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Danny McBride’s ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Renewed for Season 2 at HBO
September 9, 2019
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danny mcbride, hbo, renewed, the righteous gemstones

Danny McBride’s ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Renewed for Season 2 at HBO

It’s almost unsurprising how good Danny McBride’s The Righteous Gemstones is (and we’re only a few episodes in). McBride’s consistency up for dark comedy excellence with Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals is held up by this examination of a televangelist family coming apart fast at the seams.

So, it’s almost expected that The Righteous Gemstones would get a second season over at HBO. We can’t wait to see what McBride and co. do with this second season, especially if you’ve heard all the directions that he has gone with this first season on his ep. of The Good One Podcast.
September 9, 2019
Uncategorized
cagematch, comedy tournament, improv comedy, improv tournament, long form improv, ucb, upright citizens brigade

The best of the best of the best of UCB’s improv teams (and, man, are they good) are duking it out in the annual The Cagematch 2019 Winners Tournament over the next month and a half. 

The match-ups and schedules are as follows:

Wednesday, September 11th – 11pm @ UCB Franklin
#1 Lotta People Here Tonight (Shaun Diston & Devin Field) [26-0; Del Close Marathon 2019 Champions]
vs.
#8 k3wlAZN420 (Lizz Adams, Chuck Maa, Allyn Pintal, & Erich Tamola)[1-1; interim champs]

Wednesday, September 18th – 11pm @ UCB Franklin
#2 The House of Gains (Brennan Lee Mulligan & Lou Wilson) [7-1]
vs.
#7 Fruits & Nuts (Ava Palazzolo, Brenda Marie Davies, Jackie Young, Mya Dalton, Zoe Travis, & Mark Renaudin) [UCB Indie Tournament Champions]

Wednesday, September 25th – 11pm @ UCB Franklin
#3 WILD (Amanda Bonar, Molly Doan, Meg Joh, Cara Meyers, Allyson Phillips, & Jessica Svendsgaard) [6-2]
vs.
#6 Musical The Musical! (Matt Harbert, Angie Englebert, Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, Leah McCormick, Andrew Paulsen, Carlie Craig, Gabe Greenspan, Rachel Borders, Jessica Poter, & Alison Tafel) [1-1]

Wednesday, October 2nd – 11pm @ UCB Franklin
#4 Adumer, Tart, & Neal (Aman Adumer, Jacquis Neal, & Carl Tart) [6-0; current champs]
vs.
#5 Hottest Ppl On Earth (“Danny Beckman”, Tracey Kennedy, & “Kyle Thompson”) [UCB 3-on-3 Tournament Champions]

Then, semifinals will be hed October 9th & October 16th and 2019 Cagematch champion will be determined on Oct. 23rd all at 11PM at UCB Franklin, hosted by The Pasadena Plague (Ryan Hitchcock, Mark David Christenson, and Jane Kim).

Tickets for 9/11, 9/18, 9/26 are all on sale right now. Go get tickets quick before for $7 a pop before they sell out.

Julio Torres Reveals a Rejected Sketch and One of His Oddest Moments at SNL
September 7, 2019
Uncategorized
julio torres, late night, seth meyers, snl

Julio Torres is on his own comedic wavelength (ex. My Favorite Shapes, Los Espookys) and not easing up for anyone, which makes him all the more wonderful. 

This clip from his most recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers is further proof of his otherworldly charm wherein he shares a sketch that he never got to make at SNL and how he freaked out one of the interns. Please enjoy here.

Please Enjoy Courtney Karwal’s Mockumentary Short Film “Homer”
September 7, 2019
Uncategorized
courtney karwal, short film

Courtney Karwal is a dreamer and has a (mostly) can do attitude. Thus, this mockumentary short Homer is a testament to that spirit (and how funny Courtney is).

Without further adieu, please enjoy Homer here.

The Ruby Theater Needs Your Help to Move (and Stay Open)
September 6, 2019
Uncategorized
crowdfunding, fundraiser, gofundme, the ruby la

Well, the block which used to house Meltdown Comics/Nerdmelt Showroom and currently houses the lovely indie comedy theater/school The Ruby LA is being torn down into turned into condos (probably high priced with commercial space on the first floor as is the trend currently in LA).

They have to be out of 7518 W. Sunset Blvd. by Nov. 30th and they’ll need your help in moving to keep the spirit of the great all-inclusive feminist-led theater alive. 

We’ll let the folks at The Ruby LA tell you a bit more.

They’re just looking for $15K to keep The Ruby LA going. So, please support them at their GoFundMe here. 

Quentin Dupieux’s Latest ‘Deerskin’ Starring Jean Dujardin to Be Get U.S. Theatrical Release Through Greenwich Entertainment
September 6, 2019
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deerskin, quentin dupieux

Quentin Dupieux’s Latest ‘Deerskin’ Starring Jean Dujardin to Be Get U.S. Theatrical Release Through Greenwich Entertainment

Wrong from Quentin Dupieux is one of the most bonkers, hysterical, absurdist comedies that we’ve ever seen. To try to even sum up the insane, hilarious head trip the film takes you through would be a disservice. Just watch it knowing we busted up throughout.

So, only hearing that Jean Dujardin (Oscar winning star of The Artist) stars in Dupieux’s latest as a man whose life is changed by a “100% deerskin jacket” is enough for us to get on board with whatever’s being cooked up here. 

We’ll get our chance soon as Deerskin just got picked up for U.S. distribution by Greenwich Entertainment in 2020 after a few more screenings on the festival circuit.
September 6, 2019
Uncategorized
afternoon delight, jamar neighbors, johnny pemberton, lindsay adams, prank calling, richard bain

Prankster comedian extraordinaire Brendon Walsh is getting back in touch with his prankster roots with a new monthly show that will feature both stand-up as well as Brendon prank calling people live (quite a feat to do these days if you can pull it off). 

Called Afternoon Delight, you’ll get to enjoy such hijinks at 4PM on a Sunday at Silverlake’s The Friend, all for FREE. This first Afternoon Delight on this Sunday should be a damn good time with Johnny Pemberton, Richard Bain, Jamar Neighbors, and Lindsay Adams. 

“97.9 The Rat Race” Is Great, Dark Send-Up of Morning Zoo Crew Radio
September 6, 2019
Uncategorized
97.9, ben roy, beth hoyt, chris marrs, comedy podcast, morning talk radio, parody, scripted podcast, the rat race
image

The “morning zoo crew style of talk radio” has been well etched into the minds of many a generation. The over-the-top sound effects, inclusion and simultaneous domination of female voices, and the obnoxious wackiness are all too familiar as a radio programming format. 

Ben Roy (Those Who Can’t, The Grawlix) has thus done a dark, satirical, and spot-on send up of such a program with his great, new podcast 97.9 The Rat Race.  It has all the trappings of “classic” morning talk radio, but just twists the knife with how ridiculous it really is. Roy is joined by Chris Marrs and Beth Hoyt for short and oh so wryly sweet episodes that follow what happens when the sound effects can’t cover up what’s really going on in the lives of morning radio.

Get into 97.9 The Rat Race on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Looks Like Eddie Murphy Is Finally Returning To Stand-up Comedy Next Year
September 5, 2019
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eddie murphy

Looks Like Eddie Murphy Is Finally Returning To Stand-up Comedy Next Year

Though that gigantic multi-million deal for a comedy special at Netflix has only been rumored, Eddie Murphy has made it official that he’s finally making his way back to stand-up next year. 

That might mean he’ll be dropping in at spots around LA and NYC this year. 

Murphy has been known to keep tabs on stand-up comedy throughout the years even though he hasn’t gone on stage to perform for so many years, save for his Mark Twain Prize acceptance in 2015. We were wondering when the itch to get back into it would finally get to Murphy, especially since people have begged for his return for so long. 

What will be curious to see is Eddie come back into stand-up in 2019-2020 with a national election cycle in full swing and the idea of saying what you want in stand-up comedy being held to a higher standard than it once was. 

Honestly, we have no idea what Murphy might do with this stand-up comeback as he has been gone so long, so we, like so many others, will probably be waiting at the edge of our seats for it.
September 5, 2019
Uncategorized
anna drezen, asif ali, chris fairbanks, comedy central, comedy show, free show, free taping, kate willett, moses storm, pete lee, rae sanni, shane torres, silverlake, stand up comedy, the satellite, tv taping, zack fox

Comedy Central is doing more rounds of their digital stand-up showcase Comedy Central Stand-Up Featuring, which highlights nice and tight sets of folks that you both, hopefully, already know and love as well as some newcomers that you absolutely should know (lord knows that we’ve sang the praises of almost all of these four line-ups.

It’s free so long as you RSVP. 

8PM on 9/11 is already sold out, but you can snag tickets for the other shows here:
10PM Wed. Sept. 11th
8PM Thurs. Sept. 12th
10PM Thurs. Sept. 12th

FYI, it should read Jenny Zigrino and Logan Guntzelman where the flyers cut off.

Hulu Orders Multi-Cam Pilot ‘Ms. Pat Show’ Based on Ms. Pat
September 5, 2019
Uncategorized
hulu, ms. pat, the ms. pat show

Hulu Orders Multi-Cam Pilot ‘Ms. Pat Show’ Based on Ms. Pat

Ms. Pat has one hell of a story going from walking tall in some mean streets to becoming a very funny national touring headlining comedian. Certainly, it’s the sort of the story that’s worth being a TV show.

Given the explicit and graphic nature of a lot of Ms. Pat’s stories, we are curious to see how it’ll play out in multi-cam format. Perhaps, they’ll take The Ranch’s approach on Netflix and have it be an explicit multi-cam show. We’re not sure how and if they’ll have to format the show (or not) for the typical multi-cam audience. 

What we are sure of is that we’re glad that Ms. Pat has her own show because she is deserving to tell her story on television, both, as a comedian and one damn fascinating person. 

“Joe Pera Talks With You” Gets a Season Two at Adult Swim, Coming This Holiday Season
September 4, 2019
Uncategorized
adult swim, joe pera, joe pera talks with you, renewed, season 2
image

Hands down, this is one of the most important series renewals, as far as we’re concerned, this year.

The quiet, yet subversive of humor of Joe Pera got to be fully realized in its own TV universe in the quasi-docu-faux-reality series Joe Pera Talks With You on Adult Swim. It’s brilliant, calming, and so damn funny.

Now, it’s get a season two that will come just in time for the holidays.

Here’s details from Joe himself:

Big news I can finally share – season two of  
‘Joe Pera Talks With You’ will be coming out this holiday season on @adultswim.

There are 14 new episodes, each with new topics, and I will let you speculate whether this fire hydrant will be introduced as a new major character.

Now, that this is the case. We don’t mind if people start the holiday season early.

Please Enjoy “Sports Without Equipment with Coach Keith Alejo”
September 4, 2019
Uncategorized
character comedy, frankie quinones, sketch comedy, sports without equipment

Please Enjoy “Sports Without Equipment with Coach Keith Alejo”

OK, we’ll just say that this is the latest and greatest character from the immensely talented Frankie Quinones and, if you don’t already know, you best get into everything Frankie as he is in the process of breaking big (he’s playing the Wiltern at the end of this month FYI).

Now, we’ll let this sublime silliness speak for itself. Please watch and enjoy (over and over and over).
September 4, 2019
Uncategorized
aimee mann, john hodgman, medallion status

John Hodgman is set to return to our coast once more, this time with a brand new book in hand, Medallion Status (release date-Oct. 15th), which follows his time in becoming one of the best contributors on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, traveling the country with a certain level of fame, and, hence the title, gaining Medallion Status as a very frequent flyer.

He’ll be on a book tour for Medallion Status and, for his LA stop, will be chatting it up with the one and only Aimee Mann at the Aratani Theatre, Thurs. Oct. 24th.

Tickets are as follows:
$50.00 Reserved Section  (includes book)*
$40.00 General Admission Section  (includes book)*
$20.00 General Admission Section (on sale Sept 24, 10am)

Get more info and tickets later this month here.

JoJo Rabbit’s Full Trailer Promises a Brilliant (and Very Fun) Piece of Satire
September 3, 2019
Uncategorized
jojo rabbit, taika waititi, trailer

When first hearing about Taika Waititi’s project where a kid has Hitler as an imaginary friend, one had to wonder what exactly the celebrated writer/director/actor had up his sleeve (especially in these days where white supremacy seems to be on the rise again).

That being said, over years over great pieces of cinema, we should have faith that Waititi would deliver something special. From the looks of the just released full trailer for JoJo Rabbit, Waititi might be delivering his most poignant work yet. Thus far, it appears to be a sharply crafted satire that follows why being a Nazi is bad from the perspective caught up in the Nazi Youth, but still full of Waititi’s trademark playful sense of irony.

There’s promise here that might warrant timing whatever standing ovations that JoJo Rabbit would get in its opening week

See for yourself in the trailer here, then look for JoJo Rabbit’s theatrical release on Oct. 18th.

Conan Without Borders: Greenland Premieres Tonight
September 3, 2019
Uncategorized
conan without borders, greenpoint, team coco
image

Conan O’Brien’s excursions as, perhaps, America’s best and, certainly, funniest  ambassador have been some of Conan’s best work and make him continue to stand out in an increasingly crowded late night field.

Conan Without Borders: Greenland is no exception and O’Brien even raises the bar with this latest travel special. He does so by satirically showing how very, very, very stupid it is to go around Greenland to tell them that they’re going to be part of America via being purchased by Trump. It might be Conan’s most pointed Conan Without Borders and, thus, he gets some of the best reactions and hysterical moments from Greenland’s very gracious, upstanding people.

So, watch Conan Without Borders: Greenland at 10PM on TBS tonight (or tomorrow on TeamCoco.com)

Between Two Ferns: The Movie Trailer Is Here
September 3, 2019
Uncategorized
between two ferns, between two ferns the movie, lauren lapkus, netflix, scott aukerman, zach galifianakis

Well, Zach Galifianakis and Scott Aukerman are taking Between Two Ferns out of the studio with a crew (that happens to feature Lauren Lapkus) that we actually get to see along with their two ferns across America (plus a plethora of A-list cameos including Matthew McConaughey, Brie Larson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Chrissy Teigen). What was just a Funny or Die sketch has turned into one of the Internet’s most enduring web series and now, a major motion picture (that won’t be in theaters?). 

In fact, given that every episode of Between Two Ferns has technically been a bottle episode (an episode of a series that takes place with minimal sets, cast, effects, locations, etc. mainly for budgetary reasons), would this be the “anti-bottle episode” with how much more outlandish everything is in this movie adaptation?

See for yourself in the trailer, then look for Between Two Ferns: The Movie on Netflix on Fri., Sept. 20th.
September 3, 2019
Uncategorized
chase bernstein, lyric hyperion, scream 3

When it comes to the prospect of sharing home movies/student films that you made in high school or college, most people laugh it off because they never want to share such premature work (even if they went on to become very accomplished in some sort creative field). 

One comedian, Chase Bernstein, made such a film, Scream 3, for her bat mizvah with her dad, Barry Bernstein directing, and has the bravery to revisit this film with an exclusive Q&A that’ll include the cast, Chase’s brothers and sisters. 

Chase’s combination of subtlety and unapologetic silliness as a stand-up comedian should make this an unforgettable night. Please go get tickets here.

Here’s the Trailer for Bill Burr’s Latest Special “Paper Tiger”
September 3, 2019
Uncategorized
bill burr, comedy special, netflix, stand up comedy

Well, Netflix is really rolling out the big specials one right after the other. Last week was Chappelle’s Sticks and Stones and, next week, it’ll be Burr’s latest hour, Paper Tiger. 

This time around, Burr taped his special at London’s revered Royal Albert Hall, his biggest venue for a special yet (just over 5,500 w/o production crew). Burr’s penchant for being a contrarian, we’re truly curious what this latest hour will be and the conversations that will undoubtedly be held around it. 

We’ll just have to wait and see if Burr has flawless comedic logic yet again come Tues., Sept. 10th on Netflix. In the meantime, watch the trailer for Paper Tiger here. 
September 2, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy show, hollywood, hollywood forever cemetery, los angeles, secret society of the sisterhood, storytelling

Every few full moons, Trish Nelson assembles several of her favorite female performers, dons them a red hooded cloaks, and gives them the stage of the venerable Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for The Secret Society of the Sisterhood.

That time for another edition of The Secret Society of the Sisterhood is upon us, specifically Sept. 11th at 8PM, with a line-up of Jackie Fuchs, Mara Wilson, Cameron Esposito, Akilah Hughes, and Kay Hanley. As far as secret hooded ceremonies go, it’s very much our speed.

Tickets for The Secret Society of the Sisterhood are $20 and you can and should go get them here.

FYI, “a portion of our proceeds will go to WriteGirl, an organization that helps to lift and inspire young girls discover their talents and hone their voices through writing mentorships. writegirl.org”

Enjoy Trailer for Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins
August 31, 2019
Uncategorized
documentary, molly ivins, raise hell, trailer

Razor sharp, unapologetic, outspoken, and often, brutally funny, it almost comes as a surprise that renowned journalist Molly Ivins never found her way into stand-up. Ivins made herself into a famous iconolast with her vast collection of writing whether it be for a Texas publication or The New York Times.

Nevertheless, this documentary about the fireband Texas-raised liberal pundit/journalist/humorist called Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins from director Janice Engel looks pretty damned entertaining.

See for yourself in the trailer for Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins here.

FYI, the doc is set for a theatrical release in September and portions of every ticket sold will benefit the ACLU.

Trailer for “The Laundromat” Makes It Seem Like It’ll Be 2019′s The Big Short
August 30, 2019
Uncategorized
netflix, panama papers, the laundromat, trailer

Like Adam McKay’s The Big Short, The Laundromat looks to be a high energy, satirical takedown of how little oversight is happening when it comes to where the money goes and is hidden on global and national levels. Also, there’s a beyond stellar cast (Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman already stand out superbly from the trailer alone), a very accomplished director in Steven Soderbergh at the helm, and a few cheeky breaks of the fourth wall.

That’s all to say that we’re pretty on board for this and can’t wait for it to drop on Netflix and make it into theaters this fall. 

See for yourself in The Laundromat trailer here.
August 30, 2019
Uncategorized
alzheimer's, benefit show, comedy benefit, dtla, hilarity for charity, seth rogen

Seth Rogen’s big annual comedy benefit Hilarity for Charity that raises money to “improv the lives of everyone affected by Alzheimer’s” is back and bigger than ever. Rogen used to hold the festivities at the Hollywood Palladium and then got to make a Netflix special out of the whole shindig.

Now, they’re throwing an entire carnival and calling if the Hilarity For Charity County Fair and The Row DTLA (where the Adult Swim Festival has taken place). On the bill thus far are: Ilana Glazer, Adam Devine, Andrew Rannells,  Casey Wilson, Ike Barinholtz, Jeff Ross, Kate Micucci, Nick Kroll, Regina Hall, Riki Lindhome, and more. Indeed, there will be live performances, but there will also be carnival rides, and classic carnival games that comedians will be in the booths for.

There are early bird tickets for $150, but you can pay as much as $25K to support Hilarity for Charity and their efforts in taking on Alzheimer’s Disease. Get more details and tickets here.

National Lampoon Radio Hour Is Getting Rebooted with Cole Escola and Jo Firestone as Some of Its First Cast Members
August 29, 2019
Uncategorized
cole escola, forever dog, jo firestone, national lampoon, national lampoon radio hour

National Lampoon Radio Hour Is Getting Rebooted with Cole Escola and Jo Firestone as Some of Its First Cast Members

The new National Lampoon has a lot of very fascinating things in the works (as well as taking on a new, fresh direction with renowned comedy brand that is more forward looking in 2019 and onwards). This revival of the National Lampoon Radio Hour, one of National Lampoon’s original milestones, is one such project in the works that we’re very excited about.

The announcement of Cole Escola and Jo Firestone as the first cast members (of which there will be more) has us even more hyped as Cole and Jo are particularly brilliant when it comes to playing characters and thinking outside of the box.

We’re not exactly sure what the new variety sketch radio show will be like, but we have a sneaking suspicion that it might be absurd and wonderful when it comes out.

The Dollop Expands for England and U.K. Spin-Off
August 29, 2019
Uncategorized
comedy podcast, dave anthony, gareth reynolds, history podcast, the dollop
image

For years now, Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds have gallivanted through America and Australian (and Icelandic) history’s weirdest and darkest moments for one of the best comedy/history podcasts in existence, The Dollop.

On occasion, when Gareth gets to flip the format of reading the story that Dave would have no idea about, it’ll get to cover some UK history (Phantom of the Open and Tommy Cooper are some really stellar episodes).

Well, the time has come (especially as they’re going on tour in the UK) for them to cover some of Great Britain’s darkest and weirdest historic moments, of which they have plenty (maybe more as they’ve been around longer than the US and Australia?).

Dave and Gareth have 10 eps. lined up for what they’re calling The Dollop England and the UK. Already, two episodes are up; one covering a rather sinister charlatan and the other on one of the most famous/infamous mascots in UK sports history. 

We can only hope that the live eps. have the crowds chant Garfy when Gareth takes to the stage as a British twist on the “Gary chant” at all other live Dollop tapings.

Get into The Dollop England & the UK here or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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