Celebrities | Pop Culture | TV | 70s | 90s | 80s
10 Comedians Whose Sketch Comedy Shows Were Instant Classics
Plenty of comedians get their start on TV shows like Saturday Night Live and MADTv, but it's not quite as often that they go on to get their own shows. In the case of these ten though, their solo efforts gave us some of the best comedy shows of all time.
Amanda Bynes
The Amanda Show was a surprisingly brilliant sketch comedy show for kids on Nickelodeon, and it was one of the reasons we were all convinced Amanda Bynes was gonna be the next big thing.
Jamie Foxx
After a successful run on In Living Color, Foxx got his own sketch comedy show with plenty of great skits of its own. He was just as ridiculous here as he always was.
Ben Stiller
Before he seemed to be putting out at least two or three movies a year, Ben Stiller was still best-known as a sketch comedian, and The Ben Stiller show was some of his absolute best work to date. it was a massive inspiration on plenty of modern shows.
Alex Winter
Best-known as Bill S. Presto Esq. from the Bill and Ted franchise, Winter hosted and often starred in MTV's The Idiot Box from 1990 to 1991. It was weird, uncouth, and often felt like a precursor to the shows that would get big on networks on Adult Swim. We loved it.
These next few comedians had some pretty great shows too...
Dana Carvey
Featuring comedic geniuses like Stephen Colbert and Steve Carrel, The Dana Carvey Show nevertheless only ran for a single season. Too bad, because it's funny as hell.
Richard Pryor
A comedy icon in every sense of the word, Pryor got his own show during the peak of his fame, and set the tone for plenty of comedians to come.
Carol Burnett
An absolute classic that ran for 11 years, The Carol Burnett Show is still remembered today as one of the funniest shows on television.
Chris Rock
After a string of massively successful standup specials for the network, HBO gave Rock his own show, which only ran for two seasons but had some immensely funny bits, all delivered with his signature loudness.
Sacha Baron Cohen
Da Ali G Show introduced us to both Ali G himself, and on a more significant note, Borat, both played completely straight-faced (and hilariously) by Sacha Baron Cohen. Irreverent, offensive, shocking, and above all else, brilliant.
Dave Chappelle
Despite ending after only two seasons, Chappelle's Show was one of the greatest sketch comedy shows of all time, thanks to Dave's fearless tackling of divisive issues, Bugs Bunny-esque physical comedy, and lampooning of celebrities like Rick James and Prince.