From Milton Berle to David Letterman:  A History of TV Comedy

From the earliest days of television, making people laugh was one the central goals of TV programmers. Successful radio formats like the sitcom and the comedy/variety show moved to television in the late 1940s, joined a few years later by the medium’s own innovation, the late night comedy talk show. For the next seven decades, these three formats dominated the airwaves, led by brilliant comedians such as Sid Caesar, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson, Carol Burnett, Gilda Radner, and Jerry Seinfeld. This presentation will survey the extraordinary landscape of American TV comedy, examining how comedy changed from the vaudeville shtick of Milton Berle and the slapstick artistry of Lucille Ball to the social satire of Saturday Night Live and the self-reflexive absurdities of David Letterman and The Simpsons.

Oceanside Library is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Brian Rose
Time: Jan 21, 2025 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83102965838?pwd=tvSAut2C2AyJ43aq2bo70LMdKIk3xF.1

Meeting ID: 831 0296 5838
Passcode: 598796

---

One tap mobile
+16468769923,,83102965838# US (New York)
+16469313860,,83102965838# US

---

Dial by your location
• +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
• +1 646 931 3860 US
• +1 309 205 3325 US
• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
• +1 689 278 1000 US
• +1 719 359 4580 US
• +1 253 205 0468 US
• +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
• +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
• +1 360 209 5623 US
• +1 386 347 5053 US
• +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
• +1 507 473 4847 US
• +1 564 217 2000 US
• +1 669 444 9171 US
• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 831 0296 5838