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Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor
Discover the riveting, hilarious true story of the birth of Comedy Central in what New York Times bestselling author, Dan Lyons, calls the “funniest behind-the-scenes memoir I’ve ever read, full of crazy characters, plot twists, and suspense.”
Award-Winning Finalist in the Non-Fiction category of the 2020 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest
In 1988, a young, mid-level employee named Art Bell pitched a novel concept—a television channel focused 100% on just one comedy—to the chairman of HBO. The station that would soon become Comedy Central, with celebrated programs like South Park, Chapelle’s Show, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report, was born.
Constant Comedy takes readers behind the scenes into the comedy startup on its way to becoming one of the most successful and creative purveyors of popular culture in the United States. From disastrous pitch meetings with comedians to the discovery of talents like Bill Maher and Jon Stewart, this intimate biography peers behind the curtain and reveals what it’s really like to work, struggle, and ultimately succeed at the cutting edge of show business.
Award-Winning Finalist in the Non-Fiction category of the 2020 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest
In 1988, a young, mid-level employee named Art Bell pitched a novel concept—a television channel focused 100% on just one comedy—to the chairman of HBO. The station that would soon become Comedy Central, with celebrated programs like South Park, Chapelle’s Show, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report, was born.
Constant Comedy takes readers behind the scenes into the comedy startup on its way to becoming one of the most successful and creative purveyors of popular culture in the United States. From disastrous pitch meetings with comedians to the discovery of talents like Bill Maher and Jon Stewart, this intimate biography peers behind the curtain and reveals what it’s really like to work, struggle, and ultimately succeed at the cutting edge of show business.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2020
12 people are currently reading
1714 people want to read
About the author
Art Bell
2 books63 followersArt Bell is a former television executive. As president of Court TV, he oversaw daily live courtroom coverage and the production of hundreds of hours of original true-crime television series, documentaries, and movies.
His memoir Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor, was a finalist in the 2020 Best Book Awards in both the memoir and business categories.
Art has had short stories, nonfiction, and satire published in several journals, including Lowestoft Chronicle, Aethlon: The Journal of Sports Literature, The Ocotillo Review, Fiction Southeast, Castabout Arts and Literature, High Shelf Press, and Writers Read.
What She’s Hiding is his first novel.
His memoir Constant Comedy: How I Started Comedy Central and Lost My Sense of Humor, was a finalist in the 2020 Best Book Awards in both the memoir and business categories.
Art has had short stories, nonfiction, and satire published in several journals, including Lowestoft Chronicle, Aethlon: The Journal of Sports Literature, The Ocotillo Review, Fiction Southeast, Castabout Arts and Literature, High Shelf Press, and Writers Read.
What She’s Hiding is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 31, 2024
I enjoyed this book, and the look inside the making of Comedy Central. I’m grateful for my friendship with Art.
October 28, 2020
Art Bell's insightful memoir is funny, for sure, but it's so much more. Bell's feel for personality and his gift for assessing situations and understanding what makes people tick results in a very compelling read. Bell's prominent role in the fast-paced setting of an emerging television network is fascinating, and his self-deprecating style is endearing. This memoir is full of energy, passion, and hope, even in moments that are uncertain. And yes, it's funny.
July 6, 2022
Interesting read! Not many people can say they thought of the concept for a brand new cable TV channel and stepped out of his comfort zone to make it a reality. In this entertaining memoir, Art Bell explains his remarkable journey of creating the concept for Comedy Central and how he found a way to get it off the ground and grow it into a successful cable channel.
It's obvious from this book that Mr. Bell is a huge fan of comedy, but he's not a standup comedian. Rather, he is the brains behind the original concept to create a 24-hour comedy channel on cable TV, and he successfully saw that vision through the channel's first 8 years of operations. After upper management changed hands a few times, he was eventually pushed out of the organization. Later, he went on to become President of Court TV. His journey was a roller coaster, and the pages of this book turn themselves. If you are a fan of Comedy Central, this book is a must read!
It's obvious from this book that Mr. Bell is a huge fan of comedy, but he's not a standup comedian. Rather, he is the brains behind the original concept to create a 24-hour comedy channel on cable TV, and he successfully saw that vision through the channel's first 8 years of operations. After upper management changed hands a few times, he was eventually pushed out of the organization. Later, he went on to become President of Court TV. His journey was a roller coaster, and the pages of this book turn themselves. If you are a fan of Comedy Central, this book is a must read!
April 29, 2021
It turns out that this work of art is the work of Art! Art Bell's memoir, Constant Comedy, describes his role in starting what has become the Comedy Central television network, but does so in a way that helps us understand what an individual with a strong vision faces in dealing with corporate life in our time. The book is consistently entertaining, but the first chapter has given me the most pleasurable reading experience this century.
I've just finished reading the Iliad. Bell's adventures with powerful and famous figures at HBO call to mind the struggles for glory and tending to wounded egos between Achilles and Agamemnon featured in the Iliad. A bit to my surprise, his navigation of corporate waters reminds me of some of the challenges Odysseus faced in the Odyssey as well. I hadn't expected ancient Greek classics to inform the reading of what might become a modern business classic, but they do. The voice of Homer speaks in the age of Homer Simpson.
The Iliad focuses on how extraordinary people act under extreme pressure fighting or not fighting the battle of Troy. It explores where humanity can be found in the face of conflict. Constant Comedy focuses on how Bell and his HBO bosses and stars, many of whom are extraordinary, act under extreme pressure to create a successful comedy channel. It also explores where humanity can be found in the face of conflict. The thirst for power, control, and glory has survived three thousand years and Bell's book gives an amusing and instructive view of the tension between the various ambitions of the individual and the collective enterprise.
Yet the Bell in Constant Comedy is something like a modern Odysseus. He is firmly committed to his "nostos," an attempt to return over and over to his original idea of creating a pure comedy channel. As in The Odyssey, Bell stoutly faces a series of obstacles and is often subjected to the caprice of the HBO television gods in a valiant and successful struggle. As the book makes clear, Bell proves himself to be a mere mortal and can not defy the gods; however, what he goes through allows us to learn about modern corporate life in an amusing, easily digestible way. Constant Comedy shows how one can do battle, endure, and sometimes thrive in an often difficult environment. A wonderful read.
I've just finished reading the Iliad. Bell's adventures with powerful and famous figures at HBO call to mind the struggles for glory and tending to wounded egos between Achilles and Agamemnon featured in the Iliad. A bit to my surprise, his navigation of corporate waters reminds me of some of the challenges Odysseus faced in the Odyssey as well. I hadn't expected ancient Greek classics to inform the reading of what might become a modern business classic, but they do. The voice of Homer speaks in the age of Homer Simpson.
The Iliad focuses on how extraordinary people act under extreme pressure fighting or not fighting the battle of Troy. It explores where humanity can be found in the face of conflict. Constant Comedy focuses on how Bell and his HBO bosses and stars, many of whom are extraordinary, act under extreme pressure to create a successful comedy channel. It also explores where humanity can be found in the face of conflict. The thirst for power, control, and glory has survived three thousand years and Bell's book gives an amusing and instructive view of the tension between the various ambitions of the individual and the collective enterprise.
Yet the Bell in Constant Comedy is something like a modern Odysseus. He is firmly committed to his "nostos," an attempt to return over and over to his original idea of creating a pure comedy channel. As in The Odyssey, Bell stoutly faces a series of obstacles and is often subjected to the caprice of the HBO television gods in a valiant and successful struggle. As the book makes clear, Bell proves himself to be a mere mortal and can not defy the gods; however, what he goes through allows us to learn about modern corporate life in an amusing, easily digestible way. Constant Comedy shows how one can do battle, endure, and sometimes thrive in an often difficult environment. A wonderful read.
May 11, 2023
Starts off a bit like a memoir of one of your dad's business friends who has no business writing a memoir, but by the end it is a fairly interesting behind the scenes look at how the entertainment business world works. I wouldn't say the book is very humorous at all ... there are a few anecdotes dealing with execs or comedians from the era (Bill Maher, Dennis Leary) that are mildly humorous, but I did feel the book could have benefit from a ghost writer/ comedian punch up the stories to make the book more entertaining. The most interesting/ relatable part of the book is hearing the story of Bell as he created Comedy Central and put so much effort into it only for it to be taken away from him by a corporate executive ... as discouraging as it is that is just how the world works sometimes. Unfortunately Bell departs from Comedy Central before the Daily Show, Chappelle Show, and South Park and while it would have been interesting to hear behind the scenes stuff (especially about the Chappelle Show) there is still plenty to keep the reader interested.
December 4, 2020
A really enjoyable, quick-reading story of the start of the Comedy Channel, which would become Comedy Central, from the man who created it. It's a book that's more about boardrooms and executive infighting than about the shows themselves (although we have a few encounters with some of the channel's early stars, and they're exactly who you'd expect them to be - Jon Stewart is a passionate, stand-up guy, while Bill Maher is, ah, less so), but it's still compelling to read about how the network was created. Bell's voice is warm, and while he certainly remembers the doubters, the backstabbers and the comedy snobs, this never feels like a memoir written for vindication - the knives aren't out for his enemies from the 90s. He's just telling the backstage story about how Comedy Central was created, his role in it, and the many, many bumps along the way. Really interesting, and a lot of fun.
I was fortunate enough to win a copy through a Goodreads giveaway.
I was fortunate enough to win a copy through a Goodreads giveaway.
December 6, 2020
I loved the quiet deadpan voice of the writer and protagonist that had me laughing out loud for two days non-stop. Good story about the world of comedy and corporate America. Honestly told. First class.
April 17, 2021
This book was not constant comedy. However, it was hugely insightful into the world of cable TV. Rough and cut throat. It was a sad ending to me to learn how Art was replayed for all his hard work and genius.
December 2, 2021
I loved watching Comedy Central back in the day and I was riveted to read this behind the scenes look at how it all began. Art Bell’s storytelling is superb. A great writer and comedic pioneer. Totally delightful – and I learned a lot. Love listening to the audiobook too, which he narrated!
April 7, 2022
Written as it happened
I liked that this was written in a strictly chronological order. I did not know how it would turn out. Reading this account was like living it with the author, Art Bell.
I liked that this was written in a strictly chronological order. I did not know how it would turn out. Reading this account was like living it with the author, Art Bell.
May 19, 2021
Fascinating - loved it!!!
April 13, 2022
A great behind the scenes memoir that is full of surprises and personality.
July 3, 2022
Self aggrandizing and misleading.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews