Silverman's father and stepmother are buried under one tombstone that reads: "Janice and Donald, who loved to laugh." The loss was a starting point for Silverman's "cathartic" Netflix comedy special.

Ramy Youssef stays busy, creating shows like Ramy and #1 Happy Family USA, and starring in Poor Things and Mountainhead. He spoke with Rachel Martin about mortality and his gripe with Santa Claus.

Comedian Mike Birbiglia says he absorbed a lot of lessons from his parents – whether he realized it or not as a kid. From his mom's ability to talk to everyone, to his dad's drive and ambition.

The Apple TV+ show takes what might be the oldest sci-fi premise there is — what does it mean to be human? — and mines it for comedy gold.

Youssef was in fifth grade and living in New Jersey when the Twin Towers fell. His new show, #1 Happy Family USA, draws on the experiences of his own Egyptian American family during that tense time.

"Weird Al" Yankovic has no trouble tapping into his dorkiness. Perhaps that's the secret to his decades-spanning appeal. On this week's Wild Card with Rachel Martin, he talks about aging into his weirdness.

Conan O'Brien will receive one of the most coveted awards in comedy on Sunday — but the annual event takes place at a tense time for the Kennedy Center.

The Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary prime-time special was full of sketches and nostalgia — and stretched more than three hours. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans breaks it down.

Comedian Ronny Chieng opens up about why not getting a job out of law school was ultimately a blessing.

"I am honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot," O'Brien said in a release from The Kennedy Center.

On Wild Card this week, Michelle Buteau opens up advice she was smart to ignore and why getting married is the biggest risk she's ever taken.

Ilana Glazer is grateful for the limits of parenthood. On Wild Card this week, Glazer opens up about how parenthood has allowed them to draw boundaries and why they increasingly love their alone time.

Demers was diagnosed with hearing loss when he was 4 years old. As a kid, he saw nothing funny about it — but then he learned to make people laugh. He just dropped his fourth stand-up special.

NPR's Scott Simon remembers understated comedian and actor Bob Newhart, who died this week at the age of 94.

Atlanta-based comedian Heather McMahan speaks with GPB's Peter Biello about getting her start as a comedian, the death of her father, IVF, and maintaining a "joyful perspective."