Nearly 11 years after the comedy legend’s death, NBC will celebrate Joan Rivers with a star-studded one-hour comedy special, “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute.”
The special will feature some of the top comedians of today celebrating Rivers’ quippy style of comedy and commending her trailblazing efforts for women in entertainment.
“Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute” will include musical bits and standup performances from artists personally touched, and maybe even roasted, by the late comedian.
Roast comedian of the day Nikki Glaser will honor the comedian as well as notable female stand-ups Chelsea Handler and Tiffany Haddish. Two famous fictional stand-ups Rachel Brosnahan and Jean Smart will also honor the trailblazer, in addition to Margaret Cho, Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Joel McHale, Tracy Morgan, Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Silverman, Melissa Rivers and Rita Wilson.
It will air on NBC Tuesday, May 13, with an extended, uncensored version streaming on Peacock the next day featuring additional comics yet to be announced.
“Given that I’m dead, I assume someone will finally decide to honor me. Well, it’s about time,” Rivers said in a letter she left for her daughter, Melissa Rivers, who executive produced the special.
“She paved the way for so many women who came after her and this special is a way to honor her for all of her incredible achievements both on the stage and off,” said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCUniversal Entertainment.
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Watch a teaser for the special here:
Rivers was a pioneer for women in comedy, rising to fame after her 1960s appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” With her sharp, blue wit, Rivers stood out amongst the male-dominated late night comedy scene, guest hosting nearly 200 episodes of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
“This tribute is everything my mother would have wanted — hilarious, unfiltered and filled with people she respected (and roasted). And as usual, she was still the funniest person in the room. It’s incredibly moving to see so many iconic comedians come together to celebrate her legacy, especially the women whose careers she helped make possible by breaking down so many doors,” Melissa Rivers, TV host and producer and notably daughter of Rivers. “I know she’d be thrilled to see how far things have come, and she’d still have notes.”
Rivers broke the ceiling for female entertainers and hosts, earning an Emmy Award for her talk show “The Joan Rivers Show,” a posthumous Grammy Award for her spoken word album and a Best Actress Tony nomination. She became synonymous with red carpet fashion, coining the phrase “Who are you wearing?” and hosting the popular E! series “Fashion Police” for over 100 episodes.
The NBC special was filmed on the opening night of the 2024 New York Comedy Festival, and proceeds from the show benefited the charity God’s Love We Deliver, where Rivers served on the Board of Directors and was actively involved for many years.
“Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute” is executive produced by Melissa Rivers, Chris Convy, Erich Bergen and David Jammy for Done + Dusted. Michael Matuza served as co-executive producer.
