News

Behold All the Song and Mirth of Central Park Season 2 in This Trailer

apple tv plus, central park, season 2, trailer

Within the Loren Bouchard-iverse, we’ve been wondering what sort of fate and several ingenious musical numbers would be coming for Central Park in this latest season. The wait to see how meta they’ll get and what possible genres of song (this is very much the best musical series since Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) they’ll explore this time around (the rap number about Weehawken is pretty stellar) is nearly over. Also, if you’ve been jonesing for more Kathryn Hahn or the original cast of Hamilton, your time is coming very soon too.

Season 2 of Central Park is set to kick off on Fri. Jun. 25th on Apple TV+ (though it probably won’t be all the episodes at once) with new episodes being dropped weekly. Until then, you can get a sonorous preview of what’s to come with these new episodes in this Central Park Season 2 Official Trailer here.

Pick of the Day: The Daily Show Turns 25! 7/19

a whitney brown, anniversary, beth littleford, brian unger, lizz winstead, madeleine smithberg, rushtix, the daily show

After a quarter of a century, The Daily Show has been an institution of comedy, both in the realms of late night and political, and has ushered in changes that still reverberate through TV, comedy, and even politics itself to this very day.

So, marking its 25th anniversary is definitely an occasion worth celebrating and having a show for. Thankfully, The Daily Show co-creators Lizz Winstead and Madeleine Smithberg are joining the very first correspondents of The Daily Show, Beth Littleford, Brian Unger, and A. Whitney Brown, to mark the 25 year mark and tell the story of how this pillar of comedy broke its first ground.

The Daily Show Turns 25! will be a live-stream via RushTix on Mon. July 19th at 6PM PT/9PM ET. Tickets/access is only $20 (with an option to donate to Abortion Access Front) and you can (and should) go get them here.

Pick of the Day: Big Grande Presents Holy Shit: An In Person Comedy Show (LA) 6/16

One of the best comedy groups around, Big Grande, (just reminisce when you got to see them all the time at UCB’s many stages) is doing their very first in-person show this week as is the Yard Theater, which had just undergone a gorgeous renovation right before lockdown.

Appropriately titled Big Grande Presents Holy Shit: An In Person Comedy Show, it’s free to attend on Wed. Jun. 16th at 8PM PT, though you have to RSVP. Also, the RSVP’s filled up in 3 minutes of the tickets being released, but there’s a waitlist that you can (and should) sign-up for.

Also, expect more out of The Yard. We have a sneaking suspicion this is the start of lots of good things/shows/comedians coming their way (and, by proxy, all of our ways).

‘Miracle Workers’ Is Now Going on The Oregon Trail for Their Latest Season

miracle workers, simon rich, tbs

Miracle Workers might prove itself to be one of the most ambitiously conceptualized series on TV. Of course, that is Simon Rich’s forte and it can be great when Rich gets quite a bit of latitude to take his shows wherever he so chooses.

They started at wondering at what was up with an almighty God and then they went to the Dark Ages and now they’re all the way in the untamed West of 19th century America. Even anthology series generally don’t take such wild pivots, but it is what keeps intriguing us about Miracle Workers as the show continues on TBS.

From the looks of it, this might be one of the best seasons yet in how it gleefully pokes at all the tropes and history of the Wild West including Radcliffe, perhaps, playing some version of Mormonism founder Joseph Smith.

Get a look at this literally trail blazing season of Miracle Workers here, then look for the premiere on Tues. July 13th on TBS.

Just For Laughs Is Headed Down to Cancún for JFL Escapes!

comedy festival, debra digiovanni, jfl, jim jefferies, nicole byer, nikki glaser, ron funches, The Goddamn Comedy Jam, tom segura

As the prospect of travel to more than wherever you can drive in your car becomes better and better, we fully expect to see comedy festivals pop up in some pretty exotic locales. Just For Laughs is already leading the way by taking themselves all the way on down from Canada to the sunny beaches of Cancún, Mexico.

From Nov. 3rd-7th, Jim Jefferies, Nicole Byer, Tom Segura, Nikki Glaser, Ron Funches, Debra DiGiovanni, The Goddamn Comedy Jam, and more will be taking over to do comedy shows for what we normally thought of just as spring break destination. In addition to shows, there will be a whole package that provides 5-star resort accommodations, parties of all kinds, and other JFL exclusive events.

The early bird package prices for everything are starting at $859, but note that you will be fully refunded if the festivities get rescheduled due to COVID-19 (as that pesky pandemic is still not over).

Go get more details/book a package here.

Pick of the Day: Return of Butterboy (in NY)

aparna nancherla, brooklyn, butterboy, jo firestone, littlefield, nyc comedy

One of NYC’s marquee weekly stand-up shows was Butterboy. Even during lockdown, they did a virtual show every Monday that kept so many of us from going stir crazy and was a very appreciated blessing (as well as a great reminder that it was indeed Monday during quarantine).

Now, Aparna Nancherla, Jo Firestone, and Donwill are all set to return to their normal, weekly in-person regimen back home at Littlefield in Brooklyn on Mondays at 8PM ET starting Mon., July 5th (for fully vaccinated audiences). The line-ups will be great, the tickets are reasonable ($10 in adv., $12 day of), and there will be live-streaming for those not lucky enough to be in NYC for only $5.

Get tickets for Butterboy and keep up to date with line-ups and everything else at butterboycomedy.com.

Moontower Comedy Festival Is Happening This Year and Just Made Their First Line-Up Announcement

andy kindler, atx, austin, bob the drag queen, dave attell, doug loves movies, goddamn comedy jam, hannah einbinder, james adomian, margaret cho, maria bamford, moontower comedy festival, moshe kasher, sklar brothers

OK, are fingers are crossed (and vaccinated) that this time, this edition of the Moontower Comedy Festival is going to stick. They’ve had to reschedule it more than once throughout the pandemic as the prospect of big time gatherings, especially ones that are indoors seem like a distant dream only a few months ago.

That dream seems to be getting closer to reality with the vaccine rollout pushing forward in the U.S. There are better prospects of things like comedy festivals, such as Moontower in Austin, TX, to happen in full force again. Currently, they’re scheduled the festivities for Sept. 22nd-25th, 2021 and, just like they used to do in the before times, have an already massive line-up in their first announcement including Margaret Cho, Dave Attell, Maria Bamford, The Goddamn Comedy Jam, Endless Honeymoon, and so much more.

Do note that Texas does have one of the lowest percentages of COVID-19 vaccination in the country and we sincerely hope it gets way better by the time September rolls around. If you’re game for comedy festivals in just a few months, you best go get your passes/badges right here right now.

Round 1 is here! ? 100+ comedians are invading downtown Austin Sept 22nd-25th to celebrate the 10th year of the Moontower Comedy Festival! Stand-up, podcasts, parties, shows, surprises & more wrapped up into for 4 days of funny ? Badges on sale now: https://t.co/LM5GmRJOyZ pic.twitter.com/apOTPooQvi

— Moontower Comedy (@MoontowerComedy) June 10, 2021

Get Into Mike White’s Latest Biting Satire at HBO, “White Lotus” (Teaser)

alexandra daddario, connie britton, hbo, jennifer coolidge, mike white, natasha rothwell, steve zahn, white lotus

It has been quite some time since the force that was Enlightened came through and perhaps helped usher in the dramedy portion of this latest golden age of television. Mike White’s corporate and self-help satire hit such a great nerve back then (and is still so timely ten years later).

So, we’re grateful that it won’t be much longer before we get the latest Mike White series (it’s still pretty astounding that White was the teacher that Jack Black filled in for in School of Rock) and it looks like it’s going to have pretty sharp teeth that are going to sink into the absurdities of, well, rich white folks.

Jennifer Coolidge looks especially splendid here, by the way, and if Steve Zahn’s last line in this teaser doesn’t hook you, then we don’t know what else to tell you.

Give this all a watch with the first teaser for Mike White’s White Lotus here, then look for it on HBO Max starting July 11th.

Pick of the Day: Vidiots Comedy Show Benefit 6/26

atsuko okatsuka, benefit show, dana gould, georgia hardstark, ify nwadiwe, mary elizabeth ellis, niccole thurman, vidiots

It was so exciting to hear that there was not only going to be a revival of the video rental institution that was Vidiots in Santa Monica all the way on the other side of LA county, but they were also going to open up a live theater in conjunction with it.

The pandemic hitting, of course, made us wonder what exactly was going to happen and if this dream new venue, ostensibly a Cinefamily for Eastiders was going to still be a reality.

Well, luckily, it’s still going to happen (the plan aims for a 2022 opening) and you can help that reality coming to fruition by attending a grand comedy show benefit hosted by two wondrous parts of two different generations of comedy in Atsuko Okatsuka and Dana Gould. Also, on the bill will be the great comedy stylings of Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Georgia Hardstark, Ify Nwadiwe, and Niccole Thurman.

Tickets are only $10 for a live-stream for this Vidiots Comedy Show Benefit set to go live on Sat. Jun. 26th at 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET. Go get your tickets here.

There’s a Whole Docu-Special on Dick Gregory That’s Coming Out on July 4th

dick gregory, documentary, showtime

In regards to comedy both being a bridge between worlds and speaking truth to power, the name Dick Gregory better be at the top of the list. Gregory was a comedy pioneer unlike any other, especially for all the barriers he broke down and how much irony and absurdity he pointed out in race relations and in the actions of the U.S. government. Also, you ought to know that’s just scratching the surface of what he did throughout his comedy career and his lifetime.

Thus, Showtime is giving Gregory his due with a docu-special The One and Only Dick Gregory and having it premiere on, of all days, the Fourth of July, which is fitting for how much truth he freely spoke in his comedy.

Get a taste of what’s to come with The One and Only Dick Gregory here, then look for it to premiere on Sun., July 4th at 9PM on Showtime.

Get Your First Look at FX’s Latest Audacious Talk Show “The Choe Show”

So much upheaval has been coming to the world of late night over the last year (and don’t get it twisted, it’s very much welcome and very much needed). One of the most recent and most radical turns for a late night talk show is FX tapping artist and personality David Choe to front their latest attempt at a talk show.

Choe won’t be in a soundstage on a backlot or be behind a desk with a beautifully rendered backdrop of a various metropolis at night. The Choe Show will actually be done at Dave’s studio where he’ll interview the likes of anyone from Will Arnett to Maya Erskine to Val Kilmer and plenty more and paint a portrait of them.

It’s pretty wild. It has a bit of The Eric Andre Show‘s energy, but it’s not such a radical satirical send-up of late night. Choe genuine wants to connect through his unique lens and, from the looks of it, get messy in the best way possible with painting the portrait. Also, atypical to late night talk shows, all the episodes will premiere on Jun. 25th, then be available on Hulu the next day.

We can only wonder if that’s a way for FX to get us hooked so we’ll tune in every week if they do more.

Get your first look at all of this with the official trailer for The Choe Show here

Hacks Is Getting a Second Season at HBO Max

hannah einbinder, jean smart, lucia aniello, paul w downs

As Hacks get towards the end of its first season, it really has proven itself as one of the best explorations of stand-up comedy in all of TV and film. The intergenerational dynamic between fictitious comedy legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her new writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) captures so much about being a comedian both in decades past and the current moment as well how it has gotten better/hasn’t changed at all for comedians that are women. Also, Smart and Einbinder’s pairing is one of the more compelling relationships we’ve seen on a screen this year.

Thus, HBO Max has smartly given Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky a second season, which, hopefully will get under way soon and won’t be held up by being in the thick of a pandemic.

If you haven’t given Hacks a shot yet, please get into it as it really is, again, one of the best representations of stand-up ever outside of the real life version of it and is currently one of the best shows on television.

This is not a joke. The queens of comedy are returning for Season 2 of Hacks! #HacksOnHBOMax pic.twitter.com/zb3vsL1WDf

— HBO Max (@hbomax) June 8, 2021

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 63: Ashley Ray & Balancing TV/Going Out Again

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

hacks, i think you should leave, jfl, netflix is a joke fest, new faces, tv i say

Welp, the tides of going back out again and, subsequently, live comedy being performed in person and also, being seen in-person, are rising. Ashley Ray is riding high on that said tide as she has road dates now all across America and a special coming out this month on HBO Max after making it through quarantine with a popular newsletter and podcast, TV, I Say. Ray runs through her comedy journey through the pandemic with TCB’s Jake Kroeger leading to quite an entrance back into the world. Also, we definitely talk about Jeff Singer resigning as the JFL New Faces Booker, Netflix Is a Joke Fest returning, and more.

Follow Ashley @theeashleyray on Twitter, @theashleyray on IG, and listen to TV, I Say wherever you get podcasts.

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: FresHair 6/25

comedy shows, dave merheje, echo park, in person shows, jade catta preta, los angeles, rell battle

Before the pandemic happened, one of Echo Park’s biggest barbershops, American Barbershop, was home to a handful of really fun comedy shows. During the pandemic, they transitioned to having it outside, but still with a very cool, vintage barber’s chair on stage.

Now, with things opening up again, FresHair Comedy is going strong putting on a very cool comedy show in the heart of Echo Park in LA. They’ve got, for this latest show this month, Dave Merheje, Rell Battle, and Jade Catta-Preta along with esteemed producers Renee Gauthier, Ryan Dalton, and Allison Leber on the line-up and there will be, as we have seen them do in the past, plenty more great LA-based comedians (or ones that just happen to be in town).

This June edition of FresHair is set for Fri. Jun. 25th at 9PM PT and tickets are on sale starting at $15. Go snag them up before they sell out.

I Think You Should Leave Season 2 Is Coming Less Than a Month From Now

i think you should leave, netflix

Whether you think 2020 was ten years long or not, it has been way too long since one of the best sketch shows in recent memory, I Think You Should Leave, has been away. Sure, the season 1 sketches are timeless and, for our money, the nachos sketch will be something will be telling folks about for years, but we very much need unabashed absurdity from Tim Robinson and company that ties into insufferable characters needing to leave a given situation.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too much (depending on your sense of time these days) longer as it has just been announced that season 2 is premiering on July 6th on Netflix. Make sure you clear out your schedule and are recovered from whatever the hell you’re planning on doing on July 4th, so you can get ready for what, we believe, will be the most quoted sketches of 2021.

I Think You Should Leave Season 2 is coming to Netflix on July 6! Until then? Here's some of the GREATEST HITS from Season 1.@samrichardson pic.twitter.com/4D8PpK5df3

— Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) June 8, 2021

Pick of the Day: The Frogtown Show 6/12

chris garcia, comedy show, daniel webb, danielle perez, emily maya mills, erin lennox, frogtown show, jared goldstein, lindsay ames, naomi ekperigin, stand up comedy

Way before the pandemic was even a shadow of a worry of a thought, there was a magical outdoor venue in LA, Spoke Bicycle Cafe, that had a magical comedy show, The Frogtown Show.

It was a bi-weekly stand-up show that happened in the open spaces within this part-cafe-part-bar-part-bicycle-repair-shop-part-playground that is flanked by the more scenic parts of the LA River. They always got fantastic line-ups and this Jun. 12th edition is no different. The amazing trio of Jared Goldstein, Emily Maya Mills, and Erin Lennox will lead off Chris Garcia, Naomi Ekperigin, Danielle Perez, Daniel Webb, and Lindsay Ames.

In case you forgot, that’s some of LA comedy’s best and brightest.

Tickets are going for $10 per table (tables are for 2) and upwards with a 2 drink min. Go get them here before they sell out fast.

Julio Torres Gives Ziwe Permission to ADR Lots of His Interview However She Pleases

julio torres, ziwe

In a very short time, Ziwe has become noted for her interview style, which some interviewees see as walking through a devilishly fun minefield of getting baited on any sort of controversial topics.

Her latest guest on this past Sunday’s episode of Ziwe, comedian, SNL writer and Los Espookys co-creator Julio Torres opted a new, pandemic friendly tactic with engaging with Ziwe’s often sharply barbed questions by keeping his face mask on the whole time and encouraging Ziwe and her staff to ADR (automated dialogue replacement) any of his answers as to make them much more spicy and problematic.

Please enjoy how much this interview is augmented here. Also, you really ought to be watching Ziwe every Sunday on Showtime (or streaming on Showtime Anytime). Truly, we can’t say that enough for how damn funny it is.

Netflix Is a Joke Festival Is Happening in 2022

comedy festival, netflix, netflix is a joke fest

One of the first major comedy festivals to get taken away by COVID-19 was what was supposed to be LA’s next big comedy festival, Netflix Is a Joke Festival. They had all sorts of big time headliners and plenty of their handpicked talent lined up for dozens and dozens of shows set for spring 2020.

Of course, that didn’t happen and seemingly, we were unsure of the fate of the festival when it the whole thing was scrapped as lockdown took hold in America.

Now, Netflix is aiming for Apr. 29th-May 8th of 2022, ostensibly just over two years from the original date for the actual, inaugural Netflix Is a Joke Festival. No line-up is announced as of yet, but trust that with several months time and it being Netflix footing the bill, it’s will very likely big and, by then, you might not even need a mask to watch a comedy show indoors.

Get more info at netflixisajokefest.com

Pick of the Day: Stamptown (in NY & LA)

clowning, comedy shows, daniel simonsen, idiot, jo firestone, jordan temple, la comedy, Marcia Belsky, martin urbano, nyc comedy, rosebud baker, stamptown, stavros halkias, zach zucker

Before lockdown, you may have not gotten a chance to catch the madcap variety show that is Stamptown hosted by one of its fearless leader Zach Zucker, but you damn well better not miss your chance this time around. It’s a wild round-up of comedians from every corner of comedy, though it definitely leans in to comedy’s more chaotic, alternative edges.

They’re currently doing recurring shows in both NY and LA, outdoors and indoors, for fully vaccinated audiences. They’ve got a backyard show lined-up for Jun. 15th in NYC as well two indoors shows, Jun. 17th @ Asylum NYC and Jun. 23rd @ Union Hall.

Follow them @stamptown on IG for further updates on shows as they sell out pretty quick.

Line-up for 6/17:
Rosebud Baker
Marcia Belsky
Please Don’t Destroy
Aj Holmes
Steve Girard
Daniel Simonsen
Jordan Temple
& Emily Wilson

Line-up for 6/23:
Jo Firestone
Martin Urbano
Larry Owens
Daniel Simonsen
Stavros Halkias
Marcia Belsky

HBO Max to Release Specials from Meg Stalter and Ashley Ray as Part of Pride 2021

ashley ray, comedy special, Meg Stalter

Pride 2021 or not, (Happy Pride, by the way) both Meg Stalter and Ashley Ray both deserve their own comedy specials.

You very likely have seen Stalter play a gloriously oblivious assistant on Hacks, but she has been a delightful agent of chaos on comedy stages for years (and also on her fantastic podcast, Confronting Demons). Ray has had a sharp, whip smart voice when it comes to dissecting pop culture from a black, queer lens and has also been sharing her pinpoint observations on stages all across the country for quite some time.

Now, HBO Max will have their latest specials from Meg and Ashley as part of their nod, as a network, to Pride 2021. Again, no matter the month or what we’re celebrating, we’re very much looking forward to see what both Stalter and Ray have cooked up for their very first specials in the coming weeks.

Robby Hoffman Series “Rivkah” in Development at Showtime

development, rivkah, robby hoffman, showtime

Robby Hoffman has been a favorite of ours for awhile now with her alpha-queer energy that’s undeniably hysterical to us. Even when she is taking over The Chris Gethard Show or pivoting towards a call-in show Robby Hoffman Consulting Group on Planet Scum, Robby has been equal parts domineering and sweet and so damn funny.

So, naturally, it’s thrilling to know that Showtime and A24 have made another smart move (their last one being ZIWE) by developing a scripted series based around Robby’s real life going between her current life as a genderqueer LA woman and her childhood as a closeted girl in a very Hasidic community in Brooklyn.

Whatever the show ends up being, we hope that it gets picked up to series so we can see what Hoffman taking a leading role (like she deserves) looks like.

Also, note that Showtime is making some strong moves with their comedy brand as they have Desus & Mero, ZIWE, and potentially Rivkah.

Robby Hoffman Comedy ‘Rivkah’ In Works At Showtime https://t.co/4gwwiyazjy

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 4, 2021

Pick of the Day: Maria Bamford @ Dynasty Typewriter (Residency)

dynasty typewriter, maria bamford, residency

As we get back to more and more live shows, one of the best people to usher us all into the world of live comedy is the one and only, gracious and hilarious Maria Bamford. Maria had been doing so many virtual comedy shows and helped so many get through so much of quarantine with her life-affirming humor (and, of course, Maria was legitimately great on Zoom too).

Now, with the Dynasty Typewriter open once again (for fully vaccinated audiences), LA audiences can see Maria, live and in-person, once more. In fact, they’ll have several chances to do so with her residency that’ll be at 11:30AM PT (Dynasty Typewriter will have coffee on hand) every Sunday in June and July.

Also, she’ll has lined-up a wondrous showcase of openers for each Sunday that will include Virginia Jones, Laurie Kilmartin, Brandie Posey, Pallavi Gunalan, Laura Park, Pamela Walt, and Danielle Perez.

Tickets are only $10-$15 and you can (and should) go get them here before they sell out.

Season 3 of What We Do In The Shadows To Premiere Sept. 2nd

fx, what we do in the shadows

Remember how What We Do In The Shadows, both season 1 and 2, saved your sanity throughout quarantine? It truly was a godsend for being one of the most hysterical things on TV and season 2 coming in right as lockdown in America started.

That said, we’ve been left wanting more, almost as if we’re vampires ourselves surviving on new episodes of What We Do In The Shadows, but without any premiere date for season 3.

Well, thirst no more as FX just announced that season 3, which has been in and out of production throughout the last year, will premiere on Thurs. Sept. 2nd (and the day after on FX on Hulu). Nandor, Nadja, Laszlo, Colin Robinson, and Guillermo will once try to survive as some “well meaning” vampires on the mean streets of Staten Island.

Getting in on this third season of What We Do In the Shadows will probably be one of the few reasons we’d want to stay home in September.

Pick of the Day: GAYME SHOW 6/25 & 7/2

dave mizzoni, gayme show, matt rogers

Dave Mizzoni and Matt Rogers made GAYME SHOW, hands down, one of the best comedy game shows ever. Straight men are challenged to see if they can become QUEEN OF THE STRAIGHTS via challenges and trivia of the gayest order.

This show was indeed so uproariously fun that it was made into an actual TV show via Quibi (and can be now found on Roku?), but with live comedy coming back, it’ll be happening in one of Brooklyn’s favorite comedy haunts, The Bell House. They’ve got two dates lined-up: Fri. Jun. 25th & Jul. 2nd.

Note: this is an indoors event for vaccinated people only. You will have to show proof of vaccination and there will be no distancing for the show.

Both dates were sold out (and they didn’t even announce the cast/line-up yet), but tickets were added for 6/25 and we highly urge you to snag them at the nice price of $25 ASAP.

Pick of the Day: The Ocean Show (in LA) 6/6

blair socci, comedy shows, dj demers, jeremiah watkins, los angeles, malibu, outdoors comedy, zainab johnson

Without a doubt, The Ocean Show has the most gorgeous back drop of any live comedy show with the sunset glistening cinematically off of the Pacific Ocean. Also, it’s a very outdoors stand-up show that literally happens on the sands of Malibu’s heavenly Will Rogers State Beach.

There’s so much room to distance and keep to yourself/your bubble while enjoying many of LA’s finest. One of our favorite moments in comedy of all last year actually came at this show when Moses Storm frolicked in the ocean in a suit only to attempt to finish his set while soaking and freezing.

This edition of The Ocean Show is set for this Sun. Jun. 6th with a line-up that includes the Blair Socci, Zainab Johnson, Jeremiah Watkins, and DJ Demers.

“Doors” at 6PM PT and the show at 6:30PM PT and tickets are $20. Please go get them here and make this very worthy trek to the beach.