Chris Regan
A television joke mechanic stripping away the host's delivery.
1 special · 2001
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When a career television writer takes the stage, the mechanics of the jokes are usually completely exposed. Chris Regan operates exactly this way. He doesn’t rely on wild act-outs or volume. He sets up a premise, establishes the variables, and drops the punchline exactly where the syntax demands it. He stands at the mic and lets the tight construction of his writing carry the set.
Specials
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Premium Blend: David Alan Grier (S5E7) with David Alan Grier, Craig Baldo & 2 more
David Alan Grier emcees a showcase of early-2000s club comedians.
Comedy Central · 23 min
On stage
Regan has spent decades building material for other people. He worked for seven years on staff at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, picking up five Emmys and co-authoring America (The Book). He later moved into animation, writing and producing for Family Guy. Because his regular output involves topical satire and animated cutaways, his standup functions as an unfiltered sample of his own perspective, without an anchor’s desk or a cartoon’s framing.
His footprint as a performing standup is small compared to his television credits. His most visible stage set remains an early-2000s spot on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. Watching him perform is mostly a chance to see a guy who builds late-night monologues figure out how to stand alone in a room.
Turning points
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Writing The Daily Show's Return After 9/11
Regan was a writer on The Daily Show when it became one of the first comedy broadcasts to return to the air on September 20, 2001, navigating the delicate task of balancing comedy with unprecedented national tragedy.
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2001–2006
Consecutive Emmy Wins at The Daily Show
As part of Jon Stewart's core writing room, Regan won five Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program.
At a glance
Also on screen
- Premium Blend
- 2007–2009
- Talkshow with Spike Feresten
- I'm Dying Up Here