Mel Brooks revisits the 'History of the World' ... his way

It's been four decades since Mel Brooks first showed the world his take on history.

That 1981 movie ended with the promise of a "History of the World, Part II," complete with a trailer of what the typically humorous filmmaker had in mind for a sequel. The follow-up has taken much longer to become a reality than was expected, but "Part II" finally arrives in the form of a limited Hulu series that begins streaming Monday, March 6, and continues through Thursday, March 9, with two new episodes each day.

The service has expressed a desire to keep many specifics of the project under wraps until it becomes available to viewers, but certain things can be detailed in advance. For instance, Galileo, Sigmund Freud and Amelia Earhart are among figures from history who get satirical treatment in the show; and as with the original movie, Brooks himself (who frequently has enjoyed appearing in his projects) factors into the large and diverse cast.

Among those who appear in the series are Wanda Sykes, Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz, Quinta Brunson, Danny DeVito, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Pamela Adlon, Josh Gad, David Duchovny, Richard Kind, Hannah Einbinder, D'Arcy Carden, Rob Corddry, Jillian Bell, Dove Cameron, J.B. Smoove, Taika Waititi, Jack McBrayer, Johnny Knoxville, Kumail Nanjiani, Andrew Rannells and Emily Ratajkowski.

"History of the World, Part I" came at a time when Brooks was riding high as one of the top sources of movie comedy, as unbridled and far-flung as his sense of humor could be. Take the multiple roles he played in "Blazing Saddles" (1974), the would-be silent-movie maker he portrayed in - what else? - "Silent Movie" (1976), or the psychiatrist who found himself in decidedly Hitchcock-like danger in "High Anxiety" (1977).

For "History of the World, Part I," Brooks again gave himself several acting parts, including Moses and King Louis XVI. He divided the film into five distinct portions: The Stone Age, The Old Testament, The Roman Empire, The Spanish Inquisition and The French Revolution. And then, there were the aforementioned coming attractions for the "Part II" that was intended even back then. We're not necessarily saying those ideas have been kept alive to be parts of the new sequel ... but, then again, we're not saying they haven't been.

Whether there will be a"History of the World, Part III" remains to be seen. However, given how long Brooks has been able to keep the concept going, don't be surprised if that comes to fruition if it's merited by the response to "Part II." This much is certain: There's still enough history to be mined for it.