Ted Danson on Comedy with a Conscience from Who's with Me? with W. Kamau Bell
From Double Date with Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue by Pushkin Industries
June 3, 2026 · 1h 33m · Season 1
About this episode
Ted Danson discusses his career, activism, and a controversial incident from his past with W. Kamau Bell.
Kamau Bell and Ted Danson discuss Ted’s long, storied career, starting with his breakout role as Sam Malone in the legendary sitcom Cheers. They discuss activism, Jane Fonda, Ted’s podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name, and dive deep on the 1993 Friars Club Roast of Whoopi Goldberg. Kamau opens by praising Cheers, a show that was a huge comedic influence on him. They talk about how Ted’s innate goodness counterbalanced Sam’s sleazy ways, making the character palatable to mass audiences. They talk about Ted’s remarkably long career, which he attributes to good writers, and his recent work with showrunner Mike Schur. Ted and Kamau talk about activism and questioning if you’re doing enough to make a change in the world. Ted has been an advocate for saving our oceans for over 35 years and an outspoken advocate of progressive politics, but he still compares himself to his activist peers like Jane Fonda and wonders if he is doing enough. Kamau gives Ted his flowers for demonstrating how a White person can apologize, and the conversation takes a serious turn as they discuss his infamous Friars Club Roast of Whoopi Goldberg, in…
People in this episode
Host: W. Kamau Bell
Guest: Ted Danson
Topics covered
- comedy
- activism
- television history
- personal growth
- apology
- cultural influence
Keywords
- Ted Danson
- W. Kamau Bell
- activism
- Cheers
- blackface
- apology
- comedy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cheers, Mike Schur, Where Everybody Knows Your Name
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