2002 — Drew Carey

The sitcom star is a high-Q-rating selection, and his edgy-but-not-over-the-edge material works with this crowd. Talking about holiday icons like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, for example: "Why is the Christian religion the only one in the world that needs a mascot to sell their stuff? You don't see Jewish people out celebrating with the Passover kangaroo." The evening's highlight: Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, at the height of their MTV fame, are in the crowd.

— Richard Zoglin