October 5, 2012

Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars getting Coffee

Over the summer, we posted the trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's new web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.  In each episode, Jerry picks up a different comedian in one of his fancy cars and goes out for coffee, and humorous dialogue ensues.  Throughout the series, Jerry has talked to many comedians including Larry David, Rick Gervais, Michael Richards, and Alec Baldwin (who's not really a comedian) but there was one episode that really stood out above the rest.


In this particular episode, Jerry talks to two comedy legends: Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner.  We've previously done a "Who Dat Ninja" segment on Carl Reiner, where we wrote about how Carl Reiner used to write for Your Show of Shows and then created the very popular TV show The Dick Van Dyke Show

Mel Brooks, who also wrote for Your Show of Shows with Carl, went on to create the hit spy-parody TV series Get Smart (which was recently remade into a movie starring Steve Carell) as well as many hit comedy films including Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, Robinhood: Men in Tights, and The Producers, which he recently turned into a huge hit Broadway musical.  Mel Brooks is also one of a few people to have achieved Tracy Jordan's dream of the EGOT*, winning 4 Emmys, 3 Grammys, 1 Oscar, and 3 Tonys.

Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner became friends while writing for Your Show of Shows, and developed the famous "2,000 Year Old Man" routine while working together on the show.  The two men each had long successful marriages. Carl was married to Estelle Reiner, who delivered the famous "I'll have what she's having" line in When Harry Met Sally, which was directed by their son Rob Reiner. Mel was married to EOT winner Anne Bancroft (she could never get that Grammy), who is perhaps most famous for playing Mrs. Robinson in the classic film The Graduate.  Sadly however, the two women have recent passed away, Anne in 2005 and Estelle in 2008, leaving the men widowed and alone.  Therefore, the old friends decided to have dinner together every night, so they'd have someone to talk to.

Most episode of Jerry's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee just involve Jerry sitting down for coffee with a comedian, and that's exactly how this one starts out.  But after Carl tells Jerry about his nightly dinner routine with Mel, he eventually invites him to dinner that night, to experience (and record) what happens when these two comedy legends get together each night.  So here it is, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee:



And be sure to check out the official site for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which features some "Spare Parts" from the episode (short deleted clips) as well as other episode of the web series!


*4 Emmys: Outstanding Writing in a Variety Show for Sid Ceaser and 3 times for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy for Mad About You. 3 Grammys: Best Comedy Album for "2000 Year Old Man", Best Long Form Music Video for "Recording The Producers", and Best Musical Show Album for "The Producers". 1 Oscar: Best Original Screenplay for The Producers. 3 Tonys: Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score for "The Producers".

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