Early Television Comedy

In the early days of television, "comedy" often meant stale vaudeville routines and stand-up. Then, in 1950, a new comedy-variety show debuted on NBC--Your Show of Shows. Its gifted and mercurial star, Sid Caesar, talented ensemble cast and superb writing staff--including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Lucille Kallen and Mel Tolkin--would create comedy designed for the new medium and provide a template for successful shows that followed. With rare illustrations and the most complete sketch guide yet compiled, this book highlights Caesar's reputation as a brilliant comic actor and describes the writing and production of the weekly live broadcast that kept 60 million TV viewers home on Saturday nights.