Seinfeld, Rickles, others help David Steinberg delve 'Inside Comedy'

If the mission is to get inside comedy, call David Steinberg.

Not only as a performer himself, but also as a director of such series as "Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Mad About You," the humorist shares a sensibility with many famous peers. Premiering Thursday, Jan. 26, the Showtime interview series "Inside Comedy" finds him chatting with Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, Martin Short, Don Rickles and many others about what makes funny people funny.

"What we set out to do," Steinberg explains, "was to frame these people in a respectful way. This is not the dark comedian's talk about how bad life is, and that's what I like about it more than anything else. In almost all these shows, the goodbyes somehow show the connection between us, and I find it moving to watch them myself."

Being friends with many of his subjects sometimes added intrigue for Steinberg.

"Seinfeld asked me more questions than I asked him! He really started the interview, by saying, 'What's it going to take to get you back onstage again?' I had to wiggle out of that to get him back to talking about himself."

Seinfeld also talked a lot about insult-humor king Rickles, so they form one "Inside Comedy" episode.

"I know Rickles well," Steinberg says. "We spent time together through the Carson years (as frequent guests on 'The Tonight Show'), and it's the same with Jerry. I've directed him, and I know these people ... so to get just the right level of information and personal affection, that was the balancing act."

Balance also applies to the range of comedy stars featured in the series, with Chris Rock, Mel Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Carell (who, with Steinberg, is an executive producer of "Inside Comedy") also showcased.

And who was Steinberg's most challenging interviewee?

"Jonathan Winters was so interesting. His brilliance is that he cannot repeat anything. If he tells you a story and you ask him about it later, he cannot tell the story the same way. Something in him just leads him to keep on pushing the envelope, improvising."