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Chuckle Your Way Through Comedy History

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By WALT BELCHER wbelcher

@tampatrib.com

Published: January 14, 2009

"Make 'Em Laugh" doesn't cover every American comic who ever told a joke. But it includes enough humor to warm the heart and tickle the funny bone.

This country may have produced more chuckleheads than any place on the planet and we're all the better for that.

Debuting at 8 tonight on PBS, "Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America" is a six-part documentary that will air over three nights (it continues at 8 p.m. on Jan. 21 and 28).

That's a lot of material to soak in. But any show that includes the Marx Brothers, Cheech & Chong, Bart Simpson and Bugs Bunny is worth the effort.

Hosted by Billy Crystal, the clip-filled series looks at how comedy has evolved since the days of vaudeville against the backdrop of social and political change.

A mix of amusing performances, historical narration and interviews, it explores how comedy has poked fun at and challenged politics, race relations, gender issues, class, moral standards and prevailing taboos.

More than 90 comedians, writers, producers, and historians, including Judd Apatow, Roseanne Barr, Anne Beatts, the Smothers Brothers, Carol Burnett, Sid Caesar, George Carlin, Larry David, Will Ferrell, Leonard Maltin, Cheech Marin, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Mort Sahl, Dick Van Dyke, and many more, share their views.

The first hour tonight looks at "nerds, jerks and oddballs" from goofy Harold Lloyd in the silent era through Bob Hope's vain coward in films of the 1940s and on to zany characters such as Jonathan Winters, Andy Kaufman and Robin Williams as well as superstar nerds like Woody Allen.

The second hour tonight covers "breadwinners and homemakers" from radio and television sitcoms including "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show," "The Goldbergs," "I Love Lucy," "The Honeymooners," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "All in the Family," "The Cosby Show," "Roseanne," "The Simpsons" and others.

At this point, viewers need a break. Next week, an hour of "knockabouts" such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Jim Carrey, Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, Martin and Lewis and the Marx Brothers is followed by an hour of "groundbreakers" that push the envelope and make us think.

These include golden oldies such as Mae West and Moms Mabley and bad boys Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and George Carlin.

The final night features wise guys Groucho Marx, W.C. Fields, Jack Benny, Phil Silvers, Joan Rivers, Redd Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Larry David. It wraps up with masters of satire and parody from Will Rogers to Mel Brooks. Included are Johnny Carson, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Sid Caesar and the "Saturday Night Live" gang.

Filmmaker and comedy fan Michael Kantor, who wrote and directed "Make 'Em Laugh," says one goal was to introduce younger viewers to comedy legends and influences. "People today don't know Jack Benny. It's really incredible," Kantor says. So he wanted to include "the amazing comedy that people don't know" and "clips that you can't rent at the corner video store."

For information go to pbs.org

LOST REDUX: Before the long-awaited season debut of "Lost" on Jan. 21, ABC offers a three-hour refresher course beginning at 8 tonight.

The "enhanced" repeat of the season four finale includes on-screen facts about the characters and back story on the lower third of the screen. This pop-up video effect is for the casual viewer who may have forgotten what happened to the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815.

Die-hard fans, however, have kept up. The rest of the couch potato nation has probably lost interest.

TUNE IN TONIGHT

"Gary Unmarried," 8:30 p.m., CBS

The Peoples Choice Awards named this "the best new comedy." Gary (Jay Mohr) dates his daughter's plain-looking teacher to prove he's not just interested in beautiful women,

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