During the 1970s, Bob Zany appeared as a contestant on The Gong Show. Between that time and a 1986 appearance on the TV special George Schlatter's Comedy Club, Zany had gained a significant amount of weight, which he was able to lose by the time he appeared as a contestant on To Tell the Truth in 1990.

He now appears weekly on The Bob and Tom Show, and has his own segment called The Zany Report.

In recent years, he has also guest-hosted portions of Jerry Lewis' Labor Day Telethon.

On September 16, 2006, he appeared on the Comedy Central special, The Friends of the Bob and Tom.