The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a series from Amazon Prime Video that aired from 2017-2023.This show looks at the stand-up comedy scene in New York City in the late 50s and early 60s.
Embraced by critics and the public alike, the show won many Emmys, Golden Globes, SAG Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards. The show tells the story of Miriam Maisel, a woman from an upscale New York Jewish family who tries her hand at stand-up comedy. She faces challenges of sexism and struggles to make a name for herself in a male dominated career. This show was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls).
Both shows have rapid-fire dialogue.
My wife is a Gilmore Girls fan and noticed that many of the actors from that show appeared in Mrs. Maisel. Both shows have quirky characters and a mix of comedy and drama. When watching this, I wondered if this was based on the life of Joan Rivers. Midge got her start at The Gaslight Café in NY (open from 1958-71, where Rivers had performed too). This was in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, known for folk music and comedy. Someone in the show played Lenny Bruce, who was a prominent and controversial comedian during this period. This character was inspirational to Maisel (and Joan Rivers).
Wanda Sykes played comedian Moms Mabley.
So, some characters were fictional, some based on real people.
It has a Johnny Carson-like late night talk show (Gordon Ford Show). Joan Rivers was close with Johnny Carson, until their falling out when she got her own Fox late night show. The costumes and set design in this show are impressive and stylish. People who worked on the show obviously paid attention to every detail, and made it accurate to the time period. Stand out characters included-
Rachel Brosnahan (Mrs. Maisel)
Alex Borstein (Susie)
Tony Shaloub (Abe)
Kevin Pollak (Moishe)
Jane Lynch (Sophie)
I enjoyed this largely fictional look at comedy in New York in this period. At the same time, I’d love to see a comprehensive doc about comedy in NY in this period. The show could talk about Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, Lenny Bruce, Phyllis Diller, Totie Fields, etc. A documentary could also examine the influence of Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Ed Sulllivan and others who showcased stand-up comics.Mrs. Maisel manages to be true to the look and feel of the era because Sherman-Palladino was able to draw inspiration from her father. Sherman-Palladino, who created the show with her husband Daniel Palladino, is the daughter of the late comedian Don Sherman, who died in 2012. Sherman was the head writer for Joey Bishop's show in the 1960s.
*Some information from imdb and vulture.
