Comedian Bio: Tina Fey

Tina Fey in 2014

With over 30 awards and in excess of 70 nominations, she has more awards than most series and films. She's an actress, writer and producer and has worked on critically acclaimed hit series Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock as well as several hit films.

Elizabeth Stamatina “Tina” Fey is truly one of the great comedic geniuses of our age. She started doing satire in high school and has been engaged in comedy ever since. She played in Chicago-based comedy collective Second City before being hired as a writer at Saturday Night Live. Although she struggled at first, she quickly found her way and soon had regular sketches air. After only 2 years as a writer she became head writer for the show.

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in
30 Rock, 2007

After having worked as head writer for Saturday Night Live for several years, she conjured up a sitcom-like variety sketch show loosely based on her work with SNL. This became 30 rock, the wildly popular and critically acclaimed NBC hit show.

Besides her work on the small screen, she has also worked on a number of films. She wrote and starred in Mean Girls, which met critical acclaim and was a box office success. She also had a small acting part in Artie Lange's Beer League, which she did as a favour to the film's director, despite being seven months pregnant. The film was a complete flop and she reportedly received 1000 dollars for it, to pay for her membership of SAG (now SAG-AFTRA). More successful (and sometimes serious) roles she did were a burrito in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatres and Nadya in Muppets most Wanted.

With her resume and the amount of awards she won, her quick rise in the comedy world and the fact she's still young enough to keep on creating for years to come, we're eager to see what she'll bring us. Keep on the lookout for this youngest ever winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor!

Comedy Series Review: The Office

The Office UK

This is one of the British sitcoms that was successfully adapted to the USA. Nowadays both the British and the American version are well-known and loved around the world. Not only the USA has received its own version, also Israel, Sweden, France, Germany, Chile and French Canada have their own versions. There are distinct differences and common factors between all of these. Here we will focus on the USA and British versions, as these are the best known and otherwise this post wouldn't end.

Both the English and American versions deal with a paper merchant, the British company is called Wernham Hogg, the American company is Dunder Mifflin. The British Wernham is lead by regional manager David Brent, Dunder is at first led by Michael Scott, but later by others including Deangelo Vickers, Robert California, Andy Bernhard and Dwight Schrute. The UK and American version share the same universe, this is not sure about the other series. The American show ran for the longest time, with 9 seasons totalling 201 episodes. The UK series ran for 14 episodes over 2 seasons and a two-parter Christmas special. Both the American and the UK series received several awards. The UK version won 2 golden globes and over 20 other awards, the American version only received 1 golden globe, but won more other awards (including 5 Primetime Emmys) and had nearly ten times as many nominations.

The Office US

Both series were highly critically acclaimed and received high ratings. Although the UK version faced cancellation after the first airing due to low ratings, it has since developed into one of the most successful BBC shows ever made and was sold to over 80 countries.

Both the American and British series followed a mockumentary format, which includes the characters sometimes directly addressing the documentary crew behind the camera. This achieves comic effect, since their requests to cut something from the episode are never honoured.

The Office in both versions is a highly appreciated show, both of which had an incredible impact on the world of humour and comedy. Both have generated many spoofs and have obviously inspired many other series. Both are great shows, go check them out if you haven't seen them yet.

Comedian Bio: Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson in 2009

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson, CBE, M.Sc. is one of the most famous British comedians of our time. His best known work is centred around the Mr. Bean character. This act is mainly focused on physical and somewhat childish humour. Mr. Bean doesn't talk much and mainly communicates by uttering sounds as well as using body language. Whenever he does speak it is usually in a mumbled, low-pitched voice. The character seems to be somewhat impaired in the sense that he doesn't seem to have outgrown childhood mentally. He does seem to appreciate art and in his first film is shown to work as a guard in an art museum. He consistently introduces himself as 'Bean' to others and until the film Mr. Bean on holiday his real name is never revealed. In the film however, his first name is shown to be 'Rowan', as is the actor's first name.

The humour in Mr. Bean comes from the character's ineptness at performing simple, day-to-day tasks. The episodes generally show him trying to go swimming, use a television set, drive a car, etcetera. His solutions to the problems, although creative and often absurd are often with total

Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean

disregard for others and for the norms in society. This usually results in hilarious situations where Mr. Bean himself is often a victim at first, but always comes out on top.

Besides Mr. Bean Atkinson has worked on several other wildly successful series, including Not the Nine o' Clock News, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.

Not the Nine o' Clock News was a comedy sketch show produced by BBC2. It was intended as a funny alternative to the Nine o' clock news on BBC1 which was a serious news show. It features comic coverage of news stories, parody songs, sketches and much more. It was hilarious and launched Rowan Atkinson's career.

Blackadder is discussed elsewhere on this blog, so I'll keep it short here. Blackadder is a comedy sitcom produced for the BBC. It consists of 4 series, each focusing on a different period in English history, starting in the Late Middle Ages and ending in the Great War (World War I). Each series has a member of the Blackadder lineage, who is accompanied by his servant Baldrick. There is also in every series at least one twit, in the first to series portrayed by Lord Percy, in the third season by Prince George of Wales and in the final series by Lt. The Hon. George Colthurst St Barleigh. It is a true masterpiece of British comedy and if you haven't seen it yet, you should go watch it NOW.

Rowan Atkinson in The Thin Blue Line

“I don't want to buy the Queen a present sir, she's an Antichrist”. The Thin Blue Line features marvellous quotes, absurd humour and over-the-top ridicule of British law enforcement. Full of innuendo, satire and wit, this is a thoroughly enjoyable sitcom, although it is not as fast-paced as Blackadder or indeed, most modern sitcoms. It did help boost Atkinson's career though and it did the same for Ben Elton, who earlier wrote Blackadder, and went on to work on his own show, The Ben Elton Show and he worked on musicals including Love Never Dies and We Will Rock You.

Besides his work on television, Atkinson has also worked on several films. He starred in Never say never again and he took on the role of Johnny English in Johnny English and Johnny English Reborn. Both film were not written by Atkinson and received mixed reviews. Both were box office successes though.

Rowan Atkinson has become one of the best-loved comedians of our time. He has been compared with the likes of John Cleese and he is often seen as the embodiment of contemporary British humour. He remains popular and humour has brought him great wealth and fame, although he is remarkably skilled at separating his private life from his fame. He is a force to be reckoned with and well worth the time viewing. 

Comedy Series Review: The Simpsons

The Simpsons on their signature couch

The longest running American prime-time, scripted television series, longest running American sitcom and longest running American animated series, the Simpsons have managed to captivate their audience for over 20 years. Over this impressive run time over 500 episodes have been aired, the series received a star on the Hollywood star of fame, countless awards, a 9/10 rating on IMDB and a solid world-wide fan-base.

At the start of the series it distanced itself from other series by producing strong, character-focused stories as well as a unique style of animation. It was clever, witty and in many ways a classic American sitcom, which utilised the possibilities animation offers over live-action.

Later in the series, many people agree it was around or just after season 9, the story shifted from character-based to more situational and focused on antics, rather than character. Many people and critics feel this has negatively impacted the shows quality. Sydney Morning Herald's reviewer Jim Schembri summed up most of the criticism in one quote:

"The central tragedy of The Simpsons is that it has gone from commanding attention to merely being attention seeking. It began by proving that cartoon characters don't have to be caricatures; they can be invested with real emotions. Now the show has in essence fermented into a limp parody of itself. Memorable story arcs have been sacrificed for the sake of celebrity walk-ons and punchline-hungry dialogue."

Matt Groening, the show's creator, in 2010

Matt Groening, the shows creator, doesn't agree. He has stated the show is still new, as good or better than it's ever been and there is no creative reason to quit. As the show is still being watched by over 7 million people per episode and even more people watch episodes on-line, there is still a strong backing from the fan-base.

In 2007 the Simpsons Movie premiered and became a huge success. The film focused on the family having to leave Springfield after Homer causes the Springfield lake to become so polluted the government decides to cover the town under a giant glass dome, and later to destroy the town. It made over $500,000,000, with only a $75,000,000 budget.

Although there is a lot to be said for the criticism, the Simpsons is still a very enjoyable show. It is no longer the sharp and witty series of the 90s but is has evolved into the funny animated comedy series it is today. Still worth a look, the Simpsons are entertaining for the whole family.

Comedian Bio: Robin Williams

Robin Williams in 2011

Although this Oscar winner was not only a comedian, but also a serious actor, we can't in good consciousness leave him out of this blog. Therefore, we will now discuss Robin Williams, (not to be confused with Robbie Williams).

With over 50 awards won and even more nominations, Robin Williams undeniably has a strong track record. He has played in over 100 films and TV-series and has appeared on stage countless times. Some of his most notable works include Good Will Hunting, which is not a comedy, but it is a very good film, Aladdin, where he plays the hilarious Genie, and his most recent television series The Crazy Ones.

In The Crazy Ones, Williams played the advertising genius Simon Roberts. He runs a powerful advertising company together with his daughter Sydney. Sydney and Simon are opposites in nearly everything: where he is unpredictable and somewhat childlike, she is focused, organized and eager to make a name for herself. She is however often parenting her dad, which she resents to a certain level, but as her dad is as good as he is, she accepts it. The series is still in its first season and has already received its first award and a further two nominations. The pilot was the best viewed pilot in the season and rightly so.

In general Robin Williams was known for his skill at portraying an optimistic character with a lot of goofy humour, both visual and verbal. His work often involves a lot of improvisation, which results in hilarious material. His work is inspired by his idol Jonathan Winters, who was also known for his

Robin Williams in 1979

improvisational skills.

Besides his acting work Williams is known for his extensive contributions to charity. He started the Windfall fund together with his former wife and he has collaborated with Comic Relief on countless occasions. He has also donated to the rebuilding efforts in Canterbury after the devastating earthquake of 2010. Furthermore he has performed for US troops several times.

His recent death shocked the world. Everybody commented on it, from US President Barack Obama to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, to everybody on the internet and in the media. His death also sparked several debates on suicide, its treatment and the media coverage of celebrity deaths. He was mourned worldwide, and is still missed by many.

Robin Williams was one of the few truly multi-talented actors of our age, who will certainly be remembered for years to come. A great loss to the world and comedy, he really deserves the acclaim he received.

Comedian Bio: Leslie Nielsen

"Surely you can't be serious?" "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

Leslie Nielsen in Airplane!

This is possibly the most famous sentence Leslie Nielsen has ever spoken. Although he started as a 'serious' actor, comedy was what he always wanted to do. With the critically acclaimed Airplane! His dream came true. He played the dead serious Dr. Rumack who responded to the craziness around him in a completely deadpan manner. This resulted in hilarious situations, such as the quote above this post.

The success that came with Airplane! resulted in a television series being produced called Police Squad! starring Nielsen in the role of police sergeant Frank Drebin. The series was cancelled after only 6 episodes, not because it was bad, but it was before it's time. The viewer in the 1980s was unable to keep up with the fast pace and it's quick jokes. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has said Police Squad! would have been quite a hit had it been aired twenty years later. This point of view is shared by many others.

Leslie Nielsen in his final years

Police Squad! did however lead to the production of 3 Naked Gun films: Naked Gun: from the files of  Police Squad!, Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, and Naked Gun 33⅓:The Final Insult. These were the highlight of Nielsen's career and these films are most often mentioned when he's remembered.

After the Naked Gun films, Nielsen has mainly attempted to find roles similar to Frank Drebin but has often proven unsuccessful. He has starred in many parody films such as Dracula:Dead and Loving It, and Scary Movie II and III. This was often with varying results. He has indicated he would think it 'wonderful' to do a fourth Naked Gun but he didn't think it would happen. He proved to be right.

With over 100 films and over 150 television series, countless awards including 2 Emmy awards and a star on both the Hollywood and Canada walks of fame, Nielsen leaves behind a strong legacy and a portfolio that will be enjoyed by generations to come. 

Comedian Bio: John Candy

John Candy in 1993

Canadian actor and comedian John Franklin Candy is one of the big names in comedy who left us way too early. When he died of a heart attack in his sleep at age 43 he had an impressive reputation and a bright future. But enough gloom, let us focus on the good parts.

Multiple Emmy award-winner John Candy was probably the best actor to play an annoying fat guy with a good heart. His most famous role is possibly that of Del Griffith in Planes Trains and Automobiles, where he plays a good-natured and well-spoken shower-curtain-ring-salesman who is forced to travel the country with Neal Page (Steve Martin) in order to get Neal home in time for Thanksgiving with his family. During the trip they encounter many hilarious situations and their polar opposite personalities ensure a lot of comic arguments and clashes. In the end though they form a bond and, upon learning Del doesn't actually have a family, Neal invites him to join the dinner with his family.

John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles

John has however played in many other films, starting with the 1973 film Class of '44 up to Wagon's East and Canadian Bacon. Both those films were released posthumously and dedicated to him. Both films received poor reviews but as Roger Ebert stated, Candy's reputation had already been established and would survive the films. Some of the better films he starred in include The Blues
Brothers, Little Shop of Horrors and the parody classic Spaceballs.

Candy also had a successful stand-up career with the Toronto division of The Second City which led to a television production of the same name. His television career ran from 1972 to 1994 alongside his film career. Some of his work includes voice acting as well as several television films, which were mainly broadcast in Canada.

John Candy could have gone on to do greater things, but as it is he leaves us a strong collection of work which remains popular and his work is still enjoyed by people worldwide. A true legend of comedy and a hero in Canada.

Comedy Series Review: It ain't half hot mum

The Royal Artillery Concert Party

This is one of the classic war-comedies produced by the BBC. With 52 episodes broadcast between in 8 seasons between 1974 and 1981, it was the second British sitcom to be set in World War II, after Dad's Army. This series focuses on a Royal Artillery Concert Party, that travels through Asia to amuse the troups fighting the Japanese.

As is customary in the army, all members of the group have nicknames and generally only addressed by their nicknames. The group consists of: “Shut up”, “Lofty”, “Parky”, “"La-de-dah" or "Paderewski", “Atlas”, "Nobby", "Nosher", "Solly" and "Gloria". “Shut up” is the commander of the unit and the only 'real' soldier. The rest are draftees and don't want to be in the army, but are happy to not have a fighting position.

Sgt. Shut Up

Tudor Brynne 'Shut Up' Williams is the sergeant-major and day-to-day commander of the group. He has been a professional soldier most of his life and hates being assigned to work with the concert party. He is often seen shouting at the men in the manner of a drill sergeant and is usually working on schemes to get the group disbanded and assigned to front-line positions. His schemes are always thwarted by the men, often with the help of the officers, even though the officers aren't always aware of what they're doing.

Colonel Charles Arthur Digby St John Reynolds is the most senior officer in the concert group. He is a huge fan of the group's work and always enjoys the shows. He is a solicitor which in all probability makes him the highest-educated officer in the group. He is the stereotypical British officer with a stiff upper lip and proper appearance and behavior. He is generally good-natured and tries to keep his easy life behind the lines at all costs. He thinks his life as a soldier in Asia is very hard, although he spends most of his time in a well-ventilated office sipping gin and he indulges in luxury dining with the elite.

Captain Jonathan Tarquin 'Tippy' Ashwood is the second-in-command in the group, but is an absolute twit. He has about as much military bearing in him as a cucumber and he is a huge fan of the show, in particular the drag-acts. Due to his position of authority and his lack of wit he is often manipulated by others to achieve their own goals. He is also known to often unintentionally ruin other's plans and he is pretty much useless when it comes to solving problems. His catch-phrase is “It's a tricky one, sir” which is his standard answer anytime the Colonel asks him for his input.

Bombardier 'Solly' Solomons is a highly intelligent, Jewish, soldier who always plays the male lead and is the party's producer. His main goal is to stay away from the front and he remained successful in this right up to his going back to England after the second series.

Gunner (later Bombardier) 'Gloria' Beaumont is a very effeminate man and a huge coward. He considers himself an artist and feels he doesn't belong in the war. He has difficulty adapting to the heat, mosquitoes and violence that comes with army life in India.

Gunner 'Lofty' Harold Horace Herbert Willy Sugden is a tiny man, with an amazing tenor singing voice. Even 'Shut up' can't resist his voice when he's singing. He is although often ridiculed for his appearance, especially by the Sergeant-major and he is always picked as 'volunteer' for nasty or dangerous tasks.

Gunner 'Parky' Nigel Parkins is the youngest member and possibly major Williams' son. As a result he is Williams' favorite and is often complimented by him. Huge blunders such as destroying the officer's mess (instead of clearing up the mess) are easily forgiven. He has no exploitable talent for the actual show so he is appointed the company clerk. The other men like having him in the group, since they figure the Major would want to keep them all safe as long as his son is with them.

The show's title card for the first 2 seasons

Gunner 'Paderewski' 'La-De-Dah' Jonathan Graham is the pianist. He has a university degree in English literature and speaks in a very upper-class accent. His education and accent are reason for Shut up to constantly mock him. His intelligence is often relied on by others – including the Major – to get them out of sticky situations. His plans often fail however, leading him to utter his catch-phrase “oh well, bang goes that theory”.

Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh is the party's strongman. He is very masculine and a little short-tempered. He is however good at heart and copes with the situation to the best of his knowledge.

Gunner 'Nobby' Clark is not the smartest of the party and often makes funny but useless comments. He has a whistling act and can do a marvelous bird imitation.

Gunner 'Nosher' Evans has a paper tearing act, and eats a lot. He often talks with his mouth full, spraying food on whoever he's talking to.

This series is a classic for good reason. Making fun of the army is, especially in Britain, a sure recipe for success. The British soldiers interaction among themselves and with the native 'Wallahs' is hilarious. The series wasn't repeated too much on British television due to the controversy over Michael Bates, an Indian-born white actor playing one of the natives. The series was repeated in other countries though and has had several DVD releases which had the success they deserved. 

Comedy Series Review: Arrested Development

Michael: “Tell me the truth. There's been a lot of lying in this family”

Lucille: “And a lot of love.”

Michael: “More lies.”

There's probably no better way to summarise the relationships within the Bluth family than the above quote. The Bluth family is the main family in the American classic Arrested Development. With the head of the family, George Bluth Sr indicted after years of “creative accounting” his son, Michael Bluth becomes the de facto head of the family and the Bluth corporation. Michael's authority is constantly being undermined by his incompetent and selfish older brother George Oscar 'Gob' Bluth. This leads to hilarious situations where Michael is desperately trying to do the good thing and keep the family together, while the rest is trying to fend for themselves.

Michael is a widowed single father, who has one son: George Michael Bluth. George Michael has many of the positive characteristics his father has, but is also less connected to the rest of the family. Throughout the development of the series, Michael's bad sides become more and more apparent and he is often seen ignoring his son's feelings and becoming more selfish and detached from the family.

Lucille Bluth, the family's mother

The series gets a lot of it's hilarity from the voice-over who tells the story in a dry manner and is often disillusioning whenever a positive development seems to come up. Also there are a lot of running jokes, such as George senior mentioning there is 'money in the banana stand'. After the banana stand is burned to the ground, he reveals he meant this literally: there was $250.000 cash lined in the stand's walls.  After finding out Michael burned the stand down, George Sr. becomes infuriated, trying to strangle Michael and demanding to know how he could be clearer when saying “There's always money in the banana stand”. Another running joke is a family member stating “I've made a huge mistake” whenever they get themselves in over their heads.

The story features a lot of 'archive footage' and 'home videos' which were often made with a handheld camera to create a feel of amateur videos. These are often used in flashbacks to the family's past, often before the series started. This sheds some light on the character's background and the family history.

The Bluth family, left to right:
GOB, George Sr. Lindsay, Tobias, Michael, Lucille, George Michael, Maybe, Buster

Because most of the family's assets were seized pending the investigation into George Sr.'s accounting, they are forced to live in a model home, which was intended for viewing and as such doesn't have real plumbing or a sewer connection. Also most of the furniture and appliances are cardboard models for show only and don't really work. This doesn't exactly contribute to the family's bonding. Also most of their cars have been seized, leaving them with only a stair car, which was originally used for boarding the private plane. The plane had also been sold to help deal with the financial trouble. This odd mode of transport contributed to many hilarious scenes as it was used to break people out of prison, take down homecoming banners and for promotional purposes during election campaigns.

The dysfunctionality of the Bluth family and their complex internal relationships with secrets everywhere make for a hilarious sitcom. With 68 episodes already aired, a 9.2/10 rating on IMDB and the creator hinting on a film and fifth series to come, this series is here to stay. And so it should.

Comedian Bio: Tommy Cooper

Tommy Cooper and signature fez

A prop comedian and magician whose act was so unpredictable that when he got a heart attack he died on stage, during a live television broadcast, people weren't sure if they should help him, or if it was part of the act. He wore a signature fez and was a large, imposing figure.

His act generally involved magic tricks which were either obviously fake, or didn't work, for comic effect. His response to failed tricks made it a hilarious show to watch. Every now and then he would throw in a trick that actually worked, just when the audience least expected it.

Tommy Cooper's Statue in Caerphilly

He managed to keep audiences entertained for four decades, and even posthumously he is still admired as a comedic genius and respected magician. He is often said to be one of the best comedians in history and in 2008 Sir Anthony Hopkins revealed a statue of Tommy Cooper, including fez, in Tommy's hometown Caerphilly, Wales, United Kingdom.

Tommy Cooper has left behind a legacy going far beyond best-of-lists and a statue. Numerous comedians and artists have cited him as an inspiration, including Jason Manford and John Lydon. Also several members of the English ska-band Madness have been seen wearing fezzes in Tommy Cooper's image.

Although Tommy Cooper has struggled with alcohol and smoking, leading to a decline in health and his act, he has managed to pull through. He has however never stopped drinking and it's thought his untimely death may in part have been brought along by alcohol abuse and smoking. As his collapse was aired live, there are countless recordings of it, which can easily be found online. Some websites including Youtube have been heavily criticized for featuring the video due to its dramatic content.

Even though Tommy has had his ups and downs, he is generally remembered as a comedic genius and has inspired many artists and comedians. He has earned his place in comedy history.

Comedian Bio: John Cleese

John Cleese on the Muppet Show in 1977

This world-famous comedian has a species of lemur, an astroid and a municipal rubbish heap named after him. He has declined both a CBE and a Life Peerage appointment on account of the former being 'silly' and the latter would require him to spend winters in Britain, which he doesn't wish to do.

John Cleese first rose to great fame through co-founding Monty Python. This comedy ensemble will be discussed elsewhere on this blog on more detail, but here we will note they have left quite a legacy.

After Monty Python John started working on Fawlty Towers, together with his then wife Connie Booth. Fawlty Towers went on to become one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time. John Cleese has referred to Fawlty Towers as the his best work and he has stated he doesn't want to make any new comedy work, as it will never live up to Fawlty Towers.

Besides this work, Cleese has worked on several comedy films, including hit film A Fish called Wanda. He has also starred in two James Bond films, Rat Race, two Harry Potter films and numerous other films, both humorous and serious. Also he has done voice-acting for a range of video games and he has starred in commercials in different countries, including Australia, Britain and the Netherlands.

In addition to acting, Cleese has also written and produced films such as The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation As We Know It, most of the Fawlty Towers episodes and the script for A Fish called Wanda. Also Cleese has written books, some of which together with a psychiatrist written as a dialogue and some books with a comedy theme.

Cleese is a multi-talented actor, writer and producer who's still active, despite his previous attempts as retirement. He could have been a Commander of the British Empire, but thought it was 'silly'. He also declined a Life Peerage (Baronship) on account of not wanting to spend winters in Britain. He is a master of dark humour, writing his eulogy at Graham Chapman's funeral as a parody of the Parrot Sketch he wrote for Monty Python. He rightly remains one of the most admired comedic geniuses of our time.

Comedian Bio: John Oliver

John Oliver in 2011

John Oliver is a prime recent example of a comedian from England, who made a successful transfer to the USA. Although Oliver was already well-known in the UK as a panelist on Mock The Week, he is now successful around the world with his popular late-night talk show Last Week Tonight on HBO. 

Oliver started in 2001, at age 24, on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a stand-up comedian. During the next few years, he had a solo stand-up show and worked with UK comedian Andy Zaltzman on a double act and on the radio show Political Animal. In 2005 and 2006 Oliver was a panelist on Mock the Week.

In 2006 Oliver joined The Daily Show as its senior British correspondent, after having been recommended by Ricky Gervais. In 2009, 2011 and 2012, Oliver received Emmy awards for outstanding writing. In 2013, Jon Stewart left The Daily Show for 8 weeks to direct a film. Oliver guest hosted the show during this time, to critical acclaim. Several critics stated Oliver should succeed Stewart as show host, or receive his own show. Three months later, HBO announced Oliver would be getting his own late night show.

Last Week Tonight attracted over a million viewers during its first broadcast. Because many segments

John Oliver in 2007

were also uploaded to websites such as Youtube, the actual ratings have risen well into multiple millions. This is in part where Oliver gets his success from; he understands the importance of the Internet. By uploading his videos to Youtube himself, he can avoid other people uploading them and the show can collect ad revenue from Youtube. Also the show is able to attract greater audiences, which can help it survive in the long run. Plans have been announced to make every episode a full hour, instead of a half hour, with multiple episodes per week, as soon as Oliver “gets his feet under him”. Oliver has also received complete creative freedom from HBO, including the freedom to ridicule any corporation. This is made possible by HBO's ad-free subscription system. Therefore HBO can't be harmed if Oliver critizises a corporation, as they aren't receiving funding from other businesses.

With a young show gaining incredible ratings, Oliver seems to be set for the future. His work is hilarious, so if you haven't seen it, look for it on Youtube!

Comedian Bio: George Carlin

George Carlin in 2008

With nearly 50 years on stage, George Carlin is one of the longest-running stand-up comedians ever. He managed to achieve this by adapting his act over the years and evolving along with the times (and often just ahead of them).

The beginning

When Carlin first entered comedy in 1959, it wasn't as a solo stand-up comedian but as part of a comedy duo with Jack Burns whom he met while working with KXOL radio in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. After successful shows in the local coffeehouse they moved to California and worked together for another two years on shows for stand-up as well as radio and television.

At that time, Carlin presented a very different act than the one people nowadays often remember. He wore a suit, never knew where to leave his hands and he didn't sport a beard yet. Also his material was more 'pg', focusing more on imitations and ridicule of characters, rather than having a clear political or religious motive.

Later

During the 1970s Carlin changed his appearance. He started sporting a beard and long hair, paired with faded jeans and t-shirts. At first this cost him a few television bookings since the norm was clean-cut, well-dressed comedians, but the public quickly caught on to his style and he regained his popularity.

George Carlin in 1969

This was also the era Carlin's act became more controversial. A famous example is his routine “Seven words you can never say on television” which got him arrested on one occasion in Milwaukee, but the judge ruled he was allowed to say the words as long as they didn't cause disturbance.

“Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. Those are the heavy seven. Those are the ones that'll infect your soul, curve your spine and keep the country from winning the war.”

-        George Carlin, Seven words you can never say on television

Over the years Carlin became increasingly critical of current politics and religions. This caused controversy again, but as before, the controversy actually benefited his career. An attempt was made in 2003 by a Californian politician to introduce a bill to ban the broadcasting of the Seven dirty words routine, but that never made it through the subcommittee for the constitution.

The end

Carlin continued to perform right up to his death in 2008, dying one week after his last performance. His wishes were honoured and as a result he was cremated, his ashes were scattered and there were no public memorial services held.

Carlin leaves behind a legacy to be remembered. His recordings are still widely available both on- and offline, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has received numerous awards, including the first ever posthumously awarded Mark Twain Prize for American Humour.