180 Fun Facts About Comedy

Who created Saturday Night Live?

He has run the show for most of its history; it has been broadcast from Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza since 1975.

Which comedian hosted the very first episode of SNL on October 11, 1975?

Billy Preston and Janis Ian were the musical guests that night, and the show was still billed as NBC's Saturday Night.

What nickname was given to SNL's original cast?

That first troupe included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and Chevy Chase.

Who became SNL's longest-tenured cast member in 2017, having joined the show in 2003?

He was already a sketch veteran, having been an original cast member of Nickelodeon's All That in the 1990s.

Who was the first recipient of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, in 1998?

He grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album five times.

Who is the youngest person ever to receive the Mark Twain Prize, at age 40 in 2010?

Ferrell got the prize the following year; Ellen received it in 2012.

Which comedian became the first woman to host a late-night network talk show, on Fox in 1986?

She had been Johnny Carson's first permanent guest host, and the move to a rival show ended their friendship.

Which SNL alum earned an Academy Award nomination for the 2006 film Dreamgirls?

His 1987 concert film Raw got a wide theatrical release and grossed $50 million.

Which comedian quit his hit sketch show in 2005, walking away from an eight-figure Comedy Central deal?

He retreated to a farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio, and later won the Mark Twain Prize in 2019.

Which 1950s sitcom pioneered the three-camera setup filmed on 35mm in front of a studio audience?

Filming on 35mm rather than live kinescope is also why the episodes still look sharp and could be rerun forever.

In 'Job Switching', Lucy and Ethel fall hopelessly behind a factory conveyor belt carrying what?

The pair stuff their mouths, hats and blouses with the candies to hide their failure from the supervisor.

On a 1990s NBC sitcom, which character's mother Babs revealed that his first name was Cosmo?

The reveal came in the episode 'The Switch', six seasons after the character first burst through Jerry's door.

Which sitcom's writers worked under the rule 'no hugging, no learning'?

The show was often described as being 'about nothing', and its finale drew an estimated 76.3 million viewers.

In Friends, what is the name of the coffee house where the group spends most of its time?

Rachel's first job on the show is waitressing there, badly.

About how many US viewers watched the Friends finale in May 2004?

It was the most-watched entertainment telecast since the Seinfeld finale six years earlier.

The US version of The Office is set at a paper company branch in which Pennsylvania city?

Greg Daniels adapted the show for NBC, and it ran for nine seasons and 201 episodes.

The original British version of The Office follows the Slough branch of which fictional paper company?

Ricky Gervais played branch manager David Brent, and the show became the first British comedy ever to win a Golden Globe.

Fawlty Towers is set in a dysfunctional hotel in which English seaside town?

Basil Fawlty was inspired by Donald Sinclair, the eccentric owner of the Gleneagles Hotel where the Monty Python team stayed in 1970.

How many episodes of Fawlty Towers were made in total?

Two series of six, written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, and that was it.

Which half of a famous comedy duo was born Arthur Stanley Jefferson in Ulverston, England?

His partner was born Norvell Hardy in Harlem, Georgia, and their theme was 'The Dance of the Cuckoos'.

A gold record of which comedy routine was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956?

Abbott and Costello's routine hinges on players named Who, What and I Don't Know.

Commedia dell'arte, with its masked stock characters like Harlequin, originated in which country?

Its troupes toured Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries, performing outdoors with masks and improvised dialogue.

The word 'slapstick' comes from the batacchio, a club-like stage prop made of what?

The slats clapped loudly on impact, so a stage beating sounded painful without hurting anyone.

The word 'vaudeville' is often said to derive from a French phrase meaning what?

The variety circuit ruled American entertainment from the 1870s until the early 1930s, when radio and talkies killed it.

Which silent film comedian's stoic expression earned him the nickname 'The Great Stone Face'?

In Steamboat Bill, Jr. he stood still while a two-storey building front fell on him, saved only by an open window.

In 1919, Charlie Chaplin co-founded which film distribution company to control his own movies?

His partners were Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith; his first sound film, The Great Dictator, satirised Hitler.

The 'Borscht Belt' resort circuit that launched generations of comedians was located in which mountains?

Resorts like Grossinger's and the Concord catered to Jewish vacationers from New York City and gave comics a summer-long stage.

The Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip occupies a building that was once which famous Hollywood nightclub?

The club opened in 1972, and Mitzi Shore took it over in 1973 after divorcing co-founder Sammy Shore.

The Second City improv theatre took its self-mocking name from New Yorker articles about which city?

A. J. Liebling's 1952 series was not flattering, and the troupe founded in 1959 embraced the insult.

In improv comedy, accepting a partner's idea and building on it is summed up by which phrase?

Rejecting an offer is called blocking, and it is the fastest way to strand a scene.

The long-form improv structure known as 'the Harold' was developed by which ImprovOlympic co-founder?

Halpern later refined the format at IO, and it became the backbone of modern long-form improv.

In 1972, Johnny Carson's Tonight Show moved from New York to which California city?

Carson hosted for 30 years, and more than fifty million people watched his 1992 finale.

Which announcer introduced Johnny Carson every night with a drawn-out 'Here's Johnny!'?

Severinsen led the band from 1967 until Jay Leno took over the show.

The word 'comedy' comes from Greek roots meaning 'revel' and what?

Aristotle claimed in the Poetics that comedy grew out of phallic processions.

In stand-up, what is a 'callback'?

Practitioners of the style range from Leslie Nielsen and Steven Wright to British comics like Rowan Atkinson.

The 'pan' in 'deadpan' is old slang for what?

Practitioners of the style range from Buster Keaton and Bob Newhart to Steven Wright and Leslie Nielsen.

In stand-up slang, what is a comic's "tight five"?

It is the audition reel of stand-up, the material a comic trusts to work in front of any crowd.

In a comedy double act, what is the composed partner to the eccentric one called?

Bud Abbott and Dean Martin were two of the great practitioners of the role.

Which Marx brother went on to host the quiz show You Bet Your Life?

The show ran from 1947 to 1961 on NBC radio and television, long after the brothers' film heyday.

Whose 1960 The Button-Down Mind was the first comedy album to top Billboard and win Album of the Year?

He had been an accountant, and his act was built on one-sided telephone conversations.

Which comedian did New York's governor pardon posthumously in 2003 for a 1964 obscenity conviction?

Governor George Pataki issued the pardon 37 years after his death.

Which comedian's catchphrase was 'I get no respect'?

He was born Jacob Cohen and opened his own Manhattan comedy club in 1969.

How many uninvited theatre companies turned up in 1947 to start the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

It grew into the world's largest performing arts festival, and its Perrier comedy award launched in 1981.

Who was the original anchor of The Daily Show when it premiered on Comedy Central in 1996?

Stewart took over in 1999 and stayed until 2015, when Trevor Noah replaced him.

Cheers was nearly cancelled after its 1982 premiere ranked where among 77 shows?

It survived to run eleven seasons and collect 28 Emmys from a record 117 nominations.

The 1980 spoof Airplane! lifts its plot, characters and dialogue from which 1957 film?

Leslie Nielsen's 'don't call me Shirley' line ranks 79th on the AFI's list of best movie quotes.

Which 1959 film topped the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest American movies?

Its closing line, 'Well, nobody's perfect', was a placeholder Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond never got around to replacing.

Which comedian's first job, as a 1950s teenager, was selling guidebooks at Disneyland?

By the late 1970s his stand-up was filling arenas with tens of thousands of fans, a following usually reserved for rock stars.

At the end of every Carol Burnett Show, Burnett tugged her ear as a silent message to whom?

The show ran on CBS from 1967 to 1978 and won 25 Emmys.

Who hosted the Academy Awards ceremony a record 19 times between 1940 and 1977?

Born in Eltham, London, he made 57 USO tours for the troops and was made an honorary veteran by Congress in 1997.

The Simpsons first appeared in 1987 as short segments on which variety series?

It went on to become the longest-running American sitcom and animated series.

Robin Williams rose to fame playing an alien on which ABC sitcom?

The character debuted in a 1978 Happy Days episode before getting his own show.

For which 1997 film did Robin Williams win his only Academy Award?

His three other nominations were all for leading roles.

Robin Williams won a full scholarship in 1973 to which New York performing arts school?

He was in Group 6 from 1973 to 1976 before starting stand-up in San Francisco.

Which comedian co-created Seinfeld with Jerry Seinfeld?

David later starred as a fictionalized version of himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Which web series did Jerry Seinfeld create and host from 2012 to 2019?

It earned him three Webby Awards.

Jerry Seinfeld co-wrote and starred in which 2007 DreamWorks animated film?

He returned to features with the Netflix comedy Unfrosted in 2024.

George Carlin's 'seven dirty words' routine was central to which 1978 Supreme Court case?

The 5-4 ruling affirmed the government's power to censor indecent broadcasts.

How many stand-up specials did George Carlin make for HBO?

The first was filmed in 1977 as George Carlin at USC; the last, It's Bad for Ya, came in 2008.

How many Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album did George Carlin win?

They ranged from FM & AM in 1972 to It's Bad for Ya in 2008.

During which years was Eddie Murphy a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live?

He broke out as a film star with 48 Hrs., Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop.

Which animated character does Eddie Murphy voice in the Shrek franchise?

He also voiced Mushu in Disney's Mulan.

Chris Rock's HBO talk show, The Chris Rock Show, ran from 1997 until which year?

He also created and narrated Everybody Hates Chris, based on his early life.

Which 1996 special brought Chris Rock mainstream stardom?

He had left the SNL cast in 1993 after three seasons.

Jim Carrey plays which villain in the Sonic the Hedgehog film series?

He has appeared in fewer films since the 2010s, including Dumb and Dumber To.

For which 1996 film did Jim Carrey become the first comic actor paid $20 million upfront?

The deal followed five straight hits including Ace Ventura and Batman Forever.

Adam Sandler was a Saturday Night Live cast member during which years?

His return as host in 2019 earned him an Emmy nomination.

Which vampire does Adam Sandler voice in the Hotel Transylvania films?

His live-action comedies have grossed over $2 billion worldwide.

Will Ferrell co-founded which comedy website in 2007 with his former writing partner?

Adam McKay, his former writing partner, directed his Anchorman and Talladega Nights.

Will Ferrell's 2003 film Old School made him part of which nicknamed group of comic actors?

Members included Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and the Wilson brothers.

Amy Poehler co-founded which improv troupe and theatre in the 1990s?

The group moved to New York in 1996 and got a Comedy Central sketch show in 1998.

How many times did Amy Poehler and Tina Fey co-host the Golden Globe Awards?

They hosted in 2013, 2014, 2015 and again later.

Which Sid Caesar TV series gave Mel Brooks his start as a writer?

He worked alongside Neil Simon and Carl Reiner, with whom he created The 2000 Year Old Man.

Which spy spoof TV series did Mel Brooks create with Buck Henry?

Brooks won his Oscar for the screenplay of The Producers in 1967.

How many Tony Awards did the Broadway musical of The Producers win?

It ran from 2001 to 2007 and was itself adapted into a film in 2005.

Which David Lynch film did Mel Brooks's company Brooksfilms produce in 1980?

Brooksfilms also produced Cronenberg's The Fly in 1986.

How many members did the Monty Python troupe have?

Chapman, Cleese, Gilliam, Idle, Jones and Palin formed in 1969.

Which Python was the only American-born member and handled the animations?

His animation pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in television comedy.

Which Python died of cancer in October 1989, ending speculation about reunions?

He played the lead in both Holy Grail and Life of Brian.

Which two members of The Three Stooges appeared throughout the act's entire run?

Six men were Stooges over the years, but only three worked at any one time.

How many short films did The Three Stooges make for Columbia Pictures?

The act ran from 1922 until 1970, starting as part of Ted Healy's vaudeville act.

Which Stooge suffered a debilitating stroke in May 1946?

Shemp returned to replace him and stayed until his own death in 1955.

How many Marx Brothers were there in total?

Gummo and Zeppo left, leaving Chico, Harpo and Groucho as the famous trio.

After which 1933 film did Zeppo leave the Marx Brothers?

Their Paramount contract expired at the same time.

How many feature films did the Marx Brothers make?

The AFI put five of them among its top 100 comedy films.

With which singer did Jerry Lewis form a famous comedy duo in 1946?

They made sixteen buddy films before splitting in 1956.

For which charity did Jerry Lewis host an annual Labor Day telethon?

The telethon raised $2.45 billion from 1966 through 2009.

How many times did Jerry Lewis guest-host The Tonight Show, a record?

He also performed closely with Sammy Davis Jr. for decades.

How many episodes of the original Mr. Bean sitcom were made?

It ran on ITV from January 1990 to December 1995 and sold to 245 territories.

Rowan Atkinson developed the Mr. Bean character while studying for a master's degree where?

He described the character as 'a child in a grown man's body'.

Ricky Gervais fronted which 1980s new-wave pop duo that had a hit in the Philippines?

He also managed the then-unknown band Suede before turning to comedy.

With whom did Ricky Gervais co-create The Office, Extras and Life's Too Short?

Gervais was executive producer of the American Office and made cameos.

Which BBC radio series made Peter Sellers famous alongside Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe?

It ran from 1951 to 1960; Sellers later played Inspector Clouseau in five Pink Panther films.

How many different characters did Peter Sellers play in Dr. Strangelove?

He was the President, the title scientist and an RAF exchange officer.

Dr. Strangelove was loosely based on which 1958 thriller novel?

Peter George co-wrote the screenplay with Kubrick and Terry Southern.

Sam Malone, the owner of the bar in Cheers, was a former relief pitcher for which team?

The show ran on NBC for eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993.

Which was the only Cheers season to finish number one in the Nielsen ratings?

The show placed in the top 10 in eight of its eleven seasons.

In Frasier, what is the profession of Frasier's father Martin?

Frasier is a psychiatrist who returns to Seattle as a radio host; brother Niles is also a psychiatrist.

How many Primetime Emmy Awards did Frasier and its cast win, a record at the time?

It was the third spin-off of Cheers and ran for eleven seasons.

Which M*A*S*H episode was the most-watched TV broadcast in the US from 1983 to 2010?

It remains the most-watched finale of any television series.

Which unit number was the mobile army surgical hospital in M*A*S*H?

The series ran on CBS from 1972 to 1983, far longer than the Korean War it depicted.

Who developed the M*A*S*H television series from the 1970 film?

The film was itself based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel.

Matt Groening named the Simpson family after his own relatives, substituting which name for his own?

He thought 'Simpson' sounded amusingly like 'simpleton'.

On what date did Fox's animated Simpson family debut as a half-hour primetime series?

It became Fox's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings.

In which fictional Indiana town is Parks and Recreation set?

Leslie Knope was rewritten after season one when viewers found her 'ditzy'.

How many episodes of Parks and Recreation aired over its seven seasons?

A special reunion episode followed in April 2020.

The title of 30 Rock refers to which New York address?

It is home to NBC Studios and Saturday Night Live, where Fey had been head writer.

On which network did Curb Your Enthusiasm premiere in 1999?

It began as a one-hour special that Larry David and HBO envisioned as a one-off.

Which network rescued Brooklyn Nine-Nine the day after Fox cancelled it in 2018?

It ran three more seasons there, ending in September 2021 after 153 episodes.

Who played Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine?

Andy Samberg led the ensemble created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur.

How many Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series did Modern Family win?

It won 22 Primetime Emmys in total across its 11 seasons.

In which city is The Golden Girls set?

All four lead actresses won Emmys, a feat matched by only three other sitcoms.

How many episodes of The Golden Girls were made across seven seasons?

Susan Harris created the show, which ran on NBC from 1985 to 1992.

Which singer performs the Married... with Children theme song 'Love and Marriage'?

The show was Fox's first primetime series and its longest-running live-action sitcom.

What does Al Bundy sell for a living in Married... with Children?

The former high school football star lives in Chicago with wife Peggy and kids Kelly and Bud.

Which comedian was one of the co-writers of Blazing Saddles?

The film tops the AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs list and grossed $119.6 million on a $2.6 million budget.

Which bandleader appears as himself playing 'April in Paris' in the Wild West in Blazing Saddles?

The film is packed with deliberate anachronisms.

Dan Aykroyd originally conceived Ghostbusters as a vehicle for himself and which late comedian?

After Belushi's death in 1982, Harold Ramis helped rewrite it to be set in New York.

Ghostbusters was reportedly the first comedy film to do what?

Columbia was nervous about the $25-30 million budget.

In which Illinois town was Groundhog Day almost entirely filmed?

Bill Murray and director Harold Ramis clashed over the script's tone throughout the shoot.

Which date does Bill Murray's weatherman relive over and over in Groundhog Day?

Danny Rubin wrote the story as a spec script to get meetings with producers.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was the directorial debut of whom?

It was set at a San Diego TV station and produced by Judd Apatow.

Which straight-to-DVD companion film was assembled from Anchorman outtakes?

It was released in December 2004, five months after the original.

Who co-wrote the Bridesmaids screenplay with Kristen Wiig?

Both were Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

Which Bridesmaids cast member earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress?

The film grossed $306.5 million, the top Apatow Productions film at the time.

Caddyshack was the directorial debut of which writer-director?

ESPN called it 'perhaps the funniest sports movie ever made'.

Which animal does the greenskeeper battle in Caddyshack's subplot?

The film launched a wave of 'slob vs. snob' comedies.

What is the name of the fictional school in Animal House?

The Delta fraternity battles Dean Vernon Wormer.

Which magazine's stories inspired Animal House?

Chris Miller based them on his Alpha Delta Phi days at Dartmouth.

Which Python turned Holy Grail into the Tony-winning 2005 musical Spamalot?

Holy Grail was directed by Gilliam and Jones in their feature debuts.

Which former Beatle arranged financing for Life of Brian after EMI pulled out?

He and Denis O'Brien formed HandMade Films to do it.

How many UK local councils outright banned Life of Brian on release?

A further 28 councils raised its rating from AA to X.

Which boxer appears in The Hangover after a script rewrite added a tiger subplot?

Filming in Nevada took just 15 days.

Borat is a fictional journalist from which country?

The Kazakh government denounced the 2006 film, then later embraced it in tourism campaigns.

Which Greenwich Village stand-up venue is nicknamed after an Ivy League university?

Founded in 1981 on MacDougal Street, it uses a showcase format of five to seven comics a night.

In which city is the Just for Laughs festival held every July?

Founded in 1982, it went bankrupt in 2024 before ComediHa bought its assets.

Who founded The Improv comedy club in New York's Hell's Kitchen in 1963?

It began as an after-hours coffee house for Broadway performers before becoming a stand-up venue.

How many hours did the Laugh Factory's record-setting continuous stand-up show run in 2010?

More than 130 comedians performed in the 'Toy to the World' marathon.

Who led the house band on Late Show with David Letterman?

The show debuted on CBS in August 1993 and was produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants.

In 2013, David Letterman surpassed whom as the longest-running late-night talk show host?

He hosted Late Night and Late Show for more than 30 years combined.

For which animated sitcom did Conan O'Brien write from 1991 to 1993?

He had previously written for Saturday Night Live and was president of The Harvard Lampoon.

On which cable channel did Conan O'Brien host Conan from 2010 to 2021?

He hosted The Tonight Show for just one season before the move.

How many episodes of The Colbert Report aired on Comedy Central?

It ran four nights a week from October 2005 to December 2014.

Stephen Colbert's Report character chiefly satirized which Fox News program?

Colbert described the character as a 'well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot'.

Who plays Baldrick, Blackadder's servant, across all four series?

Rowan Atkinson played Edmund Blackadder in a different historical period each series.

Which two writers wrote the last three Blackadder series?

Atkinson co-wrote only the first series with Curtis.

In which south-east London district is Only Fools and Horses set?

Del Boy and Rodney trade from a three-wheeled Reliant Regal van.

What three-wheeled vehicle do the Trotters drive in Only Fools and Horses?

They trade as Trotters Independent Traders, mainly on the black market.

Which two people founded the charity Comic Relief in 1985?

Its Red Nose Day telethons had raised over £1.4 billion by 2015.

In which Wisconsin city did The Onion begin as a weekly print paper in 1988?

It stopped printing in 2013, then revived the print edition in 2024 under new owners.

Who founded Mad magazine in 1952 along with publisher William Gaines?

It began as a comic book and peaked above two million readers in 1973-74.

What is the perennial motto of Mad magazine mascot Alfred E. Neuman?

The gap-toothed face predates the magazine as a humorous graphic.

Which university's student humor magazine spun off a national title in 1970?

It ran until 1998 and spawned films, radio and stage shows.

Who co-created Chappelle's Show with Dave Chappelle?

It premiered on Comedy Central in January 2003 and ran two full seasons.

Who created, wrote and starred in In Living Color?

The Fly Girls dance troupe introduced Jennifer Lopez, choreographed by Rosie Perez.

Which future star was a Fly Girl dancer on In Living Color?

She joined the troupe in the show's third season.

The Kids in the Hall reunited for which eight-part 2010 miniseries?

Their only film, Brain Candy, came out in 1996.

On which network did The Kids in the Hall's TV show run in Canada from 1988 to 1995?

An eight-episode revival arrived on Amazon Prime Video in 2022.

On which magazine cover did Ellen DeGeneres come out with the words 'Yep, I'm gay' in 1997?

'The Puppy Episode' then made her the first openly gay lead on a US network show.

How many Daytime Emmy Awards did The Ellen DeGeneres Show receive?

The syndicated talk show ran from 2003 to 2022.

On which short-lived 1996 sketch series did Steve Carell gain recognition?

He was a Daily Show correspondent from 1999 to 2005.

How many episodes of The Big Bang Theory aired over its 12 seasons?

It was filmed before a live audience and created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady.

How many Emmys did Everybody Loves Raymond win from 69 nominations?

It has been credited with reviving CBS's fortunes.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? began in 1988 as what?

Clive Anderson hosted both the radio and British TV versions.

What was Billy Connolly's trade in the Glasgow shipyards before comedy?

He first performed as a folk singer with Gerry Rafferty in the Humblebums.

What is Billy Connolly's Scots nickname?

He was knighted in 2017 and received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2022.

Which comedian was one of the first celebrities to openly champion plastic surgery?

Known for her wild hair and cackling laugh, she influenced Rivers, Roseanne Barr and Ellen DeGeneres.

Under what stage name did Lucille Ball begin her Broadway career?

She started as a model in 1929 before becoming an RKO contract player.

Which troupe signed 19-year-old Charlie Chaplin and took him to the United States?

He gained wide popularity in Keystone films in 1914 and adopted the Tramp persona.

How many times was young Charlie Chaplin sent to a workhouse before age nine?

His mother was committed to an asylum when he was 14.

The word 'sitcom' did not become common until which decade?

Its roots lie in farce and comedy of manners adapted for radio and TV.

Which sitcom's final season swept all seven major comedy awards at the 2020 Emmys, a first for any series?

Dan Levy and his father Eugene created the CBC show, which ran 80 episodes over six seasons.

The character Ted Lasso originated in promotional media for which broadcaster's Premier League coverage?

Jason Sudeikis's clueless American football coach was then developed into the Apple TV+ series with Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt and Joe Kelly.

Fleabag began as Phoebe Waller-Bridge's 2013 one-woman show, first staged in which city?

The play won a Fringe First Award; the character sprang from a friend's challenge to write a 10-minute sketch.

Which director had the original idea behind Arrested Development's handheld, reality-TV style?

Howard also narrates the Bluth family saga, which Mitchell Hurwitz created for Fox in 2003.

Steve Martin's first job, from 1955 to 1958, was selling guidebooks at which newly opened attraction?

In his free time he hung around the Main Street Magic shop; he has played banjo since childhood and holds five Grammys.

What was Joan Rivers's birth surname?

Born in Brooklyn to Russian Jewish immigrants, she rose to fame in 1965 as a guest on mentor Johnny Carson's Tonight Show.

At which San Francisco club did Phyllis Diller make her professional stand-up debut in 1955, aged 37?

Maya Angelou was already performing there; Diller had previously tried out jokes on fellow PTA members.

Why did many people initially think reports of Mitch Hedberg's 2005 death were a hoax?

The deadpan one-liner comic, dubbed 'the next Seinfeld' by Time, died of an accidental overdose aged 37.

Which Scottish satirist created HBO's Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer?

Veep won the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy for its fourth, fifth and sixth seasons.