There are a variety of reasons to love Mel Brooks. To his fans, History of the World Part I is one of them. Though not a box office smash, it still had enough of an impact that 42 years later it now warrants a sequel.

Hulu’s History of the World Part II will begin airing on March 3, but its format will be streaming sketch comedy. It’s a good move. But why?

The Mind of Mel Brooks

     Hulu

When people think of iconic comedy, they think of Mel Brooks. The writer/director/producer has placed himself firmly in the annals of comedy history with films like The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein.

Known for his all-over-the-place style of working, he hustled his way into entertainment, finagled his way into movies, and even found time to win the love of Anne Bancroft, the iconic Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate.

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Brooks is also unabashedly Jewish. Known for his constant self-deprecating humor, he has thrilled and angered many of his own tribe with songs like Springtime for Hitler (The Producers), I Only Want Peace (To Be or Not to Be), and The Inquisition Song (History of the World Part I). He’s the elder statesman of Broadway comedy and the darling of Boomers who grew up with his work. Even the Aerosmith hit Walk This Way was based on a line from one of his movies.

His controversial work doesn’t stop with Jewish people. Over the years he’s caught a lot of flack from the black community for Blazing Saddles (1974). The movie uses a racial slur thirty-eight times and is seen as either a groundbreaking use of the word to prove a point about cultural racism or a racist screed that uses the word for shock value at the expense of Black people. Brooks is not without his detractors. However, his universally loved films have allowed his comedy to continue steadily in a variety of forms for over seventy years.

History of the World Part I

     Brooksfilms

The original film was released in 1981 and remains one of Brooks’ biggest flops. Panned by critics, it is still a much-quoted masterpiece for diehard fans.

As the name suggests, the film is a tour through history. It begins in the Stone Age and ends with the French Revolution. It also features many of Brooks’ core players such as Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Madeline Kahn. Much like his other movies, Brooks cast himself in a few key roles. In this particular film, he goes above and beyond, playing five characters.

Why the Sequel Wasn’t Planned

History of the World Part II was completely unplanned. Though it was teased at the end of the first movie, the teaser was meant to be a joke. It features brief glimpses of Hitler on ice (with the dictator ice skating) and Jews in Space (a parody of Star Wars) but was never meant to go anywhere. Add to this the low box office numbers and poor reception and the idea of a sequel was ultimately dashed before it could be considered.

However, Brooks has a keen understanding of his brand. He has realized that he can take his existing properties and present them to a new generation in a slightly different format. This was true of both The Producers (1968) and Young Frankenstein (1974) when he restaged them on Broadway as musicals. He then restaged The Producers the musical as a film. Brooks has also worked with lifelong friend Carl Reiner on multiple occasions to continue their 2000 Year Old Man series with recordings and a subsequent book. For Mel Brooks, there is nothing like creativity, but there is also success in mining an already fruitful career.

Why a Series Fits the Brooks Mold

This project is the culmination of all the lessons brooks has learned over the course of his career. It is also the project of someone old enough to have nothing to lose. Brooks has decided to rework a fan favorite, put it in a new medium, and grab current talent to bring his voice to the people. The cast is set to include Nick Kroll, Zazie Beetz, Taika Waititi, Ike Berenholtz, and a who’s who of current comedy.

But why streaming? Why bother creating a sequel to something that was never meant to have one in the first place? The answer is easy. Mel Brooks hates stagnation. He hates the idea of not being in the dialogue or being talked about in the past tense. He’s a man who basks in relevance, regardless of medium. He’s no stranger to television, having written and produced the much-loved Get Smart series. However, it’s never been his. This may very well be his last big project, and you can be sure he’ll put his all into it.

It should be said that Brooks seldom works alone. His writing partners have been numerous, including comedy royalty like Reiner, Richard Pryor, and Gene Wilder. This time he’s teaming up with Nick Kroll (Big Mouth) and Wanda Sykes (Velma).

The fact is that the original movie was essentially a series of sketches loosely strung together because they needed a plot. But if there doesn’t need to be a through-line, Brooks and company can have freedom the original couldn’t achieve.

History is always a comedy goldmine and Brooks has never been above some light mining. With a fresh cast and no holds barred approach, he may be creating his masterpiece. Perhaps streaming was the natural progression of a career spent in all other mediums. He’s one of the kings of all media (with apologies to Howard Stern) and the hope is that he embraces this new medium and doesn’t play it safe. If he does anything less than kick history in the teeth and remind us how false our historical idols are, he will have failed, and we’ll all be the worst for it. Brooks needs to be remembered on top and each subsequent project is him pushing more money into the pot, sure that he’ll come out a winner. In this case, we’re all hoping he gets exactly what he wants because then we will as well.