This Is Not Happening

Outrageous stories from stand-up comedians, musicians and more show why real life experiences always make the best material.

Live at the Apollo

A British stand-up comedy programme performed from the Hammersmith Apollo Theatre in west London.

Fist of Fun

Fist of Fun was a British comedy television and radio programme, written by and starring Lee and Herring. A lot of the show's comic material was adapted from Lee and Herring's radio programme Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World. Each episode of Fist of Fun featured several disparate sketches and situations. Fist of Fun began as a BBC Radio 1 series in 1993, before becoming commissioned as a television series on BBC Two in early 1995. It was broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday nights, and was successful, but not a major ratings-winner. The second series was aired on Friday nights, and although its ratings were relatively good, the show suffered from a lack of preparation and poor promotion. The show was not given a third series, and Lee and Herring went on to write This Morning with Richard Not Judy, for BBC Two. Many other comedians who appeared in the series went on to fame themselves, including Kevin Eldon, Peter Baynham, Ronni Ancona, Alistair McGowan, Al Murray, John Thomson, Rebecca Front, Mel Giedroyc, Sue Perkins, Ben Moor and Sally Phillips.

1/2 Hour Comedy Hour

A showcase for stand-up comedians on MTV.

Kings of Comedy

Kings of Comedy was a reality television series broadcast made by Endemol for Channel 4. The show was presented by Russell Brand and narrated by Matthew Rudge. The premise was that eight comics lived in a Big Brother-style house to try to determine whether old-school comics or the newer generation are best. The winner got the chance to make his own pilot show.

Full Frontal Comedy

Hosted by Dom Irerra, this bold 90s stand-up comedy show features edgy humor and performances from some of the era's top comedians.

Ben Tuval: Most Likely to Get Sick (or Hurt in a Freak Accident)

A compilation of stand-up from the past year, recorded in New York. It’s about love, death, dogs, and health insurance — so basically it’s comedy.

The Mary Whitehouse Experience

A topical comedy show, mixing stand-up with sketches and impressions, starring David Baddiel, Robert Newman, Hugh Dennis and Steve Punt.

Last Comic Standing

A nationwide talent search accepting the best professional and non-professional stand-up comedians. Once the selection process is narrowed to 10, the show covers the contestants as they live together and compete for an exclusive contract with NBC, and to be called the Last Comic Standing.

Russell Simmons Presents: The Ruckus

Russell Simmons' name is in the title -- he's an executive producer -- but it's JB Smoove who is front and center as host of this stand-up showcase, which features a roster of rising comics and veteran stars doing their thing. Smoove gets into the act as well with new material, and JB also gives viewers an added bonus by performing in pre-taped sketches woven into each episode.

Coming to the Stage

Amateur comedians strut their stand-up stuff before celebrity judges in this competition.

Le Grand Rire de...

Def Comedy Jam

Def Comedy Jam is a HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons. The series had its original run from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. The show returned on HBO's fall lineup in 2006. Def Comedy Jam helped to launch the careers of several African-American stand-up comedians.

Jo Brand Through the Cakehole

Jo Brand Through the Cakehole is a British stand-up comedy television series produced by Channel X, and starring Jo Brand as the show's host. It debuted on 30 December 1993 in the United Kingdom and was broadcast on Channel 4 for three years, from 1993 to 1996.

Dybvaaaaad!

ZULU Open Mic

The Burn with Jeff Ross

The Burn with Jeff Ross is a comedy panel show hosted by comedian Jeff Ross on Comedy Central. The show debuted on August 14, 2012, and is executive produced by Ross himself. The program features Ross roasting a wide variety of targets, along with guest appearances by fellow comedians who make up a panel of roasters. The show was renewed for a second season by Comedy Central, which premiered January 8, 2013.

Bring the Funny

The world’s best comedic acts perform in one competition, including stand-ups, sketch troupes, and comedic variety acts. Anyone who can make audiences laugh will have the chance to receive a career-changing $250,000 prize package and see their name in lights in the “Bring the Funny” showcase.

Gotham Comedy Live

Gotham Comedy Club, a popular comedy venue in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, is the setting of an hourlong series that is shot in front of an audience at the club. Each episode features routines by several comics -- a list that has included such names as David Alan Grier, Gilbert Gottfried and Artie Lange -- in what the network says is an unedited and uncensored format. In addition to the big names of the field who take the Gotham stage, the show also features up-and-comers who want to make a name for themselves in the stand-up comedy business.

Rodney

In the middle of real, everyday America, Rodney Hamilton's life revolves around two things: His family and his thankless job at a fiberglass plant..

A Bit of Fry & Laurie

A British comedy television series with turns of phrase and elaborate wordplay, written by and starring former Cambridge Footlights members Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

Key & Peele

Key & Peele is an American sketch comedy television show. It stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, both former cast members of MADtv. Each episode of the show consists of several pre-taped sketches starring the two actors, introduced by Key and Peele in front of a live studio audience.

Harry Hill's TV Burp

The big-collared comic gives his own spin on TV clips from recent programmes, plus contributions from a set of regular characters

Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out

Nick Cannon and an A-list celebrity lead a team of improv comedians as they compete against each other.

The Larry Sanders Show

Comic Garry Shandling draws upon his own talk show experiences to create the character of Larry Sanders, a paranoid, insecure host of a late night talk show. Larry, along with his obsequious TV sidekick Hank Kingsley and his fiercely protective producer Artie, allows Garry Shandling and his talented writers to look behind the scenes and to show us a convincing slice of behind the camera life.

French & Saunders

French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.

In Living Color

Created by stars Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans, this Emmy-winning sketch series offers cutting-edge satire and features a host of talent, including Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier and Tommy Davidson.

Little Britain

A zany comedy show with Matt Lucas and David Walliams, featuring characters from all over Little Britain.

A Black Lady Sketch Show

A narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests presenting sketches performed by a core cast of black women.

Chappelle's Show

Dave Chappelle's singular point of view is unleashed through a combination of laidback stand-up and street-smart sketches.

Tosh.0

A weekly topical series hosted by comedian Daniel Tosh that delves into all aspects of the Internet, from the ingenious to the absurd to the medically inadvisable.

The Kids in the Hall

The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson.

Second City Television

Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.

All That

A zany sketch comedy featuring many wacky characters hosted for kids and by kids.

Garfunkel and Oates

The comic/folk duo Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci hit prime time with their act in this scripted series for IFC. It follows hard-working underdogs trying to make their mark in comedy while muddling through messy dating scenarios, and doing so by performing one satirical (and often quite saucy) song after another. Nothing stops the ukulele- and guitar-wielding twosome from singing about life's unspoken truths, despite it leaving them detached from their peers. The series is titled after Lindhome and Micucci's band name, inspired by "two famous rock 'n' roll second bananas," Art Garfunkel and John Oates.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is an American sketch comedy television series, created by and starring Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, which premiered February 11, 2007 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim comedy block and ran until May 2010. The program features surrealistic and often satirical humor, public-access television–style musical acts, bizarre faux-commercials, and editing and special effects chosen to make the show appear camp. The program featured a wide range of actors, spanning from stars such as Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Will Forte and Zach Galifianakis, to alternative comedians like Neil Hamburger, to television actors like Alan Thicke, celebrity look-alikes and impressionists. The creators of the show have described it as "the nightmare version of television."

Mr. Show with Bob and David

A sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. The pair introduce most episodes as heightened versions of themselves before transitioning to a mixture of live sketches and pre-taped segments.

Harry Enfield and Chums

Harry Enfield, Kathy Burke, Paul Whitehouse and others take on an array of oddball characters and old-time favorites in this sketch comedy show.

The Whitest Kids U' Know

The New York-based sketch comedy ensemble takes it's act to the small screen in this outrageous cable series. Led by Trevor Moore and Zach Cregger, the troupe takes on every stereotype, foible, and irony found in everyday life, no matter how un-PC the results.