Jeff Dunham
Jeffrey Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist and comedian who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including "Late Show with David Letterman", "Comedy Central Presents", "The Tonight Show" and "Sonny With a Chance". He has six specials that run on Comedy Central: "", "", "Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special", "", "", and "". Dunham also starred in "The Jeff Dunham Show", a series on the network in 2009.
Jeff Dunham
On July 18, 2003, Dunham appeared on "Comedy Central Presents", his first solo appearance on Comedy Central. During his half hour piece, he showcased José Jalapeño on a Stick, Walter, an early version of Melvin the Superhero Guy and Peanut, whom Dunham had begun to merchandise into a line of dolls. The appearance was successful, but Comedy Central resisted giving Dunham more airtime, feeling that he was not a good fit for them. By 2005 Dunham decided to gamble on financing his own comedy DVD, "", which was taped in Santa Ana, California. Dunham's manager, Judi Brown-Marmel, lobbied the network to air it, pointing to Dunham's drawing power and merchandising profits, and arguing that the network needed more diverse content. Surprised by the high ratings of the first Blue Collar Comics concert movie that same year, the network began to reconsider its brand. In late 2006, Comedy Central aired "Arguing with Myself", drawing two million viewers when it aired, and selling two million DVDs.