Something To Laugh About: TV Comedy, From Milton Berle to David Letterman – Interview with Dr. Brian Rose
The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series
Welcome to The Not Old Better Show. I’m Paul Vogelzang and as part of our Smithsonian Associates Art of Living interview series we have returning guest and Smithsonian Associate, Dr. Brian Rose with us today.
Dr. Brian Rose will give us something to laugh about and will tell us all about TV comedy from Milton Berle to David Letterman. Dr. Brian Rose will be presenting at the Smithsonian Associates August 3, and the title of his presentation is Something To Laugh About: TV Comedy, From Milton Berle to David Letterman. We’ll hear from Dr. Brian Rose today about his upcoming Smithsonian Associates presentation, and more details are available on our website about how to attend the Smithsonian Zoom presentation by Brian Rose on August 3.
From commercial television’s earliest days, making people laugh was a central goal of TV programmers. Successful radio formats like the situation comedy and the comedy-variety show were re-created for TV 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.
Media and communications expert Brian Rose surveys the extraordinary landscape of American TV comedy, examining how comedy evolved from the vaudeville shtick of Milton Berle and the slapstick artistry of Lucille Ball to relevant sitcoms like “All in The Family” and “M*A*S*H,” the social satire of “Saturday Night Live,” and the self-reflexive absurdities of David Letterman and “The Simpsons”.
Please join me in welcoming to The Not Old Better Show, via internet phone, Smithsonian Associate, Dr. Brian Rose.
My thanks to Dr. Brian Rose. Hopefully today’s show will bring a smile on your face. Remember to check out our web site for more details about Brian Rose’s upcoming Smithsonian Associates presentation on August 3. My thanks to the Smithsonian team for all they do to support the show. My thanks to you, my wonderful Not Old Better Show audience…be safe, and remember let’s Talk About Better. The Not Old Better Show. Until next time, thanks, everybody.
For more information, please click HERE for the Smithsonian Associates website: