When does 'Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute' come out? How to watch TV special
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Met Gala: Bad Bunny pays tribute to Puerto Rico with his Met Gala look
Bad Bunny pays tribute to Puerto Rico with his 2025 Met Gala look. The Grammy-winning superstar announced a world tour on the same day.
A new comedy special is bringing Joan Rivers back from the dead, at least for one night.
NBC is honoring the life and legacy of the late comic with "Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute," an hour-long television special set to air May 13.
"Given that I'm dead, I assume someone will finally decide to honor me," Rivers said in a letter she left for her daughter, Melissa Rivers. "Well, it's about time."
The comedy special, which features cameos from famous comics, was filmed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on the opening night of the 2024 New York Comedy Festival, NBC said in a news release.
The group, including Chelsea Handler, will "pay homage to Rivers' razor-sharp humor and impact on pop culture" through standup, musical bits and tributes. They will also revisit "Rivers' legendary cabinet of jokes" but add their own personal spin to the material to make it timely and new.
"This tribute is everything my mother would have wanted — hilarious, unfiltered and filled with people she respected (and roasted). And as usual, she was still the funniest person in the room," Melissa Rivers said in a statement. "It's incredibly moving to see so many iconic comedians come together to celebrate her legacy, especially the women whose careers she helped make possible by breaking down so many doors."
Here's what to know about "Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute," including how to tune in.
Who was Joan Rivers?
Joan Rivers was a comedian and television personality who was a regular on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and made frequent appearances on other shows, including "The Ed Sullivan Show."
Rivers also served as host of daytime talk show "The Joan Rivers Show," for which she earned her first and only Emmy Award. She later hosted Fox's version of "The Tonight Show," dubbed "The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers."
Rivers is best known for her fashion commentary on E! Network's "Fashion Police" and "E!'s Live from the Red Carpet" telecasts before every major award show, from the Golden Globes to the Grammys.
She discussed the dos and don'ts of celebrity fashion from 2010 up until her death in 2014. Rivers also famously coined the phrase, "Who are you wearing?"
Rivers also received various accolades in her 50-year career. She was a Grammy Award winning performer, a Tony Award-nominated actress, bestselling author, playwright, screenwriter, film director, columnist, lecturer, radio host, jewelry designer, entrepreneur and the renowned creator of the modern-day red-carpet interview show.
"An unparalleled legend in the entertainment industry, Rivers was more than just a comedian, she was a force of nature," NBC said in a news release. "... Rivers was also the first woman to break the glass ceiling of male-hosted late-night television."
'Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute' teaser
How to watch 'Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute'
"Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute" airs May 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
An extended and uncensored version of the comedy special will debut on Peacock on May 14 and will feature additional comics, who will be announced later.
An encore presentation will air June 5 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on E!.
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