From CR – Ben Stiller question: wasn’t he discovered by way of comic clubs?

Mr. Pop History – Ben Stiller auditioned and won a spot on MTV. From there, he was spotted by Fox, which aired his short-lived – “The Ben Stiller Show” in 1992. Not a big ratings-grabber, it took two years to develop and showed off Stiller’s inventiveness. From there – he went into movies.

Fox-TV was a great launching pad for talented comedians such as Stiller and Jim Carey.