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Randy Hodgins and Steve McLellan’s lifelong love of comedy was kindled when they met more than 40 years ago in graduate school in Seattle. While managing family and professional work responsibilities, they hosted a one hour comedy radio program on Saturday mornings for 10 years on a small radio station in Olympia, WA and also co-authored two books on northwest popular culture – Seattle on Film (1995) and Wet and Wired (2000). Stuck at home during the early days of the pandemic with hundreds of comedy albums, cassettes and CD’s gathering dust on their shelves, they launched Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy in May 2020, a weekly mini-program featuring a different comedy icon, with biographical bits and a nice slice of the comedy that made them famous. From standup stars, to stellar sketch teams, to novelty music maestros -- they are all part of our Legends.
Episodes
Friday Aug 14, 2020
Friday Aug 14, 2020
Meet Bob Newhart who started as an accountant and became an icon through classic comedy albums; countless live appearances and talk show spots; and two classic sitcoms. As always, look for extended cuts in the comments at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Friday Aug 14, 2020
Friday Aug 14, 2020
Dressed in a sweater and open collared shirt, Mort Sahl announced to 1950's comedy audiences that he was different. And indeed he was, armed with nothing but the day's newspaper, Sahl riffed pointedly about political folly, being named by Time Magazine (in 1960) as the best political satirist since Will Rogers. As always, extended cuts at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Meet the Firesign Theatre, purveyors of surreal and very funny long-form comedy for almost 50 years. Starting in the 1960s Firesign quickly recorded a series of classic albums that kept fans listening to (and memorizing) their routines for decades. Extended cuts (a must with Firesign) at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Thursday Aug 13, 2020
Meet Stan Freberg, a comedy renaissance man who conquered radio, recordings, television, and more in this miniprogram. From early work as a voice actor, to a series of groundbreaking comedy albums, to two decades of funny, award-winning ads -- Stan Freberg left an indelible mark on comedy and pop culture. As always look for extended cuts at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing these shows!
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Meet Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster -- better known as Wayne & Shuster, Canada's top comedy duo for decades, in this miniprogram. Wayne & Shuster specialized in sharp, literate comedy and they hold the record for most appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. As always, look for additional clips at laughtracksradio.com and thanks for sharing our shows.
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Meet Tom Lehrer, master of sharp (and sometimes slightly sick) ditties -- and a Harvard professor to boot -- in this miniprogram. From the late 1950s to the early 1960s, Tom unleashed a series of classic satirical tunes that have stood the test of time. As always, find extra clips at laughtracksradio.com. And thanks for listening and sharing these shows.
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Wednesday Aug 12, 2020
Meet Joan Rivers, she of the verbal flamethrower, in this miniprogram. From standup, to talk shows, to the Oscar Red Carpet, Joan turned a sharp tongue and quick wit into comedy gold. Find extra clips at laughtracksradio.com. And thanks for sharing our shows.
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
Meet Peter Sellers, man of a thousand characters and star of stage, screen, and recordings in this miniprogram. From The Goon Show to the Pink Panther to Dr. Strangelove -- Peter Sellers has left an influential (and hilarious) comic legacy. Find extra clips at laughtracksradio.com (and thanks so much for sharing our shows).
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
In a career spanning nearly 50 years, George Carlin practically invented the HBO comedy standup special, was an award winning author and film/tv star, and unleashed verbal firepower as a fierce advocate for free speech. Find extra clips at laughtracksradio.com and, as always, we appreciate you sharing these shows.
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
Tuesday Aug 11, 2020
Take a diminutive, hilarious Brit (Ronnie Corbett) and a rotund, hilarious Brit (Ronnie Barker) and put them together -- comic genius. Meet The Two Ronnies, Britain's beloved comedy duo, in this miniprogram. Find extra clips at laughtracksradio.com and, as always, thanks for listening and sharing our shows.