Drunk History Returns; Derek Waters Tells Us What to Expect In Season Three Including His Drunkest Episode Yet

Tonight on Comedy Central, everyone’s favorite history show, Drunk History returns to Comedy Central for an all new third season of stories from our nations archives told through the lense of a bottle of whisky…or vodka…or wine.

The new season brings thirteen brand new episodes and thirty-nine all new historical stories to share along with the help of highly inebriated narrators who also happen to be great storytellers. In the season premiere, Mark Proksch, Tess Lynch and Jenny Slate drunkenly narrate the history of the state of New Jersey with some kickass re-enactors including Stephen Merchant playing the role he was born to play, President Abraham Lincoln. Christopher Meloni, Tony Hale, Greg Kinnear are just a few of the actors  on board for this week’s stories– The Bone Wars, The Balloon Corps and The Big Bang.

We talked with series creator Derek Waters about what we can expect in season three. One of the changes coming to Drunk History, is more themed episodes. “Every season we’ve done like one or two themed episodes,” Derek said, “but this seasons we have eight cities and five themed episodes.” Another change, Waters says, is a nod to community theater. “In Jersey we have actors playing clouds, the sun, the universe…and in an episode coming up I’ll be playing a wolf, not to brag. I love the community theater feeling and I always wanted the show to feel more and more like you’re watching community theater. Is there anything more passionate than community theater? Just trying as hard as you can to do the best performance with what you’ve been given, and I feel like that’s what I like to do with our show. It’s like, yeah this isn’t a history show but let’s try as hard as we can with this narration that we have and make it the best we can.”

The narrators are critical to each episode, after all, they tell the story. Waters said he chooses comedy writers and comedians to narrate because they are good storytellers. Being funny is important, but he said it’s just as important for each story to have a beginning, middle and end. “So I look for someone that is a good storyteller and passionate about the subject that they’re going to talk about. That’s what I find funniest, is frustrated passion, where you want them to tell a story so bad and you see them having a hard time articulating.”

One of the series best narrators, Jen Kirkman, returns in Season Three. “I call her the queen of Drunk History and she is,” Waters told us. “It’s hard to really articulate what it is about her except that she always cares about what she’s talking about and no matter what, she’s going to tell you the story and that’s kind of the ultimate goal for everyone; to tell the story and put their take on it to. And I think Jen does that the best.”

Season three also contains a high water mark for Derek with narrator Dan Harmon. “This year we have Dan Harmon who is a really a great storyteller and a great drinker. He’s in the Miami episode.” Waters said. “I drink with [the narrators] to encourage them that this is camaraderie; we’re doing this together. He was a great one to drink with. That’s definitely the drunkest I’ve ever been.”

Waters said he doesn’t have a favorite historical period necessarily, but he does have a favorite type of story in history.  “My favorite stories are ones of people who went against all odds to achieve something no matter what it took to achieve, and that we didn’t learn in school. So those moments of history that are sort of the untold stories in school. Or taking stories in school that we were taught– and oh, you guys didn’t let me know that George Washington had slaves. Why’d you leave that part out?”

The new season brings an incredible cast of new and returning narrators and reenactors including Cameron Esposito, Fortune Feimster, Dan Harmon, Kyle Kinane, Jen Kirkman, Paul F. Tompkins, Duncan Trussell, David Wain, and Brendon Walsh as some of your drinkers and narrators and Jason Alexander, Matt Besser, Jack Black, Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Will Ferrell, Nathan Fillion, Ron Funches, Rob Huebel, Ellie Kemper, Johnny Knoxville, David Koechner, Natasha Leggero, Thomas Lennon, Samm Levine, Joe Lo Truglio, Jason Mantzoukas, Jack McBrayer, Patton Oswalt, Chelsea Peretti, Parker Posey, Dennis Quaid, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Horatio Sanz, Paul Scheer, Martin Starr, George Wallace, Jaleel White, Henry Winkler, and Zach Woods are just some of the performers who will be on the re-enaction side.

Season three of Drunk History returns tonight, September 1st, 2015, at 10:30pm on Comedy Central.

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