It’s been over a decade since Emmy Award-winning talk-show host Joan Rivers, who died in 2014 at the age of 81, graced television screens with her signature raspy voice and razor-sharp wit.
Next month, viewers will be able to cackle at some of her most caustic jokes one last time, as they witness more than a dozen celebrities take the stage of the Apollo Theater in New York City to honor the pioneering comedienne’s indelible legacy in entertainment.
The television special, titled “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute,” will air on NBC on May 13.
The program was recorded last November at the historic Harlem venue before a live audience, with proceeds benefiting one of the “Fashion Police” host’s favorite charities, God’s Love We Deliver. Founded in 1985, the nonprofit organization prepares and delivers nutritious meals to people across New York who are living with serious illnesses.
A host of comedians came together for the tribute special to celebrate Rivers’s life and time in Hollywood.
Among them were Margaret Cho, Nikki Glaser, Tiffany Haddish, Chelsea Handler, Tracy Morgan, Patton Oswalt, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Joel McHale, and Sarah Silverman.
Neil Patrick Harris, best known for his role on the TV series “How I Met Your Mother,” will also be featured in the program, as well as actresses Rachel Brosnahan, Jean Smart, Aubrey Plaza, and Rita Wilson.
The late talk show host’s daughter, Melissa Rivers, served as an executive producer on the special.
“I cannot wait for you to see this labor of love come to life as me and some of your favorite celebs celebrate the life of comedy legend, my mother, the one and only @joanrivers.”
Remembering Joan Rivers
In a statement, Jen Neal, an executive at NBCUniversal Entertainment, said Rivers “is deserving of her status as one of the funniest and most influential comedians of all time.”“She paved the way for so many women who came after her,” Neal continued. “And this special is a way to honor her for all of her incredible achievements both on the stage and off.”
The multi-hyphenate launched her career in stand-up comedy in the 1960s.
Rivers went on to make her first stand-up appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” the following year. However, the comedian, who previously contributed writing material to the show, said her debut was a complete mistake.
She went on to host her own “Late Show” spinoff as well as the eponymous daytime program “The Joan Rivers Show,” which aired from 1989 to 1993. Rivers was also known for hosting the E! television series “Fashion Police.”
Up until her death, Rivers dabbled in all aspects of show business. The Tony Award-nominated actress served as a screenwriter, film director, and radio host. She was also a bestselling author, having written a dozen books.
Her reading of her 2014 memoir “Diary Of A Mad Diva,” which was published two months before her death, earned her a posthumous Grammy Award in 2015 for “Best Spoken Word Album.”
Three years later, Rivers was posthumously inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
