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Will Ferrell Redefines What a Shout-Out Can Be on ‘Late Night’

February 18, 2016
Uncategorized
late night, seth meyers, shout outs, will ferrell

Did you know that a shout-out can take a really aggressive, dark turn?

Thanks to Will Ferrell, they now can be that and more. Watch him do just that on last night’s Late Night with Seth Meyers.

The Absolutely Fabulous Movie Gets Its First Teaser

February 18, 2016
Uncategorized
absolutely fabulous, edina, jennifer saunders, joanna lumley, patsy

Arguably ahead of its time, Absolutely Fabulous was a British sitcom that started in the 90s and was unfiltered at a time when many American sitcoms were not. 

A score later, it’s getting the movie treatment and both Edina and Patsy (Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley) are looking as ab fab as ever. 

Watch the very first teaser for Absolutely Fabulous The Movie here.

The History Channel to Launch Collection of Short Form Series Including One from Dan Harmon

February 18, 2016
Uncategorized
aubrey plaza, crossroads of history, dan harmon, elizabeth shapiro, great minds, history channel, how to lose the presidency, jack black, jack mcbrayer, night class, sarah silverman

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

Looks like that Adult Swim model is more popular than ever.

Looking to expand into more comedy-centric or comedy-adjacent programming, The History channel is adding more programming on top of Join or Die with Craig Ferguson. 

Night Class will be a late night block, not unlike Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. The block will include Great Minds with Dan Harmon (Dan travels in a time machine to visit history’s greatest minds as played by Jack Black, Aubrey Plaza, Paul F. Tompkins, Thomas Middleditch, Sarah Silverman, and more), Crossroads of History (Elizabeth Shapiro highlights some of the more unbelievable, less talked about moments in history featuring Jack McBrayer, Wayne Knight, Lloyd Ahlquist, and more), and How to Lose the Presidency (a panel revisits how certain candidates committed campaign suicide).

We’ll all actually get to see how Night Class feels next week when it premieres Feb. 25th at 11:30PM.

Craig Ferguson Returns to TV with “Join or Die” Tonight

February 18, 2016
Uncategorized
craig ferguson, history channel, join or die

Tonight, at 11PM on the History channel, Craig Ferguson’s historical panel discussion show, Join or Die, makes it maiden voyage. 

Ferguson will delve into historical inquiries that personally make him curious and put his charming spin on it. We hope that this show really shows how good of an interviewer Craig really is and how criminally under-watched at The Late Late Show. 

Here’s a Trailer for Cameron Esposito Upcoming Special “Marriage Material” Coming to Seeso

February 18, 2016
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cameron esposito, comedy special, marriage material, seeso, trailer

Seeso has another special from another great comedian lined up with Cameron Esposito’s cleverly titled Marriage Material.

Recorded before she got married to her wife, we’re sure there is something special about this very first hour stand-up special from Esposito. Get a taste of it with this trailer.

It starts streaming on Thurs. Mar. 24th, but you can also get it as an album on iTunes, Spotify, and Pandora the day after.

February 18, 2016
Uncategorized
comedy shows, hampton yount, hollywood, los angeles, nerdmelt

Get tickets here.

Poster by Dave Kloc & Garrett Ross.

Henry Rollins Tells the Story of His First Ever Drug Trip on Acid

February 18, 2016
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acid, black flag, comedy central, drug trip, first drug trip, henry rollins, lsd, this is not happening

The latest season of Comedy Central’s great storytelling series This Is Not Happening with Ari Shaffir is just around the corner (next Tuesday, Feb. 23rd at 12:30am to be specific).

From the looks of this story of Henry Rollins’ early days in Black Flag and going all out on his first drug trip by taking a whole bunch of acid, This Is Not Happening is going to be one hell of a ride just like it has always been.

SXSW Offering Up the Late Andy Ritchie’s Album “King Ding-a-Ling” for Free

February 18, 2016
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andy ritchie, austin, comedy album, king ding-a-ling, sxsw

It’s kind of beautiful to see Austin take care of his own.

Comedian Andy Ritchie unfortunately passed away last year and we all lost a great talent. While Ritchie was making his way in comedy in LA at the time, he came up in comedy first in Austin, TX. 

So, SXSW, Austin’s big annual festival that has now featured a significant comedy portion for awhile now, is honoring his memory by offering his one and only album King Ding-a-Ling for free. 

Please join in preserving Andy Ritchie’s comedy and download and listen to his album here thanks to SXSW and Stand Up! Records.

Beth Stelling Gets Her Own Desk and Accompanying Web Series with “The Desk”

February 18, 2016
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angie tribeca, beth stelling, donald trump, hillary clinton, tbs, the desk

(via Uproxx)

It’s about time Beth Stelling got her own show. 

The fantastic Beth Stelling now has her own web series where she can fire off late night monologue style jokes behind her own desk. The desk may not be inside a studio or in front a live audience, but that really doesn’t get in the way of how damn funny Beth is.

Watch first episode here.

Watch Paul F. Tompkins Give a Tour on The Craft of Making Comedy (Sort of)

February 17, 2016
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bajillion dollar propertie$, buzzfeed, do comedy, drew tarver, how to, kulap vilaysack, make comedy, parody, paul f tompkins, ryan gaul, seeso, Tim baltz

The cast of Seeso’s new series Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ stepped aside from playing the various cutthroat people in the world of bajillion dollar real estate to show us all how to truly craft comedy.

Note: the making of craft comedy might differ from the making of comedy that you’re familiar with. 

Not Safe with Nikki Glaser Puts Together Photoshoot for The Most Beautiful D*ck Pics

February 17, 2016
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comedy central, nikki glaser, not safe, nsfw, photo shoot

Not Safe with Nikki Glaser addresses the problem of d*ck pics, in an empowering way, by holding a full on, professionally lit, complete with props, photo shoot to make better pictures of male genitalia.

Even though a good percentage of folks probably won’t be swayed into the liking d*ck pics, the results of the shoot are pretty grand. Watch it here.

While the Anti Beyoncé Protest Was a Bust, Maybe Even a Hoax, Conner O’Malley Pranked the Whole Thing Anyway

February 17, 2016
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anti-beyoncé rally, beyonce, conner o'malley, man on the street, protest, super bowl halftime

Conner O’Malley is a master of putting up a mirror to the ugliest parts of the zeitgeist.

For example, watch Conner showing up to a planned Anti-Beyoncé protest in NYC and doing an over-the-top man on the street bit. Even though almost no protesters actually showed up, O’Malley went ahead with his plan and probably gave us all a good estimation of what some of the protesters might have actually sounded and looked like.

Watch it here.

Season 3 of “Broad City” Premieres Tonight

February 17, 2016
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abbi jacobson, broad city, comedy central, ilana glazer

Abbi and Ilana finally come back into our lives tonight on 10PM on Comedy Central.

Here’s the opening scene if you need something to tide you over for the next few hours.

February 17, 2016
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ashley barnhill, byron bowers, comedy show, dax jordan, los angeles, mary lynn rajskub, rave, west la

Comedy + a rave = Crave. 

Tickets are $16.82.

‘Adele Carpool Karaoke’ Record Is Milestone in New Era of Late Night

February 17, 2016
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carpool karaoke, cbs, colbert, conan, full frontal, james corden, jay leno, jimmy fallon, late night, late show, letterman, midnight, samantha bee, the late late show, tonight show, trevor noah

As of this post, Adele Carpool Karaoke is almost at the 70 million view mark on YouTube, which, according to Deadline, is now the new pinnacle of viral late night clips.

For decades, the format of the late night talk show had pretty much stayed the same with all the trappings of monologues, well tailored suits, desk pieces, celebrity guests, bands. 

Now, in the 2010s, the tried and true format of late night is no longer tried and true. Rather than hanging out and hearing the crazy stories of famous people, viewers of late night seem to want to see something crazy actually happen on the show and perhaps only that.

James Corden took over The Late Late Show from Craig Ferguson only last year, relatively unknown in America, and has now scored a viral video that has out performed all the silly games that Jimmy Fallon, the late night leader pretty much from his start at The Tonight Show, plays with A-listers pretty much every night that he tapes an episode. 

When Corden inherited The Late Late Show, there was scarcely any online presence for The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as brief out-of-context interview clips were the only thing that would CBS would bother uploading on to YouTube. There is a reason that Corden went from pretty much zero to 70 million hits in a matter of a months. 

The Internet and, more specifically, YouTube and social media, have commodified late night TV into more of a spectacle than it ever was. Remote segments, games, trips outside the studio are all things that are resonating with the current landscape of late night. Adele singing and joking around with James Corden being the most watched late night YouTube clip perfectly illustrates this change.

Such things specifically include Conan O’Brien doing any of his segments out in the wild or going abroad, Jimmy Fallon’s Lip Sync Battle, the pranks that Jimmy Kimmel hatches or his ongoing faux feud with Matt Damon, the deep segments on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that are uploaded early Monday morning. You’ll note that you’ve probably seen all of these an almost innumerable times on your various social media feeds, both in embedded video and in .gif form.

Sure, Letterman used to throw random things off of a roof and Leno used to find dumb people out on the street who didn’t know what we’d all assume is basic common knowledge for JayWalking. However, in 2016, you don’t have to watch all of The Late Show or The Tonight Show just to get to watch those segments or bits. At any time of the day, you can watch just those specific parts, over and over and over, and nothing else.

With this being the case, many of those aforementioned late night tropes like the opening monologue of topical jokes and desk pieces are slowly fading in relevance in favor of what makes for the most viral sounding headline.

When Conan does entire special episodes where he travels to remote locations, it more resembles something that Anthony Bourdain would do rather than The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.

Last Week Tonight, @midnight, and now, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee all offer something also atypical of what late night has been for so very long by trading chats with celebrities for dozens more topical jokes that aren’t merely delivered while standing on stage without a video package to throw to. Their success is signs of the winds of change at 11PM onwards.

With all of that being said, the old guard late night talk show is, for now, still in tact. Stephen Colbert is, in a surprising turn from The Colbert Report, presenting a very high brow, well executed version of the traditional late night talk show. In fact, Colbert pulls off many feats as a late night talk show host, especially when it comes to who he books and how he interviews or interacts with who he books, that his competition cannot because they’re off focusing on all the things mentioned above. Whether he can ascend to the top of the mountain of late night like his predecessor David Letterman did and stay there has yet to be seen, but Colbert definitely has the brilliance to do so.

Oh yeah, because of Trevor Noah, Larry Wilmore, and Samantha Bee, there is finally more than one late night show right now not hosted by a white guy.

Though they’re inevitably some doubters and skeptics, all these new trends are probably for the best. When it’s easier to watch live TV and stream content on the Internet on the same device (and that’s probably pretty soon), know that late night is only going to get more shaken up.

Brandie Posey’s “Opinion Cave” Out Tomorrow

February 16, 2016
Uncategorized
brandie posey, comedy album, opinion cave

After years of honing her comedy wares in Los Angeles, Brandie Posey is now releasing her debut comedy album Opinion Cave. 

This first hour offering showcases Brandie’s unshakeable determination as a comedian. She went DIY in the making of this album and her charming stories and bits highlight her marching forward, unfazed despite all the nonsense in the world that still exists in 2016, especially when it comes to being a woman.

Opinion Cave comes out tomorrow on Feb. 17th, but you can and should pre-order it right now.

The Simpsons to Have a Live Segement with Homer Simpson in May

February 16, 2016
Uncategorized
dan castellaneta, homer live, the-simpsons

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

We now have the technology to bring Homer Simpson to real time.

Utilizing motion capture technology, Dan Castellaneta, the long time voice behind Homer Simpson, will be fielding questions live on the air in an upcoming episode of The Simpsons. 

This special episode is set for May 15th and marks for a first for the series and probably for television altogether.

#HomerLive is the hashtag you should use if you want to submit a question between May 1st and May 4th.

If this goes well, don’t be surprised if they end up doing this for the rest of the Simpsons or have other citizens of Springfield do AMAs.

Terry Gilliam Intending to Start Production on His Don Quixote Movie in September

February 16, 2016
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don quixote, terry gilliam

(via Indiewire)

Gilliam really, really, really wants do it this time around.

Monty Python member-turned-director Terry Gilliam has tried so hard and so many times to adapt the classic novel Don Quixote into a feature length film that there has been a documentary about unfortunately falling short of doing so.

Yet, for this latest attempt, Gilliam is aiming to roll forward with production in September of this year with the backing of Amazon.

It’s quite a long time to keep your fingers crossed in order for this to happen, but streaming services do offer a shot in the arm to indie filmmaking that wasn’t around when Terry tried to make Don Quixote in the past.

Samantha Bee Goes and Visits Syrian Refugees for “Full Frontal”

February 16, 2016
Uncategorized
full frontal, refugee, samantha bee, syria, tbs

In the first of what is sure to be a strong line of remote segments for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Bee actually went to Syria (unlike her days at The Daily Show where they would often just throw up a background resembling wherever the piece was supposed to take place). 

She sat down and talked to actual refugees and the people who are responsible for relocating them, which pairs well with Conan, who she leads in on Monday, and his more frequent trips to remote locales around the globe.

So, watch part 1 of The People We’re Incoherently Yelling About here.

DCM 18 Is Now Taking Submissions

February 16, 2016
Uncategorized
dcm 18, del close marathon, new york, submissions

If you ever get to be a part of the renowned Del Close Marathon, we suggest that you take it.

The Del Close Marathon is a literally non-stop weekend in NYC celebrating the legacy in improvisational comedy of Del Close. Shows will start June 24th and go all the way through June 26th (that includes shows in the afternoons, mornings, and past midnight).

So, if you’re interested in submitting a show for DCM 18, do so here. 

February 16, 2016
Uncategorized
groundlings, jim rash

Tickets are $10.

Full listings for LA comedy shows and open mics and maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com

February 16, 2016
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Through listings for LA comedy shows and open mics for tonight, this week, and beyond embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com

“Louis C.K.: Live at Madison Square Garden” Wins Grammy for Best Comedy Album

February 15, 2016
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grammy awards, live at madison square garden, louis ck

C.K. beat out Wyatt Cenac, Lisa Lampanelli, Craig Ferguson, and Jay Mohr.

Out of the 83 categories that currently exist for The Grammy Awards, one is solely dedicated to comedy. It’s odd that an awards ceremony so predominantly centered on music would even give comedy a nod because it still is released in an album format, but comedy will take what it can get.

So, with that being said, Louis C.K. continues to be on an awards roll as he just has won his second Grammy for his Live at Madison Square Garden. 

The other Grammys winners are being announced as of this post being written and you can catch a full list over at Vulture.

“Togetherness” Gets Another Season 2 Promo Where Things Are Still Bubbling Under the Surface

February 15, 2016
Uncategorized
duplass brothers, hbo, jay duplass, mark duplass, promo, season 2, togetherness

The Duplass Brothers’ Togetherness is pretty much everything you would want from a TV show from Jay and Mark Duplass in how they unflinchingly explore the real and comedic tension of everyday life. 

From the looks of this promo, Season 2 will be doubling down on that notion. 

Catch the season premiere on Sun. Feb. 21st at 10:30PM on HBO.

Ricky Gervais Sets David Brent’s Return in “Life On The Road” for August

February 15, 2016
Uncategorized
david brent, ricky gervais, the office

#LifeOnTheRoad The Movie. The Album. The Live Tour. August 2016 #BrentsBack #TheOffice pic.twitter.com/3RkUaWI8ky

Before his name was tied with ruffling the feathers of some celebrities at The Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais made a name for himself in America with the name David Brent off of the UK version of The Office.

The rock mockumentary following David Brent’s leap into music (that has been in the works over the last couple of years) not only has a release date of Aug. 19th, but there will be an album and live tour as well for Life on the Road.

If you’re familiar with the more serious musical forays of David Brent, please enjoy Equality Street.

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