Ernie Kovacs (born January 23, 1919, Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.—died January 13, 1962, Los Angeles, California) was an American television comedian. Kovacs created the television comedy variety show The Ernie Kovacs Show (1952–53, 1956) and became noted for his zany slapstick sketches, which often featured his wife, Edie Adams, as a comic foil. He received three Emmy Award nominations for his work on the show and in 1962 was given a posthumous Emmy for outstanding achievement in electronic camera work. He also hosted the quiz show Take a Good Look (1959–61) and acted in such films as Operation Mad Ball (1957) and Our Man in Havana (1960). He died in an auto accident.
Kovacs has been cited as an influence on subsequent television programs, such as Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Saturday Night Live, and variety show hosts, including David Letterman.