The 2,000 Year Old Man
It began as a time-filler during a lull in the writer’s room; became a favorite party gag; then was captured on a 1961 album – “the comedian’s Bible,” says Billy Crystal. Carl Reiner, as the straight-man interviewer, would paint Mel Brooks, his millennia-old guest, into a corner, and Brooks would invent ingenious ways out. (Explaining his longevity: “I never run to catch a bus.”) The routine shifted comedy from a series of jokes toward more complex, character-based scenarios. Crystal and Carl Reiner’s son, Rob Reiner, explain why “2000-Year-Old Man” will live forever.
The album 2000 Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks was chosen for preservation in 2008 in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.
Studio 360’s series Inside the National Recording Registry was just honored with a 2012 Peabody Award. â?? Listen to more stories from the series
(Originally aired: December 18, 2009)
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?