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Taika Waititi’s Next Film to Be an American Samoa Soccer Movie ‘Next Goal Wins’

next goal wins, taika waititi

Taika Waititi’s Next Film to Be an American Samoa Soccer Movie ‘Next Goal Wins’

No matter the genre, it seems as though Taika Waititi manages to put his stamp of offbeat humor and heart into everything he does. Hunt for the Wilderpeople to Thor: Ragnarok to the very intriguing, upcoming JoJo Rabbit showcases quite the range while still being Waititi.

So, with that said, we’re definitely on board with the idea that he’s doing an inspirational sports movie about an American Samoa soccer team transforming from losers to winners based on a documentary from a few years ago of the same name, Next Goal Wins.

In fact, this might just be the default movie that plays during school when there’s a sub or something (taking place of The Sandlot or Remember the Titans).

dtla, jam session, karen, musical comedy, reggie watts

Reggie Watts and his handpicked Late Late Show band Karen are sneaking out of CBS Television City once again to take you on a musical odyssey, wonderfully accented by Reggie’s flights of fancy (in various voices) and waxing comedically. It’s a one of a kind experience and should not be missed.

This latest session from Reggie Watts & Karen will be happening at the Teragram Ballroom (it’s just west of DTLA) next Thurs. Aug. 15th at 9PM. Tickets are still available at $22 a pop. Go get ‘em here.

Please Enjoy “I’m So Happy 4 U” from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Season 4 (That Will Also Likely Become an Anthem About Deflecting Your Anxiety)

crazy ex-girlfriend, im so happy 4 u, music video, rachel bloom

One of the many great things Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was able to do over its four season run was to have a dialogue about mental health via musical numbers without seeming overwrought or preachy.

Even though “I’m So Happy 4 U” ultimately got cut from airing in season 4, it nails a very specific moment that so many of us have throughout our daily lives, but probably don’t talk about because we really wouldn’t want to bother anyone with how we feel, right?

Please enjoy Rachel Bloom, once more as Rebecca Bunch, “being completely fine” in I’m So Happy 4 U.

Oh yeah, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Season 4′s soundtrack is up for sale now too!

amber nelson, andy beckerman, comedy show, couples therapy, jeffrey self, john milheiser, lauren ash, los angeles, naomi ekperigin, nico santos, sabrina jalees, sean white, storytelling, subhah agarwal, the virgil

Naomi Ekperigin and Andy Beckerman are back again with their very lovely, paired storytelling show/podcast, Couples Therapy.

Couples of all kinds, significant others, best friends, etc. share their stories together on stage for, what we’d like to think, is the often the best version of those stories. Also, Naomi and Andy, as hosts, always inspire “relationship goals” as they are a perfectly matched duo on stage.

This edition of Couples Therapy will include:

Nico Santos & Lauren Ash
Sabrina Jalees & Jeffery Self
Amber Nelson & John Milheiser
Sean White & Subhah Agarwal

Tickets are $8 in adv. at $10 at door. Go get ‘em in advance here.

Julio Torres Previews His Upcoming Special “My Favorite Shapes”

fallon, hbo special, julio torres, my favorite shapes, prop comedy, stand up comedy, tonight show

Julio Torres has been having quite the 2019 with Los Espookys, writing on SNL, and his own stand-up.

Perhaps, his own upcoming comedy special, My Favorite Shapes, set to premiere on HBO this Sat. Aug. 10th at 10:30PM will be the biggest splash for Julio this year as he is doing an entire special where he, as the title suggests, presents his most favorite shapes.

You’ve seen a bit of what he has in store in the My Favorite Shapes trailer, but Julio gave an extended preview of what to expect on last night’s Tonight Show and it was pretty glorious.

In fact, Julio might have just brought the avant garde to prop comedy.

Steve Coogan To Receive This Year’s Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy

britannia awards, charlie chaplin award, steve coogan

Steve Coogan To Receive This Year’s Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy

For everything Alan Partridge and The Trip movies alone, Steve Coogan has done the world of comedy a great service and provided so many fans with endless quotable moments for years to come.

Thus, he is deserved getting this lifetime achievement in comedy at the Britannia Awards from BAFTA. Whether you’re unfamiliar or not with Partridge or The Trip, it’s always a good time to dive into that part of Coogan’s filmography.

Hannah Gadsby Has a Nice Chat with Colbert and Shows Off the Pet Rocks She Wants to Sell to Anti-Vaxxers

anti vaxxers, douglas, hannah gadsby, late show, pet rocks, stephen colbert

As her next special is coming soon, Hannah Gadsby is starting to hit the publicity trail, making the rounds at late night.

This stop at Colbert is particularly fun as there seems to be some genuine, well-handled confusion between Gadsby and Colbert and Hannah reveals the pet rocks that she’d like Anti-Vaxxers to have instead of kids that they won’t vaccinate.

Enjoy the whole interview here.

Atlanta’s Getting a Fourth Season at FX

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Atlanta’s Getting a Fourth Season at FX

With the amount of ground that Donald Glover, Hiro Murai, and more have broken with three seasons of Atlanta, one has to wonder what is next for the critically acclaimed, genre/form defying Atlanta.

The possibilities for the series seem boundless, which is a thing that we’re glad for Glover to have, and, with its constant knack for reinvention, that it could just keep going if it chose to do so.

In any case, round of applause for a fourth season of Atlanta and keep a close eye out for a teaser.

bernie sanders, democratic primary, forever dog, james adomian, joe biden, marianne williamson, parody, primary debates, satire, the underculture

As we’re diving into the inevitable madness of the 2020 election cycle, the one and only James Adomian and his fantastic podcast, The Underculture will bring a much needed Election Clusterf*ck where James and his absolute favorite performers will do their much better version of the recent primary debates with James, of course, reprising his masterful impression of Senator Bernie Sanders.

Just the idea of trying to fit all of the candidates onto one stage as opposed to splitting them up to two nights should be worth the price of admission!

The Election Clusterf*ck with James Adomian & Friends is set to happen next week, Sat. Aug. 17th at 10PM at Dynasty Typewriter. Tickets are $15 now and $20 on the day of. Please go get tickets here.

Simon Pegg & Nick Frost’s Supernatural Comedy Series ‘Truth Seekers’ Will Launch Exclusively on Amazon

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Simon Pegg & Nick Frost’s Supernatural Comedy Series ‘Truth Seekers’ Will Launch Exclusively on Amazon

Perhaps the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy is getting a fourth “flavour”?

Indeed, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are teaming up once again like they did in Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End (i.e. the so-coined Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy) in Truth Seekers. Pegg and Frost will play ghost hunters that end up getting more than they bargained for with a paranormal investigation digital series.

If that’s the sort of flavor/flavour you’re looking for, look for this to come to Amazon Prime, premiere date TBA.

Fleabag Wins Both Individual and Outstanding Achievement in Comedy as Well as Program of the Year at TCA Awards

fleabag, phoebe waller bridge, tca awards, television critics awards

Fleabag Wins Both Individual and Outstanding Achievement in Comedy as Well as Program of the Year at TCA Awards

Many folks are saying that Season 2 of Fleabag is even a step up from the beloved first season. Certainly, this hat trick of wins at the Television Critics Association Awards from this weekend shows that feeling still holds true (Fleabag deserved more awards for its truly groundbreaking first season).

So, we’re all in agreement that Fleabag is a grand piece of television and that Phoebe Waller-Bridge, with her involvement in the next Bond movie, might just make James Bond franchise better than it has ever been? Yes? Perfect.

blonde medicine, chris garcia, comedy show, crossword puzzle, dynasty typewriter, experimental comedy, irene tu, zach sherwin

Zach Sherwin is doing “it” yet again.

By “it”, we mean putting on a dazzling display of how linguistically masterful he is via having comedians solve a crossword puzzle live on stage that is superbly weaved into a theme with jokes, stories, etc. all throughout. It’s quite the spectacle to see especially if you’re wondering how solving a crossword can be a live show.

This edition, this Wed. Aug. 7th at Dynasty Typewriter at the Hayworth Theater, will feature Chris Garcia, Irene Tu, and a “special surprise solver”. Tickets are $10 right now and $15 on the day of. Please go get them here.

Also, if you can’t make it to this one, “it” (The Crossword Show with Zach Sherwin) will be happening monthly at Dynasty Typewriter for the rest of the year!

Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ Season 4 to Premiere This Coming Monday Aug. 5th via Pluto TV

bajillion dollar properties, premiere date, season 4

Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ Season 4 to Premiere This Coming Monday Aug. 5th via Pluto TV

“You better bechieve it! Season 4 of #BAJILLION is on its way to you! Premiering Monday 8/5 on @plutotv 7PM ET/PT! Two back to back episodes will be airing 7PM ET/PT Monday-Thursday on Funny AF (Ch. 423) OUR LONG NATIONAL NIGHTMARE IS NEARLY OVER”

Almost two years to the day that NBC’s exclusive comedy streaming service Seeso shut down its operation, we’ll all be finally to see a new batch of Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ via the free online TV service PlutoTV. In fact, they’re airing past seasons right now on their comedy channel “Funny AF” here.

For those that forgot or the uninitiated, Bajillion parodied reality shows following real estate agents for high, high, high end properties with such a wonderful cast (Paul F. Tompkins, Drew Tarver, Tawny Newsome, Eugene Cordero, just to name a few).

Caitlin Gill’s Major. Needs to Be The Next Comedy Album You Listen To

blonde medicine, caitlin gill, comedy album, stand up comedy

If you’ve been following us here at TCB, you might know that we’re big fans of Caitlin Gill and thusly, it wasn’t a big surprise that we immensely enjoyed her latest hour on the new album Major.

What did take us by surprise is that Gill is completely clean for the entirety of Major. in a way that you likely won’t notice and certainly doesn’t sacrifice her rambunctious comedic spirit. In fact, there is a certain bottled-lighting feeling we get here as the stories and observations woven and told with gusto by Caitlin that feels pretty damn close to watching Caitlin be the force of nature that she is live in person. That’s pretty rare for comedy albums/specials even though that is all of what they’re going for (often due to the arduous prep and planning that goes into these sort of recordings).

Also, Gill probably has the definitive bit about the existential frustration of bank transactions for our generation on this album.

So, please, please, please go get Major. (it’ll be streaming on Sirius XM this weekend as well).

comedy show, largo, los angeles, musical comedy, rachel bloom, theater kid redemption night

As the title of show suggests, Rachel Bloom and co. will get to emotionally travel back in time to revive their fondest memories of doing theater in their younger days as well as take a mulligan on some not-so-fond moments.

Altogether, it should be a night of remembering that will be, in of itself, a night to remember as Bloom will be at the helm for Theater Kid Redemption Night.

Tickets for Theater Kid Redemption Night are on sale for $37 ($30 + $7 srv. charge). Go get ‘em here.

Guy Branum Will Be Writing an Adaption of “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” for Quibi

guy branum, how to lose a guy in 10 days, quibi

Guy Branum Will Be Writing an Adaption of “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” for Quibi

1) If you haven’t been tracking what Jeffrey Katzenberg’s curious ad-supported, short form streaming service is up to, you might want to check in on that because they’re buying up a lot of very intriguing properties.

2) Comedian/writer Guy Branum doing anything is absolutely worth your time, but his version of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days might be a shot in the arm that rom coms need right now.

3) This adaptation also means that the zeitgeist can enjoy Morgan Murphy’s brilliant How To Lost a Guy in 10 Days joke once more.

‘Baskets’ Will Come to a Close at FX with Season 4

baskets, fx, season 4

‘Baskets’ Will Come to a Close at FX with Season 4

It looks like we will have gotten 4 seasons with the Baskets family and their journey down the clowning business rabbit hole. Galifiankis, Louie Anderson, and Martha Kelly have had some truly magical chemistry from the start and props to Jonathan Krisel being at the helm.

At least, there will be one more chance for Baskets to win some very well deserved Emmys.

cj toledano, eagle rock, free comedy, los angeles, michael joyce, motherland, stand up comedy

Next week, the northern end of LA’s eastside will what looks to be another great weekly stand-up show, though on Thursdays (Rod Stewart Live at La Cuevita is on Wednesdays).

Brought to you by the new hosting duo of CJ Toledano and Michael Joyce, they’ll be kicking off Motherland @ Kusina Filipina next Thurs. Aug. 8th with a shinin’ line-up of:

Ian Karmel
Sasheer Zamata
Andrew Lopez
Brent Weinbach

If that’s up your alley (maybe literally?), you should probably follow them on Twitter @motherland_la or on IG @motherlandcomedy.

The Punch Line Comedy Club in San Francisco Will Get to Stay Right Where It Is

comedy club, punch line

The Punch Line Comedy Club in San Francisco Will Get to Stay Right Where It Is

The Punch Line, a San Francisco landmark and one of the continent’s best and most celebrated comedy clubs, was just granted a “Legacy Business” status and will indeed to keep their doors open just as they have been doing for decades in their current location.

For several weeks, their fate was up in the air as Google took over the building’s lease, prompting plenty of buzz and discussion online as well as press conferences that had Dave Chappelle speaking at them.

Now that they’ll get to stick around, make sure you make good on the Punch Line being a “Legacy Business” and go catch some, if not several, shows there.

Little Monsters Red Band Trailer Promises a Fresh Take in Zom-Coms

abe forsythe, alexander england, josh gad, little monsters, lupita nyong'o, red band trailer, trailer

Well, it looks like there’s a new fun zombie comedy or “zom com” coming to town later this year.

Joining the ranks of Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, and Anna and the Apocalypse will be an Aussie entry into the subgenre, Little Monsters. Writer/director Abe Forsythe takes a new angle into the zombie movie by following a group of kids on a field trip with Alexander England, Lupita Nyong’o and Josh Gad when the arrival of zombies make things go very, very wrong.

It looks like a good bit of dark fun as you can see in Little Monsters’ red-band trailer here. If you’re digging it, start looking for it on November 15th.

Please Enjoy Alex Kavutskiy’s Award Winning Dark Comedy Short “Squirrel”

alex kavutskiy, andrea rosen, max jenkins, short film, squirrel

Since we’ve first caught wind of Alex Kavutskiy years ago at Channel 101, we were blown away at his cinematic prowess, especially when it comes to nailing dark comedy so exquisitely.

All these years later, Alex is still perfecting his gallows humor touch and it’s so damn good as we just saw with his latest short film Squirrel, which just happens to be making quite the rounds on the festival circuit (and is a Vimeo Staff Pick). We’d also like to note how pitch perfect both Andrea Rosen and Max Jenkins are in this, drawing out every bit of tension possible with their performances.

So, please enjoy Squirrel here.

los angeles, lost moon radio, lyric hyperion, musical comedy, silverlake, sketch comedy, theater

The brilliant high concept sketch/musical/theater company Lost Moon Radio is back with another run of their latest show, Lost Moon Radio Summer Block Party over at the Lyric Hyperion. If you’re one of the uninitiated from not having see them all around LA over the last several years or hosting the LA Weekly Theater Awards or on TruTV or, most recently, on NBC’s Bring The Funny, then this is a great chance for you to get in one of our favorite groups in town.

They’ve got four dates:
Aug. 15th 9PM
Aug. 16th 9PM
Aug. 17th 7PM & 9PM

Tickets are $20 and you really ought to get them here.

Comedy Bang! Bang!’s Not Very Long 10th Anniversary Tour Dates Announced and Tickets on Sale

comedy bang bang, lauren lapkus, paul f tompkins, scott aukerman, tour

We’ll keep this brief as tickets for this thing are going quick.

The flagship podcast of Earwolf, Comedy Bang! Bang!, is going on tour to commemorate 10 years, jaunting around a handful of cities with host Scott Aukerman and guests Paul F. Tompkins and Lauren Lapkus (and even Ego Nwodim for a couple of stops).

So, as stated above, tickets are going fast and you might want to get on this now. Scott put together a handy Twitter thread with all the ticket links here.

Enjoy the Wild World of “South Side” in This Series Premiere Episode

comedy central, south side

Comedy Central was nice enough to put the series premiere of their latest scripted series South Side from Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin, Sultan Salahuddin.

This inaugural episode is very fun intro into a universe that’s absurd and silly and, at the same time, holds tight to what life in the South Side of Chicago might be like and how people, no matter where they come from, are just doing the best they can (even if that’s comedically ridiculous).

See for yourself in the premiere episode of South Side here, then look for new episodes every Wed. at 10:30PM on Comedy Central.

By the way, Riddle and Salahuddin are definitely on the rise with this show and their other, high concept sketch show Sherman’s Showcase over at IFC.

largo, los angeles, stand up comedy, todd barry

Todd Barry, a wry comedic master, only stops into LA only once in awhile and those are times that you should absolutely make plans for. Over many specials, whether it be fully scripted or completely improvised with crowd work, Todd never ceases to amaze with his wit and poise.

His latest LA date will be at Largo and next month are tickets are on sale for $37 ($30 + $7 service charge). Go snag ‘em here.