Comedy

British standup comic Eddie Izzard. The cross-dressing comic is a household name in England, but little known here. His new one-man show is "Dress to Kill" (at New York's Westbeth Theater, in the West Village). A New York Times review describes him as "a ticklingly entertaining hybrid of mainstream cultural influences and offbeat personal tendencies." (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Political satirist Al Franken. He was one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live. He won four Emmys for his writing on the show. His most popular character was Stuart Smalley, the new age cable TV host. He's also the author of "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations." His newest endeavor is the sitcom "Lateline" which premieres next Tuesday on NBC about the behind the scenes of a late night news show.

T.V. critic David Bianculli reviews two new shows starring Ann Margaret and Tom Selleck.

We remember comedian Henny Youngman with a 1991 interview. He died yesterday from complications from the flu. He was 91 years old. (Rebroadcast of 10/17/91)

TV Critic David Bianculli previews tonight’s presentation of “South Park” on cable TV’s Comedy Central.

Playwright and NPR commentator David Sedaris. His "Santaland Diaries" which debuted on NPR's Morning Edition in 1992 is purported to be the network's most requested tape. His collection of short stories (now in paperback), "Barrel Fever" and this year's "Naked" (Little, Brown & Co.) a collection of autobiographical essays, are both bestsellers. Now he's got a collection of Christmas stories, "Holiday's On Ice" (Little, Brown & Co.)

Cartoonist Dan Piraro. Since 1985, his "Bizarro" cartoons have been featured in papers such as the Boston Herald, the Seattle Times, and the Toronto Globe and Mail. When his publicist would not pay for a promotional tour of his book "Bizarro #9" (Andrews McMeel). Piraro asked his fans if they might be able to provide him with lodging, transportation, and food as he traversed the country. He's since written a book about this experiences on the road: "Bizarro Among the Savages" (Andrews McMeel).

Actress Cybill Shepherd. Her TV sitcom, "Cybill," continues in its fourth season on CBS. She also has a CD : Talk Memphis to Me. Shepherd is known for her roles in the films The Last Picture Show,Taxi Driver, and Married To It, as well as her starring role opposite Bruce Willis in the TV series Moonlighting.

Actress and Comedian Alexandra Wentworth. She's the author of The WASP Cookbook (Warner), a collection of purposefully bland recipes (with nicknames such as Kiki’s Cupcakes and Nummies) and plenty of standard drinks. Wentworth has acted on Seinfeld,In Living Color,Jerry Maguire, and Trial and Error.

Comedian Drew Carey His ABC Wednesday night sitcom resides in the top twenty, a product of Carey's "every guy" humor. Carey has written a new book, "Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined" (Hyperion). It's his autobiography as well as a joke book.

Magician and trickster Teller of Penn and Teller. They've been performing for over twenty years, both on Broadway and around the world. The duo has just written "How to Play in Traffic" (Boulevard), an offbeat travel guide, and has also authored "Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends" and "How to Play with Your Food."

Film critic Leonard Maltin. His new book, "The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of Radio's Golden Age" (Dutton) celebrates America's most popular form of entertainment in the years before television. Maltin also appears regularly on Entertainment Tonight and has written two movie guides.

Actress and Comedian Whoopi Goldberg. She's just written "Book," (Rob Weisbach Books) a collection of life observations, insights, and Whoopi-isms in 25 vignettes. Goldberg received a Grammy for 1985's Best Comedy Album, as well as an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1990.

Saturday Night Live cartoonist Robert Smigel. He’s created such popular segments as The Ambiguously Gay Duo, and Fun with Real Audio. Smigel is no stranger to SNL or comedy TV. He was a writer for Saturday Night Live from 1985-93.

Ken Finkleman is the writer/producer/star of "The Newsroom" -- the hit satirical comedy series out of Canada's CBC. It's broadcast in the U.S. over many PBS stations. There's no studio audience, no laugh track, and the show is shot with one hand-held camera. (Interview by Barbara Bogaev)

Guest host (and our TV critic) David Bianculli interviews Tommy Smothers of the comedy duo The Smothers Brothers. In 1967, their show The Smothers Brothers Comedy hour first went on the air. The show has been credited with helping pave the way for a new generation of TV comedy shows including Saturday Night Live.

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Martin Short. Though he only spent one season with the show (1984), he left a lasting impression with his characters such as Ed Grimley, Jr., the cowlicked dork, and his impersonations of Katherine Hepburn and Jerry Lewis.

Carlin has written his first book called "Brain Droppings" (Hyperion Books). It's a collection of original humor pieces. He has been working in comedy for forty of his sixty years.

TV Critic David Bianculli talks about the history of television laugh tracks and a new development in their usage.