Mel Brooks is a legend of comedy. He has to be – he said so himself. So if Hulu is going to take one of his classic films and create a long-awaited sequel series, a lot of people are going to be excited. And that’s exactly what we have with History of the World, Part II.
After waiting over 40 years, there is finally a sequel to the seminal Mel Brooks film, History of the World, Part I, with each episode featuring a variety of sketches that take us through different periods of human history. The new series is set to debut on Hulu next week.
The first and probably most obvious takeaway from this new series is that it falls victim to the inescapable hit and miss nature of a sketch show. Not sure what I mean by that? Have you watched Saturday Night Live lately? Not every sketch is going to work for everyone, but there is also something everyone will enjoy. The good far outweighs the bad, but there are certainly going to be some bit that just don’t land.
That being said, fans of the original film are going to enjoy the style of humor and many references to History of the World, Part I. In fact, there are fun references to some of Mel Brooks’ other work as well. Fans of the comedy legend (I swear he’s not paying may to say this) will be delighted by the nods to some of their favorite films.
It’s not just Mel Brooks fans that will love History of the World, Part II, though. You know that comedian and/or actor from that thing you love? They’re probably in this series. Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz, Dove Cameron, Wanda Sykes, Josh Gad, Seth Rogen and Johnny Knoxville are just some of the performers in this new series and there are many, many more. You’ll often find yourself laughing simply at who shows up in a given sketch.
And with that who’s who cast combined with the 40 year wait since the original film, the classic Brooks humor gets blended with modern comedy for a perfectly hilarious marriage. The series is loaded with references for a younger audience to balance out those aforementioned, let’s call them classic references. And for those of us who understand all of the above, this show is going to provide laugh after laugh.
Overall, History of the World, Part II is a must watch for Mel Brooks fans and fans of comedy in general. The long list of hilariously talented actors deliver dozens of outstanding sketches that will keep you coming back for more. Of course, not every sketch is going to land for everyone, but the good ones will almost certainly outnumber the bad by a wide margin. Each and every episode of this wildly entertaining new series is sure to deliver some big laughs.
The History of the World, Part II premieres Monday, March 6 only on Hulu.