A few weeks ago I decided to write a post about how I was going to watch less television in 2009. No sooner than I hit publish, did PBS start hitting me with some can’t miss programming in the form of the series Make Em Laugh.
Let’s face it. We all can use a good laugh these days. This 6 part series chronicles the achievements of some of the funniest people of the last 100 or so years, and offers insightful historical context to that which we call comedy.
Each of the 6 episodes in an hour long, and features a nice mix of clips, rare footage, and interviews on a given theme. Nerds, Sitcoms, Slapstick, Controversy, Wiseguys, and Satire – all are covered in an informative and entertaining fashion. As I watched, I was overcome with memories of repeating these comedy routines in school, church, or some other place where it was probably not appropriate to do so. Especially great to re-live George Carlin’s 7 words routine. Memorizing that one got me in a lot of trouble, but also made me a lot of friends. No surprise that I spent considerable time in detention and was voted class clown. From Martin and Lewis to Steve Martin, Cheech and Chong to Seinfeld, Andy Kaufman, George Carlin, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Lenny Bruce, and Jon Stewart – they are all there.
At the time of writing this I have seen the first 4 episodes. Each one made me laugh out loud. The two remaining episodes will air this Wednesday, January 28th. If you are reading this after the 28th, check your local listings for re-runs. It is totally worth watching, even if you can only catch one or two episodes.
So, the bad news is I am not completely hitting my goal of eliminating TV, but the good news is that at least I am learning some things and having a good laugh.
