I'm having a blast reading Marlo Thomas's book "Growing Up Laughing: My Story and the Story of Funny."
I first discovered Marlo on the TV series "That Girl." I was in 5th grade when the show first aired and Ann Marie was everything I wanted to be: pretty, smart, funny...and an actress! I have all five seasons on DVD and it still ranks (in my book) as one of the funniest sitcoms ever. One of my favorite episodes is where Ann gets her big toe stuck in a bowling ball just before an important event. Reminded me of an "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy gets her head stuck in a vase.
In her book, Marlo shares personal information about her family and what it was like to grow up as the daughter of Danny Thomas. It also features wonderful photos from her life, both personal and professional.
But it's not just about Marlo. She actually interviews America's greatest comedians and humorists, including Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, Alan Alda, Chris Rock, Tina Fey, etc. Marlo's book is funny, informative and a pure delight.
Every once in a while I just gotta laugh. I'll watch Leno's monologue, read Steve Martin's twitter page, check out humor websites or tune into Ellen.
My favorite must-see sitcom now is "Modern Family." I literally fall on the floor laughing so hard that I can't breathe.
What's your funny fix?
I don't watch much comedy tv although I totally agree with you about laughter. I used to watch "Seinfeld" and the way they wrote a 3 way comedy situation at the end was extremely funny.
ReplyDeletePlease be careful when you fall on the floor laughing so hard you cannot breathe; that can be dangerous. If humour gets real serious you might want to consider an emergency medical alert devise (you know, the ones for old people)CM.
Anyway, I'm going to look for that book.
I don't watch much television, but I loved The Office when it first came on. And 30 Rock. If Liz Lemon and Michael Scott had a clueless love child...it would be me.
ReplyDeleteAnd I loved That Girl! I always thought she was too good for Donald, though. :P
I liked "That Girl" too. It was a great show. Sounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteLet's see, The Soup is definitely one. Old radio show comedy is another - Burns & Allen, Jack Benny. And on TV I'll choose Raising Hope - among several funny shows I watch regularly - because it's quirky and funny, and I have a pal who works on it. I remember watching That Girl possibly in first run, definitely in syndication. I always liked Ted Bessell as Donald. He was the first actor I started to see directing TV shows - now it happens a lot. Great post! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteCraig: I love the comedy greats you mentioned. I Love Lucy has to be the best comedy show ever. I also like The Honeymooners, the Dick Van Dyke Show, the Beverly Hillbillies, the Carol Burnett Show, Mary Tyler Moore, Seinfeld, Arrested Development and King of Queens...just to name a few.
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