A Brief History of Comedy Central: 15 Shows That Defined a Network
![A Brief History of Comedy Central: 15 Shows That Defined a Network](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/0/792790_320x180.jpg)
Yes, we all are fans of Comedy Central. It's always been the go-to channel when we needed a laugh. But recently, people realized that the network isn't just a one-trick pony. Sure, they still have their hilarious shows like South Park and The Daily Show, but they've also been expanding their repertoire with some great new programming. Comedy Central is a great way to spend an evening. There's something for everyone on Comedy Central, from stand-up comedians to sitcoms. If you're looking for a good laugh, Comedy Central is the place to be.
BUT did you know that Comedy Central is a cable television channel that has been broadcasting since 1991? The channel specializes in comedy programming and airs both original content and reruns of older shows. Comedy Central has been influential in the development of American comedy and has helped to launch the careers of many famous comedians. In this post, we'll take a brief look at the history of Comedy Central, from its early days as an upstart channel to its current role as a major player in the world of comedy.
Mystery Science Theater
![MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 Joel Hodgson and his crew actually reached out on their own when they heard a new comedy channel was launching. It was a godsend for Comedy Central, the network's first cult hit at a time when it was struggling to find programming. The show would go on to win a Peabody Award. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/1/792801.jpg)
![POLITICALLY INCORRECT Maher pitched Comedy Central on a talk show featuring a funky jumble of pundits, celebs, and comics. The show was one of the networks first hits - where else could you watch G. Gordon Liddy debate Coolio? CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/9/792799.jpg)
![SOUTH PARK They said we're going to kill Kenny every week. And I remember going, 'Wait, is that funny? says ex-Comedy Central head Doug Herzog. Like, won't people hate that?' And I just shut up and let them continue. The brilliance of South Park is there's nothing conventional about it. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/6/792806.jpg)
![THE DAILY SHOW Did you know The Daily Show was originally hosted by ex-ESPN anchor Craig Kilbourn? The show caught stride two years later when Jon Stewart came aboard, rounding up two Peabody Awards and 24 Emmys, including ten in a row for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/5/792805.jpg)
Premium Blend
![PREMIUM BLEND Stand-up comedy was cheap and early Comedy Central needed cheap programming. Premium Blend featured short sets by soon-to-be-famous comics, launching acts like Mitch Hedberg, B.J. Novak, and Demetri Martin into their own Comedy Central Presents specials. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/7/792797.jpg)
![THE MAN SHOW AKA The Show Kimmel Would Rather You Forgot. The 1999 program was a joyous celebration of chauvinism, complete with monkeys, midgets, and girls bouncing on trampolines. It's no surprise that he had trouble booking female guests when Jimmy Kimmel Live! debuted. GRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/7/792807.jpg)
Chappelle’s Show
![CHAPPELLE'S SHOW Chappelle's Show was one of the most extraordinary and exciting shows we ever did, says CC's Tony Fox. It was extremely edgy in terms of it dealing with racial subject matter. I mean, the very first episode had, like, a 12-minute sketch in it, The Blind Supremacist. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/8/792798.jpg)
![RENO 911! I think that everyone in Reno 911! is playing a very slightly bizarro-universe version of themselves, says Lt. Jim Dangle ... er, series co-creator Thomas Lennon. As for `zen hillbilly' Deputy Travis Junior? Robert Ben Garant claims really am that guy. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/4/792804.jpg)
The Roasts
![COMEDY CENTRAL ROASTS Thank Roastmaster General Jeff Ross for bringing the mean to Comedy Central. He used to enjoy the old roasts and thought it would be a wonderful way to contemporize it, says CC's Tony Fox. Who doesn't enjoy seeing Chevy Chase, Donald Trump, or Justin Bieber in pain? CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/2/792802.jpg)
More Key & Peele
![KEY & PEELE K&P was almost a entirely different show. We talked about what it would look like if we made it look like found footage, said Key, but intial writing proved difficult. Comedy Central told the worried pair not to overthink things, so they settled on the more traditional sketch format. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/4/792794.jpg)
![INSIDE AMY SCHUMER How does she get away with saying obscene things in the sweetest manner? I just grew up in a house where things weren't that taboo, she says. When was teaching US how to say our body parts, she taught me to say vagina the same way she taught me to say ear. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/5/792795.jpg)
![a MIDNIGHT The concept was simple: Comedians competing against each other in hashtag games. Get Patton Oswalt tweeting out punchlines and all of a sudden, you have an interactive hit. It was Hardwick's idea to call the show @midnight because the show would be on, you know, at midnight. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/6/792796.jpg)
![DRUNK HISTORY Drunk History was inspired by an inebriated Derek Waters trying to explain that R&B legend Otis Redding knew he was going to die in a plane crash Wasted people passionately trying to explain a historical event? The idea was a comedy no-brainer. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/7/9/3/792793.jpg)
![NATHAN FOR YOU Bracingly uncomfortable, Nathan for You is satire dressed up as performance art masquarading as a doc-style comedy show. With a public persona indistinguishable from his stilted show host, some suggest Fielder might BE the millennial Andy Kaufman. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/3/792803.jpg)
![BROAD CITY Amy Poehler helped turn Jacobson and Glazer's quirky web series into a quirky TV show. We met Amy in the West Village, and we all got along immediately. remembers Glazer. We were the same height, so we literally and figuratively saw the world in the same way. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/8/0/0/792800.jpg)