Drunk History Serves Up a Boozy Look at the Past

Breaking Bad’s Bob Odenkirk as U.S. president Richard Nixon on Drunk History

Funny or Die’s Drunk History leaps from the Internet to Your TV Screen

Although shows like Netflix’s House of Cards have proved that online series can be just as good — if not better — than their television counterparts, the Internet still serves as a sort of farm team for TV, with shows such as Childrens Hospital and the hilarious Bachelor spoof Burning Love beginning online before making the leap to TV. 

The latest show to make this transition is Drunk History, which began as a series of short films produced for Will Ferrell’s Funny or Die website. 

For the uninitiated, the premise of Drunk History presents star-studded recreations of famous historical moments, as told by extremely inebriated people whose grasp of the actual facts is tenuous at best. 

A Drunken History Lesson

Created by Jeremy Konner and Derek Waters (who serves as host), Drunk History takes viewers on a hilariously skewed journey through the past, featuring dodgy facts and drunken narration of events with a who’s who of modern comedy re-enacting various historical milestones.

In addition to Ferrell (who plays Abraham Lincoln), other stars who’ll be seen portraying historical figures include: Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Connie Britton, Michael Cera, Terry Crews, Will Forte, Bill Hader, Tony Hale, Jack McBrayer, Stephen Merchant, Kevin Nealon, Bob Odenkirk, Chris Parnell, Aubrey Plaza, Rob Riggle, Jason Ritter, Winona Ryder, Horatio Sanz, Will Sasso, Adam Scott, Jenny Slate, Kristen Wiig, Fred Willard, Luke Wilson and brother Owen Wilson, Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl, and Val Kilmer, who’s even funnier than he was in Batman Forever. 

Funny or Die founders Ferrell and Adam McKay (who wrote the screenplays for such Ferrell films as Anchorman and Talladega Nights) are among the show’s executive producers, and McKay discussed why drunkenness and history go hand in hand:

“Will and I have always believed booze brings out truth,” McKay said in a statement. “Sometimes that truth involves hitting on airport bar janitors or eating cheese fries at 4 a.m. But in this case, we hope that truth will shine on our nation’s history.”

Added Comedy Central programming head Kent Alterman, “As they always say, history, like revenge, is a dish best served drunk.”

Drunk History airs on Tuesday at 10 pm on Comedy.

Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.