Ernie Kovacs & Early TV Comedy - Nothing in Moderation (Paperback)

Among the pioneers of television, Ernie Kovacs was one of the most original and imaginative comedians. His zany, irreverent, and surprising humor not only entertained audiences throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, but also inspired a host of later comedies and comedians, including Monty Python, David Letterman, much of Saturday Night Live, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, Captain Kangaroo, and even Sesame Street. Kovacs created laughter through wildly creative comic jokes, playful characterizations, hilarious insights, and wacky experiments. "Nothing in moderation," his motto and epitaph, sums up well Kovacs's wholehearted approach to comedy and life. In this book, Andrew Horton offers the first sustained look at Ernie Kovacs's wide-ranging and lasting contributions to the development of TV comedy. He discusses in detail Kovacs's work in New York, which included The Ernie Kovacs Show (CBS prime time 1952-1953), The Ernie Kovacs Show (NBC daytime variety 1956-1957), Tonight (NBC late-night comedy/variety 1956-1957), and a number of quiz shows. Horton also looks at Kovacs's work in Los Angeles and in feature film comedy. He vividly describes how Kovacs and his comic co-conspirators created offbeat characters and zany situations that subverted expectations and upended the status quo. Most of all, Horton demonstrates that Kovacs grasped the possibility for creating a fresh genre of comedy through the new medium of television and exploited it to the fullest.

General

Imprint:	University Of Texas Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	April 2010
First published:	May 2011
Authors:	Andrew Horton
Dimensions:	216 x 140 x 13mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Trade / Trade
Pages:	140
ISBN-13:	978-0-292-72886-8
Categories:	Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Individual actors & performers Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Television Promotions
LSN:	0-292-72886-7
Barcode:	9780292728868

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!