The story
Each episode, a storyteller who has had far too much to drink tries to recount a real event from history to host Derek Waters, losing threads and mangling details along the way. Their wobbly narration is then re-enacted by actors, often famous faces, who lip-sync every slurred word, tangent and hiccup exactly as it was told, turning textbook history into gloriously ramshackle comedy.
Why it matters
Drunk History began as a single Funny or Die video in 2007 and grew into a six-season Comedy Central series with spin-off versions around the world, including a British edition. Its 2026 revival as short-form episodes for Comedy Central's YouTube channel brings the format full circle, back online where it started.
From web series to TV
Derek Waters's first Drunk History video premiered on Funny or Die on 6 August 2007, with Michael Cera among the cast. The shorts continued online and briefly aired on HBO before Comedy Central launched the TV series on 9 July 2013.
Notable facts
- The idea came from a drunken conversation in which actor Jake Johnson recounted the story of Otis Redding to Derek Waters. (source)
- Before reaching Comedy Central, the shorts ran online on Funny or Die and briefly aired on HBO. (source)
- A British version has aired on Comedy Central's UK channel since January 2015. (source)
- Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are executive producers. (source)