gained national fame with a groundbreaking spot on SNL in 1975, then in 1978 he took on the role of Latka the foreign mechanic on the smash TV sitcom Taxi. But fans who bought a ticket for his live show found themselves in a spectacle of edgy crowd work including a long-running bit in...

Bill Dana is best known for his Jose Jimenez character which charmed television audiences in the 1950s and 60s but there was so much more. A gifted comedy writer, Dana created some classic comedy bits including Don Adams "Would You Believe?" routine from Get Smart and the superb All in the Family episode where Archie Bunker had Sammy Davis, Jr. as a guest in his house. Dana was also a civil rights advocate (he retired the Jose character because of its stereotypes) and a comedy historian,...

A standup stalwart who stepped into the Tonight Show hosting gig when Johnny Carson retired, Jay Leno held that spot for 20 years. So when he finally retired, then unretired, then retired again (after some Succession-worthy intrigue) did Jay pick up the fishing pole? Nope! Instead he continued with frequent standup gigs, became a game-show host (You Bet Your Life), and launched a show about his friends and their cars (Jay Leno's Garage). As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing...

Bob Hope and Bing Crosby were both Hollywood icons, but when they teamed up to do a series of irreverent "buddy" comedies, they created another Legend -- the "Road To. . ." series. The plots were thin -- mostly an excuse to have Bob and Bing team up to break the 4th wall, unroll loads of snarky adlibs, and create some classic physical shtick. With Dorothy Lamour along for the ride, the films were a hit, and an template for decades of "buddy" pictures to follow. As always, find extra cuts...

Whether Tina Fey is selected to follow Lorne Michaels as SNL honcho or not, her legendary status is more than secure, including a long-running stint as SNL head writer and Weekend Update anchor. But there is so much more to Tina, including work at The Second City, starring in and producing award winning hit sitcoms (30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and teaming up with Amy Poehler to make an unbeatable awards show hosting duo. Add to that a Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and...

If you grew up watching Looney Tunes, the name Chuck Jones is sure to bring a big smile. As a director, Chuck helmed so many of the classic episodes, from Duck Amuck and Barbary Coast Bunny to What's Opera Doc and The Rabbit of Seville. Plus, if you love the animated version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, you can thank Chuck Jones for the animation wizardry that brought that story to life. As Robin Williams said when he awarded Chuck a lifetime achievement Oscar, "we have a jones for...

Trevor Noah is on top of the comedy world and there is no wonder why. From building a career in South Africa as a disc jockey and stand up, Trevor came to America and became the first South African comic to appear on the Tonight Show, built a huge fan base with his warm and witty shows, was selected to replace Jon Stewart as host of the Daily Show, left the Daily Show to return to global stand up touring, became an in-demand awards show host, and during all of that penned a best-selling...

"What a country!" has turned into "What a career!" for Yakov Smirnoff who emigrated to the US from Ukraine in the 1970s and built a career out of playful but pointed jabs at Russia and great "fish out of water" bits about himself. Along the way, Yakov has also managed to become a US citizen, earn a PhD in psychology, become an in-demand keynote speaker, score a number of juicy film and tv roles, and establish a long-running comedy theater in Branson, Missouri. We're not sure where he finds...

Say the name "Ernie Kovacs" today and you may well be met with a quizzical look. But say "the video art pioneer who inspired SNL, Python, Laugh In, and MST3K among many others" and you'll be in business! Smart-ass adlibs, odd ball musical acts, and numerous (and sometimes surreal) camera tricks that we take for granted today were all part of Ernie's toolkit, and he was ubiquitous on 1950s tv. He also became a superb character actor and sketch comic, and - not surprisingly -- he was an early...

Meet Iliza Shlesinger, one of the breakout comics of the last decade, who has ridden sharp character voices, a prowling stage presence, and pointed observations about millennial life to the top. But there is more to Iliza than her fantastic standup including starring in her own sketch comedy show and inhabiting great character roles on film and tv. As always you can find more Iliza below and thanks for sharing our shows! Want more Iliza? NBC's Last Comic Standing comedy competition has...

Meet Julia Louis Dreyfus who rose from a 21 year old SNL cast member to starring turns on Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and most recently Veep, earning enough awards hardware to require another room! A gifted producer as well as actor and writer, Julia has the gift of balancing world class snark with just the right amount of sweetness to make enduring and lovable characters. No wonder she won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018! As always, find more clips below...

Meet some nice guys from Canada who once on stage turn into some arrogant worms. Make that THE Arrogant Worms -- a long running musical comedy trio who blend bouncy melodies and sharp lyrics. From their humble roots on college radio, the Worms have gone on to release nearly two dozen albums and compilations and they remain a top touring act to this day. As always find extra clips below (including one that finds the true culprit behind climate change) and thanks for sharing our shows. Want...

For Decades Alfred Hawthorne Hill -- known to us as Benny Hill -- was a titan of British (and later American) television comedy with a show that blended slapstick, parody, mime, and a generous helping of double entendre. Benny presided over the show with a rascally gleam in his eye and Boots Randolph's hit "Yakety Sax" was used as the theme -- to the point people had no idea it wasn't written just for the show. Feeling Benny had run his course (after 35 years!) tv bigwigs axed the program in...

Meet one of the most talented and creative comics around, the legendary Tracey Ullman. A master of sketch comedy and impersonation (and a fine singer to boot), Tracey has racked up dozens of awards over a career now spanning 40 years. From her early days in West End Musicals, to her breakthrough Fox TV show (with also saw the debut of The Simpsons) to her current sketch comedy work, Tracey has built a truly global following. As always, find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our...

You may never have heard the name Dickie Goodman, but no doubt you've heard his work -- at least if you have heard any comedy bit that has someone ask a question that is rapidly answered by a snippet of a popular song. It's called cut-in comedy and Dickie was the pioneer, releasing records from the 1950s into the 1980s and scoring the occasional hit along the way. From an early smash envisioning the first flying saucer landing on earth to later discs parodying Watergate, Jaws, and King Kong,...

Here's a guy who has been a Pulitzer-winning columnist, a best-selling novelist, a much sought-after speaker, and guitarist in a garage band that also features Stephen King. It's Dave Barry and his one of a kind career makes him a legend of comedy. From humble beginnings as a beat reporter, Dave eventually became the king of newspaper humor columnists and his affectionately irreverent humor connect with a boomer audience from the start. While he has dialed back his output in recent years,...