After a long absence, The Twilight Zone returns with one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history. Sci-fi writers have dabbled often with alternative history stories – among the most common is the “What If The Nazis Had Won The Second World War” setting – but this huge interactive virtual reality project, which will unfold on TV, in the press, and on Twitter over the next four years, sets out to build an ongoing alternative present. The story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017 in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible. Today’s feature-length opener concentrates on the gaudy inauguration of President Trump, and the stirrings of protest and despair surrounding the ceremony, while pundits speculate gravely on what lies ahead. It’s a flawed piece, but a disturbing glimpse of the horrors we could stumble into, if we’re not careful.
Reggie Watts and his Late Late Show band Karen return for their first show of 2017 tomorrow at The Satellite. Per usual, it’ll be an amazing night of unbelievable music and Reggie riffing, vamping, etc.
Get tickets here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Comedy Crawl and Open Mic Run All Updated for Next Week
Comedy Crawl and Open Mic Run All Updated for Next Week
Leading up to the inauguration this week, we’ve got listings for comedy shows, events, and open mics all around LA.
Check our listings here.
Portlandia Gets an 8th Season, Which Will Be Its Final Season
Portlandia Gets an 8th Season, Which Will Be Its Final Season
The final season will air in 2018 and we’re sure there will be plenty instances where 8 birds will be put on it, whatever “it” may be.
Also, remember that Kyle MacLachlan will go from Portlandia to Twin Peaks this year. So, don’t fret too much.
Louis CK and Albert Brooks Will Be a Buddy Cop Duo in an Animated Series EP’d by Greg Daniels at TBS
Louis CK and Albert Brooks Will Be a Buddy Cop Duo in an Animated Series EP’d by Greg Daniels at TBS
Those are three names that will automatically generate instant, big time buzz about a comedy series. All three are living and working comedy legends and this show seems like the TV version of those rock supergroups, but for comedy fans.
Even though this is an animated series, the presence of CK and Brooks and the existence of Angie Tribeca on TBS leads us to think that this series will be more a little more, if not a lot more, serious than Tribeca.
Aside from all of that, CK will basically be the cop that he was on Parks and Recreation, right?
Johan Miranda is a very funny comedian that could face losing everything he’s gotten under DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) when the Trump Administration begins.
So, Party in the Back, the weekly show held in the back of a barbershop, is holding a benefit for him accepting any and all donations. They have a great line-up that including David Gborie and Megan Gailey who recently appeared on Conan as well as Johan headlining the show himself.
A Benefit for Johan Miranda will be held this Wednesday, January 18th at New California Barbershop in Echo Park at 8PM.
Get more details here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Poster by Ivy McNally
Comedy Crawl All Updated for Next Week
Comedy Crawl All Updated for Next Week
By the way, Inauguration Day is this week and if you need to go to a comedy show in LA, we got you covered.
FYI, there’s so much comedy to watch this week.
TruTV Orders 10 Episodes of an Amy Sedaris Comedy Series
TruTV Orders 10 Episodes of an Amy Sedaris Comedy Series
Attention Strangers with Candy fans (i.e. probably a lot of you reading this), Amy Sedaris will be doing her own show on TruTV for ten episodes where she comedically presents all of her hobbies, skills, obsessions, etc.
Perhaps, this might be Sedaris’ version of Jon Glaser Loves Gear, which is something we’ll completely sign on for.
Nick Offerman & Megan Mullally-Summer of 69: No Apostrophe Will Air as Special on Epix
Nick Offerman & Megan Mullally-Summer of 69: No Apostrophe Will Air as Special on Epix
Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally’s love for each other has set a new bar for relationship goals: a TV special based on a successful world tour.
One of our favorite comedy variety showcases around, The Super Serious Show, have their first show of 2017 stacked.
Brooks Wheelan, Pete Holmes, Johnny Pemberton, Amanda Seales, Ian Edwards, Anna Seregina, and a short film from Giancarlo Fiorentini and Jonathan Grimm are all lined-up for next week.
Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at door. Please get them here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Poster by Barry Blankenship.
The 2017 Riot LA Comedy Festival Is Less Than a Week Away
Lindsay Ames’ My Diary, The Best Friends Show with Kim and Aliya, Literary Death Match with Adrian Todd Zuniga, Crabapples with Bobcat Goldthwait and Caitlin Gill, and Crane’s Bar (as shown above) are just a few of the lovely things to be at this year’s Riot LA Comedy Festival.
There will also be a round of Todd Barry’s Crowd Work Tour, an international comedy showcase, a best of the best short film showcase, and plenty more even beyond that (as you can see in the flyer below).
In short, it’s something that you’ll want to go to in you’re in town, whether you see comedy a lot like we do or not.
As we already pointed out, January 19th-22nd, the dates for Riot LA, are less than a week away and so get your passes, tickets ASAP (My Favorite Murder, Ali Wong, and more have already sold out) here.
The Gorburger Show Finds a New Home at Comedy Central
The Gorburger Show Finds a New Home at Comedy Central
From a web series at Funny or Die and Warner Sound to an HBO pilot, TJ Miller and a blue demon have landed The Gorburger Show at Comedy Central for 8 episodes this spring.
For years, we’ve loved TJ voicing a blue demon that battles his more killer instincts to host his own talk show after brutally taking over a TV station. Do your due diligence and catch up on the original Gorburger Show here.
If this goes well enough, maybe Gorburger could host the Critics Choice Awards next year?
Andrés du Bouchet Plays a Recently Defected Kompromat on Conan
Breaking the fourth wall, rolling with whatever comes along, clever ridiculousness, and Andrés du Bouchet are just some of the reasons why some of best late night sketches are on Conan.
Watch du Bouchet’s latest turn as a recently defected Russian ‘kompromat’ (state sponsored blackmailer) here.
Fox’s Making History Gets a New Trailer and a Premiere Date
Phil Lord and Chris Miller continue to leave their high concept comedy mark on Fox with the arrival of Making History, written by Julius Sharpe (you probably know his work from Family Guy or Twitter).
Adam Pally, Yassir Lester, John Gemberling, Neil Casey, and Leighton Meester all join forces for this time travel comedy, which, from the newest trailer, looks like it could be a more grown-up, smarter version of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
If you’re now or already on board, Making History just got a premiere date as well: Sunday, March 5th.
Here’s an 8-Bit Version of The Rick and Morty Opening
Sure, Rick would probably comment on how making 8-bit versions of things is just capitalizing on your nostalgia, but Paul Robertson does such a good job of making an 8-bit version of the Rick and Morty opening that it’s worth it.
Next week will bring plenty of comedy that’s addresses a certain inauguration. Ian Abramson’s will actually have a show featuring the inauguration of one Mayor McCheese that, we’re guessing, is going to be way less innocent than the McCheese you know in McDonald’s ads. Get more details here.
That inauguration will take place this upcoming Tuesday at 7PM and tickets are only $5. Please get them here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Cinemax Orders “Mike Judge Presents: Tales From the Tour Bus” an Animated Country Musician Comedy from Mike Judge
We can’t help but feel that this project falls right in the middle between the spectrum of Mike Judge’s King of the Hill and Silicon Valley, right?
Eight episodes are due out later this year at Cinemax.
Kelly MacFarland’s “You Woke Up Today” Is The First Must Listen Comedy Album of 2017
Kelly MacFarland carved a great hour for her brand new album You Woke Up Today drawing unapologetically from her hysterical vignettes of her life as a middle-aged stepmom. It’s equal parts honest, vulnerable, and sweet, which results in a really fun ride through the whole record.
There are plenty of comedy specials already out on Netflix for 2017, but You Woke Up Today is definitely the first comedy album release you should give a listen to this year.
This album comes out on Friday, January 13th and you can (and should) get it off of iTunes here.
Kate Berlant and John Early Have a Surrealist Comedy Mini Series “555″ Coming to Vimeo and It Just Got a Trailer
The duo of Kate Berlant and John Early with director Andrew DeYoung are a comedy power trio that needs to be on all of your radars.
Both Berlant and Early have already gotten to do works separately on Netflix’s Characters and DeYoung has directed both of them before in such fine work as Dinner Party.
Their latest collaboration will arrive in the form of a Vimeo on Demand mini-series of short films called 555. (the series’ focus on “a stark, humid, surreality of Hollywood,” probably suggests the 555 to be a reference to the three digit prefix that signifies a fake telephone number primarily used in movies and television.)
Get a delicious taste of what’s in store for 555 in this trailer, then you can buy (or pre-order) all five episodes for $3.99 at Vimeo on Tuesday, January 31st.
Norm MacDonald Crams Himself Into an Old Porsche for Latest Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Norm MacDonald Crams Himself Into an Old Porsche for Latest Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Jerry Seinfeld really has a knack, as Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has shown, for getting big time comedians to reveal facets of their true selves while going on a luxurious day about whatever town Jerry’s in for that episode.
In the latest episode, Norm MacDonald shows pretty much all the facets of himself, from being subtle in his goofiness to razor sharp in his observations, when sitting down with Seinfeld for coffee.
Somehow, as Jerry even points out, there is something very appropriate about hanging with Norm in a rusty old car in the rain and it is, indeed, kind of perfect.
Watch the episode here.
Donald Glover Signs Overall Deal at FX Following Big Golden Globes Win, Has Season 2 of Atlanta Set for 2018
Perhaps, without anyone noticing, Donald Glover has become a power player on his own terms on multiple fronts in Hollywood.
Think about him going from being one of the principal cast members on the beloved TV series Community to also being a stand-up comedian to dropping of all of that to start a very good run as rapper/singer Childish Gambino.
Already, that’s a hell of career.
Now, add being the key creative and star on Atlanta, one of the most critically acclaimed series of 2016 in just its first season, and scoring an overall deal at FX moving forward. Glover’s track record is now among the most impressive in entertainment. Season 2 of Atlanta can’t even debut until sometime next year because of his busy production schedule.
It would be hard to imagine Glover not getting to do whatever he wants at this point.
One of our favorite musical comedy acts (they made our best 100 list), The Cooties, have their first show of 2017 lined-up for this Saturday, January 14th at UCB Sunset at 10:30PM. Their satirical power pop is to not be missed and they’ll have the great absurdist stylings of Ian Abramson joining them too.
Tickets are $7 and you can (and should) get them here.
The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, and maps can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.
Arrested Development Season 5 Close to Happening as Deals for Cast Are Almost Done
Arrested Development Season 5 Close to Happening as Deals for Cast Are Almost Done
According to Hollywood power player and Arrested Development EP Brian Grazer, all the deals for the large, highly in demand cast of Arrested Development (think about Veep, Transparent, Search Party, several feature projects, etc.) are almost done.
That means a fifth season of Arrested Development is almost officially under way. While it’s not official yet and the show has a topsy turvy history of being made, any hint of glimmer of hope these days is worth taking these days.
Chris Fleming Does His Own Take on the Urban Farmers on Forbes’ 30 Under 30
Where Chris Fleming’s mind goes off of just seeing a top 30 Under 30 list on Forbes is magical.
Watch his version of what an ‘urban farmer’ is here.
Watch Trailer for Neal Brennan’s Unique Comedy Special “3 Mics”
Rather than just doing an hour at a single mic, Neal Brennan’s latest comedy special, 3 Mics, opts for literal three microphones on stage at the same time. Brennan will do either one-liners, stories, or bits depending on which mic he is at.
Get a taste of how Brennan will go about that that with this trailer.
Then, look for it to start streaming on Netflix on Tuesday, January 17th.