Comedy Podcast

Paul Reiser is a legendary comedian, actor, writer, and producer whose career spans decades of iconic work. Best known for his roles in Mad About You, Stranger Things, and The Kominsky Method, Paul joined me on Dystopia Tonight to talk about his latest projects: his heartfelt and hilarious new movie The Problem With People and his brand-new standup special, Life, Death, and Rice Pudding. Don’t miss this conversation filled with laughter, insight, and incredible stories! We talk about his retu...

Madeleine Smithberg is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television producer, writer, and comedy trailblazer. As the co-creator of The Daily Show, she helped redefine the boundaries of political satire and late-night television. Before her groundbreaking work on The Daily Show, Madeleine made her mark as a segment producer for Late Night With David Letterman, where she was instrumental in crafting some of the show’s most memorable and innovative moments. Her keen eye for talent and comedic story...

Ryan Stout is a seasoned stand-up comedian who has performed all over the world. He’s made over 200 television appearances on programs including CONAN, Chelsea Lately, HBO’s Funny as Hell, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, and his own half-hour special: Comedy Central Presents… Ryan Stout. He’s hosted game shows, clip shows, and talk shows for networks like MTV, FOX, CBS, and AXS TV. Ryan has also released three stand-up comedy albums — Touché (2011), How to Be an Audience (2016), and Man in the ...

Jay Leno, a true icon of American comedy, joins me on this episode of Dystopia Tonight! We swap Richard Lewis stories, chat about his start as a comic at Emerson College, his love for cars and motorcycles on "Jay Leno's Garage." comedy legends Robert...

Inspiring laughter and thought in equal measure, Robert Smigel is a comedic genius who has left an iconic mark in this history of comedy as an actor, comedian, writer, director, producer and puppeteer, known for his SNL "TV Funhouse" cartoon and as t...

Ted Lasso’s Brendan Hunt joins John to talk about his new solo show at the SOHO Playhouse in NY running from Feb 7-10 titled, “The Movement You Need.” The show comically explores his relationship with his departed mother, a fraught kinship that had o...

They say laughter is the best medicine, and Bruce Baum is a comedic doctor with a prescription for hilarity. This American comedian has carved a niche for himself with a distinctive act that combines prop comedy and traditional stand-up material. But...

Introducing Jamie Manelis, the quintessential LA native with a touch of the infamous 'valley girl' spirit. As a Jewish, queer writer/comedian/actress, she fearlessly blazes her own trail, breaking boundaries and leaving a lasting impression on the en...

In the realm of comedy, Mike Burton stands out as a true original, blending his southern hospitality with a sharp New York edge. His performances are a testament to his comedic brilliance, leaving audiences clutching there sides and eagerly awaiting ...

In the ever-evolving landscape of comedy, certain performers emerge as true trailblazers, pushing boundaries and challenging societal norms. Among these luminaries is Mark Anthony Ramirez, a comedic force whose multi-racial heritage encompasses Latin...

Richard Chassler is an actor, comedian, and writer who’s worked with the best of’em and has stories for days as his career and talent has allowed him to traverse through almost every facet of show business. We talk about his passion for stand-up, his beg...

An evening with Robert Klein wrapped in Dystopian foil and served to you via the internet is just what the comedy doctor ordered! Getting to digitally sit down with a legend is always a blast but with Robert it became illuminating in a way I had not expe...

As comedians we’re constantly talking about or being talked about - the balls it takes for anyone to get on a stage alone for a given amount of time and try to make an audience laugh. But in Ukrainian comedian Sviat Zagaikevich’s case he and his fellow c...

Melanie Chartoff first became famous for her comedy work on the ABC series Fridays, and in the 1990s Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose. She voiced both Didi Pickles and Grandma Minka, Didi's mother on the Nickelodeon animated series Rugrats and All Grow...

Jay Black is fucking hysterical and according to his wife, the most interesting man in the world for 5 minutes. However we got the pleasure of having him be both for a little over an hour on this episode of Dystopia Tonight. Jay and I talk about the da...

Ken McGraw is not only a good friend but an actor, comedian, sketch comic, writer, and improviser, who had an incredible run with the off Broadway show “Toxic Masculinity the Musical.” Ken spent years studying Improv, sketch and characters at the Upright...

Nine times out of ten if there’s someone you love who is funny, Bruce Vilanch made them funnier. Bruce is a two time Emmy winning comedy writer, songwriter, and actor with a four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant and head writer...

I could honesty talk about comedy with Paul Provenza forever. He’s not just a student of it he’s an architect of the craft itself, and the appreciation of it as well as having an eye for it in the comedians he surrounds himself with and the ones that are...

Mike Binder is literally decades of funny and comedy history packed into one person. He’s written, directed, and acted in hits like Reign Over Me with Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle and the Upside of Anger with Kevin Costner and Joan Allen, not to mention ...

It was an honor hosting Billy West on Dystopia Tonight. So much of what he’s done has not only been apart of my childhood but all of our childhoods and to get to spend some time with the man behind the characters was a true joy. We talked the return of F...

Gary Kroeger came out of the gate running in this episode of Dystopia Tonight and we loved every minute of it! We talk progressive politics, democrats, republicans, and the rest of us caught in between, covid, his days on SNL, his passions growing up, wh...

Legendary Comedian, Actor, Writer and Author Dave Thomas joins us on Dystopia Tonight as we discuss the state of comedy today, our favorite talk show hosts, his time with SCTV, The New Show with Lorne Michaels, picking a fight with Johnny Carson over Bob...

Chris Titus was an absolute blast to have on the show. We went from 0 to 100 from the get go and covered everything from his new, almost zen like perception on life minus some justifiable road rage, relationships, the pandemic, Spotify, Joe Rogan, comedi...

Subhah Agarwal is one of the funniest comics working right now and it was a blast to have her on #DystopiaTonight! We pretty much run the gamut on everything from medical advice flung around by Joe Rogan, to her time on the Jim Jeffries show, discoveri...