Hosted by Harmon Leon · 🇺🇸 US · EN · 218 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Comedian and journalist Harmon Leon dives deep into the wild, weird, and hilarious history of comedy. Each episode explores the backstories of legendary comedians, iconic sketches, cult classics, stand-up milestones, and forgotten gems from the comedy world. From SNL to viral videos, we unpack the moments that shaped what makes us laugh. Whether you're a hardcore comedy nerd or just comedy-curious, this is your crash course in the funny business. Subscribe now and discover how comedy got to where it is today—one punchline at a time. More: harmonleon.com comedyhistory101.com
Harmon Leon hosts Comedy History 101, a comedy show with 218 episodes published.
Stairway to Stardom was a legendary NYC public access TV show that gave singers, dancers, comedians, and dreamers a chance to become stars. It's a cult classic that fans include Bjork, Alec Baldwin, & Paul Scheer . Long
We talk with co-directors Charlotte Knowles and Regash about their film, Palestine Comedy Club. The acclaimed documentary follows a group of Palestinian comedians as they attempt to build a stand-up comedy scene under oc
Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Chris Cluess has had a legendary career writing for SCTV Network, Cheers, Night Court, MADtv, and The Simpsons. Chris shares stories about John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, National Lampoo
CH101 SELECT: We go inside Team Coco, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and Clueless Gamer with Will Becton. Will shares his comedic journey from UCB and working on the documentary aka Tommy Chong, to becoming an original me
The Marc Maron documentary “Are We Good?” follows the comedian/WTF podcast host as he processes grief while creating some of the most personal stand-up material of his career. The film features insights from John Mulaney
CH101 Reprise: The State was the MTV sketch show that launched the careers of Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, David Wain, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Kevin Allison—and several more (the troupe had 11 member
I talk with Michael Bonfiglio, who, along with Judd Apatow, directed the new HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!. Michael shares behind-the-scenes stories from Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, The Produc
Stairway to Stardom was a NYC public access TV show, described in The Onion as "without exaggeration, it was one of the greatest shows ever to be on television." Airing in the 70s through the early 90s, Stairway to Stard
Former Daily Show head writer Elliott Kalan (MST3K, The Flop House), Joke Farming) joins CH101 to discuss his new book, Joke Farming, and the nuts-and-bolts behind professional joke writing. We go inside the Daily Show w
We pulled together the sharpest moments from our 2025 interviews with comedy impresario guests - who shaped modern comedy: • Larry Charles: Writer and director of Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, & Borat • Kevin McDonald:
Reprise Episode: Broad City and Inside Amy Schumer producer Ryan Cunningham and Gold Comedy founder Lynn Harris take us deep into the world of inclusive comedy and comedy as social change. From behind-the-scenes Broad Ci
CH101 Reprise: Larry Charles won an Emmy writing for Seinfeld, directed Borat, Brüno, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has collaborated with Larry David, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Bob Dylan . Larry joins CH101 for some serious
Before SantaCon became the most hated event in NYC history, it began as a San Francisco subversive experiment of fun by the same anarchic collective that spawned Burning Man and inspired Fight Club’s Project Mayhem. We t
CH101 Reprise: Kevin McDonald is best known as a founding member of the legendary Canadian sketch comedy troupe – Kids in the Hall –which appeared on CBS, HBO, and Comedy Central, and had a revival season aired on Amazon
We go inside the PBS documentary series United States of Comedy with director Habib Yazdi. The five-part series spotlights diverse voices shaping stand-up comedy across America—capturing the next comedic generation redef
As you heard, they yanked Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air - because the Trump administration has declared a War on Comedy. Holy Overton window! In this reprise episode, we celebrate Jimmy Kimmel Live, and talk to Adam Spie
The legendary Comedy Cellar - is the Yankee Stadium of NYC comedy clubs. Founded in 1982, the club has helped launch the careers of Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Amy Schumer, Ray Romano...(you ge
Before Hollywood, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, and Splash, John Candy was the heart of SCTV and Toronto’s Second City. Paul Myers, author of John Candy: His Life in Comedy, shares Candy’s comedic rise alongs
Joel Thurm was the casting director for such iconic movies as Airplane, Grease, Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well being the head of NBC casting for a solid decade. He is also the author of the new book, Sex, Drugs, and
We go inside Team Coco, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, and Clueless Gamer with Will Becton. Will shares his comedic journey from UCB and working on the documentary aka Tommy Chong, to becoming an original member of Team C
Conan O'Brien
talks Late Night
2 appearances on this show
Elliott Kalan
current Harley Quinn writer and former The Daily Show With Jon Stewart head writer
1 appearance on this show
Larry Charles
2 appearances on this show
Kevin McDonald
Guardian Agriculture
1 appearance on this show
John Candy
comedian and actor
1 appearance on this show
Paul Myers
Advocate Capital, Inc.
3 appearances on this show
Joel Thurm
Legendary Hollywood Casting Director
2 appearances on this show
Andy Kaufman
Dr.
2 appearances on this show
Josh Forbes
Pastor · Butler
1 appearance on this show
Kliph Nesteroff
2 appearances on this show
Stan Zimmerman
writer and producer
1 appearance on this show
Sean Cullen
1 appearance on this show
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Comedy History 101 is hosted by Harmon Leon. The show is categorised under comedy (society) and has published 218 episodes.
Comedy History 101 has published 218 episodes.
Comedy History 101 regularly covers comedy, society, culture. It sits in the comedy category, with a society focus.
Comedy History 101 is accessible for guests with genuine comedy expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
Comedy History 101 hasn't explicitly signalled guest openness in recent episodes. That doesn't rule out pitching. your hook just needs to be especially compelling and relevant to their recent content.
Episodes of Comedy History 101 average 58 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
Our data rates Comedy History 101's guest bar at 80/100 (Premium tier). Established thought leaders with verified media credentials. Sign in to PitchCentric to see how your own Pod Score compares against this show.
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