Archive FM

Ian Talks Comedy

Alan Zweibel

Alan Zweibel joined me to discuss growing up where I now live (Wantagh, NY); bar mitzvahs; writing for borscht belt comics; getting his shot on SNL; his famous poetry class anecdote; writing a parody of the Passover Haggadah with Dave Barry and Adam Mansbach; "Go the Fuck to Sleep"; Emily Litella; keeping the character going by adding "Bitch" to her vocabulary; writing and appearing on Chevy's Weekend Update; the Charles Grodin episode; when SNL broke format; writing the Gilda and Elliot Gould romance episode; people loving Gilda and her death affecting people who didn't know her; her dying on his birthday; Bunny, Bunny; his and my favorite Roseanne Roseannadanna; Mr. Death; meeting his wife at the show; being a guest writer three times; doing shows four weeks in a row; Andy Breckman; the 5th season Weekend Update running gag with his picture; being a cast member for one episode for his role in the Conductors Club sketch; Joey Bishop sketch; Lord and Lady Douchebag; being asked to stay by Jean Doumanian; Steve Martin's Best Show Ever; Chico Escuela and his comeback attempt; John Stearns; It's Garry Shandling Show; Ed Solomon; differences in writing for Billy Crystal and Martin Short; Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Rosie Shuster, and Don Novello; Marc Maron; Quintlexia; Gene Wilder; OJ Simpson and the anti-Buffalo sketch he turned down; Celebrity Battle of the Sexes and Races; commercial parodies Banshee and Swill; Jim Downey; Bruce Kirschbaum; Arnie Kogen; Jay Kogen and his It's Garry Shandling Show script.

For his amazing book Laugh Lines go to Amazon.com: Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier (Audible Audio Edition): Alan Zweibel, Billy Crystal - foreword, Alan Zweibel, Blackstone Publishing: Audible Books & Originals

Broadcast on:
25 Mar 2023

Alan Zweibel joined me to discuss growing up where I now live (Wantagh, NY); bar mitzvahs; writing for borscht belt comics; getting his shot on SNL; his famous poetry class anecdote; writing a parody of the Passover Haggadah with Dave Barry and Adam Mansbach; "Go the Fuck to Sleep"; Emily Litella; keeping the character going by adding "Bitch" to her vocabulary; writing and appearing on Chevy's Weekend Update; the Charles Grodin episode; when SNL broke format; writing the Gilda and Elliot Gould romance episode; people loving Gilda and her death affecting people who didn't know her; her dying on his birthday; Bunny, Bunny; his and my favorite Roseanne Roseannadanna; Mr. Death; meeting his wife at the show; being a guest writer three times; doing shows four weeks in a row; Andy Breckman; the 5th season Weekend Update running gag with his picture; being a cast member for one episode for his role in the Conductors Club sketch; Joey Bishop sketch; Lord and Lady Douchebag; being asked to stay by Jean Doumanian; Steve Martin's Best Show Ever; Chico Escuela and his comeback attempt; John Stearns; It's Garry Shandling Show; Ed Solomon; differences in writing for Billy Crystal and Martin Short; Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Rosie Shuster, and Don Novello; Marc Maron; Quintlexia; Gene Wilder; OJ Simpson and the anti-Buffalo sketch he turned down; Celebrity Battle of the Sexes and Races; commercial parodies Banshee and Swill; Jim Downey; Bruce Kirschbaum; Arnie Kogen; Jay Kogen and his It's Garry Shandling Show script.

For his amazing book Laugh Lines go to Amazon.com: Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier (Audible Audio Edition): Alan Zweibel, Billy Crystal - foreword, Alan Zweibel, Blackstone Publishing: Audible Books & Originals