TVSquad

The unexpected death of Tim Russert two weeks ago prompted numerous tributes and memorials from NBC and MSNBC, but because Russert was a news personality, they really couldn't re-air Meet the Press episodes or the night of the 2000 election to really show Tim Russert's substantive work.

The death of comedian George Carlin on Sunday was just as shocking -- and also attributed to a heart ailment -- but for Mr. Carlin there are many hours of his work available and relevant to rebroadcast. It'll give audiences a chance to re-appreciate his unique brand of comedy. In his long tenure with HBO, George starred in 14 comedy specials. Now, you'll be able to see a few of them one more time.

HBO is presenting a series of encore presentations, including his last concert, George Carlin: It's Bad for You, on Friday, June 27, at 9 o'clock (ET) on HBO (the main channel). The show debuted in March. But that's not all.



HBO has gone into the vault and will present 11 George Carlin specials. They'll air on HBO2 over two nights: on Wednesday, June 25 from 8 o'clock p.m. to 2 o'clock a.m., back to back, they'll show: George Carlin at USC (1977); George Carlin Again! (1978); Carlin at Carnegie (1983); Carlin on Campus (1984); and Playin' with Your Head (1986).

Then, on Thursday, June 26, starting at 8 o'clock p.m.: What Am I Doing in New Jersey? (1988); Doin' It Again (1990); Jammin' in New York (1992); Back in Town (1996); You Are All Diseased (1999); and, finally, It's Bad for Ya (2008).

I know that I will be DVR'ing all 11 hours, even though I'm sure I've seen them all over the years. The wonderful thing about George Carlin's humor is that it has lasting value. His observations are as true today as they were when he first uttered them. There's been much talk about his classic "Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV," which was history making. After all, it made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. But, for me, one of my favorites was his comparing the sport of baseball to football. He was so spot on, his words so true, that you couldn't help but laugh and nod your head at the same time.

More recently, George Carlin's humor had seemed to be more angry. To some, he was coming off as a grumpy old man. I think that says more about the ageism in the country, but George's humor was just as biting when he was a grumpy young man. I think if you watch the HBO marathon, you'll agree with me that whether you call his comedy grumpy or acerbic, it was also funny and blisteringly truthful.