“Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip-Hop Comedy” tells the story of how Black comedians made their dreams come true in Hollywood.
Steve Harvey: “For the first time I was able to do Black humor.”
Regina King: “Man, this was really our space.”
Back in the ’90s, it was every comedian’s dream to hit the stage at The Comedy Store.
Kym Whitney: “People that don’t live in Los Angeles might not know how important The Comedy Store is.”
“Phat Tuesdays” at the club gave Black performers an opportunity to shine.
J.B. Smoove: “People from all over the world, every comic from every small town, every big city, every country comes to LA. That was the major major place to be at to prove yourself and to grow.”
It was comedian Guy Torry who came up with the idea for “Phat Tuesdays”.
Guy Torry: “I said, ‘Man, there are so many funny people doing comedy in the ‘hood, but there was no one there to see ’em,’ and I was like, ‘OK, I’m gonna change that [expletive].’”
On any given Tuesday, you could catch Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx or Kevin Hart fine-tuning their acts.
For these comics, it was the chance of a lifetime.
Bill Bellamy: “You would come here, and agents would see you. Maybe you’d get signed, and maybe you get a movie, maybe you get a TV show.”
Lil Rey Howerly: “People became stars, man.”
If you weren’t there, you’ll be amazed at the amount of talent on hand.
If you were, it’s a time you’ll never forget.
Anthony Anderson: “Phat Tuesday was something very special to witness, to say you were there.”
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.