Def Comedy Jam - Wikipedia Def Comedy Jam Def Comedy Jam Genre Stand - up comedy Created by Russell Simmons Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 5 Production Camera setup Single camera Running time 30 minutes Release Original network HBO Picture format 480i ( 4 : 3 SDTV ) Audio format Stereo Original release July 1, 1992 ( 1992 - 07 - 01 ) -- January 1, 1997 ( 1997 - 01 - 01 ) Chronology Followed by All Def Comedy Def Comedy Jam is an HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons. The series had its original run from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. Simmons was inspired to make Def Comedy Jam by Jerry Lewis ' movie The Nutty Professor. The show returned on HBO 's fall lineup in 2006. Def Comedy Jam helped to launch the careers of several African - American stand - up comedians. Contents 1 Criticism 2 Spin - offs 3 Home media releases 4 References 5 External links Criticism The show was criticized for excessive foul language and negative representations of African Americans. These criticisms were brought up and discussed by some of the comedians who got their start on the show in a Netflix Original special celebrating the 25th anniversary of the show called Def Comedy Jam 25. Spin - offs The show produced a spinoff called Loco Slam. Home media releases The show is currently available in DVD boxsets in the USA and the UK. References Jump up ^ Williams, Frank B. ( 1997 - 03 - 13 ). `` STAGE ; Totally ' Def ' ; Spinoff of HBO 's hit comedy showcase comes to CSUN ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Has Black Comedy Been Beaten Blue ? : ' Def Comedy Jam ' is a hit -- but with some African American comics turning to cable shows that limit the raunchiness, clean and subtle could be the wave of the future ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ O'Connor, John J. ( 1993 - 07 - 08 ). `` Review / Television ; Onstage at the Outer Limits of the Outrageous ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ Braxton, Greg ( 1992 - 08 - 06 ). `` LAUGHZ N THE HOOD : Television : A showcase for unknown black comics, ' Russell Simmons ' Def Comedy Jam ' begins its second season Friday on HBO ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ Braxton, Greg ( 1994 - 02 - 20 ). `` To Critics of ' South Central ' : What a Joke : Television : The Fox series has been accused of perpetuating stereotypes about blacks and violence. But where are the protests over HBO 's ' Def Comedy Jam ' ? That 's no laughing matter ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 03. Jump up ^ O'Connor, John J. ( 1994 - 07 - 31 ). `` TELEVISION VIEW ; The Curse of Incessant Cursing ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 05. Jump up ^ Braxton, Greg ( 1994 - 02 - 20 ). `` Loco Hopes to Hit Grand Slam for Latinos ''. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Def Comedy Jam Classics, Vols. 1 and 2 ''. DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 03. External links HBO - Def Comedy Jam Def Comedy Jam 25 on Netflix Def Comedy Jam on IMDb Def Comedy Jam at TV.com HBO programming Former Series 1970s debuts Inside the NFL On Location Race for the Pennant Standing Room Only ( `` Vanities '' ) Tennis on HBO Time Was 1980s debuts 1st & Ten America Undercover ( `` Autopsy '', `` Real Sex '' and `` Taxicab Confessions '' ) Babar Braingames Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Brown Fraggle Rock The Ghost of Faffner Hall The Hitchhiker The Kids in the Hall Maximum Security Not Necessarily the News One Night Stand Philip Marlowe, Private Eye The Ray Bradbury Theater The Storyteller Tales from the Crypt Video Jukebox 1990s debuts The Adventures of Tintin Arliss The Chris Rock Show The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures Crashbox Def Comedy Jam Dennis Miller Live Dream On George and Martha Happily Ever After : Fairy Tales for Every Child HBO Comedy Half - Hour Hotel Room The Larry Sanders Show Lifestories : Families in Crisis A Little Curious The Little Lulu Show Mokku of the Oak Tree Mr. Show with Bob and David The Neverending Story Oz Perversions of Science Pippi Longstocking Rainbow Fish Reverb Sex and the City The Sopranos Spicy City Tenacious D Todd McFarlane 's Spawn Tracey Takes On... 2000s debuts Animated Tales of the World Big Love Bored to Death Carnivàle Cathouse : The Series Classical Baby Costas Now Da Ali G Show Deadwood Def Poetry Jam Eastbound & Down The Electric Company Entourage Extras Flight of the Conchords G String Divas Harold and the Purple Crayon Hung I Spy In Treatment Joe Buck Live John from Cincinnati K Street Kindergarten KO Nation The Life & Times of Tim Little Britain USA Lucky Louie The Mind of the Married Man The No. 1 Ladies ' Detective Agency On the Record with Bob Costas Pinky Dinky Doo Pornucopia Project Greenlight Rome Six Feet Under Stuart Little : The Animated Series Summer Heights High Tales from the Neverending Story Tell Me You Love Me True Blood Tourgasm Unscripted The Wire 2010s debuts After the Thrones Angry Boys Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons Boardwalk Empire The Brink Doll & Em Enlightened Family Tree Funny or Die Presents Getting On Girls Hello Ladies How to Make It in America Ja'mie : Private School Girl Jonah from Tonga The Leftovers Life 's Too Short Looking Luck Masterclass The Newsroom The Ricky Gervais Show Togetherness Treme Vinyl Miniseries All the Rivers Run Angels in America Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl Band of Brothers Big Little Lies The Casual Vacancy The Corner Elizabeth I Empire Falls From the Earth to the Moon Foo Fighters : Sonic Highways Generation Kill House of Saddam The Jinx : The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst John Adams Laurel Avenue Mildred Pierce The Night Of Olive Kitteridge The Pacific Parade 's End Show Me a Hero Tanner ' 88 Current and upcoming Current All Def Comedy ( since 2016 ) Animals. 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You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Def_Comedy_Jam&oldid=808823189 '' Categories : HBO network shows 1992 American television series debuts 1997 American television series endings 1990s American comedy television series 2000s American comedy television series 2006 American television series debuts 2008 American television series endings Television series revived after cancellation English - language television programs American stand - up comedy television series Def Jam Recordings Comedy television series stubs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Nederlands Edit links This page was last edited on 5 November 2017, at 11 : 54. About Wikipedia

Question: how long was def comedy jam on the air
Answer: July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997