Theater Talk: Hope, the Man Who Invented Modern Comedy

Our guests are talk show great, Dick Cavett and critic Richard Zoglin of “Time” Magazine, discussing Bob Hope, the subject of Zoglin’s fascinating new biography, “Hope.” Beginning as a child, performing on the streets to get extra money for his family, Hope went on to become a major star in vaudeville, on Broadway, in the movies and on TV. He basically invented the stand-up comedy form and lived to be 100 never really retiring from pursuing his singularly successful and lucrative, show business career. Hope was also friendly with Cavett, who tells us about some of their time together. Taped: 11-14-14 Theater Talk is a series devoted to the world of the stage. It began on New York television in 1993 and is co-hosted by Michael Riedel (Broadway columnist for the New York Post) and series producer Susan Haskins. The program is one of the few independent productions on PBS and now airs weekly on Thirteen/WNET in New York and WGBH in Boston. Now, CUNY TV offers New York City viewers additional opportunities to catch each week's show. (Of course, Theater Talk is no stranger to CUNY TV, since the show is taped here each week before its first airing on Thirteen/WNET.) The series is produced by Theater Talk Productions, a not-for-profit corporation and is funded by contributions from private foundations and individuals, as well as The New York State Council on the Arts. Watch more Theater Talk at www.cuny.tv/show/theatertalk