Trace the unlikely rise of the comedian whose self‑deprecating humor and signature lament—“I don’t get no respect”—made him one of the most beloved figures in American comedy. The episode follows Dangerfield from his difficult early years and stalled first attempts at show business to his remarkable comeback in mid‑life, when his sharp timing and everyman persona finally caught fire. Biography explores his legendary appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show, his creation of the famed Dangerfield’s comedy club, and his transition into film with scene‑stealing roles in Caddyshack, Easy Money, and Back to School. Interviews and archival footage reveal a performer who turned personal hardship into universal laughter, crafting a comic identity that resonated across generations. The program paints a warm, funny, and poignant portrait of a man who earned respect by joking about never getting any.

Rodney Dangerfield

Season 26

Season 24

Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987. The older version featured historical figures such as Helen Keller and Mark Twain, or long-dead entertainment figures such as Will Rogers or John Barrymore. The A&E series has placed the emphasis on such people as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Plácido Domingo, Freddie Mercury, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Eric Clapton, Pope John Paul II, Gene Tierney, Selena, Diego Rivera, Mao Zedong and Queen Elizabeth II, and fictional characters like The Phantom, Superman, Hamlet, Betty Boop, and Santa Claus. The program ended up profiling enough figures that in 1999, A&E spun it off into an entire network, The Biography Channel.

Rodney Dangerfield

Seasons27

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