Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz are, together, one of the most renowned improv teams around, Middleditch + Schwartz, and they’re assembling again for a special night at Largo to benefit saving the Amazon Rainforest that’s under threat once more.
We have no doubt that this Sept. 14th show will sell out (maybe they’ll add a late show soon?). So you best get your tickets for $47.30 a pop (and support a very urgent cause at the same time) real quick right here.
South Side Renewed for Second Season at Comedy Central
Today, both A Black Lady Sketch Show and South Side got renewed for a second season, which gives us a lot of hope for scripted comedy on TV and it genuinely looking more diverse, both in appearance and style.
Also, congrats to Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin for creating South Side and bringing something delightfully offbeat, distinct, and probably what Comedy Central needed right about now.
HBO Picks up ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ for Season 2
It was only a few months ago that we were wondering what the future of sketch comedy held and uncertain if networks/streaming services were going to step up to the plate or just let SNL have a monopoly on all of it.
Well, we’re glad to see that sketch comedy is alive and kicking from all over the place and that HBO, continuing their mission in redefining their comedy brand as boundary pushing and wonderfully weird, has ordered a second season of A Black Lady Sketch Show.
We can’t wait to see what Robin Thede and company do with a whole second season over at HBO.
Continuing to push what the comedy special can be, HBO has their latest hour special showing off one of comedy’s all-time best jokesmiths, Gary Gulman, that will seem to feature Gulman talking about the “depresh” AKA depression and then delving into a documentary exploration of his life and past with said depresh.
Both raising awareness of mental health and having a brand new special from Gulman is 2-for-the-price-of-1 as far as we’re concerned. See it for yourself in the trailer for Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh here, then look for it to premiere on Oct. 5th.
Steven Feinartz (director of The Bitter Buddha and co-creator of Please Understand Me) and David Gborie (had one of our favorite sets on Conan, New Negroes, All Fantasy Everything, and upcoming half-hour special on and current voice of Comedy Central) are two people who we can’t wait to see whatever they’re up to whether it be live shows, short films, docs, etc. etc.
So, they wrote a short film together that Feinartz directed, The Lot, and they’re having an exclusive screening of it (along with a bangin’ stand-up show) next week that you absolutely shouldn’t miss.
Best of all, it’s FREE to attend.
Go RSVP for your tickets right here right now.
The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival has been going for over a decade down in Atlanta, GA via The Laughing Skull Lounge and has worked its way to be one of the most respected comedy festivals in the country.
They’re gearing up for their 2020 run and are now taking submissions for stand-up comedy here.
Deadlines and fees are as follows:
Early deadline-submit by October 20th-$30
Regular deadline-submit by October 21st – December 22nd-$40
Final deadline-submit by December 23rd – Feb. 24th-$50
Their picks for the festival will be announced Mar. 9th, 2020. Go get all the info and submit for The 2020 Laughing Skull Comedy Festival here.
Hosts Heather Anne Campbell and Nick Wiger, as a sort of sacrifice for humanity, have subjected themselves to playing the worst video games of all time (many of which that deserve to be buried in sand more than the infamous video game of adaptation of E.T.) to bring you very satisfying hour of dissecting just how truly bad these games are on the new podcast How Did This Get Played?.
Sure, it’s a Sisyphean task for Heather, Nick, producer Matt Apodaca, and a weekly guest, but the anguish that every one of these video games cause is a pretty great bit of dark, existential humor, especially since you can often feel the rancor they have for having to revisiting these beyond-the-bottom-of-the-bargain-bin games. Such titles include Leisure Suit Larry, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker, Superman 64, and so much more (yeah, there are so many bad video games). You can be a hardcore gamer or barely interested in video games and we’re will to bet that How Did This Get Played? would make for a really good listen.
The name of this podcast, derived from the beloved movie podcast How Did This Get Made?, definitely had a high bar to reach, but most certainly delivers on ripping apart those best/worst video games.
Episodes for How Did This Get Played? drop weekly from Earwolf.
Quibi’s Flipped Has Will Forte & Kaitlin Olson Doing Home Improvement for Drug Cartel
This is yet another very intriguing entry into the upcoming short form streaming service, Quibi.
Having “self-proclaimed” home renovations experts played by Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson who are forced to renovate a drug cartel’s homes is the sort of HGTV show we want to see.
Also, Forte and Olson’s names are Jann and Cricket Melfi, which are perfect names for them and the weirdos that they have to play, and the cartel members will be Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria, and Arturo Castro, making for one hell of a cast for a “short form” series.
Truly, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Quibi is making a compelling case for adding another subscription service to your bundle.
Whether Babs Gray is killing it in the world of podcasts (Lady to Lady and Britney’s Gram) or being a long standing staple in the LA comedy scene or bringing her silliness to the masses across the country, Babs has been a favorite of ours for years.
Thus, we would highly urge you to go check her out doing her own show Babs Gray Does: Babs Do It at the Lyric Hyperion (even if she’s playing coy with exactly what’s going to happen in said show). Go get tickets for Babs Gray Does: Babs Do It, which Babs says are “$4.20 and 80 cents” here.
More akin to Game Night than something like Midsommar, Ready or Not is a very much welcome break from franchise-tentpole fatigue. It’s a rollicking, darkly comedic send-up of the 1% as well as what you’d like to have happen to everyone from Rosemary’s Baby.
In fact, while violent, it’s not so much scary as a satisfying, classy looking satire that earns how ridiculous it gets (kudos to the touch of writers Ryan Murphy and Guy Busick and the directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett). Also, Beatrix Kiddo might have to move over as the badass blood spattered bride for Samara Weaving’s torn, blood spattered wedding dress, accessorized with Chuck Taylors and an an elephant rifle and accompany ammo belt. It’s a pretty iconic look if you ask us.
Also, Nicki Guadagni’s turn as the Cruella Devil-ish Aunt Helene is so funny that it might be worth the price of admission.
Ready or Not is now playing in theaters nationwide.
UK’s Chris Morris has had a penchant for viciously biting satire and a flair for the plausibly ridiculous with Four Lions, Brass Eye, and more.
His latest work, The Day Shall Come, looks to back his signature style with what might be Burn After Reading (with some overtones of Amazon’s Patriot) for 2019.
See for yourself with the trailer for The Day Shall Come here, then look for it in theaters on Sept. 27th.
Though it’s CBS (a place where that they haven’t been too keen on edge with their sitcoms), we hope that the influence of Seth Rogen, Lionsgate, The Sklar Brothers, and Andy Schwartz can make this show somewhat resemble the insanely funny scenes from In The Loop that take place at the UN.
If they can pull that off (and we have faith that they can), it’ll definitely be worth tuning in.
Quietly, Drunk History has now become one of Comedy Central’s longest running series. Starting out as a full-fledged TV series in 2013, Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner’s hybrid unscripted-sketch-variety series has now run so long that it’s on its way to the upper echelons of Comedy Central’s long running programming alongside the likes of Dr. Katz and the early seasons of MST3K.
Of course, Waters’ brilliant edutainment (that has spawned countless “inspired shows” or straight rip-offs) definitely deserves to go as long as Waters and Konner want to keep it going. Also, Comedy Central’s smart to keep Derek Waters around to see what else his delightful brain might want to develop.
Josh Fadem and Johnny Pemberton have collaborated for some of the most daring, silly, and wonderful comedy for many years over now. From being tied to each other by a rope and trying to perform at the same time to Johnny donning his now cult favorite Dicker Troy character, Josh and Johnny’s shows are always worth showing up for (even if you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen).
Thus, Josh and Dicker Break Bread, a “staged theatre production” (spun off from their monthly showcase where Josh and Dicker host many stand-ups and comedy folks while they do whatever magical riffing they do) is yet another thing where we’re not exactly sure what the duo have up their collective sleeves, but are fully on board for whatever comedic head trip that they’re going to take us on.
It’s set for this Labor Day weekend at Silverlake’s Satellite LA and you ought to get your tickets here.
OK, Armando Iannucci’s take on Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield with Dev Patel starring might be (and we now this is a hot, hot take here) one of those rare instances where the movie is better than the books.
In case you forgot, Iannucci is the mastermind behind some of the best comedy of the 21st century including In The Loop, Thick of It, Death of Stalin, and Veep. Ianucci’s Personal History of David Copperfield ought to be one nice thing to look forward to (in what will very likely be a more stressful year than 2019).
Today marks Amazon taking a big step into the world of stand-up comedy specials highlighted specifically by Alice Wetterlund’s first hour special My Mama Is a Human And So Am I.
Amazon Studios released four very different comedy specials (and Jim Gaffigan’s latest hour earlier this week), but Alice’s special stood out for us as she really got to let loose with her cool, sharp, and deftly wry sense of humor for a whole hour. Undeniably, Wetterlund has a command of the room in such an effortless way. She satirically points out how deep the threads of the patriarchy run through every fiber of society and examines her own long journey of self-acceptance and healing all while maintaining a relaxed vibe, sneaking in punchlines throughout.
So, please enjoy My Mama Is A Human And So Am I as it just started streaming on Amazon Prime today.
Dave Ross was one of the first comedians that we saw in the LA scene (back in 2009) when we first started dipping our toe into comedy (even before we created TCB). In that time, it has been a hoot seeing Dave meticulous craft his material over several years into this one very, very good album, The Only Man Who Has Ever Had Sex.
In fact, we have heard all of this material plenty of times, but still thoroughly got a kick out of it hearing in this particularly wonderful performance (that’s playful, loose, self-aware, lightning-in-a-bottle-esque as stand-up comedy recordings should be). Dave’s deconstruction of masculinity is so spot-on and hysterical from every angle. Even the notion that he is dissecting the old idea of what being a man is with a traditionally very manly voice is inherently very funny. The name of the album The Only Man Who Has Ever Had Sex, track titles (I Attack Strangers, I Am God, I Am A Truck, I Scream at Children), and the album’s website http://sex.guns.beer/ also accomplish this goal and makes you laugh no matter how you engage with this album.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s a 152 pg. flipbook that enhances said experience with the same irreverence.
The Only Man Who Has Ever Had Sex is out today from AST Records and you very, very, very much should go get into all of it here.
Mohanad Elshieky not only came to the US from Libya, but managed to figure out how to do stand-up well (always an unbelievably, impressive feat in your second language) and do so with poise and charm (yet another unbelievably, impressive feat).
He gives a great perspective of a recent immigrant in this set from Conan, which is something we definitely we like seeing right now. Enjoy his set here.
Back for another round, The Powerpoint Girls (the Powerpuff Girls-inspired trio of comedians Joan Ford, Cait Raft, and Robin Higgins that do comedic powerpoint presentations) are putting on their Powerpoint Night @ UCB once more.
Indeed, it’s a splendid showcase of all sorts of comedic powerpoints composed and performed from all sorts of angles (i.e. if you think you’ve seen everything a funny powerpoint presentation can be, you should think again).
Powerpoint Night: Hosted by the Powerpoint Girls is happening this coming Tues. Aug. 27th at 11PM at UCB Franklin and you can (and very much should) get tickets for $7 here.
There aren’t really any surprises here as the literal title is what literally happens over the course of 103 minutes. That being said (and apologies for bringing up a hackneyed phrase you might hate hearing by now) it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.
Brittany O’Neill’s true story of running the NYC marathon is pretty straight forward, but Jillian Bell truly shines (as O’Neill), showing off her entire range as an actress with Paul Downs Colaizzo’s smart script and direction (that manages to present a grounded, feel good story in 2019 without seeming hokey or cheesy).
When the credits roll with Brittany Runs a Marathon, you might want to take up running, but you’ll definitely want to Jillian Bell in everything she has been in/will be in.
Brittany Runs a Marathon has a limited theatrical release and will be streaming on Amazon Prime starting this Friday, Aug. 23rd.
Well, here’s your first look at and reminder of the upcoming Comedy Central half hour specials (now branded as the third season of Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents) for:
Jaboukie Young-White, Sara Schaefer, Vanessa Gonzalez, Joe Kwaczala, Charles Gould, Will Miles, Nore Davis, Tom Thakkar, Dulcé Sloan, Allen Strickland Williams, Mia Jackson, and David Gborie.
From what we can see, it looks like it’ll be a good season. Check for it on Comedy Central starting Oct. 18th.
Daniel Van Kirk has been headlining across the country on his The Together Tour for a bit now and this ought to be a special, very intimate night in UCB Franklin that you ought to not miss.
Van Kirk’s penchant for being genuine and also being a playful trickster is something we truly love and you’ll get an hour of that if you’re in attendance next week.
Tickets are $9. Go get ‘em here.
By now, you ought to expect the unexpected with The Duplass Brothers’ HBO anthology series that bends genre, tone, etc. all in the confines of one room.
This upcoming third season should prove no different as you can see in the trailer. Also, you might dig that featured in the cast will be Arturo Castro, Paul F. Tompkins (perhaps a vintage one w/o facial hair), Sam Richardson (with an almost Detroiters-like moment), Luke Wilson, and Steve Little
If you’re on board, get ready to set sail when the new season premieres Fri. Sept. 13th on HBO.
Not only is this El Paso Strong brought to you by Whataburger benefit show aiming to raise money for those in need from the recent and devastating El Paso mass shooting, but will be made even more personal as the performers have a personal connection here.
Also, it’s a great collection of LA’s best improv, sketch, and stand-up folks that just happen to be from Texas or are Latinx.
The full line-up includes:
Ithamar Enriquez
Vanessa Gonzalez
Spanish Aqui Presents all-stars
Hosted by Whataburger:
Jonny Svarzbein
Mark Jacob
Edgar Momplaisir
Patrick McDonald
Courtney Sevener
Mike McClendon
Jeremy Culhane
Emily Decker
PJ McCormick
Jeff Whitaker
Brittany Uecker
Jeremy Schmidt
Brittany Powell
Brian Bakos
Weikei Yu
Caitlin Linden
Logan Smith
Mike Christian
They’ll be taking donations for the El Paso Shooting Victims Fund at the show. Get more details here.
So, the latest installment of Conan Without Borders will be in Greenland as a satirical response to Trump’s idiotic interest in buying Greenland (that’s definitely a distraction for all the other BS he’s pulling).
Conan O’Brien often jokes that he is the “elder statesman of late night”, but, truly, he is one great American and a hell of a goodwill ambassador. In fact, such a reputation makes him a better candidate for POTUS than some of the lesser known candidates currently running, though we’re sure that he’d prefer making fun of someone in the Oval Office rather than sitting at the desk within it.
In any case, Conan’s got another ingenious travel special coming up as you can see in his announcement here.