TCM explores the art of falling down in slapstick comedy series and online course
Over the years, slapstick has become one of the more intellectual branches of comedy. Oh sure, watching a guy get hit and fall down is funny on any level. But it’s also so simple and pure that each gesture can be unpacked and analyzed, just like a good poem. Turner Classic Movies is going to underline that point by airing a month-long tribute called “Ouch! A Salute To Slapstick” that will feature more than 50 films “from silent masters Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd to modern master Will Ferrell.” The films will air every Tuesday and Wednesday starting on September 6 for the rest of the month, and the blocks will be hosted—because this is TCM, after all—by comedian Greg Proops.