What makes history funny? Mel Brooks cracked the code 40 years ago with his classic comedy “History of the World, Part I.” The film takes viewers through various periods ranging from pre-historic to The French Revolution — each one producing hilarious results. A sequel was always part of the joke, even cemented by a fake trailer that teased its upcoming segments. Somehow the punchline is paying off with a surprising addition. Hulu is offering a history lesson of its own with the series “History of the World, Part II.”
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Instead of an anthology film, the project packs each episode with various sketches that take viewers even further through humanity’s complicated timeline. Fans of the original shouldn’t worry about its potential; Mel Brooks returns to write and produce ‘History.’ His contributions are matched by a host of comedic talent, much like the stars who made appearances in “History of the World, Part I.” The new series includes today’s top comedy names, including Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, and Ike Barinholtz.
There’s also a huge supporting cast of performances, including Pamela Adlon, Tim Baltz, Zazie Beetz, Jillian Bell, Quinta Brunson, Dove Cameron, D’Arcy Carden, Ronny Chieng, Rob Corddry, Danny DeVito, David Duchovny, Hannah Einbinder, Jay Ellis, Josh Gad, Kimiko Glenn, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Jake Johnson, Richard Kind, Johnny Knoxville, Lauren Lapkus, Jenifer Lewis, Poppy Liu, Joe Lo Truglio, Jason Mantzoukas, Ken Marino, Jack McBrayer, Zahn McClarnon, Charles Melton, Kumail Nanjiani, Brock O’Hurn, Andrew Rannells, Emily Ratajkowski, Sam Richardson, Nick Robinson, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Timothy Simons, J.B. Smoove, David Wain, Taika Waititi, Reggie Watts, Tyler James Williams.
The series’ official synopsis:
After waiting over 40 years, there is finally a sequel to the seminal Mel Brooks film, “History of the World, Part I,” with each episode featuring a variety of sketches that take us through different periods of human history.
History’s triumphs and flaws undergo a humorous transformation in “History of the World, Part II.” Produced by Searchlight Television and 20th Television, Hulu’s upcoming Original 8-episode comedy series “History of the World, Part II” premieres Monday, March 6, with two episodes. Two new episodes will drop daily, with the finale on Thursday, March 9. Get your first look at the trailer below.