Credit: Far Out / 20th Century Fox
Mon 22 June 2026 19:15, UK
No self-respecting comedian would ever let a perfectly good joke go to waste, so Mel Brooks opted to bide his time instead, sitting on a gag for over four decades before it was finally unleashed.
He must have had it written down somewhere, because with the sheer volume of material the legendary funnyman burned through in the years between, it would have needed to be one of the greatest and funniest skits of all time for it to remain seared into his brain for so long, and, with respect, it wasn’t.
Of course, it’s nothing new for an actor, writer, producer, and filmmaker who specialises in splitting audiences at the sides coming up with too many quips, barbs, and one-liners for a single production, and having been around for longer than most, it was only natural that Brooks had plenty to omit from his work.
Still, he kept it for a rainy day, and even though he was only ceremonially involved as a writer, executive producer, and narrator, the creative team entrusted to bring History of the World, Part II, the sequel to his 1981 caper, to the small screen, were instructed that the joke he wanted to use in the original had to be dusted off and repurposed for the long-awaited follow-up.
“Mel, obviously, he’s fundamental to this entire undertaking,” Alice Mathias, who directed or co-directed all eight episodes, admitted. “That was wildly exciting, but also really intimidating, and he made himself available to guide me and guide us along the way.” He had his suggestions, too, which included an old favourite he’d been dying to tell.
When he was told there’d be an episode with a Civil War segment, “He had a joke in his back pocket that he’d been holding onto for 40 years,” writer and executive producer David Stassen revealed. Was it some kind of intricate, grandstanding exercise in witty writing and razor-sharp satire that demanded to be told after lingering on Brooks’ mind for so long? Nope, it was a dick joke.
“It was where they signed the Appomattox surrender,” Stassen elaborated. “Jack McBrayer bends over and turns, and his sword hits his three lieutenants in the groin. That was one of the first things Mel told us about the show, and about Part II. Mel’s so sharp and good; he’s holding onto a joke, and we’re going to get to do it.”
Further reading: Cutting Room Floor
In a way, it makes perfect sense that the gag Brooks had kept squirrelled away since the early 1980s, which was finally broadcast to the world in March 2023, was a simple sight gag about some fellas being hit below the belt. Sometimes, it’s the simple things, and for the EGOT-winning veteran, there isn’t much funnier than somebody being smacked in the bollocks.
Hardly the most elaborate or complex skit in the world, but it’s classic Mel Brooks either way. He may not have been as heavily involved in History of the World, Part II as he was the first time around, but the creative team could still turn to him for advice, inspiration, and, in this case, a 40-year-old dick joke.
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