Comedy


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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Interviewees discuss classic episodes of TV comedies.

Highlights
Doris Singleton on the Harpo Marx episode of I Love Lucy
01:26
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
02:15
Marla Gibbs on creating the memorable sequence from the classic The Jeffersons episode "Mr. Piano Man," which had her crawling under the piano in a crowded party to try to answer the front door before "George Jefferson"
01:40
Ron Howard on the Happy Days episode "My Favorite Orkan" (which introduced "Mork") and Robin Williams' talent
03:44
Dawn Wells on the matchmaking episode of Gilligan's Island in which Mrs. Howell tries to set up Mary Ann and Gilligan
00:28
Who talked about this topic

Andy Ackerman

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Andy Ackerman on working with Alex Trebek for the Jeopardy! episode of Cheers, "What is... Cliff Clavin?"
00:51
Andy Ackerman on the Cheers finale, "One for the Road"
00:49
Andy Ackerman on the Seinfeld finale penned by Larry David
08:30

Jason Alexander

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Jason Alexander on his favorite Seinfeld episode and lines
02:46

Edward Asner

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Ed Asner on the classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
04:23
Ed Asner on The Mary Tyler Moore Show  episode "Chuckles Bites The Dust"
06:36

Thomas Azzari

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Thomas Azzari on designing the bedroom set for the final Newhart episode
01:49
Thomas Azzari on set designing for the Seinfeld  episode "The Finale"
01:52

Paul Bogart

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Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" (airdate: October 16, 1977), where Edith is almost raped by an intruder
03:24
Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "The Draft Dodger" (airdate: December 25, 1976)
02:39

Peter Bonerz

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Peter Bonerz on ordering a rigged up iron to create a special effect on The Bob Newhart Show episode "A Love Story"
01:01
Peter Bonerz on the Ross/Rachel kiss from the Friends season two episode, "The One Where Ross Finds Out"
01:17
Peter Bonerz on the Murphy Brown episode, "Uh, Oh, Part 2," and the criticism of Murphy's single motherhood by then U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle
08:48

Kevin Bright

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Kevin Bright on the finale of Friends
06:51

Harvey Bullock

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Harvey Bullock on writing The  Andy Griffith Show  episode "Opie the Birdman" starring Andy Griffith and Ron Howard
05:12

Sid Caesar

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Sid Caesar on how Your Show of Show's parody of From Here to Eternity ("From Here to Obscurity") became the source of a lawsuit
01:17

Diahann Carroll

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Diahann Carroll on the "startling" 1968 opening sequence of Julia
01:38
Diahann Carroll on the "startling" 1968 opening sequence of Julia
01:38

Tim Conway

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Tim Conway on hosting the notoriously short-lived show (it was canceled during its premiere) Turn-On
02:34

Hal Cooper

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Hal Cooper on Maude's funniest moment
03:47

Bill Dana

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Bill Dana on how he came to write the classic All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit," and how he and producer Norman Lear invented the show's premise
02:32
Bill Dana on guest star Sammy Davis, Jr. calling him from the set of the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit" to compliment him on the script
00:50

Greg Daniels

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Greg Daniels on writing The Simpsons episode "Homer and Apu"
05:00
Greg Daniels on writing The Simpsons episode "Lisa's Wedding"
03:09
Greg Daniels on his favorite episodes and moments of The Office
01:12

Ann B. Davis

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Ann B. Davis on working with Don Knotts on The Bob Cummings Show, aka Love That Bob
01:18

Sam Denoff

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Sam Denoff on the "That's My Boy" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show
01:35

Dick Ebersol

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Dick Ebersol on Richard Pryor's word association skit when hosting Saturday Night Live
00:43

Gerald Perry Finnerman

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Gerald Perry Finnerman on Orson Welles appearing in the Moonlighting episode "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice"
03:33
Gerald Perry Finnerman on filming the black and white Moonlighting episode "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice"
08:03
Gerald Perry Finnerman on filming the black and white Moonlighting episode "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice"
08:03

Larry Gelbart

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Larry Gelbart on making the transition from radio to television with The Red Buttons Show
02:57
Larry Gelbart on the episode "Abyssinia, Henry" where one of the main characters dies -- which they kept a secret from cast and crew; on the response to the episode -- "M*A*S*H was not all happy endings"
09:58

Marla Gibbs

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Marla Gibbs on creating the memorable sequence from the classic The Jeffersons episode "Mr. Piano Man," which had her crawling under the piano in a crowded party to try to answer the front door before "George Jefferson"
01:40
Marla Gibbs on memorable episodes of The Jeffersons that featured her character, "Florence," and on Billy Dee Williams appearing on the show
02:43

Sherman Hemsley

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Sherman Hemsley on his first entrance as "George Jefferson" on All in the Family
02:04
Sherman Hemsley on some of his favorite episodes of The Jeffersons
01:28

James Hong

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James Hong on his approach to the role of the maitre d' on the classic Seinfeld episode "The Chinese Restaurant"
04:21

Ron Howard

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Ron Howard on using the death of a pet in real life to reach the emotions needed in The Andy Griffith Show episode "Opie the Birdman"
01:56
Ron Howard on The Andy Griffith Show episode "The Pickle Story"
01:18
Ron Howard on The Andy Griffith Show episode "Mr. McBeevee"
01:50
Ron Howard on the "Howdy Doody" episode of Happy Days
00:58
Ron Howard on playing a drunk scene in the Happy Days episode "Richie's Cup Runneth Over"
00:48
Ron Howard on the Happy Days episode "Hollywood" which ushered in the TV term "jump the shark"
02:08
Ron Howard on the Happy Days episode "Richie Almost Dies" and Henry Winkler's contribution
01:01
Ron Howard on the Happy Days episode "My Favorite Orkan" (which introduced "Mork") and Robin Williams' talent
03:44

Felicity Huffman

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Felicity Huffman on the episode of Sports Night where her character, "Dana Whitaker" kissed Peter Krause's character, "Casey McCall"
00:50

Al Jean

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Al Jean on The Simpsons episode "There's Something About Marrying"
01:55
Al Jean on The Simpsons episode "Blame it on Lisa"
00:43
Al Jean on The Simpsons episode "A Streetcar Named Marge"
01:11

Geri Jewell

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Geri Jewell on having to perform a dance number on the first The Facts of Life episode on which she appeared ("Cousin Geri")
03:26

Barry Kemp

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Barry Kemp on the Newhart series finale
02:28

Sheldon Leonard

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Sheldon Leonard on the classic Dick Van Dyke Show episode "That's My Boy?"
02:13

Gavin MacLeod

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Gavin MacLeod on "The Last Show," the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
02:08

Will Mackenzie

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Will Mackenzie on directing the Family Ties episode "A, My Name is Alex", featuring Michael J. Fox
07:49
Will Mackenzie on directing the Moonlighting episode "Atomic Shakespeare"
01:56

Rose Marie with Emerson College

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Rose Marie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and on working for producer Sheldon Leonard (she discusses the classic episode "It May Look Like a Walnut")
03:14

Garry Marshall

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Garry Marshall on The Odd Couple episode "The Odd Monks" (airdate: October 13, 1972)
01:36
Garry Marshall on The Odd Couple episode "Password" (airdate: December 1, 1972)
00:44
Garry Marshall on the Happy Days episode "Richie Almost Dies" (airdate: January 31, 1978) (Fonzie cries)
01:28
Garry Marsahall on the Happy Days episode "Hard Cover" (airdate: September 27, 1977) (Fonzie gets a library card)
01:11

Beth McCarthy-Miller

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Beth McCarthy-Miller on directing the final episode of 30 Rock
03:37

Burt Metcalfe

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Producer Burt Metcalfe on the most effective line in M*A*S*H: "The Interview"
03:01
Burt Metcalfe on the M*A*S*H  finale "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"
09:54
Burt Metcalfe on the next-to-last M*A*S*H  episode "As Time Goes By"
04:17

Mary Tyler Moore

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Mary Tyler Moore on initially disliking The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Never Bathe on Saturday" (airdate: March 31, 1965), when Laura's toe is stuck in a faucet
02:03
Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust" (airdate: October 25, 1975)
02:18

Carroll O'Connor

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Carroll O'Connor on his contribution to the All in the Family episode "Two's a Crowd," and the ad-libbing by he and co-star Rob Reiner
02:43
Carroll O'Connor on All in the Family episodes: "Edith's Problem" (Edith enters menopause), "Gloria Has a Belly Full" (Gloria has a miscarriage), "Edith's Crisis of Faith" (Edith shuns her faith when friend Beverly LaSalle is killed), "Sammy's Visit (Sammy Davis, Jr. appears as himself), and "Archie's Brief Encounter" (Archie has an affair)
03:33
Carroll O'Connor on his acting with Danielle Brisebois in the Archie Bunker's Place episode "Archie Alone," that reveals Edith Bunker's death
01:29

Don Ohlmeyer

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Executive Don Ohlmeyer on the final episode of Seinfeld
02:32
Executive Don Ohlmeyer on the final episode of Cheers
01:52

Bill Persky

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Bill Persky on how he and partner San Denoff came to write for The Dick Van Dyke Show, on on writing the classic episode "That's My Boy??" with Sheldon Leonard
05:05
Bill Persky on writing with Sam Denoff the Emmy winning The Dick Van Dyke Show episode "Coast to Coast Big Mouth"
03:28

Suzanne Pleshette

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Suzanne Pleshette on her cameo on the series finale of Newhart
03:41

Tom Poston

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Tom Poston on the final episode of Newhart
01:12

Madelyn Pugh Davis

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Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does a Commercial" (Vitameatavegamin)
00:39
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on writing the I Love Lucy episode "Job Switching" (candy factory)
01:03
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy's Italian Movie" (grape stomping)
00:52
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on the I Love Lucy episode "L.A. at Last" (nose catches fire)
01:33
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does a Commercial" (Vitameatavegamin)
00:39
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on writing the I Love Lucy episode "Job Switching" (candy factory)
01:03
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy's Italian Movie" (grape stomping)
00:52
Bob Carroll, Jr. & Madelyn Pugh Davis on the I Love Lucy episode "L.A. at Last" (nose catches fire)
01:33

Joyce Randolph

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Joyce Randolph on the "TV or not TV" episode of The Honeymooners
00:49
Joyce Randolph on the "The Sleepwalker" episode of The Honeymooners
00:26
Joyce Randolph on the "Better Living Through TV" episode and other episodes of The Honeymooners
01:14
Joyce Randolph on her favorite episodes of The Honeymooners
00:55

Phylicia Rashad

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Phylicia Rashad on favorite moments/ guest stars from The Cosby Show episodes
01:06
Phylicia Rashad on fan favorite episodes from The Cosby Show
00:55
Phylicia Rashad on the final moments of taping of The Cosby Show
00:44

Gene Reynolds

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Gene Reynolds on the M*A*S*H episode "Sometimes You Hear The Bullet"
04:00
Producer Gene Reynolds on the classic M*A*S*H episode "The Interview"
04:39

John Rich

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John Rich on Sammy Davis Jr.'s suggestion, as a guest on The Tonight Show, that he would make a funny guest star on All in the Family (leading to his appearance on the classic episode "Sammy's Visit")
01:04
John Rich on the audience's reaction to the kiss in the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
00:42
John Rich on memorable episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show
05:04
John Rich on Procter & Gamble and CBS having issues with the "That's My Boy?" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show
03:51

Doris Roberts

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Doris Roberts on the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Wallpaper" where "Marie" and "Frank" crash a car into "Ray's" living room
01:17

Glenda Rovello

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Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episodes "Lows in the Mid-Eighties," Parts I and II (set in the 1980s)
00:48
Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episode "A Gay Olde Christmas"
02:56
Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episode "Jack's Big Gay Wedding"
03:20
Glenda Rovello on production design for the Will & Grace episode "We Love Lucy" which recreated sets from the I Love Lucy episodes "Job Switching," "Lucy Does a TV Commercial," and "Lucy's Italian Movie"
03:16

Jay Sandrich

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Jay Sandrich on the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Does the Tango" (1957) in which Lucy dances and crushes the eggs she's trying to hide from Ricky
01:22
Jay Sandrich on the classic episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show which introduced Betty White as "Sue Anne Nivens"
01:04
Jay Sandrich on the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
02:15
Jay Sandrich on the challenges faced by the writers and cast for the final episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
03:18
Jay Sandrich on a scene in Soap which deals with sexual tension, written from a woman's perspective
01:15
Jay Sandrich on The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend," and directing an episode that didn't start out as being funny and finding the humor
04:49

Bob Schiller

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Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the "Lucy Does the Tango" episode of I Love Lucy
02:00
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the final episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, "Lucy Meets the Mustache" with Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams
01:08

George Schlatter

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George Schlatter on Richard M. Nixon's appearance on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In
01:53

Lloyd J. Schwartz

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Lloyd J. Schwartz on classic episodes of The Brady Bunch
13:13

Garry Shandling

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Garry Shandling on the finale of The Larry Sanders Show
03:08

George Shapiro

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George Shapiro on Andy Kaufman reading "The Great Gatsby" on Saturday Night Live
01:19

Doris Singleton

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Doris Singleton on the Harpo Marx episode of I Love Lucy
01:26
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy "Baby Pictures" episode
03:44
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy "Lucy Tells the Truth" episode
02:15
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy episode "The Dancing Star" with Van Johnson 
02:09
Doris Singleton on the I Love Lucy episode, "Lucy and Superman"
02:31
Doris Singleton on the "Edith Has Jury Duty" episode of All in the Family
01:54

Yeardley Smith

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Yeardley Smith on Michael Jackson guest starring on The Simpsons
02:15
Yeardley Smith on Dustin Hoffman guest starring on The Simpsons on the episode "Lisa's Substitute"
02:14

Suzanne Somers

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Suzanne Somers on working with John Ritter in the classic Three's Company episode "Handcuffed"
01:23

Jean Stapleton

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Jean Stapleton on the All in the Family episode "Edith's Christmas Story," which dealt with breast cancer
01:01

Johnny Stearns

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Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns on how Mary Kay and Johnny (one of TV's earliest sitcoms) came about
03:12

Mary Kay Stearns

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Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns on how Mary Kay and Johnny (one of TV's earliest sitcoms) came about
03:12

Jeremy Stevens

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Jeremy Stevens on memorable episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond
05:55

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner on his favorite Cosby Show  episodes
08:12

Bob Weiskopf

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Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the "Lucy Does the Tango" episode of I Love Lucy
02:00
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on the final episode of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, "Lucy Meets the Mustache" with Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams
01:08

Dawn Wells

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Dawn Wells on the matchmaking episode of Gilligan's Island in which Mrs. Howell tries to set up Mary Ann and Gilligan
00:28
Dawn Wells on her favorite episodes of Gilligan's Island
02:37
Dawn Wells on the "V is for Vitamins" episode of Gilligan's Island
01:13

Betty White with Emerson College

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Betty White on The Mary Tyler Moore Show  episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust"
04:22
Betty White on The Mary Tyler Moore Show  finale 
03:00

Tucker Wiard

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Tucker Wiard on the famous Carol Burnett Show sketch "Went With the Wind"
02:11

Henry Winkler

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Henry Winkler on satirizing his iconic character "Fonzie" on Arrested Development ; and jumping the shark.. twice
00:28

Bud Yorkin

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Bud Yorkin on the All in the Family episode "Sammy's Visit"
01:15

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