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The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 114: Avry Ross & Getting an Open Mic with Audience in LA at Midnight
June 1, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
avry ross, los angeles comedy, midnight madness, open mic comedy, third wheel

One of the key things in running an actually great open mic is consistency. Well, having a proper stage in a proper venue, great sound system, actual staff, drinks and snacks, not charging to go up, and audience helps too.

Avry Ross and the rest of the good folks at Third Wheel Hollywood/Podcast Studio have actually done all of that and do it on a nightly basis at midnight with what has been coined Midnight Madness. This week’s TCB Field Report has Avry giving us the origins and rise of what is the last (and often the best) stop for open mic’ers largely because there are real audience members sitting in with the dozens of comics waiting to go up (a phenomenon we had, years ago, just accepted doesn’t happen at open mics).

Also, “hot” takes on Norm MacDonald’s new special, horror comedy, and Amazon’s gay rom com.

Follow Third Wheel @thirdwheelhollywood and @thirdwheelpodcaststudio and Avry @avryross.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT
Photo credit: Van Corona

Pick of the Day: Pitch A Movie: The Show Where Comedians Make Up Movies on the Fly! (in NYC) 6/11
June 1, 2022
News
brittany carney, brooklyn, clare o'kane, cobra club, dave ross, midnight gardeneners league, mike hanford, nyc comedy, pitch a movie

Top Gun: Maverick just broke box office records (and probably will continue to do so) further encouraging studios to not take on anything original or hear fresh pitches. In fact, if you’re wondering how or when you’d see any new releases that are truly original or out of the box at your local movie theater, there’s not a real great answer for that.

With that in mind, DC’s only comedy secret society, The Midnight Gardeners League, has come up with a show where you’ll get to hear such originality as it’ll showcase great comedians pitching jokes off of their material only to be judged by a “renowned film auteur”. This first NYC outing will feature what we’re sure will be blockbuster movie pitches from a grand line-up of Brittany Carney, Mike Hanford, Clare O’Kane, and Dave Ross.

Mark down Sat. Jun. 11th at 8PM ET to be at Brooklyn’s Cobra Club to hear things that should very likely be greenlit rather than be subjected to more mandatory MCU offerings.

Tickets are $10 and you can (and should) get them here.

Norm MacDonald’s Last Special Showed That He Could Pull Off Virtual Comedy Because, Well, He’s Norm MacDonald
May 31, 2022
News
netflix, norm macdonald, nothing special

Pretty much no one will challenge that Norm MacDonald is one of the actual legends of comedy, an icon of the art form that was almost revered across the board for not only how unflinchingly funny he was, but how he seemed to have a mastery of balancing several layers of irony at the same time through every facet of his writing and performance. His last special Nothing Special, that debuted on Netflix this week, is a testament to this notion even though it is more of an artifact left behind in a living will as opposed to a traditional hour long comedy special.

Partially because of COVID-19 and partially due to his declining health, Norm saw some sort of writing on the wall and felt the need to have his latest hour, that would unfortunately be his last, recorded in some fashion. Norm’s death did sadly come to pass and thus we got a bit of a peek behind his curtain with Nothing Special.

Like millions of comedians tried once and only a few soldiered through, he did an entirely front facing camera comedy special, but, as Dave Chappelle attests in a panel discussion following Norm’s hour, “he landed the trick.” Performing with no live audience is almost antithetical to the idea of stand-up comedy, though that is what was pretty much afforded for comedians for the majority of lockdown. It takes such great writing and charisma and delivery and so many other things to remain engaging and hysterical with a live audience, but it’s a whole other ball game when you there are no laughs to play off of and you’re alone in your home office, not to mention the specter of death murmuring in the background.

Still, Norm is such a paragon comedian that he performed an hour with headphones on while seated in front of a computer and was the same old Norm that we’ve known and loved all those years. Nothing Special felt like Conan or Letterman just let him go really long on panel and everyone was fine with it. Every joke, aside, tangent was delivered with as much gusto as Norm has ever had and there isn’t a single second that he doesn’t sell with his impeccably offbeat timing that we don’t wholeheartedly buy.

As mentioned above, there is a panel discussion of Norm’s Nothing Special following the actual hour that actually features David Letterman and Conan O’Brien as well as David Spade, Dave Chappelle, Molly Shannon, and Adam Sandler as a lasting sort of tribute to Norm’s memory. One of the more fascinating points is brought up by Conan who describes Norm’s comedy as not needing for you to be there, but, instead it being a treat for any and all to take part in MacDonald’s superb tomfoolery.

You can and should go watch Norm MacDonald’s Nothing Special, now streaming on Netflix.

Pick of the Day: Danny Jolles Films His Second Comedy Special (in LA) 6/4
May 31, 2022
News
danny jolles, dynasty typewriter, live taping, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy

It was a rarity, but there were really great comedy specials that came out during the thick of the pandemic. One of those specials was Danny Jolles’ 6 Parts. It wasn’t only us that was saying that. Both Paste Magazine and The New York Times picked it as one of their favorite specials last year.

So, with that in mind, we don’t think you will want to miss Jolles and Don’t Tell Comedy doing another hour special this weekend on Sat. Jun. 4th. This time, Danny will be getting to sharing his wonderfully crafted comedy offerings to us all on a proper stage, the grand Dynasty Typewriter (as opposed to a surf shop, art store, etc.).

There will be an early and late show, at 7PM PT & 9:30PM, and tickets are going for $15 right now. Go get them ASAP here and here, respectively.

Pick of the Day: Dishoom Dishoom: A Bollywood Action Comedy Show (in LA) 6/9
May 27, 2022
News
dishoom dishoom, meghana indurti, mike falzone, milan patel, neeraj srinivasan

While How Did This Get Made? and MST3K have a lot of loud American cinema covered with their comedic riffing, there’s not as much love given in the same regard to international cinema, despite there being plenty of source material. Nearly every Jackie Chan movie in the 90s (especially the ones from China) would be well worth a riff fest.

So, cue in the new live riff fest, Dishoom Dishoom, that will be digging into India’s biggest movie for 2022 RRR, directed S. S. Rajamouli, which might have more ridiculous action sequences than several Nicholas Cage movies. They’ll assemble some of LA’s funniest to watch and see what they can make of a guy kicking a motorcycle to stop it and then catch it while in mid-air amongst other ludicrous slow motion action packed sequences. This month, Meghana Indurti and Mike Falzone will be joining Milan Patel and Neeraj Srinivasan in the internationally flavored ludicrous watch-along.

See just how wild RRR gets with the trailer here.

All of this will be happening at Echo Park’s newest VHS store, Whammy Analog Media on Thurs. Jun. 9th at 8PM PT. Tickets are $10 and you really ought to go snag them here right now (as space is limited).

For Those Who Have a Complicated Relationship Dead Parents (or Love Dramedy), Enjoy the Trailer for “My Dead Dad”
May 26, 2022
News
fabio frey, hbo max, my dead dad, pedro correa, trailer

HBO Max has made a lot of head way since its inception, especially in the realm of dramedy. Hacks has rightfully earned itself acclaim and awards and has been a very shiny part of the HBO Max brand and now, they’re continuing to make way with My Dead Dad from Pedro Correa, which they picked up off the festival circuit.

There’s not a lot of mystery behind the title as the film follows the aftermath of an estranged father’s death and everything a rudderless son has to figure out. Pedro Correa co-wrote and stars in My Dead Dad and has Fabio Frey directing and seems to have come up with that might be a bit bleaker than Beginners, but still sharply funny and heart wrenching all the same.

Take a gander for yourself with the official trailer here, then look for it on HBO Max come Wed. Jun. 1st.

Pick of the Day: Tim Platt Presents a Night of Wedding Speeches (in NYC) 6/3
May 26, 2022
News
alise morales, brooklyn, danny groh, eudora peterson, Ike Ufomadu, Joe Castle Baker, Karolena Theresa, ny comedy, peter mills weiss, sarah wilson, tim platt, union hall

Wedding season is upon us and, despite everything, we’re pretty sure that most folks that put their wedding on hold because of COVID-19 are now getting hitched this year (even though COVID-19 hasn’t been eradicated).

As such, you shouldn’t miss the show dedicated to one of the major cornerstones of any wedding, the speeches. The endlessly imaginative Tim Platt started putting together a very special evening of wedding speeches delivered to a comedy couple by a bunch of comedians, sometimes in character and sometimes not, and it’s more fun than nearly every wedding we’ve ever been witness to.

Tim’s latest edition of A Night of Wedding Speeches will be happening at Brooklyn Comedy Collective on Fri. Jun. 3rd at 8:30PM ET with an astounding wedding party of Joe Castle Baker, Eudora Peterson, Ike Ufomadu, Sarah Wilson, Karolena Theresa, Peter Mills Weiss, real life married comedy couple Alise Morales & Danny Groh, and, of course, Best Man Tim Platt.

Tickets are only $15 and you really ought to snag your tickets/save the date here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 113: Cara Connors & Your First Nationwide Tour
May 25, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
cara connors, chappelle, queer comedy, ricky gervais, stand up comedy

The prospect of doing your first nationwide tour as a comedian is as thrilling as it can be daunting. So much of it is a mystery that you can’t really prepare for ahead of time. That said, to actually play to folks that specifically came to see you across the country is part of the electrifying feeling of doing comedy that makes up for all the other numerous hardships you go through in trying to make a living through comedy.

Cara Connors just embarked on a successful first run across the U.S. and is actually extending her Straight For Pay tour with additional dates. Connors talks us through the whirlwind you’re required to go through when on your first tour as well as her feelings on where she fits in as a comedian that is queer and the ever changing landscape of what might be one of the more fluid art forms out there.

Also, yes, oof, we talk about Gervais’ unsurprisingly controversial special and Chappelle’s attacker at The Hollywood Bowl, Isaiah Lee.

Follow Cara @caraconnscomedy on IG

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Pick of the Day: Brody Stevens Festival of Friendship 818 Walk (near LA) 8/20
May 25, 2022
News
brody stevens, charity walk, comedy gives back, los angeles comedy, reseda

While comedy misses the great Brody Stevens dearly, we still hold his unstoppable POSITIVE ENERGY in all of our hearts since his passing in 2019. Comedy Gives Back, the org that serves, “as a safety net
for comedians in need of mental health services and addiction treatment,” is a big part of honoring Brody’s memory, which is why there will be the 2nd Brody Stevens Festival of Friendship 818 Walk benefitting Comedy Gives Back on Sat. Aug. 20th.

There will be a 5K walk from 11AM to 1PM in the streets of Reseda following the debut of the “Brody Forever 818″ mural in Brody’s hometown. There will be a ceremony right after the walk around 1PM PT featuring speakers and comedians all for Brody that you”ll not want to miss.

Registration is $50, but $60 if you do it on the day of. Get more details/register here.

A&E Set to Debut Two Part Black Comedy History Doc “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution”
May 24, 2022
News
a and e, aisha tyler, amber ruffin, black comedy, comedy documentary, dl hughley, katt williams, kevin hart, michael che, right to offend, sherri shepherd, steve harvey, tiffany haddish, w kamau bell, wayne brady

Undeniably, there is a wave of documentaries examining the history of comedy from every possible angle and at every degree. From covering individuals such as Dick Gregory, George Carlin, and even Bill Cosby to focusing on such changing attitudes in the form through the lens of 9/11 with Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11, there is an ever growing fascination of the inner workings of inciting laughter.

A&E is putting their hat in the ring here with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat & Time Studios’ Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution, a two-part doc series that will trace the lineage of black comedians that defied racial barriers and sought to skewer the absurd inequalities that were just taken for granted, especially the ones based off the amount of melanin you had in your skin.

The likes of Tiffany Haddish, W. Kamau Bell, Michael Che, Steve Harvey, Sherri Shepherd, Wayne Brady, Aisha Tyler, DL Hughley, Amber Ruffin, and Katt Williams amongst other comics and historians will weigh in on the oft-overlooked milestones of black comedy (just compare Mike Binder’s The Comedy Store to Phat Tuesdays: The Hip Hop Era of Comedy).

Take a gander at what’s to come with this teaser for Right to Offend here, then look for its premiere on A&E on Jun. 29th & 30th at 9PM (then presumably streaming on aetv.com afterwards).

 

George Carlin’s American Dream Shows That the Quest to Find Your Comedic Voice Can (and Should) Keep Going
May 24, 2022
News
george carlin, hbo, hbo documentary films, judd apatow, michael bonfiglio

We often remember and eulogize George Carlin not only as a comedy legend, but a philosopher, a truth teller, the sort of comedian that was the epitome of speaking truth to power. Yet, his role as the artist often gets lost in the scrum of folks quoting his disturbingly, still-applicable punchlines.

Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio’s masterful two-part documentary, George Carlin’s American Dream, on one of the definitive comedy legends, does its due diligence on the life and times of George Carlin, but it also examines him as the comedian artist, someone who redefined himself so much and influenced so much of comedy, time and time again that he and his staggering body of work will be timeless.

You can find numerous tellings of the narrative of George Carlin, but dissecting his career like one would The Beatles or Miles Davis (both name checked in the doc in comparison to Carlin) hasn’t really been done in such a fashion that Apatow and Bonfiglio have. Throughout the exhaustive amount of footage of George both on and off stage, not to mention hand written notes and interview clips with his wife, daughter, brother, and closest friends, there is a through line that George soldiered on to continually find his voice.

You often hear that “finding your voice” being one of the primary goals of any comedic performer in a way that suggests a journey with a beginning, middle, and end. George Carlin’s American Dream rediscovers that so-called finding your voice as an ongoing process, the ever-reliable spark that fueled Carlin to do his iconic bits about the seven words you can’t say on television or abortion or rights or, well… you probably can make your own list at this point.

Many comedians, unfortunately, give up that artistic flame when they reach a certain level of acclaim and comfort. Despite massive success throughout his decades in comedy, Carlin never saw himself done and that is the true artist in him. Had he lived to today, we’re sure that he’d survey the landscape of Marc Maron, Hannah Gadsby, Jim Jefferies, Dave Chappelle, and more and come up some entirely different and brilliant that would kick off a whole other movement in comedy.

The role and purpose of a comedian, whether as an artist, entertainer, or both, will forever be debated. The capital “T” truth of the matter that is that a whole spectrum of comedians will fill in all these roles from truth tellers to abject clowns to consummate entertainers to philosopher kings. George Carlin’s American Dream actually shows how, in rare cases, a comedian can be all of them in one.

You should absolutely go watch George Carlin’s American Dream right now as it’s streaming on HBO Max.

Pick of the Day: Affirm Trans Kids: A fundraiser for families that’s bigger than Texas! (in NYC w/Livestream) 6/4
May 24, 2022
News
affirmtranskids, alan cumming, andrea abi-karam, bell house, bridget everett, brooklyn, cindy emch, dj jonny loco, ginger snap, janeane garofalo, jordan carlos, kay ulanday barrett, lambda legal, murray hill, Negin Farsad, nyc comedy, ophira eisenberg, patti harrison, sammie james, stacy cay, variety show

If you’re looking for something that will support trans folks via comedy today as opposed to old men insisting on being old as their expression of free speech, you very much might want to go to the big charity comedy variety benefit Affirm Trans Kids for TLDEF (the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund) and Lambda Legal at Brooklyn’s venerable Bell House next Saturday, Jun. 4th at 7:30PM ET.

100% of tickets sales are going to TLDEF/Lambda Legal, which should almost be reason enough for you to go buy tickets, but know that you’ll be treated to a cornucopia of variety talents including:

  • Andrea Abi-Karam
  • Cindy Emch
  • Negin Farsad
  • Sammie James
  • Janeane Garofalo
  • Jordan Carlos
  • Kay Ulanday Barrett
  • DJ Jonny Loco

as well as special messages from:

  • Alan Cumming
  • Ophira Eisenberg
  • Bridget Everett
  • Patti Harrison
  • Murray Hill

AND hosts Ginger Snap and Stacy Cay (on Zoom).

If you can’t join in person, you’ll be able to livestream via HappiTV, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Also, you can support TLDEF/Lambda Legal right here right now.

Tickets for Affirm Trans Kids: A fundraiser for families that’s bigger than Texas! are going for $50-$300. You can should buy them up right now.

For more info, go visit affirmtranskids.us

Watch the Trailer for B.J. Novak’s Send Up of True Crime Podcasts “Vengeance”
May 23, 2022
News
bj novak, trailer, vengeance

Only Murders in the Building broke new ground in comedy’s satirizing America’s obsession with true crime specifically as consumed through podcasts. This obsession is actually so fervent that there’s room for more than one send-up of how folks could fall into being amateur sleuths through podcasting about murder.

That’s where B.J. Novak’s latest work, Vengeance, comes in. Though it seemingly could have fit into his FX anthology series, this story stands along as a feature that follows Novak as someone who attempts to make a podcast out of what he thought was a misguided quest to avenge a family death and ends up being something way more than he bargained for. From the looks of the trailer, this could have been the most fun out of the stories that Novak came up for The Premise and, consequently, saved it for an entire movie.

In a lot of ways, this could have been the sort of plot that Hitchcock would come up with in 2022, though we’ll have to see the whole thing before we make on a full on Alfred Hitchcock comparison.

Watch the first official trailer for Vengeance here, then look for it in theaters starting 7/29.

Pick of the Day: Chicago Underground Comedy-LA Reunion Show 6/1
May 23, 2022
News
alison leber, brooke van poppelen, chicago comedy, chicago underground comedy, jared logan, mike bridenstine, nick vatterott, renee gauthier, ricky carmona, robert buscemi, sean flannery, tony sam

The Beat Kitchen has been a home to one of Chicago’s most venerable indie comedy shows, Chicago Underground Comedy for well over a decade. Hailed as a haven for alternative comedy in the Paris of the Midwest, many of Chicago’s best that have found their way to national and international fame like Kumail Nanjiani and Hannibal Buress were an integral part of Chicago Underground Comedy being put on the map.

Many of their delightful alums have specifically found their way to LA over the years and, as such, want to do a Chicago Underground LA Reunion. That’ll actually be happening on Wed. Jun. 1st at The Fable in Eagle Rock at 8PM PT.

You’ll be treated to long time LA comedy denizens via Chicago including:
Robert Buscemi
Mike Bridenstine
Ricky Carmona
Sean Flannery
Renee Gauthier
Alison Leber
Jared Logan
Brooke Van Poppelen
Tony Sam
Nick Vatterott

Don’t miss out, especially because the show is the nice price of FREE.

 

Take a Look at What Could Be the Next British Comedy You’ll Want to Binge “Everything I Know About Love”
May 20, 2022
News
aliyah odoffin, bbc one, bel powley, dolly alderton, emma appleton, everything i know about love, jordan peters

So, you’ve sped through Fleabag, Sex Education, and, we hope, Daisy Haggard’s Back to Life, which clearly makes you a comedy Anglophile. What is next for you? If The Outlaws isn’t doing it for you, then maybe look to the upcoming series of the same name, based on charming relationship columnist/maven Dolly Alderton’s book Everything I Know About Love.

Alderton penned this bestseller and, thusly, a series was adapted by the BBC with the likes of Emma Appleton, Jordan Peters, Aliyah Odoffin, and Diary of a Teenage Girl’s Bel Powley. There’s a genuineness we’re getting from the trailer that seems to be absent from other recent shows we’ve seen that attempted exploring the complexities of women’s friendships that strive to last a lifetime, but have to deal with none other than life itself along the way.

Take a gander for yourself with the first trailer for Everything I Know About Love here. If you’re hooked, look for it on BBC’s iPlayer and BBC One starting Jun. 7th.

Pick of the Day: BUTT (in LA) 5/27
May 20, 2022
News
butt sketch comedy, chris stephens, dynasty typewriter, eddie pepitone, joe mcadam, los angeles comedy, sketch comedy, steph tolev

If it is pure silliness you seek as a salve and an escape from the constantly mutating terror of our waking reality these days, one should look no further than the sketch duo of Joe McAdam and Chris Stephens, better known as BUTT.

Their ridiculousness is so often transcendent in such a hysterical way and has their absence due to the pandemic has left a void in our soul. Just thinking about their Yoda dating app sketch keeps us going many days that we’re particularly down.

It’s just fortunate for us all that Joe and Chris and their butts are returning to Dynasty Typewriter come next Fri. May 27th at 7:30PM PT with special guests Eddie Pepitone and Steph Tolev. It should be an undeniably rambunctious night of comedy that will make you forget, above all else, people are trying to distract themselves from the world by watching a horridly messy celebrity defamation trial.

Get tickets to the live, in-person return of BUTT for $20 right now here.

Philadelphia Is Getting an Adult Swim Festival Block Party This Summer
May 19, 2022
News

Thus far, Adult Swim has held their live, in-person music/comedy/etc. festival endeavors in LA even though the brand is pretty international, especially since it’s the home of international sensation Rick and Morty.

This year, they’re expanding their festival to the other coast, specifically taking it to the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia from Fri. Aug. 5th-Sun. Aug. 7th at the Fillmore Campus in Philadelphia, PA.

Per usual, they’re stacking the line-up with the coolest folks that they can gather including:

  • Sam Jay
  • Jo Firestone
  • Carmen Christopher
  • Ana Fabrega
  • Jak Knight
  • Maddy Smith
  • River L. Ramirez
  • Eshu Tune (Hannibal Buress)
  • Dethklok
  • Run The Jewels
  • Tierra Whack
  • Bia
  • DJ Diamond Kuts
  • Flo Milli
  • Hop Along
  • JEWELSSEA
  • RJD2
  • SNACKTIME PHILLY
  • Spirit of the Beehive
  • Trackstar The DJ

Also, per usual, that’s kind of only the tip of the iceberg and Adult Swim has lot more up their sleeve. If you’re in and around Philly, go get tickets starting Fri. May 20th at 10AM ET right here.

Please Enjoy Jamel Johnson’s Comedy Central Stand-up Featuring Set
May 19, 2022
News
comedy central, jamel johnson, stand up comedy

If you follow us and you somehow don’t know about Jamel Johnson, you seriously need to address that issue. Jamel has been killing it on every stage that we’ve seen him on with his charming frustrations with many of life’s smallest absurdities (as well as a few big ones too).

Jamel got handpicked to be part of the latest crop of Comedy Central’s digital stand-up series Comedy Central Stand-up Featuring and Jamel put up a ridiculously fun set from wire to wire. In fact, this performance, much like every other performance we’ve seen from Jamel, makes us wonder why he hasn’t been tapped to host some sort of lifestyle/culture show where he just gives his hot takes on everything under the sun.

Make your day better and watch Jamel’s set here.

Pick of the Day: Big Rox (in LA) Tuesdays Starting 5/31
May 19, 2022
News
addie weyrich, cameron esposito, christine medrano, dana donnelly, free show, jared goldstein, los angeles comedy, milan patel, stand up comedy, Sydnee Washington

Comedy in LA has gotten to a point now where there’s a bevy of weekly comedy shows for you to catch every night of the week. Well, almost every night of the week has that, save for Tuesday. If Roast Battle isn’t your speed (and you don’t want to pay for cover, parking, and 2 drink min.), you might want something else.

Well, cue in Big Rox, a brand spanking new weekly FREE stand-up show from an amazing LA based trio of Addie Weyrich, Dana Donnelly, and Christine Medrano on the Eastside at the lovely restaurant aptly named, Jewel.

They’ll be taking on the mantle of the free weekly stand-up show you should be catching on Tuesdays and will be kicking off their run on May 31st at 7:30PM PT (doors 7PM PT). Their inaugural line-up including Cameron Esposito, Sydnee Washington, Jared Goldstein, and Milan Patel is a pretty perfect for a first show.

So, set a weekly reminder to go to Jewel, a jewel in the hidden jewel of a neighborhood, Rampart Village.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 112: Business Casual & Sketchy Times
May 18, 2022
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
business casual, charlie chaplin, corey peter lane, hunter saling, jeremy elder, netflix, sketch comedy, tom brady, volodmyr zelensky

Many great sketch groups did survive to this side of the pandemic, but were left to figure out things in a whole new world of comedy with new theaters or old theaters with new owners and have to, like every single on the planet, rebuild.

Fortunately for the scrappy, DIY trio of Business Casual (Jeremy Elder, Corey Peter Lane, and Hunter Saling) adapting to unforeseen change has been the name of the game for them. So, we chat with them about how they’re now one of the handful of sketch groups that you should absolutely be following and deserving of a break for bigger and better and brighter things.

Also, “hot” takes on Zelenksy saying we need a new Chaplin, Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady, and more.

Follow Business Casual @businesscasualcomedy (@idealstepdad @jeremyelderr @captain_sad_beard) on IG

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

The Trailer for Billy Eichner & Nicholas Stoller’s Bros Promises the Kind of Rom Com We’ve Been Waiting For
May 18, 2022
News
billy eichner, bros, nicholas stoller, trailer, universal pictures

For all the gripes that people have justifiably had about romantic comedies over the last, let’s face it, decades, there is still an undeniable attraction and desire to see an unlikely couple come together, no matter how cheesy it might be. There is, with that in mind, still plenty of gold to be mined from rom coms.

Cue Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller‘s Bros, which has been billed as the first big all gay R-rated rom com from a major studio. While a more genuine, raunchy gay rom com has been due for a long time (unlike the very family friendly Single All the Way on Netflix), Bros sees that and raises us all the sharp the razor sharp comedic minds behind Difficult People and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Just take a gander for yourself in the trailer and know that we’re more un-ironically excited for Bros than we’ve been for a romantic comedy in a long, long, very long time. We won’t be surprised if this is the sort of long-standing, quotable rom com that people talk about like they did Bridesmaids.

Then, mark down Sept. 30th on your phone for Bros‘ release date so you can buy tickets in advance.

Watch the Trailer for What Might Be the Most Touching Robot & Human Buddy Movie “Brian and Charles”
May 17, 2022
News
brian and charles, chris hayward, david earl, focus features, louise brealey, trailer

While some see the singularity, the theoretical point in time where artificial intelligence over takes humanity, as an oncoming annihilation akin to The Matrix, there are other possibilities where the future allows for AI and humankind to co-exist peacefully. In fact, we may even up being friends. Think about all the iconic droids from the Star Wars universe and how that might potentially be more likely?

Well, while pondering that endless quandary, take a gander at the trailer for Brian and Charles, the Sundance hit that shows how an amateur inventor ends up Frankenstein-ing his own robot and, subsequently, his best friend. The trio of David Earl (Kev on Ricky Gervais’ Derek), Chris Hayward, and Louise Brealey, who all star in the movie,  wrote such a charming, much more hopeful vision of the future with the washing-machine-bodied robot known as Charles. Again, while Black Mirror prescribes a future where robots hunt us, Brian and Charles seems like it has a bunch of heart between human & AI friends.

See for yourself with the first trailer for Brian and Charles here, then look for its release on Jun. 17th.

By the way, you can follow Charles the robot on Twitter @charlespetrescu.

 

Pick of the Day: Return of JAJ (James Austin Johnson) to LA (5/25-5/31)
May 17, 2022
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It seems like decades ago, but it was only a handful of years ago when rumblings of the amazing comedy stylings of James Austin Johnson were rumbling around the comedy scene here in LA. His excruciatingly spot-on, yet alternative reality based impressions and off-the-wall conceptual bits made JAJ truly stand out in the expansive comedy landscape in Los Angeles.

Then, last year, he got SNL and kicked off the season with playing Joe Biden (and Trump) perfectly. We can’t think of another cast member that had a debut like that in the entire history of the Saturday Night Live. Consequently, that did require James to relocate to NYC and delight all five boroughs with his beautifully strange comedy.

James is making a trek back to LA for a week from 5/25-5/31 and is doing a flurry of shows including the 7 year anniversary of the stand-up show he started with Sam Wiles and Zach Pugh, Rod Stewart Live as well as his solo show Close To You at the Elysian.

If you’re somehow not already following comedy treasure James Austin Johnson on socials @shrimpjaj, do so now to keep up with these LA dates (or any other dates he has coming up). Get tickets for those shows at linktr.ee/Shrimpjaj.

Planet Scum, The Online Comedy Collective Started by Chris Gethard, Is Coming to a Close This Month
May 16, 2022
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planet scum

The landscape of television, especially where people find it, is always mutating and evolving. Routinely, that means a lot of stuff gets canceled, shut down, comes to a final end. Over the last couple of weeks, so many TV series have gotten the ax by the hands of their networks and streaming service. The truly independent and DIY side of things doesn’t seem to be exempt from this latest culling of the TV herd.

Planet Scum, the Chris-Gethard-founded indie comedy collective that saw us through so much of the most intense parts of the pandemic/quarantine, with high grade, weekly live-streams is packing it up on May 25th. Connor Ratliff and his George Lucas Talk Show crew, Gethard himself, Robby Hoffman, Mary Houlihan, Martin Urbano, Will Hines, Christi Chiello, Kenice Mobley, and a delightful handful more brought connection as best as it could be done through a comedy live-stream on Twitch (there were entire communities built around each and every show along with a plethora of fan art).

The final broadcast date for Planet Scum is May 25th, then they’ll hand it over to the fans, but return for Gethard famed annual Sandwich Night. You might want to follow individual shows to see if they’ll find a new home elsewhere in the still new frontier of live-streaming.

If you were looking to get any and all Planet Scum merch, you better get it in the next week before it all disappears here.

Here’s some sweet parting words from Planet Scum. Please, as this message suggests, do hire all the folks behind this wondrous thing that was a Jersey shaped beacon of light in a time of complete and total darkness.

At the end of May, we'll be turning the lights off at ol' #PlanetScum. pic.twitter.com/1Y12vzV3Xs

— Planet Scum (@planetscumlive) May 4, 2022

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If You Haven’t Already, Watch Ziwe’s Iconic Interview with Chet Hanks
May 16, 2022
News
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Season 2 of Ziwe has commenced on Showtime and, already, they’ve might have shown the most iconic interview of the season with Tom Hanks’ offspring, Chet Hanks.

For all of those who got on board with Ziwe during her IG Live days, Chet Hanks does more than enough by being himself to be the sort of perfect, truly, deeply iconic guest on Ziwe (i.e. he says some of the most unhinged things while fully acknowledging his privilege of being Tom Hanks’ son). Ziwe barely has to do any “baiting” with diving incisive questioning on complicated and nuanced topics since Chet does things like not knowing Patois vocabulary while claiming to make Patois going mainstream in the States.

You, like Ziwe herself, will very likely be left speechless.

Give it a watch here, then go catch up with the rest of the season that has aired on Showtime Anytime.

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