Allan Johnson

You've heard the old song that laughter is the best medicine. In the case of Canadian sketch comedy group the Kids in the Hall, it was sick laughter that proved...

While doing research for a one-man show more than five years ago, actor Avi Hoffman came across a performer who he thinks may be the "great-grandfather" of a slew of...

One of the maddening things about all of these TV quiz shows (aside from the fact that there are so many of them and that ABC airs "Who Wants to...

The year 2000 is looking to be a busy one for Chicago-born comedian Shay Shay, with a few plans that he hopes will take him several steps up the ladder....

Last weekend was the Battle of the Quizzers: All four networks had game shows on. The winner of Round One was no surprise: ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,"...

When it comes to New Year's Eve plans, it seems like most celebrities are as uncertain as the rest of us about what to do and what might happen Friday...

1. "The Sopranos," HBO: It was a lush novel that you couldn't put down. The comedy-drama about a New Jersey mob boss (wonderfully played by James Gandolfini, who headed a...

Our next comic's career is swinging right now, as he is a fixture on network television and cable. The two shows he appears on are both game shows and require...

You've heard comics talk about having material with an "edge," or "being edgy," or telling jokes that are on the "cutting edge." What exactly does it mean to be edgy...

A long list of Chicago standup comics have taken their acts to radio -- Steve Harvey, George Wallace, Harry Teinowitz and Spike Manton are a just a few of those...