Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!

Part one chronicles the early experiences that shaped Brooks' comedic voice, from his childhood in Brooklyn, to his combat service in WWII, and the highs and lows of working in the Borscht Belt and the dawning era of television where, alongside Sid Caesar, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbert, and Carl Reiner, he laid the foundation for modern sketch comedy and created his indelible character "The 2000 Year Old Man." Using a fear of failure to energize his creativity and turning to therapy at a time of personal challenges, he also drew upon his Jewish heritage and the prejudices that surrounded it to emerge as one of Hollywood's most brazen satirists, writing and directing "The Producers" (1967), "The Twelve Chairs" (1970) and "Blazing Saddles" (1974). Following the dissolution of his first marriage, he married movie star Anne Bancroft, who buoyed him through the lean years and the frequent vitriol of critics, but an Academy Award® for "The Producers" and a huge box office for "Blazing Saddles" established Brooks as an anarchic comedic force.

Part two charts Brooks' rise to superstardom and the enduring impact of his work on audiences and future generations of comedic writers and performers, while exploring his deep friendship with Carl Reiner, his creative relationships with Gene Wilder and others, his marriage of 41 years to Anne Bancroft and his family life with four children, illustrated by decades of personal archive. Inspired by his love of classic cinema and lavish Hollywood musicals, he wrote and directed "Young Frankenstein," "Silent Movie," "High Anxiety," and "History of the World, Part 1," continuing to use laughter as commentary on the absurdity of the human condition. As a producer, Brooks branched out into drama with "The Elephant Man" and other acclaimed films, while still creating comedy classics like "Spaceballs" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights . "In his seventies, Brooks set Broadway alight with the stage production of "The Producers," winning a record-shattering 12 Tony awards. Brooks' story is a masterclass in turning humor into courage, satire into empathy, and creativity into enduring influence.