The broadcast will feature one of the last interviews conducted with Emmy winner and Tony nominee Joan Rivers, the iconic comic who died Sept. 4. Interviewees also include Chelsea Handler, Mo’Nique, Sarah Silverman, Ellen DeGeneres, Jane Lynch and Kathy Griffin. "Women in Comedy," according to press notes, "tracks the rise of women in the world of comedy, from the 'dangerous' comedy of ‘70s sitcoms like 'Maude' to the groundbreaking women of the 1980s American comedy club boom and building to today’s multifaceted landscape. Today, movies like 'Bridesmaids' break box office records and the women of 'Saturday Night Live' are often more famous than their male counterparts. Contemporary comics… talk about where women started in this competitive, male-dominated profession and where they are determined to go."
Produced and directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, the program is narrated by Leslie Mann.
Scheduled to premiere on PBS every Tuesday from Sept. 30-Nov. 4, the "MAKERS" documentaries tell the stories of women in six spheres of influence—comedy, Hollywood, space, business, politics and war.