Comedian Johnny Taylor went the way of many Sacramento artists before him. He worked hard, honing his craft on the local scene, creating buzz and drawing fans.

After opening for some rather famous headliners — Robin Williams, Dave Attel and Brian Posehn — and releasing a successful stand-up album, Taylor decided to head for Hollywood. And like every prodigal son, Taylor is returning to Sacramento this week for a series of performances.

He joins Beth Ruyak in studio to talk about his new television series "Sick Joke" with cohost Anousha Hutton and what it's like to be a topical comedian at a time of strife and chaos.