“And Away We Go”: A Look Back at the Early Days of Television Comedy

The first decade of American TV comedy—from the late 1940s to the late 1950s—produced a remarkable range of live comedy and variety shows, filmed sitcoms, and late-night talk programs. Pioneering performers and creators such as Sid Caesar, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason, and Steve Allen helped shape a new visual language of comedy that influenced television for the next 60 years. As he shares dozens of clips, media historian Brian Rose examines why this era may have produced more laughter than any other period in television history.