Some of these groups had decades long runs, while others only were together for a short period of time; regardless of their length together, each of these groups has had a profound impact on modern comedy. From our TV and movie shows to what we're watching from small-time groups on YouTube.
The Three Stooges
The legendary vaudeville act The Three Stooges killed audiences for over 30 years. Moe, Larry, Curly and sometimes Shemp, took their act from the bawdy halls to the silver screen in shorts and movies during the boom of the cinema. Starring in legendary comedies like Time Out for Rhythm and their famous short films like You Nazty Spy!, The Stooges had a near-unparalleled act.
The Three Stooges are getting a movie remake this week courtesy of The Farrelly Brothers. The movie stars Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes and Will Sasso in the roles of Moe, Larry and Curly respectively.
Monty Python
Monty Python, as a group, has influenced and informed the vast majority of comedy we experience today, including much of the comedic talents on this very list. Without their influence, we wouldn't have South Park, Saturday Night Live, The Kids in the Hall, The Simpsons, The Daily Show (and by extension The Colbert Report) and any number of comedic groups, comedy TV shows and comedy movies.
While known mostly for their landmark TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus, the group also produced Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python's Meaning of Life. Any one of those movies on its own would win the group a spot in the comedy hall of fame.
The State
The State might be known less for their time on the cult MTV show The State from 1993-1995 and more from what they've done since. The group formed at NYU in the late 80s and after performing locally, got a deal with MTV to produce a sketch comedy show; after three seasons at MTV the group tried to branch out, but had a flop when they hit CBS's airwaves for a Halloween Special show. The group never officially broke up, but they scattered to the wind. Members of the group would go on to write, direct or star in a number of beloved comedy TV shows and movies, including: Reno 911!, Stella, Hot Wet American Summer, Children's Hospital, Party Down, Michael and Michael Have Issues, Reaper, The Ten, Role Models, and Night At The Museum, among plenty of others.
Christopher Guest and Gang
Christopher Guest is responsible for bringing together some of the greatest improv comedic talents in a series of mockumentaries, including: This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. That list of movies alone makes him and his merry gang legendary.
The Kids in the Hall
Besides Celine Deon, Canada's greatest cultural contribution would be SCTV, but third would be the five man sketchy comedy group The Kids in the Hall. The young group was groundbreaking at the time and over the course of five seasons delivered some incredible moments and characters. Following their original show's run, the group produced the movie Brain Candy in 1996. All members of the group worked on side projects and other careers until they reformed for the 2010 mini-series Death Comes to Town.
Cheech and Chong
Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong have always been wildly popular, but never moreso than in the 70s and 80s when their group was prolific with comedy album releases, stand up shows and movies. The duo are best known for their stoner humor in movies like 1978's Up in Smoke and 1981's Nice Dreams. The pair split in the 80s and have had an on-again, off-again partnership since.
Abbott and Costello
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are one of the proto comedy teams that other groups have fashioned themselves after. As Abbott and Costello, the group was wildly popular with bits like the legendary "Who's On First?" and their series of successful crossover films with the Universal monsters. Through the 1940s and 50s, Abbott and Costello made the transition from radio to film and later TV and kept audiences laughing the whole way.
Martin and Lewis
After Abbott and Costello came Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as the team Martin and Lewis. From 1946 until 1956, the pair dominated radio, TV and movies with Martin as the straight guy and Lewis as the comedic foil.
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright
Together, this British trio has been responsible for the TV show Spaced and so-called The Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy, which includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the upcoming The World's End.
Laurel and Hardy
Of the classic age of movies, there was no stronger comedy duo than Laurel and Hardy. The pair perfected on-screen slapstick humor with their series of over 100 shorts and feature length films. The Englishman Stan Laurel and American Oliver Hardy first came together as a team in the late 1920s and came to prominence at the end of the silent film era. The pair made the transition to sound and continued their comedic styling until the 1950s.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Not only are Trey Parker and Matt Stone content in having a mega hit TV show, or blockbuster puppet movies, no, they also want to destroy Broadway with raw humor. This team may be best known for their Comedy Central defining master work South Park, but their movies like Orgazmo, BASEketball, Team America and their new Broadway hit The Book of Mormon cement them as one of the best modern comedy teams. Trey Parker handles the majority of the writing for the group, but the team wouldn't work without Matt Stone; together the group have had hit after hit for over 20 years. There's something to be said about staying power.
Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor
The unlikely comedic team of performer Gene Wilder and comedian Richard Pryor came together in 1976's Silver Streak and over the years reappeared with degrees of success in Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Another You (1991). The odd pair have a strange chemistry with one another; they are one of the earliest interracial comedy teams, even if they were never an official group that worked together outside of these films.
Chris Farley and David Spade
This pair burned brightly, but for too short a time. In classic films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep the physical comedy of Chris Farley balanced well with the sarcastic humor of David Spade. The duo would have enjoyed a long series of movies together if not for the untimely death of Farley in 1997.
The Three Stooges
The legendary vaudeville act The Three Stooges killed audiences for over 30 years. Moe, Larry, Curly and sometimes Shemp, took their act from the bawdy halls to the silver screen in shorts and movies during the boom of the cinema. Starring in legendary comedies like Time Out for Rhythm and their famous short films like You Nazty Spy!, The Stooges had a near-unparalleled act.
The Three Stooges are getting a movie remake this week courtesy of The Farrelly Brothers. The movie stars Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes and Will Sasso in the roles of Moe, Larry and Curly respectively.
Monty Python
Monty Python, as a group, has influenced and informed the vast majority of comedy we experience today, including much of the comedic talents on this very list. Without their influence, we wouldn't have South Park, Saturday Night Live, The Kids in the Hall, The Simpsons, The Daily Show (and by extension The Colbert Report) and any number of comedic groups, comedy TV shows and comedy movies.
While known mostly for their landmark TV show Monty Python's Flying Circus, the group also produced Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python's Meaning of Life. Any one of those movies on its own would win the group a spot in the comedy hall of fame.
The State
The State might be known less for their time on the cult MTV show The State from 1993-1995 and more from what they've done since. The group formed at NYU in the late 80s and after performing locally, got a deal with MTV to produce a sketch comedy show; after three seasons at MTV the group tried to branch out, but had a flop when they hit CBS's airwaves for a Halloween Special show. The group never officially broke up, but they scattered to the wind. Members of the group would go on to write, direct or star in a number of beloved comedy TV shows and movies, including: Reno 911!, Stella, Hot Wet American Summer, Children's Hospital, Party Down, Michael and Michael Have Issues, Reaper, The Ten, Role Models, and Night At The Museum, among plenty of others.
Christopher Guest and Gang
Christopher Guest is responsible for bringing together some of the greatest improv comedic talents in a series of mockumentaries, including: This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. That list of movies alone makes him and his merry gang legendary.
The Kids in the Hall
Besides Celine Deon, Canada's greatest cultural contribution would be SCTV, but third would be the five man sketchy comedy group The Kids in the Hall. The young group was groundbreaking at the time and over the course of five seasons delivered some incredible moments and characters. Following their original show's run, the group produced the movie Brain Candy in 1996. All members of the group worked on side projects and other careers until they reformed for the 2010 mini-series Death Comes to Town.
Cheech and Chong
Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong have always been wildly popular, but never moreso than in the 70s and 80s when their group was prolific with comedy album releases, stand up shows and movies. The duo are best known for their stoner humor in movies like 1978's Up in Smoke and 1981's Nice Dreams. The pair split in the 80s and have had an on-again, off-again partnership since.
Abbott and Costello
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are one of the proto comedy teams that other groups have fashioned themselves after. As Abbott and Costello, the group was wildly popular with bits like the legendary "Who's On First?" and their series of successful crossover films with the Universal monsters. Through the 1940s and 50s, Abbott and Costello made the transition from radio to film and later TV and kept audiences laughing the whole way.
Martin and Lewis
After Abbott and Costello came Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as the team Martin and Lewis. From 1946 until 1956, the pair dominated radio, TV and movies with Martin as the straight guy and Lewis as the comedic foil.
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright
Together, this British trio has been responsible for the TV show Spaced and so-called The Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy, which includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and the upcoming The World's End.
Laurel and Hardy
Of the classic age of movies, there was no stronger comedy duo than Laurel and Hardy. The pair perfected on-screen slapstick humor with their series of over 100 shorts and feature length films. The Englishman Stan Laurel and American Oliver Hardy first came together as a team in the late 1920s and came to prominence at the end of the silent film era. The pair made the transition to sound and continued their comedic styling until the 1950s.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Not only are Trey Parker and Matt Stone content in having a mega hit TV show, or blockbuster puppet movies, no, they also want to destroy Broadway with raw humor. This team may be best known for their Comedy Central defining master work South Park, but their movies like Orgazmo, BASEketball, Team America and their new Broadway hit The Book of Mormon cement them as one of the best modern comedy teams. Trey Parker handles the majority of the writing for the group, but the team wouldn't work without Matt Stone; together the group have had hit after hit for over 20 years. There's something to be said about staying power.
Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor
The unlikely comedic team of performer Gene Wilder and comedian Richard Pryor came together in 1976's Silver Streak and over the years reappeared with degrees of success in Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Another You (1991). The odd pair have a strange chemistry with one another; they are one of the earliest interracial comedy teams, even if they were never an official group that worked together outside of these films.
Chris Farley and David Spade
This pair burned brightly, but for too short a time. In classic films like Tommy Boy and Black Sheep the physical comedy of Chris Farley balanced well with the sarcastic humor of David Spade. The duo would have enjoyed a long series of movies together if not for the untimely death of Farley in 1997.
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