They did it for ten years before they cut it.

This week, starting last Friday to be exact, HBO’s airing a special with Dick Cavett and Mel Brooks. Watch it.

But even better was the hype on Sirius XM. Where Tom Papa interviewed Mel Brooks. It rivaled Bob Costas’s brilliant extended exchange of two decades past, on his dearly departed 1:30 AM talk show "Later", which should be boxed and watched because unlike Leno and Letterman, Costas listened, he extracted the meat…and the caviar too.

Actually, Mel Brooks made a comment about Jay and Dave. How they were different from Johnny Carson. Johnny truly loved comedians, and when you were on the couch he smiled, asked questions and let you flow, whereas Jay and Dave are not really on your side, they’re waiting for that one moment when they can make a crack and have the audience laugh at you. Brilliant analysis. Only a true professional could put it into words.

Anyway, Papa and Cavett ask Mel about the 2000 year old man.

And the explanation of the history, the genesis, and it began with Jesus, was detailed. But what struck me most was the development. Not only were Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks writers/comedians, they improvised this and did it at parties until they had it right, which took ten years.

And they still weren’t going to commit it to wax, you know, anti-Semitism is rampant, but they did it at an A-list party in 1960 and when it was done, George Burns approached them and asked them if there was a recording. When they said no, he said to make one quick, or he was going to steal their act.

So they went into the studio. Took them two hours and forty seven minutes. But they weren’t quite sure what they had.

So Carl sees Cary Grant walking on the studio lot, whom he knows a bit, that’s an hilarious story in the Papa interview, Mel talking about meeting Cary, wherein the legendary actor says he’s a big fan of MEL!, and Carl asks Cary if he’ll have a listen, he gives Cary a phonograph album.

A week goes by until Carl sees Cary again. Whereupon Cary professes that he loved the record, and could he have TWELVE!

Twelve.

Think about that when you’re pushing your crap down someone’s throat. You think you’re getting ahead, but you’re not. You know you’ve truly made it when people PULL your content, when they ask you for it when you’re not selling it, because it’s so damn good and they want more.

For his friends in England Cary says, they speak English there too you know!

And when he comes back Cary says the Queen Mother LOVED IT!

That’s the power of art. You’ve got no idea where it might end up, who it might touch.

And in the HBO show, Carl Reiner tells the story of the 2000 Year Old Man. And he contradicts a bit of what Mel said on Sirius XM, but it’s so comprehensive, you believe this is the definitive version.

Carl talks about the inspiration. Seeing another TV show and getting the idea.

The people he was writing for said no way, it was a bad idea.

Ain’t it always the bad ideas that end up being best. Only the creative people can see them. The suits don’t get it.

And it’s not something you can learn in school. It’s a sensibility, which is developed over time.

So fire up your satellite radio, and/or your HBO. And if you don’t have them, you probably don’t pay for Spotify either, you’re a cheap bastard.

But cheap bastards are left out.

The cost of entertainment is a sliver of that for staples you consume every day, not only rent and transportation, but dinner and lunch.

So listen to Mel.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry.

And you’ll see how it’s done.

You don’t kill the first time out.

But if you stay at it, you can saunter down slowly and screw all the cows.

P.S. Be sure to catch Cavett’s story about Chico Marx and Tallulah Bankhead. Positively priceless, you’ll be repeating it ad infinitum. And Dick’s Jack Benny elevator story is almost as good. You’ve got something to look forward to.