Historical Roasts
| Historical Roasts | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
|
| Directed by | Joel Gallen |
| Presented by | Jeff Ross |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 28–30 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | May 27, 2019 |
| Related | |
| Comedy Central Roast | |
Historical Roasts is an American comedy television series on Netflix. Based on the Los Angeles live comedy show of the same name,[1] the series "roasts" historical figures including Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Cleopatra.[2] The 6-episode first season was released on Netflix on May 27, 2019. It is hosted by Jeff Ross, a "recurring roaster" who has appeared frequently in stand-up specials and series on Comedy Central.[3][4][5]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Abraham Lincoln" | May 27, 2019 | |
|
A roast of Abraham Lincoln (Bob Saget), the 16th President of the United States. Guests include Mary Todd Lincoln (Natasha Leggero), Harriet Tubman (Yamaneika Saunders), John Wilkes Booth (John Stamos), and Frederick Douglass (Jerron Horton). | |||
| 2 | "Freddie Mercury" | May 27, 2019 | |
|
A roast of Freddie Mercury (James Adomian), the frontman of Queen. Guests include David Bowie (Seth Green), Kurt Cobain (Nikki Glaser), Princess Diana (Fortune Feimster), and Mercury's longtime girlfriend Mary Austin (Charlotte McKinney). | |||
| 3 | "Anne Frank" | May 27, 2019 | |
|
A roast of Anne Frank (Rachel Feinstein), Jewish diarist and author of The Diary of a Young Girl. Guests include Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jon Lovitz), Adolf Hitler (Gilbert Gottfried), Don Rickles (Mindy Rickles), and God (Fred Willard). Note: Gottfried reprises his role as Hitler from the 1992 American B horror comedy film Highway to Hell. | |||
| 4 | "Martin Luther King Jr." | May 27, 2019 | |
|
A roast of Martin Luther King Jr. (Jerry Minor), leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. Guests include Barack Obama (Brandon T. Jackson), Nelson Mandela (Jaleel White), Rosa Parks (Sasheer Zamata), and Robert F. Kennedy (Neal Brennan). | |||
| 5 | "Cleopatra" | May 27, 2019 | |
|
A roast of Cleopatra (Ayden Mayeri), Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. Guests include Julius Caesar (Ryan Phillippe), Mark Antony (Ken Marino), Isis (Bridget Everett), and William Shakespeare (Rory Scovel). | |||
| 6 | "Muhammad Ali" | May 27, 2019 | |
|
A roast of Muhammad Ali (Jaleel White), heavyweight boxer. Guests include Babe Ruth (John Gemberling), Bruce Lee (Leonardo Nam), Elvis Presley (Josh Homme), Angelo Dundee (John DiMaggio), and Joe Frazier (Jamar Malachi Neighbors). | |||
Production
On September 20, 2018, Deadline reported that Netflix had ordered six episodes of the series.[6]
Reception
Reception from critics has been mixed. For Paste, John-Michael Bond wrote "if you don't mind your comedy black, you'll find a lot to like in Historical Roasts' silly look at the past."[7] Others, including the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, have criticized the "Anne Frank" episode for jokes about concentration camps, and making light of Nazi-occupied Europe.[8] Niv Hadas of Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, defended the show from critics, calling the episode "compassionate, funny and historically accurate".[9]
References
- ^ "Netflix Orders Historical Roasts Series Starring Jeff Ross". www.vulture.com. September 24, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ Jarvey, Natalie (May 22, 2019). "Netflix's 'Historical Roasts' With Jeff Ross Serves Up "A History Lesson for Millennials"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ "Jeff Ross | Stand-Up Comedian | Comedy Central Stand". Comedy Central. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ Lindsay, Kathryn. "All The Hilarious Comedians In Netflix's New Show "Historical Roasts"". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ "Jaleel White's Impersonations Steal The Show On 'Historical Roasts' On Netflix". Decider. May 28, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (September 20, 2018). "Netflix Lands Jeff Ross-Starring 'Historical Roasts' From OBB Pictures As Original Series". Deadline. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Bond, John-Michael (June 3, 2019). "Historical Roasts Is Far Better Than You'd Expect, But Its Brightest Days Are in the Future". Paste. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Surkes, Sue (May 30, 2019). "Uproar over Netflix show in which Hitler 'roasts' Anne Frank". The Times of Israel. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
- ^ Hadas, Niv (June 3, 2019). "Demeaning the Memory of the Holocaust? 'The Roast of Anne Frank' Should Be Shown in Schools". Haaretz. Retrieved June 5, 2019.