LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Al Franken: Comedy Central
built 656 days ago
Al Franken is ... well known for his work as a political satirist, both on SNL and off. In 1988, he provided commentary for CNN at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. And in 1992, he anchored Comedy Central's Indecision '92, winning wide critical acclaim for his coverage of both conventions and election night. The New York Post called him "the Walter Cronkite of the 90's".
Source:
Synopsis: The documentary Al Franken: God Spoke follows the comedian-turned-pundit as he goes about his daily business. Through the course of the film, Franken discusses his transformation from comedy to politics, and discusses his ambitions. Franken ... takes every opportunity to jab at his politicalRead More
Source:
Franken is ... well-know for his work as a political satirist, both on SNL and off. In 1988, he provided commentary for CNN at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. And in 1992, he anchored Comedy Central's Indecision '92, winning wide critical acclaim for his coverage of both conventions and election night. In 1996, he teamed with Strange Bedfellow Arianna Huffington, again covering the party conventions and election night for Politically Incorrect, where he continues to be a frequent guest.
Source:
Everyone who knows Franken well remarks on his incessant cheerfulness, which doesn't seem to fit with the anger he holds for those he considers politically duplicitous, but he manages to integrate the two things, toggling constantly back and forth. If there is one event that changed him in recent years -- if not dampening his cheer, then hardening his anger -- it was the 2002 memorial service for his friend Paul Wellstone. The central chapter in ''Lies,'' and one that isn't meant to be funny, is his painstaking examination of how the event became ''a sort of perfect political storm for Republican opportunists.'' Franken teared up as he talked about his friendship with Wellstone, the circumstances surrounding his death and how moving he found the memorial. But some parts of the event were overtly political, and Franken became enraged as he watched these be highlighted and then pumped up by conservatives until the memorial wound up, in the words of Christopher Caldwell in The Weekly Standard, as ''a rally devoted to a politics that was twisted, pagan, childish, inhumane and even totalitarian.''
Source:
Franken's television situation comedy, "Lateline," ran on NBC in 1998 and '99. Although People Magazine named it "the best new sitcom of the year" and TV Guide gave the show a perfect ten, it was cancelled by NBC because, according to Franken, "they're idiots."
Source:
In 1992, Franken anchored Comedy Central's "Indecision '92," winning wide critical acclaim for his coverage of both conventions and election night. In 1996, he again covered the party conventions and election night for the show "Politically Incorrect," where he became a frequent guest. He later headlined "Lateline," an NBC sitcom spoof of ABC's "Nightline."
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Comedy Central