When selecting television bits to feature in this column, I’m constantly trying to balance out all the funny programs I love with dramas and other options. To me, comedy is like pizza — whether it’s simple or sophisticated, cheesy or over-the-top, there’s something for everyone and it’s usually pretty good.   

When you base a musical on legendary cartoons, you better be sure that the original material is referenced and that it delivers the same level of humor. That means more in the way of faithfulness than originality, but who cares when it’s The Addams Family? The touring production of the recent Broadway show, currently onstage at the Aronoff Center, delivers on humor, entertainment and a faithful recreation of the oddball characters who revel in the dark side of life.  

If you Google search “John McClellan,” you’ll find the late Democratic senator from Arkansas and the 19th-century chemist. So what is comedian, Akron native and onetime Cincinnatian John McClellan — who brought his "Punk Rock" stand-up tour to Northside's tiny music club/bar The Comet Aug. 13 — doing to distance himself from his fellow McClellans?  

Todd Barry comes to town this week on the Spring Value Tour along with comedian Neil Hamburger, the bizarre alter ego of musician Greg Turkington. It’s a nice juxtaposition of styles, with Barry’s casual manner providing a stark counterpoint to Hamburger’s frenetic delivery.  

One of the first to embrace so-called "observational" humor in the '70s, David Brenner's quick wit spawned a legion of like-minded comics. A fixture on TV ever since, he holds the record for the most talk show appearances in the history of that medium. "If I go over to the cashier (at a restaurant) and say, 'I've been on television talk shows more than any other entertainer in the history of television,' she would say 'That'll be $32.14,'" he says with a laugh. "That's what it comes down to."  

"Misunderstanding" is a word that crops up a lot when discussing legendary comedy duo Cheech and Chong, whether it's the reason behind their original breakup, what their comedy is really about or the U.S. government's 2003 decision to send a SWAT team to arrest a then-65-year-old Tommy Chong for selling bongs over the Internet.  

President Bush leaves office in January with a reputation secure as one of America's worst and least popular presidents. Movies and TV shows had his number from the beginning. He's been seen as a kind of lovable but dimwitted buffoon in "That's My Bush."   

Bernie Mac's last film before his untimely death is a let-it-rip, irreverent comedy invested with the comedian's trademark brand of earthy humor. Floyd Henderson (Bernie Mac) and Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) haven't spoken since their days singing together as a duo ended 20 years ago after the departure of their R&B group's leader, but his passing presents an opportunity for Floyd and Louis to reunite for a memorial concert at the Apollo Theater.  

Josh Sneed, to borrow a line from a famous dead comedian, doesn't get any respect. Locally, anyway. The comedian from Saint Bernard has two Comedy Central specials under his belt.  

WEDNESDAY 8/20 ART: MELT The panini-style, vegan-friendly sandwich nook in Northside is dependable for offering sharp, surprising menu items as well as rewarding, low-profile exhibitions that expoun