Welcome to Madeleine Smithberg HQ. She’s a late-night comedy pioneer & her new book Finding the Funny drops March 2, 2027!
Madeleine Smithberg, Emmy & Peabody-winning producer
THE DAILY SHOW
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FINDING THE FUNNY
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RECIPES INCLUDED
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LATE NIGHT
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THE DAILY SHOW ✺ FINDING THE FUNNY ✺ RECIPES INCLUDED ✺ LATE NIGHT ✺
About the book
Madeleine Smithberg, co-creator and original executive producer of The Daily Show, takes readers on a VIP backstage tour as she relives some of the most seminal moments in late-night comedy.
“Steve Carell owes Madeleine Smithberg a lot.” —Stephen Colbert
Funny
👀 Dave weighs in!“Madeleine Smithberg was a talent coordinator for my earliest television shows. She had a fine eye for all things strange and startling. She proved the “what” was more important than the “who.” Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, it was Madeleine’s unique guest bookings that got people’s attention in those early days. We all loved her brain and her energy and her Rolodex (Google it). Turns out she’s also a good storyteller. I know you’ll enjoy this book.”
Her name is Madeleine, but you can call her Mad.
Mad has lived a uniquely fascinating life. As a producer on Late Night with David Letterman, she brought national attention to Myrtle Young the “Potato Chip Lady,” border collies herding sheep out of Radio City Music Hall and into a waiting taxi, and an irate rhesus monkey in a blue dress, AKA “The Monkey in the Dress.”
Wait, The Monkey in the Dress?
Yes. If you want to watch it, here it is. But this is just one of many amazing “funny-cuz-it’s-true” moments detailed in the book that you can watch.
Check it out and then explore more of Mad’s favorite comedy moments featured in Finding the Funny.
Get in Touch with Mad
Madeleine is available for speaking engagements, book clubs and anywhere people want to find some funny in this unfunny world, or find inspiration from a woman who broke the glass ceiling — without even knowing it existed.