“I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.”
- George Carlin
The National Lampoon Radio Hour was broadcast nationally on over 600 stations from November 17, 1973 to December 28, 1974. It was a show built on edgy comedy skits by some young up and coming talent. The troupe included, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Christopher Guest, Harold Ramis, Brian Doyle-Murray, Richard Belzer and others. You might have heard of them. This was pre-Saturday Night Live but it was evident that the comedy genius was blooming.
Several albums were released after the show's demise, made up mostly of material from different episodes. To say they were politically incorrect would be like saying the universe is big. In today's world those bits would be considered radioactive. That, of course, is part of what made them hilarious.
One that I can share here happens to be the one I could listen to everyday and never not smile and laugh. It never gets old. It's Christopher Guest as Mr. Rogers interviewing Bill Murray as a bemused beatnik bass player.
Enjoy the comedy brilliance.