It's been twelve years since the world lost legendary comedian George Carlin and yet his image still rings strong as a pinnacle of comedy...and reason. Not only did he have over a dozen HBO comedy specials. Not only did he appear on The Tonight Show over a 130 times. In fact, one would argue Carlin was a necessary force in the very world we lived in. He managed to make observations about everything from social mores to politics to history to subjects often regarded as taboo. Yet, he used his comedy in a playful, intelligent way to comment on these things. Few know this, including this journalist who is writing this article, but his legendary “seven dirty words” routine was actually central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, a decision affirming the government’s power to censor indecent material on public airwaves.
Now, Carlin is set to get his due, appropriately over at HBO where he prospered. It's been confirmed today that Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio will co-direct a two-part documentary Carlin that will include interviews with Carlin’s family and friends, as well as material from Carlin’s archives and clips from his TV appearances. With this announcement, Apatow released the following statement:
“It is an honor to be given the opportunity to tell the story of his life and work.”
In addition, Apatow will executive produce the documentary alongside Carol Leifer, Kelly Carlin, and Jerry Hamza. Stay tuned!