NBC Pays Tribute to Comedian Joan Rivers in a TV Special

NBC honored the life and legacy of the late comic with "Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute," an hour-long television special that aired on May 13.

As Amaris Encinas wrote in USA Today,

Her daughter, Melissa Rivers, an executive producer on the special that aired on May 13, believes her mother would be pleased with how it turned out. “This tribute is everything my mother would have wanted — hilarious, unfiltered, and filled with people she respected (and roasted)," she said. "And as usual, she was still the funniest person in the room. It’s incredibly moving to see so many iconic comedians come together to celebrate her legacy, especially the women whose careers she helped make possible by breaking down so many doors."

“I know she’d be thrilled to see how far things have come, and she’d still have notes," her daughter added. "This is more than a tribute. It’s a reminder of the trail she blazed and the joy she brought to so many.”

"Given that I’m dead, I assume someone will finally decide to honor me," Rivers said in a letter she left for her daughter, Melissa Rivers. "Well, it’s about time."

The comedy special, which featured cameos from famous comics, was filmed at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on the opening night of the 2024 New York Comedy Festival, NBC said in a news release.

Here's a video clip of comedian Chelsea Handler in one of the tributes from the show. Enjoy!