Def Comedy Jam

Brillstein-Grey Entertainment

Comedy
English     7.3     1992     USA

Overview

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.

Reviews

GenerationofSwine wrote:
OK, it's kind of hard to review a stand-up show with a heavily rotating cast. Sometimes, yes, it stank. But that's because sometimes stand up stinks. Other times it was so funny it made you choke. And I am going to review principally the times that it was so funny you couldn't breathe...because those times far outweighed the bad times. And you saw some brilliant up and commers that were still so hungry they fought hard for each laugh. In its time and place it was brilliant, and part of an HBO comedy line up that has yet to be topped. Shows like this don't come around enough, and the new ones that try to emulate it do far too much to actually win the world over.

Similar

Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas is a comedy sketch show written by and starring comedienne Victoria Wood, broadcast on Christmas Eve 2009. The programme, Wood's first sketch show for nine years, was described by Wood as being "a whole night's telly crammed into one hour. Christmas is a stressful time and, by compressing an evening's viewing into 60 minutes, we hope families will have more time for other festive traditions such as arguing with relatives and defrosting turkeys under the hot tap". The special featured a spoof documentary titled Beyond The Marigolds, in which Wood's long-time collaborator Julie Walters reprised her role as "Bo Beaumont", the actress behind Acorn Antiques character "Mrs. Overall". Beyond The Marigolds saw Beaumont's foray into the world of celebrity programming such as I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!, Dancing On Ice and Strictly Come Dancing. The sketch included special guest appearances from Delia Smith, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and Anton du Beke. Also featured in Mid Life Christmas was The Mid Life Olympics 2009, a series of sketches that include events such as the "4 by 400 Hedge Trimming" and "Ladies Outdoor Parking", featuring Wood as the commentator. There was an homage to BBC costume drama with the sketch Lark Pies to Cranchesterford; a series of parodies of television adverts; and a send-up of The Apprentice in which Sir Alan Sugar's sidekicks Margaret Mountford and Nick Hewer share an uncharacteristic jazz dance together.

More info
Victoria Wood's Mid-Life Christmas
2014