Your Guide to Streaming Mel Brooks’ Best Work

The comedy sketch that made Brooks’ career sees Brooks as the titular wizened gentleman and Carl Reiner as his interviewer. The routine was hailed as a triumph of improvisation and has become one of the most legendary comedy bits ever. [Listen on YouTube]

Brooks’ very first film turned out to be an enduring American classic, in case you were wondering just what kind of a genius he is. Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel starred as Broadway producers who hatch a scheme when they figure out they can make more money with a flop than a hit. And so was birthed a concept that would power a Tony-winning musical, a film version of that musical, an entire season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the enduring melodiousness of “Springtime for Hitler.” Brooks won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, one of the rare times that comedic genius of Brooks’ ilk has been recognized with such an honor. [You can stream The Producers on Prime Video.]

Brooks’ parody of westerns was as in-your-face about racial humor as anything in the 1970s … or since, really. Brooks teamed up with actor Gene Wilder again here … and once more on Young Frankenstein, creating as close to a holy trinity of comedic film as anything you’ll find. [You can stream Blazing Saddles on HBOGO or rent it on Amazon Video.]

Another genre parody, this time Brooks took the lead role in his Hitchcock-spoofing film, along with reliable collaborators Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, and Harvey Korman. [You can stream High Anxiety on Prime Video.]

It took Brooks a decade, but he finally offered his take on the Star Wars franchise with Spaceballs. Featuring John Candy as a half-man/half-dog, Joan Rivers as a chatty droid, Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet, and Brooks himself playing two parts: crumbum President Skroob and wise merchandiser Yogurt. [Rent Spaceballs on Amazon Video.]

After making the critical and commercial dud Life Stinks, Brooks returned to the parody route with Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Coming on the heels of the very successful Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Brooks made light of everything from Kevin Costner’s accent to Maid Marian’s … maidenhood, along with a fun and verrrry Mel Brooks-ian take on Friar Tuck. The cast is also fairly phenomenal, with Dave Chappelle, Tracey Ullman, and the late Roger Rees. [You can rent Robin Hood: Men in Tights on Amazon Video.]

Mel Brooks made a short cameo as himself in the “Homer vs. Patty and Selma” episode of The Simpsons. This was still during the golden age of the show, so his appearance — which heavily riffed on The 2000-Year-Old Man — was a highlight in an already strong episode. [You can stream “Homer vs. Patty and Selma” on Simpsons World.]

Mel Brooks did four episodes of the NBC sitcom Mad About You and picked up three Emmy Awards for his trouble. He played Paul Reiser’s uncle and was decidedly into his dowager phase, but the comedy chops were more than still there. None of Brooks’ episodes are currently streaming, but season 1 of Mad about You is on Crackle and season 3 is on Amazon Video.

Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s stellar fourth season sees Larry David cast in a Los Angeles production of The Producers, and in the season finale, Mel Brooks and his wife Anne Bancroft make an appearance that pulls the rug out of the entire production. It’s a fantastic twisting of fiction and reality, and it’s great to see the real-life pair having so much fun onscreen. You can see a bit of the episode in the above clip, from Larry David’s speect at Mel’s AFI tribute, which in itself well worth watching. [You can stream Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO GO.]