Media Page
AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW
CONTACT JOE: joetoplyn@joetoplyn.com
GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF LATE-NIGHT TV
Joe Toplyn, TV Writer/Producer, Four-Time Emmy Winner, and Author of Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV
Joe Toplyn [TOP-lin] has written and produced comedy/talk shows for over fifteen years. He began his television career on the writing staff of Late Night with David Letterman, where he won four Emmy awards. He went on to become co-head writer of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and head writer of Late Show with David Letterman. His other TV writing credits include the sketch show In Living Color and the comedic detective show Monk. He is the author of Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV.
Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV is the first book ever written about the subject. Joe Toplyn reveals his proven methods of writing for late-night television in this one-of-a-kind insider’s guide.
Joe analyzes each type of comedy piece in the late-night TV playbook and takes you step-by-step through the process of writing it. This comprehensive manual is packed with detailed tips, practical techniques, and hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes.
Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV is available at bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com. If you’re a media person and you’d like a copy, please contact Joe at joetoplyn@joetoplyn.com.
Joe Toplyn is available for interviews by phone, by video chat, and in studios in the New York area.
Sample Interview Questions for Joe Toplyn,
Author of Comedy Writing for Late-Night TV
1. You have a Harvard MBA. How did you go from business to comedy? (Answer takes 1 minute)
2. Who was the most fun to work for, David Letterman or Jay Leno? (30 seconds)
3. How did you almost accidentally set David Letterman on fire…twice? (1 minute)
4. What’s this about the police in Hollywood catching you and Jay Leno with a couple of prostitutes? (1 minute)
5. You were in a taxicab with Jay Leno and you almost died? (30 seconds)
6. Why did you climb up to the Hollywood Sign with Charlie Sheen and a gorgeous blonde masseuse? (30 seconds)
7. How did you come up with Jay Leno’s Mr. Brain character and why was it so important? (1 minute)
8. In the beginning The Tonight Show was losing big to Late Show in the ratings. How did Jay eventually steal the late-night crown from Dave? (1 minute)
9. O.J. Simpson murdered two people. Why was that great news for The Tonight Show? (1 minute)
10. Was there ever a time when the writers of The Tonight Show or Late Show crossed the line of good taste? (1 minute)
11. How do late-night comedy writers come up with new ideas every day? (30 seconds)
12. What are Joke Maximizers? How can they make any joke funnier? (1 minute)
To schedule an interview,
contact Joe at joetoplyn@joetoplyn.com
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Click to hear Joe on “Art Howard at Night” (1:24:37)
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Click to hear Joe on “There It Is” with Jason Farr. (1:00:03)
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I’ve been working on my one-liners and jokes! I’ve found that I’m really good with writing one liners. This is one I wrote recently.
This is the joke that I wrote: ‘My friend suggested I get more storage bins. I said I didn’t need to. I had plenty on my computer.’ This was a play on how I didn’t need physical storage bins due to the amount of storage space on my computer.
Over the last couple of weeks, I got pretty serious about joke writing which is what led me to improve a lot. Just lots of practice, patience and a whole lot of revision. And if my joke doesn’t sound right the first time, I re-write it. I basically approach joke writing as if I were writing an essay for an important assignment that required more than one revision.
Hi, Zoe,
I’m glad you’re enjoying joke writing, and that you know how important it is to revise jokes until they’re as funny as possible. My 12 Joke Maximizers can help you turn a good joke into one that gets a big laugh.
Have fun!
Hey, Joe! Just wanted to give a shout. I read/used your book for a late-night packet I recently put together. it was a HUGE* help. I’m also a stand-up comic and your writing tips have helped me with my own jokes, too. Bravo and thank you.
*I’m now thinking we as a country need to retire the word “HUGE.” But the book was very helpful.
Hi, Marian. Thanks very much for your message. I’m really glad to hear the book has been so helpful, believe me. (Maybe as a country we should also retire the sentence “Believe me.”) Good luck with your packet and your adventures in comedy.
Hi Joe,
I love the book. When are you teaching a class New York next?
I would love to take it!!
-Amy Carson
Hi, Amy–
Thanks for buying my book, and for your interest and enthusiasm.
I don’t know when I’ll be teaching my late-night TV comedy class again. I’m waiting to hear what’s going on with a TV project that might tie up my schedule.
Please let the Peoples Improv Theater know that you’d like to take my class and they’ll tell you when dates are set for it. A link to the PIT is in one of the sliders on my home page.
Meanwhile my book will give you a head start on the material.
Have fun!
I love your book. I do stand up and I am not sure that I want to write for late night tv. I just want to become more fluent writing for my stand up comedy. Looking forward to coming to your workshops. Thank you.
-Nancy Haman
Thanks, Nancy! I’m glad you like the book. You’re right…it’s not just for people who want to write for late-night TV. It’s a practical, how-to manual for anyone who wants to write short-form comedy, comedy pieces under about ten minutes long. That includes everything from jokes to remotes to sketches, so it definitely includes stand-up comedy. Hope to see you in class!