Outside of a digging deep into an issue that’s far too overlooked or explaining a controversial, divisive one, Oliver had the week off on Last Week Tonight and decided, in his absence, to leave us a video where he takes on a piñata.
Verbally and physically, piñatas, or at least the one he takes to with a colorful blunt force object, may never be the same.
ON THE HORIZON
Happy Contest Time Tournament of Winners Finals @ Three Clubs Aug. 26th 9PM FREE
Rob Christensen @ The Improv Space Sept. 13th 8PM FREE
COMEDY CRAWL
Doug Benson TV Interruption @ Cinefamily 4PM FREE
Hot Tub with Kurt Braunohler & Kristen Schaal @ The Virgil 8PM $5 in adv., $8 at door
The Black Version @ Groundlings 8PM $17
Kibitz Room Comedy @ Kibitz Room at Canter’s 8:30PM FREE
Beer Shark Mice @ iO West 9PM $10
The Business LA @ Little Joy 9PM FREE
FRINGE with JC Coccoli @ 1739 Public House 10PM FREE
Fresh Out: Stand-Up Comedy @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5
OPEN MIC RUN
NERDMELT SHOWROOM 7522 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 5:30PM/Lottery/Special Playboy Jazz theme night-fancy wear, robes especially, encouraged/No purchase necessary
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/Ends 8PM/5 min./First come, first served/1 item min.
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./First come, first served
SARDO’S 259 N. Pass Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/Ends 8:30PM/7 min./First come, first served/1 drink min.
IO WEST 6366 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6:15PM/Starts 6:30PM/Ends 8PM/Lottery/3-5 min.
ANCHOR BAR 2675 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa, CA/Starts 7PM/Sign-up at evan@dudelyjones.com/4-5 min.
THE WAREHOUSE LOUNGE 4499 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA/Starts 7PM/Ends 7:45PM/First come, first served/5 min./8 spots only/No purchase necessary
THE GOOD NIGHT 10721 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, CA/Sign-up 7:30PM/Starts 7:45PM/Ends 9:30PM/Lottery/3-5 min./1 item min./Hosted by Ever Mainaird, Lisa Laureta, Ryan Walker, and Caitlin Bergh
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 7:30PM/no purchase necessary/first come, first served
BREWDOG PUB 8300 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 7:45PM/Starts 8PM/First come, first served/5-7 min./Hosted by Pamela/1 item min.
ECHOES UNDER SUNSET 1310 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 8PM/Starts 8:15PM/Lottery/One item min.
THE PALACE RESTAURANT 2112 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 8:45PM/Starts 9PM/3 min./Lottery/1 item min./Hosted by Meg Swertlow, Wanjiko Eke, Chloe McGovern
JAKE’S 38 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA/Sign-up 9:30PM/Starts 10PM/Lottery/3 min./No purchase necessary
One of the most accomplished and funniest storytellers around, Brian Finkelstein, is trying to take his acclaimed one man show First Day Off in a Long Time on tour as he’s gotten requests to perform it so many places around the entire country. The demand is not only because of how great the show is, but the fact that it delves into the topic of suicide in a way that isn’t often encountered in most shows/movies/etc. or informational pamphlets.
Brian needs money to bring this show to the masses. Specifically, he’s raising $10,000 on Kickstarter by Sept. 19th and is currently at $4,591 as of this post being written. There’s time, but pitch in before it’s too late.
Network development slates seem to be getting on a musical comedy train. Just this week HBO and Fox have bought musical comedies from Peter Knight/Jason Winer and Bruce Eric Kaplan respectively.
Knight and Winer’s project will be a contemporary family comedy with original songs and Kaplan’s will follow three generations of women here in LA. Both have potential to be great, especially since many of miss the days of Flight of the Conchords.
Let’s hope these projects will make for an intriguing pilot season.
Earlier this year, we all got the great news that CC:Studios’ This Is Not Happening with Ari Shaffir web series graduated to an actual TV series to air on Comedy Central.
Well, the TV series is going to tape starting next month here in LA and you can free tickets to the taping so long as you get them as soon as you can. There will be six shows total: Tues. Sept. 9th (6:30PM/9PM), Mon. Sept. 15th (6:30PM/9PM), and Tues. Sept. 16th (6:30PM/9PM).
We highly recommend not missing out on this so you can catch story like this, this, or this live.
(via Deadline)
Disney’s XD’s Phineas and Ferb already has an awesome Halloween episode that will feature Nick Frost and SImon Pegg as their characters from Shaun of the Dead, but they’re really going for more home runs this season with special, collaborative episodes.
The latest thing that Phineas and Ferb are up to is having Lost’s co-creator Damon Lindelof write a Lost themed episode for the animated series, which should be chock full of moments that parents will be laughing at that might go over the heads of their kids.
ON THE HORIZON
An Evening with Randy Liedtke @ Nerdmelt Showroom Tues. Aug. 26th 9PM $5
Channel 101 @ Downtown Independent Theater Sat. Aug. 30th 8PM/10PM FREE
COMEDY CRAWL
Monty Python Live (Mostly) @ Cinefamily 4PM $12
Tough Break! A Night of Comedy Benefitting Jodi Shuler @ Westside Comedy Theater 7PM $15
A Tribute to Robin Williams @ UCB Theatre 7:30PM $25
Dirty Birdie Story Hour @ Eros Station 8PM FREE
Slumber Party with Alie & Georgia @ The Virgil 8PM $5
UnCabaret @ First and Hope 8PM $20-$30
Harmontown @ Nerdmelt Showroom 8PM $10
Top Story Weekly @ iO West 8PM $5
Neal Brennan & Friends @ Westside Comedy Theater 9PM $5
French Toast @ Taix 9:30PM FREE
Nate Corddry & Friends present: READING ALOUD! @ UCB Theatre 9:30PM $5 (stand by only)
Power Violence @ Theatre 6470 9:30PM FREE
Shitty Jobs @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5
OPEN MIC RUN
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 4PM/Ends 7PM/8-10 min./First come, first served/No purchase necessary/Hosted by Chris Gardener
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 4PM/Ends 6PM/5 min./One item min.
SILVERLAKE LOUNGE 2906 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 4:30PM/Starts 5PM/Lottery/5 min./Hosted by Lizzy Pilcher
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./First come, first served
THE LEXINGTON 129 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM/First come, first served/5 min./No purchase necessary/Hosted by Mark Alexzandr
LYRIC HYPERION THEATRE 2106 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 7PM/Lottery/3 min./No purchase necessary
LIQUID ZOO 7214 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA/Sign-up 8:30PM/Starts 9PM/First come, first served/7 min./One drink min.
THE PALACE RESTAURANT 2112 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 8:30PM/Starts 8:45PM/Lottery/No purchase necessary/Hosted by Harry Moroz, Pedro Salinas, and Sarah Morisano
COCK N BULL 2947 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA/Sign-up 8:45PM/Starts 9PM/First come, first served/5 min./No purchase necessary
THE COMEDY STORE BELLY ROOM 8433 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 11:30PM/Lottery/3 min./Hosted by Erik Marino and Brian Moses
(via Deadline)
Judy Greer and Natasha Lyonne are finally taking more of a deserving top billing role in an upcoming comedy from director Jamie Babbit and writer Karey Dornetto.
Together, Greer and Lyonne be playing sisters and hotel maids that don’t get along as one is impulsive and the other is overly regimented. On top of that they have to clean up an accidental death that’s their fault, which could be a bunch fun with this duo, possibly the type of fun promised by 2008’s Sunshine Cleaning.
Remember when we told you about the very first Maui Comedy Festival that’s happening Halloween weekend with a line-up featuring any and all of your favorites from Reggie Watts to Kyle Kinane to Eddie Pepitone to Tig Notaro to Marc Maron to Hannibal Buress to so many more to even more?
Well, whether you do or don’t, the tickets for what should be one damn fine comedy festival are now on sale and you should snag that and some hotel reservations (unless you already luckily live on the island) ASAP.
While we are well underway into FXx’s Simpsons marathon of Every Simpsons Ever, there’s something extra special going on right this very second as Ben Schwartz is hosting a livestream featuring writers, producers, etc. of The Simpsons as well as a whole other bunch of comedians and fun people.
Schwartz is aiming to keep this going all day long, so just make this whole day about The Simpsons like you were going to anyway.
(via Gigaom)
With possibly not knowing where the debate of net neutrality will head, Netflix is trying to guarantee the speed of their online streaming service by footing the bill themselves.
They’ve just signed a deal this week with Time Warner Cable that will guarantee fast speeds and direct access so that you can stream as many of your favorite comedy series and movies as you possibly can at no extra charge (for now).
Hopefully, net neutrality will be protected and this is just a pre-emptive measure.
We feature Good Cop Great Cop (Matt Porter and Charlie Hankin) and their absurdly wonderful stuff here quite a bit. Just watch this video or this one.
Now, Matt and Charlie sat down with the New Worlds documentary series to give a greater explanation of the what and the how and the why of what they do as Good Cop Great Cop. Watch it here.
ON THE HORIZON
Nate Bargatze @ Comedy & Magic Club Wed. Sept. 17th & Thurs. Sept. 18th 8PM $15/2 item min.
Arguments vs. Grievances @ Nerdmelt Showroom Fri. Sept. 26th 7PM $8 in adv., $10 at door
COMEDY CRAWL
Monty Python Live (Mostly) @ Cinefamily 3PM $12
Brian Moote @ Flappers Claremont 7PM/9PM $20
Nam-haha-ste @ InYoga Center 8PM FREE
Ithamar Has Nothing To Say @ Second City Hollywood 8PM $10
Yellahammered! in Los Angeles 8PM FREE
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10
Varietopia w/Paul F. Tompkins @ Largo at the Coronet Theatre 8:30PM $30
The Comedy Garage in Echo Park 9PM FREE
Can I Kick It? @ Nerdmelt Showroom 9PM $10
Playhouse Masterpieces with Neil and Paul @ UCB Theatre 10PM $10
Tomorrow! Presents Five Minutes or Die @ Steve Allen Theater MIDNIGHT $8
12 Shiny Nickels @ Westside Comedy Theater $10
OPEN MIC RUN
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 2PM/Ends 4PM/First come, first served/Hosted by Trina Roderick
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 3:30PM/Starts 4PM/Ends 6PM/5 min./One item min
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 4PM/Ends 7PM/First come, first served/5-10 min./Hosted by Marty Wurst and Jeanne Whitney
MAKAI COFFEE 2771 E. Broadway, Long Beach, CA/Sign-up 4:30PM/Starts 5PM/First come, first served/5-7 min./No purchase necessary
FLAPPERS BURBANK YOOHOO ROOM 102 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA/Starts 4:30PM/First come, first served
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./First come, first served
WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER 1323-A 3rd St., Santa Monica, CA (in alley between 3rd St. Promenade & 4th St.)/Sign-up 5:45PM/Starts 6PM/Lottery/3 min./No purchase necessary/Hosted by Graham Rodgers and Scott Schnurr
THE LEXINGTON 129 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6:30PM/Starts 6:45PM/First come, first served/5 min./No purchase necessary/Hosted by Kasey Koop and Jenny Young
GROUNDWORK COFFEE 1501 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 7PM/Ends 10PM/First come, first served/5 min./One item min./Hosted by Raab
THUNDERGOAT IN TUSTIN, CA 540 Pacific Ave., Tustin, CA/Sign-up 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/First come, first served/5-7 min./Mixed in with booked spots/No purchase necessary
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 11PM/Starts around 11:30PM/lottery/3-5 min.
Comedy Central’s web series Comedians Crashing Couches goes forward with Nikki Glaser trying to not go crazy in a house full of people that make YouTube videos for a living in an attempt to see what makes Comedy Central’s viewership tick.
As a result, she tries making her first rap collaboration/“haul video” and then does a yard sale to clean up a room that is used as a closet because no one’s individual closet is big enough for any of their stuff.
Needless to say, Glaser seems like she’s having quite the time rooming with several twentysomethings.
According to this trailer for the second season of Adam Devine’s House Party featuring plenty of debauchery in New Orleans with Adam Devine and Adam Ray, there’s going to be plenty of great stand-up from some of our favorite folks to watch on the mic.
They include: Aparna Nancherla, Randy Liedtke, Kristen Schaal, Tone Bell, Nikki Glaser, Ian Karmel, Nick Rutherford, Kurt Braunohler, Mike Bridenstine, Joesph Pera, Billy Bonnell, Rell Battle, Rob Christensen, and way more.
The second season premieres Sept. 9th on Comedy Central, so we suggest not missing it.
Scott Moran’s fantastic Modern Comedian is back with a brand new episode featuring the also fantastic Maria Bamford. One of the few comedians to talk, enlighten us, and make us all laugh about mental illness in such a beautiful way, Bamford talks candidly with Moran about the trade off of taking medication for her mental illness.
(via Variety)
David Gordon Green, Sandra Bullock, and Our Brand Is Crisis, a documentary about American political tactics in South America are all combining for a film adaptation of that very same documentary.
It’ll be a political dramedy and it’s anything like 2012’s No with Gael García Bernal that focused on the very same topic in Chile, then we can’t wait for this to make an awards run.
If you think you know what going “off-the-rails” is like with Conan O’Brien, you don’t know what goes on when the audience and the airwaves bringing his talk show to TV screens around the world.
Well, we all got a look into exactly what that is like with his Scrapisode full of rehearsals, bloopers, etc. like Conan laughing through entire desk piece or randomly breaking into a cover of Radiohead’s Creep.
(via Entertainment Weekly)
CBS’ The Millers just got a lot more enticing with the addition of guest starring roles for Billy Eichner and Rhys Darby in their upcoming season. Eichner is set to play an ex-husband that has a crush on Will Arnett’s Nathan and Rhys Darby will play a sort of a fantasy novel series author/a George R.R. Martin type, perhaps.
So do be on the look out for that when it comes back Oct. 30th.
The moment you have all assuredly been waiting for (that is the voice of Will Arnett behind a washed up 90’s sitcom star horse trying to get his life together) is finally here.
That’s right the first season of Bojack Horseman is now on Netflix. So, if you’re taking a break from The Simpsons marathon, then just watch Bojack Horseman right here.
ON THE HORIZON
Tough Break! A Night of Comedy Benefitting Jodi Shuler @ Westside Comedy Theater Sun. Aug. 24th 7PM $15
Funny or Die’s Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival Tour @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Sat. Sept. 13th $49.75-$99.75
COMEDY CRAWL
Monty Python Live (Mostly) @ Cinefamily 4:30PM $12
Brand New Ball @ UCB Theatre 7PM $5
Brian Moote @ Flappers Claremont 7PM/9PM $20
Unnecessary Evil @ Westside Comedy Theater 8PM $10
Casey and Woods @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10 (stand by only)
Peachy Keen @ Bar Lubitsch 8:30PM FREE
Doug Stanhope @ The Comedy Store 9PM $30/2 drink min. (stand by only)
This Friday Forty @ Nerdmelt Showroom 9PM $10
We Have a Hammock in Highland Park 9PM FREE
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World @ New Beverly Cinema MIDNIGHT $8
OPEN MIC RUN
SET LIST @ FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 5PM/First come, first served/must improvise set of never before seen provided set list/No purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD IMPROV 8162 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5:30PM/Starts 5:45PM/Lottery/20 spots only/3 min./No purchase necessary
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./One item min.
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/Ends 8PM/5 min./First come, first served
MAX BLOOM’S 200 N. Malden Ave., Fullerton, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/booked show after/no purchase necessary
BOB’S ESPRESSO 5251 N. Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA/Sign-up 6:30PM/Starts 7PM/Ends 10PM/First come, first served/No purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/First come, first served/5 min./1 drink min.
SABOR Y CULTURA 5625 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 8PM/Sign-up is a lottery/3 min./No purchase necessary
TAO COMEDY STUDIO 7466 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 8PM/First come, first served/5 min./$5 cover includes drink
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 11PM/Starts 11:30PM/lottery/3-5 min.
(via Variety)
While there’s time off from SNL, SNL’s Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan are back working with Lorne Michaels on a brand new film, Brothers in Law. The rest of the cast seems pretty solid as well with Rachael Harris, Bill Pullman, Rita Wilson, and David Wain.
Details as to the movie’s premise or plot are sparing, but we’d like to guess, just based of the title, that this would be the type of a movie that would have a great showdown with Step Brothers.
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
Arguably the audio equivalent of YouTube, Soundcloud has established itself as one of the top services in their niche. They’re now going to implement ads and a potential subscription service with a handful of partners in order for those partners to generate their own revenue with their content.
So far, ads from Comedy Central could play on audio content from Earwolf, AST Records, Funny or Die, or JASH. If this direction continues, this could be a new avenue for podcasts or comedy albums looking to monetize themselves.
Even though Amy Schumer has Inside Amy Schumer and her upcoming movie Trainwreck, she’s still expanding her brand. Being the voice behind an animated cartoon character seems to be the next step according to this “behind-the-scenes” video, even though it’s not what she expected.
Please note, this is probably NSFW.
(via Deadline)
Mike Burns’ renowned Twitter feed character Karl Welzein, better known as “@DadBoner” might be brought closer to life thanks to Comedy Central.
The network has just ordered an animated pilot based off the Twitter feed and the accompanying book Power Moves: Livin’ the American Dream, USA Style.
If this gets picked up, don’t be surprised to see a surge in sales of Bob Seger albums.