My list of favorite comedians is very fluid and changes from time to time. If you asked me right now, I could easily expand the list to 20 or 25, reaching back to the Bob Hope and George Gobel days. To make this list, I require the entertainer to have the trifecta of comedy: stand-up, sketch comedy and acting credits.
Jim Gaffigan – The youngster on this list. One of the top stand-up comedians today. Over the past 30 years, he has racked up many TV and film roles, not all comedies. His TV videos during the pandemic with his family are what got me interested his Jim Gaffigan.
Bob Newhart – Very few comedians successfully transfer their act to another medium, Jack Benny obviously did. Bob Newhart was naturally funny, his deadpan delivery, like Benny, was crucial to how audiences connected with them.
Jerry Seinfeld – Who knew that Jerry Seinfeld’s observational comedy would transfer so well to a television sitcom. The secret was in the writing and the zany characters surrounding Seinfeld. He’s been doing standup again, I’ll be seeing his show in a few months.
George Carlin – Perhaps my favorite comedian of all time. His albums influenced my generation. Carlin was less known as an actor. His staple was the live performance, he adapted his act for television appearances, he was able to transcend his more avant garde material and biting satire to mainstream audiences. Carlin was a deeply philosophical thinker, who foresaw many socio-political issues impacting us today.
Richard Pryor – Hip and biting, Richard Pryor pushed boundaries. At his peak, no one could touch him. Unfortunately, his demons and a disease consumed him.
You might ask, where are the females? Okay, here’s five great ones.
Phyllis Diller – The supreme female comedian of the 1960s. The queen of self-deprecating humor. She started her career late in life, and boy was she everywhere. Nightclubs, TV, films, records. Bob Hope signed her for his TV specials, films and appearances. Few women broke through from clubs to TV like Diller did.
Chelsea Handler – From standup to sitcom to talk show, to podcast, books and standup. Less recognized as an actress, she’s branched out in other media formats. She’s brash, indomitable and relevant.
Ellen DeGeneres – Recognized as one of the best observational comedians, DeGeneres parlayed her success in standup into film and TV roles. Openly coming out as gay, her audience followed her to the daytime show. Her talk show ended following a lot of complaints about the culture of her show and treatment of staff. Not much has been heard from DeGeneres since departing his daytime talk show. “Oh yeah, and I got kicked out of show business for being mean.”
Lily Tomlin – From off Broadway, to Laugh-In, to network variety series, films, Broadway. She was at the forefront of women breaking through the male-dominated world of comedy. Emmys, Grammys, Tony awards, plus Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, Kennedy Honors, Mark Twain Comedy Award and just about every other recognition imaginable.
Carol Burnett – Carol did everything and sang. While she didn’t do traditional stand-up, she opened her variety show for 11 years taking questions and coming up with witty responses on the spot.
What about comedy duos? Okay, here are five great ones.
Stiller & Meara – Known more for TV acting roles and being the parents of Ben Stiller, than their highly successful comedy team. Achieving popularity in the 1960s, in nightclubs and TV variety shows, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara were almost regulars on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their act included how different they were and it worked until it didn’t. They stayed married but didn’t work together much later on, playing to their own personality strengths.
The Smothers Brothers – I loved watching Tom and Dick Smothers. Folky, hip, comic masters. I never got tired of these guys or their edgy comedy observations.
Burns & Schreiber – Avery Schreiber, with his bushy hair and think mustache, and Jack Burns, a typical 1960s style everyman met at Second City. Their skit comedy made them perfect for TV variety shows, which were a plenty. They had a summer variety show of their own. They broke up the act to go solo. Burns was more the writer-producer, Schreiber the actor and occasional director.
Roman & Martin – Dan Rowan and Dick Martin played the club circuit for many years before their major break came with hosting a TV summer replacement show, and that led to Laugh-In. Rowan was the straight man and Martin the goof. After Laugh-In was cancelled, they performed as a duo till 1977, and then went in different directions. Martin gained great success as a producer-director of sitcoms.
Cheech & Chong – Who’d have guessed that 50 years later, these dippy, longhaired pot smokers would be lovable, mainstream personalities, legally flaunting their wares. Attitudes change. Big album sales led to successful but stupid films.
You got some ‘splanin’ to do
Missing are greats like Lucille Ball, certainly not because of her talent or impact on comedy, but she didn’t do standup, although she was quick on her feet and told lots of stories on talk shows. I’m big fans of Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and Robin Williams, but they aren’t my top favorites. Sid Caesar, Jonathan Winters, Don Rickles Dom Deluise and Bob Hope are the same, comedy masters, but absent from my five.
Comedy duos was the toughest to choose – no Laurel & Hardy, Nichols & May, Crosby & Hope, Burns & Allen – all richly talented and successful, but not topping my list.
Ticket 2 Ride 
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