Joan Rivershad no filter when it came to stating her opinions on celebrities, politicians, fashion looks, and more. Through controversial comments, stances and simply not caring about cancel culture, Rivers built an empire that NBC wants to celebrate.More than a decade after her deathin 2014, the network will honor the comedian and host with an all-star tribute full of today’s comedians who havesomewhat of Joan’s influence. According toDeadline, NBC will airJoan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tributeon July 30, 2025, and its extended and uncensored version will be available the following day on Peacock.
The special was filmed in November during the opening night of the 2024 New York Comedy Festival at the Apollo Theater, known for being the home to Black performers, and the hit variety showShowtime at the Apollo. The special will feature a combination of performances, both musical and stand-up comedy. Acts includeSupermanand Marvel stars such as Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lanein the upcomingSupermanmovie with David Corenswet) and Neil Patrick Harris (who voiced Peter Parker/ Spider-Man inSpider-Man: The New Animated Series(2003) and in the video gameSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions).
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Margaret Cho, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Chelsea Handler, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel (who thinks being a comedian now is scary), Joe McHale, and Tracy Morgan will appear. Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Silverman, Melissa Rivers (Joan Rivers’s daughter), Jean Smart, and Rita Wilson complete the cast. Rivers, who was 81 when she died, always wanted to be honored, as she said in a letter she left for her daughter, according toDeadline. “Given that I’m dead, I assume someone will finally decide to honor me. Well, it’s about time,” she wrote. Melissa Rivers believes thatJoan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tributeis something her mother always wanted, and she joked that Joan would’ve probably had notes.
“This tribute is everything my mother would have wanted — hilarious, unfiltered, and filled with people she respected (as roasted). And as usual, she was still the funniest person in the room,” Melissa said in a statement. “It’s incredibly moving to see somany iconic comedianscome together to celebrate her legacy, especially the women whose careers she helped make possible by breaking down so many doors. I know she’d be thrilled to see how far things have come, and she’d still have notes. This is more than a tribute. It’s a reminder of the trail she blazed and the joy she brought to so many.”
From Performing at Comedy Clubs in Greenwich Village to Making Television History
Joan Rivers got her start performing at comedy clubs in Greenwich Village alongside peers Richard Pryor, Woody Allen, and more. She was mentored by Johnny Carson and rose to prominence in 1965 as a guest onThe Tonight Show. Nineteen years later, in 1986, the comedian became the first woman to host a late-night network television talk show calledThe Late Show with Joan Rivers.She then hostedThe Joan Rivers Showin 1989, in which she won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host. During this time and throughout her career, Rivers’s comedic style made her stand out among her peers, priding herself on tough satirical humor that wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Source:Deadline
NBC’sJoan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tributewill air on August 21, 2025, at 10 PM ET/PT.
