Already a well-regarded producer of television specials and variety shows by 1967, George Schlatter pitched to NBC an idea that was a radical departure: a TV comedy special inspired by the hippie counter-culture, one which would take the idea of sit-ins, love-ins, and be-ins, and manifest that politicized, sexualized, consciousness-raising energy into comedic sketches. The special, Laugh-in, was so successful it became a regular television series. Soon, it was the...

"Jon Macks is one of the greatest comedy writers of all time."—Chris RockA hilarious, revealing look behind the history and culture of American late-night TV, by a longtime comedy writer for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.Ever since Johnny Carson first popularized the late-night talk show in 1962 with The Tonight Show, the eleven p.m. to two a.m. comedy time slot on network television has remained an indelible part of our ...

In 1967, producer George Schlatter pitched an idea for a quirky new television show: one inspired by the hippie counterculture, which would take the idea of sit-ins, love-ins, and be-ins, and manifest that politicized, sexualized, consciousness-raising energy into pure comedy. Much to the surprise of NBC executives, Laugh-In soon became the #1 show on American TV, and the careers of beloved stars like Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn were born.Still Laughing features n...

When television was young . . .Legendary movie producer Darryl Zanuck declared, "People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.Before 5:30, there were only test patterns. Howdy Doody was the first show of the day.CBS agreed to put I Love Lucy on film only if Desi and Lucy paid part of the production fee. In return, CBS gave them ownership of the shows, including the right to rerun it forever.Kukla, Fran,...

The Instant #1 New York Times bestseller!How did a kid whose dad lived in the poorhouse become the world's #1 bestselling author?·On the morning he was born, he nearly died.·His dad grew up in the Pogey– the Newburgh, New York, poorhouse.·He worked at a mental hospital in Massachusetts, where he met the singer James Taylor and the poet Robert Lowell.·While he toiled in advertising hell, James wrote the ad jingl...

"Funny [and] fascinating . . . If you're a comedy nerd you'll love this book." — Pittsburgh Post-GazetteNamed a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, National Post, and SplitsiderBased on over two hundred original interviews and extensive archival research, this groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past one hundred years.Starting...

**“Being directed by the Jimmy Burrows, while on Friends, was like hitting the jackpot. I’m delighted that everyone can now share in his incredible insight with this book.”—JENNIFER ANISTONFrom the director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace comes an insightful and nostalgic behind-the-scenes memoir that’s “as difficult to put down as a Friends marathon is to turn off” (The Washington Post).**

"A frothy collection of stories and gossip from the comedic actress . . . [she] looks back happily at her sixty-five-year career on stage, screen, and TV." — Kirkus ReviewsFrom her acclaimed performances to her headline-making divorce from Eddie Fisher, raising a famous daughter to hitting the road with a successful one-woman show, Debbie Reynolds was in the spotlight for decades. Over her more than six-decade-long career she met presidents, performed for t...

An entertaining, hilarious, biting biography of “Mr. Warmth,” the infamously prickly comic who dominated Hollywood and Las Vegas for decades, making an artform out of heckling his friends, family and especially his audiences—and they couldn’t get enough of it.Having ridden a wave of success that lasted more than sixty years, Don Rickles is best known as the “insult” comic who skewered presidents, royalty, celebrities, and friends and fans alike. But there ...

More like Holly weird, right? Unearth fun facts from Bryan Cranston's body hair double to the Martha Stewart vs. Gwyneth Paltrow Goop feud, and much more.Hollywood stars may be accustomed to the limelight, but there are some things they may wish had never seen the light of day. Scandals, stunts gone wrong, off-camera feuds, eccentric lifestyles, it's all here in Strange Hollywood. Dozens of entertaining articles about the world of showbiz will amus...

The behind-the-scenes story of the iconic funnymen who ruled '80s Hollywood—Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Eddie Murphy—from their star turns on Saturday Night Live to the beloved films that made them legends, including Animal House, Caddyshack, and GhostbustersNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NEW YORK**“An enjoyable romp that vividly captures the manic up...