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Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Comedy’s Second Wave

Aziz Ansari is just one of three comedians who’ve sold out Madison Square Garden in the past three years. Only three comedians had ever sold out the Garden before 2009. Sure, comedy and comedians were really big in the days of Roseanne, Cosby and Home Improvement. Things got tough for them, however, when the sitcom went out of favor.

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KCRW placeholderBy Barbara Bogaev • Apr 2, 2015 • 1 min read

Aziz Ansari is just one of three comedians who’ve sold out Madison Square Garden in the past three years. Only three comedians had ever sold out the Garden before 2009. Sure, comedy and comedians were really big in the days of Roseanne, Cosby and Home Improvement. Things got tough for them, however, when the sitcom went out of favor. But then Twitter and YouTube and podcasts came along, not to mention the rise of cable. All of this has amounted to very fertile - and lucrative - ground for funny people.

Azia Ansari

Photo by Tyler Ross

  • KCRW placeholder

    Barbara Bogaev

    radio journalist

  • KCRW placeholder

    Jolie Myers

    Managing Producer, 'Press Play'

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Matt Holzman

    Producer, 'The Document'

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    Anna Scott

    Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

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    Jesse David Fox

    Vulture

    News
Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand