Historical reenactments by A-list talent are presented by inebriated storytellers.
“Drunk History” evolved from a “Funny or Die” web series into a full-fledged Comedy Central show which began airing in 2013 and ran for six seasons, until it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series was created by Derek Waters who gets celebrities inebriated, records their questionable historical accounts, and has other celebs lip-sync. The first viral skits that launched the series were funny but after six seasons (or even six episodes) the formula became flat.
Even the star power (Laura Dern, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Winona Ryder, Kristen Wiig, Alfred Molina, Bob Odenkirk, Evan Rachel Wood, and many others) can’t save the redundant structure. It’s annoying to see talented people over-act for cheap laughs. By constantly cutting back to interrupt the celeb’s story for a forced tidbit it’s hard to retain information. The original sketch series had genuinely hilarious interruptions by its drunken subjects.
Getting more people interested in history is worthwhile but this series isn’t always accurate. For example, having Lin Manuel Miranda on to discuss Alexander Hamilton is bad since his play is flawed and revisionist. Unfortunately, it’s more important for the producers to stack the cast with famous people rather than focus on teaching an important subject. If you’re a drinker and lover of history, grab your favorite beverage and check out any podcast by Mike Duncan.
Now available in an 11-Disc DVD Box Set
