The series premiered on Comedy Central on July 9, 2013.[2] On August 26, 2019, the series was renewed for a seventh season.[3] On August 19, 2020, that decision was reversed when Comedy Central cancelled the series, with the sixth season serving as its last. Early production had already begun before production halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] A number of international versions have also been produced.
Production
The idea for the series originated from a drunken conversation that Derek Waters had with his friend and actor Jake Johnson in which Johnson recounted the story of R&B singer Otis Redding, who died in a plane crash. Waters thought it would be funny to film and recreate a story of an intoxicated person stumbling through a historical story, and have actors reenact the story. Waters told his friend, actor Michael Cera, about the idea, and Cera encouraged him to make it and volunteered to appear in the video. The first video premiered on the website Funny or Die on August 6, 2007. It starred Johnson, Waters, Cera, and actress Ashley Johnson.[5] The series continued to air online on Funny or Die and briefly aired on HBO.[5] It premiered on Comedy Central on July 9, 2013.[2]
The storytellers in the series read up on the stories while sober, then rehearse it in front of a producer before getting drunk.[6] Waters says he drinks with the storytellers in order to "let them know we're doing this together" and so as not to make it feel exploitative.[6]
Accuracy
According to Derek Waters, all the dates and story elements are true, though the historical figures' dialogue is obviously not accurate. He told NPR that he "make[s] sure to go back and say: Make sure you say this date or this person's name. I don't want to mess up anyone's names. But obviously the dialogue is the stuff that is not accurate."[6] Independent newspapers have verified that the information in the series is historically accurate.[7][8]
An Australian version entitled Drunk History Australia was commissioned for Network Ten’s Pilot Week in 2018, in which a 30-minute pilot episode aired along with several other new show pilots.[12][13] The episode featured stories about Ned Kelly and Phar Lap and was presented by Stephen Curry & Rhys Darby.[13][14] A season was commissioned in October 2019[15] by Network Ten and was released prematurely on 27 March 2020 on their streaming service, 10 Play,[16] prior to its official premiere on 14 September 2020.[17][18]
Reception
The first season of Drunk History received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 61% and an average score of 6.4/10, based on 18 ratings. The site's critics consensus reads: "Drunk History's boozy lectures wear out their welcome fast and the bevy of comedic talent is wasted on cheesy pantomimes, but audiences who enjoy a fresh spin on historical retellings may want to take a swig."[19] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[20]
