Comedy Central cancelled Drunk History in August 2020 after six seasons, then revived it six years later. Three new short episodes arrive on the network’s YouTube channel from Tuesday 15 September 2026, narrated by Lisa Gilroy, Patton Oswalt and Marisha Ray. The series had last aired on 6 August 2019.
Why Comedy Central Cancelled Drunk History in 2020
Comedy Central dropped the show as it shifted away from live-action programming towards adult animation. The cancellation was confirmed in August 2020, ending a run of six seasons, 70 episodes and two specials.
The pandemic finished what the strategy shift had started. Work on a seventh season stopped in March 2020 when Covid-19 shutdowns halted television production, and the network never restarted it.
Derek Waters, who created the series with Jeremy Konner, said he was never given a reason. He told Variety at the time that “no one’s called me” about the decision, and described the ending as “like a funeral without any music”.
What Happened to the Season 7 That Was Already Renewed?
Half of it was recorded and none of it has ever been seen. Comedy Central renewed Drunk History for a 16-episode seventh season in August 2019, and the narration halves of all 16 episodes were captured before production stopped.
Each episode is built in two passes: a drinking narrator records the story first, then guest actors film the re-enactment to that audio. The narrations existed; the re-enactments were never shot.
Waters told Variety that the shelved stories included Bruce Lee and the Harlem Hellfighters, the Black American regiment that fought in the First World War. As of 11 September 2026, none of that material has been released and Comedy Central has made no announcement about it.
What Are the Three New Episodes About?
They are standalone short-form episodes, not a continuing story, and they keep the original format exactly. Each has a drunk narrator and a lip-synced re-enactment.
- Madonna at the first MTV VMAs: Lisa Gilroy narrates the 1984 performance of “Like a Virgin”, with Meghan Trainor playing Madonna.
- Frances Perkins: Patton Oswalt narrates the story of the first woman to serve in a United States presidential cabinet and an architect of the New Deal.
- The world’s largest ball of twine: Marisha Ray narrates the rivalry between two men who spent their lives competing to build it.
The re-enactment cast includes Steve Agee, Tim Baltz, Seth Green, Colin Hanks, Jack McBrayer, Chris Parnell, Johnny Pemberton, Daryl Sabara, Mae Whitman and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Waters said in the announcement that Drunk History “has and will always be about informing the audience of history we may not have heard of but should have”.
Is the Revival a Full Season 7?
No. Comedy Central has ordered three short episodes for YouTube, and has said nothing about a seventh season, a broadcast slot or further instalments.
That makes this closer to the show’s origins than to its television run. Drunk History began as a Funny or Die web series, and the 2026 episodes return it to short online video rather than the 22-minute cable format it used from 2013 to 2019. Other cancelled formats have come back at full length — Deal or No Deal returned as a complete series — but nothing of that scale has been announced here.
Drunk History Timeline: 2007 to 2026
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 6 August 2007 | First Drunk History video posted on Funny or Die by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner |
| 9 July 2013 | Comedy Central series premieres |
| 6 August 2019 | Season 6 finale airs, the last Comedy Central episode |
| August 2019 | Renewed for a 16-episode seventh season |
| March 2020 | Production halted by Covid-19 with narrations recorded and re-enactments unfilmed |
| August 2020 | Comedy Central reverses the renewal and cancels the show |
| 15 September 2026 | Three new short episodes begin on Comedy Central’s YouTube channel |
Where to Watch the Original Six Seasons
In the United States, all six seasons stream on Paramount+ as of September 2026, and individual episodes can be bought from digital stores. Rights vary by country, so the streaming home elsewhere may differ.
The show’s reach outlived its cancellation in another way: local versions have been produced for the United Kingdom and Australia, among other countries, each with its own narrators and national history. Comedy Central has form for bringing back what it stopped — Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show nine years after leaving it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Created Drunk History?
Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner. It started as a Funny or Die web series in 2007, six years before Comedy Central picked it up.
How Many Episodes of Drunk History Are There?
Seventy episodes and two specials across six seasons, broadcast between 9 July 2013 and 6 August 2019, plus the three short episodes released from 15 September 2026.
Did Drunk History Ever Win an Emmy?
Once. The show collected 17 Primetime Emmy nominations and won a single award, for outstanding costumes for a variety programme in 2015.
Are the New Drunk History Episodes Free?
They are going out on Comedy Central’s YouTube channel rather than behind a subscription, so no cable package or streaming plan is needed to watch them.
Is There a British Version of Drunk History?
Yes. A UK adaptation has been made since 2015, and an Australian version followed, both using the same narrate-then-re-enact format with local historical stories.
