David Bianculli

Janice Ian Breaking Silence tells her story using several visual techniques, including animation and recreations. Not all of them work. But the best storyteller in this documentary is the artist herself. Whether she's singing or talking, Janice Ian is captivating. And in her 70s now, she's still quite precocious.

Bob Smigel was a writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien in its early days, and was and still is the man providing the voice and barbed humor of the sarcastic hand puppet known as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Bob Smigel was a writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien in its early days, and was and still is the man providing the voice and barbed humor of the sarcastic hand puppet known as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Bob Smigel was a writer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien in its early days, and was and still is the man providing the voice and barbed humor of the sarcastic hand puppet known as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Triumph opened the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Award presentation by subtly acknowledging the controversy caused by the recent restructuring of the Kennedy Center management, as Conan O'Brien, waiting in the wings to be introduced, laughed loudly.

Triumph opened the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Award presentation by subtly acknowledging the controversy caused by the recent restructuring of the Kennedy Center management, as Conan O'Brien, waiting in the wings to be introduced, laughed loudly.

Triumph opened the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Award presentation by subtly acknowledging the controversy caused by the recent restructuring of the Kennedy Center management, as Conan O'Brien, waiting in the wings to be introduced, laughed loudly.

That tension and concern about partisan political interference towards the arts was unavoidable. But because this was a gathering of comics celebrating the brave and outspoken legacy of Mark Twain, it was not unmentionable. Here's how John Mulaney, the first of many comics to pay tribute to Conan, alluded to it.

That tension and concern about partisan political interference towards the arts was unavoidable. But because this was a gathering of comics celebrating the brave and outspoken legacy of Mark Twain, it was not unmentionable. Here's how John Mulaney, the first of many comics to pay tribute to Conan, alluded to it.

That tension and concern about partisan political interference towards the arts was unavoidable. But because this was a gathering of comics celebrating the brave and outspoken legacy of Mark Twain, it was not unmentionable. Here's how John Mulaney, the first of many comics to pay tribute to Conan, alluded to it.

The Max Weinberg 7, led by Conan's old late-night and Tonight Show drummer, provided the music. Former sidekicks and opening acts, such as Andy Richter and Reggie Watts, were given time to pay their respects. So were three former recipients of the Mark Twain Prize, Will Ferrell, David Letterman, and Adam Sandler.

The Max Weinberg 7, led by Conan's old late-night and Tonight Show drummer, provided the music. Former sidekicks and opening acts, such as Andy Richter and Reggie Watts, were given time to pay their respects. So were three former recipients of the Mark Twain Prize, Will Ferrell, David Letterman, and Adam Sandler.

The Max Weinberg 7, led by Conan's old late-night and Tonight Show drummer, provided the music. Former sidekicks and opening acts, such as Andy Richter and Reggie Watts, were given time to pay their respects. So were three former recipients of the Mark Twain Prize, Will Ferrell, David Letterman, and Adam Sandler.

Other comics both toasting and roasting the evening's guest of honor included Sarah Silverman, Stephen Colbert, Will Forte, Nikki Glaser, Bill Burr, and Kamal Nanjani, whose appearance was staged like a version of a TED Talk, complete with projected graphics and lots of statistics. He pointed out how Conan was widely recognized for launching his career as a staff writer on The Simpsons.

Other comics both toasting and roasting the evening's guest of honor included Sarah Silverman, Stephen Colbert, Will Forte, Nikki Glaser, Bill Burr, and Kamal Nanjani, whose appearance was staged like a version of a TED Talk, complete with projected graphics and lots of statistics. He pointed out how Conan was widely recognized for launching his career as a staff writer on The Simpsons.

Other comics both toasting and roasting the evening's guest of honor included Sarah Silverman, Stephen Colbert, Will Forte, Nikki Glaser, Bill Burr, and Kamal Nanjani, whose appearance was staged like a version of a TED Talk, complete with projected graphics and lots of statistics. He pointed out how Conan was widely recognized for launching his career as a staff writer on The Simpsons.

Then, Nanjani took a deep dive into the numbers to hilarious effect. Even Conan, in the Guest of Honor box but mic'd up, could be heard laughing at the mathematically accurate comedy bit and its pie charts.

Then, Nanjani took a deep dive into the numbers to hilarious effect. Even Conan, in the Guest of Honor box but mic'd up, could be heard laughing at the mathematically accurate comedy bit and its pie charts.

Then, Nanjani took a deep dive into the numbers to hilarious effect. Even Conan, in the Guest of Honor box but mic'd up, could be heard laughing at the mathematically accurate comedy bit and its pie charts.

Just about everyone on stage scored big and provided an original approach. Stephen Colbert brought along Hot Ones host Sean Evans to replicate Conan's viral hot wing eating interview from that show. Sarah Silverman, well, you have to see what she did to believe it.