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Jay Larson’s New Hour Special “Me Being Me” Out Now

October 20, 2017

comedy special, el rey theatre, jay larson, me being me, stand up

Jay Larson is yet another case of a comedian well overdue for the canvas of an hour special to showcase their comedic gifts. Thankfully, his day is here as Me Being Me, his first hour special is now available for purchase.

As we’ve said here before, Jay has a knack for offering up the beautiful slices of life and exudes the notion of joie de vivre to the fullest extent possible. If you think about it, that’s actually pretty rare in comedy, making this new hour special, Me Being Me, from Jay rather amazing.

Jay’s releasing Me Being Me independently for $5.99 and you can (and absolutely should) buy it here.

You can grab a peek at a clip over at Paste Magazine.

Casual Renewed for 4th and Final Season on Hulu

October 20, 2017

casual, hulu, renewed, season 4

Casual, the dark relationship comedy on Hulu, will be going for more one more round in its fourth season.

In a TV landscape of great dark, romantic, and relationship comedy, Michaela Watkins, Tara Lynne Barr, and Tommy Dewey have put forth great performances that have seen the show through the years. Please do watch/rewatch Casual when you get a chance.

Conan O’Brien Brings an End(?) to the Saga of His Letterman Gift Horse

October 20, 2017

conan o'brien, dave the horse, david letterman, horse

After all that has transpired in gone awry on both sides with David Letterman gifting Conan O’Brien a horse, Conan has taken it upon himself to bring a resolution to the matter/maybe have the last laugh.

“The Comedy Bureau Presents Comedians of Interest Vol. 1″ Now Released to the General Public

October 20, 2017

ast records, comedy album, stand up

ATTN: All Comedy Bureau faithful:

We’re putting an APB for six individuals (well, one’s a duo, so seven technically), all comedians, that you need to keep a close watch on. Said individuals have been “operating” under the radar, but, we firmly believe, will be “at-large” very soon.

These “Comedians of Interest” are as follows:
Anna Seregina
James Austin Johnson
Ahmed Bharoocha
Candice Thompson
The Walsh Brothers
Eric Dadourian

To aid in this endeavor, we have compiled “secret recordings” of the six in question to show why you absolutely need to keep a close eye, ear, etc. on all of them on Comedians of Interest Vol. 1 with the gracious collaboration of AST Records.

Here are two sample tracks, so you can see how inevitable their escalation (in comedy) will be.
James Austin Johnson-“I’m From The South”https://soundcloud.com/aspecialthing/im-from-the-south-james-austin-johnson

Candice Thompson-“Chronically Single”https://soundcloud.com/aspecialthing/candice-thompson-chronically-single

Get your copy of The Comedy Bureau Presents Comedians of Interest Vol. 1, so these comedians won’t surprise you when they “strike it big”`:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/comedians-of-interest-vol-1/id1292549079
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2zCKXU6
CD: http://astrecords.bigcartel.com/product/comedians-of-interest-vol-1

Good luck and Godspeed,
The Comedy Bureau (Jake Kroeger)

October 20, 2017

comedy show, dave attell, irvine, los angeles, orange county, stand up

Dave Attell is coming to town, specifically Irvine. There are four shows over two nights as follows:
11/3: 7:30PM & 9:45PM
11/4: 7PM & 9:30PM

Get your tickets here as soon as you can as they will sell out.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

October 19, 2017

ast records, candice thompson, comedians of interest, comedy album, compilation album, stand up

Here’s another of our “secret” recordings from Comedians of Interest Vol. 1 (out tomorrow, FYI) from one Candice Thompson. Again, listen carefully and you’ll hear why you need to have her on a list of comedians you need to keep a close eye on everything that they do (i.e. go see them live, listen to their podcasts, watch all their videos, etc.)

Also, again, you can pre-order/buy Comedians of Interest Vol. 1 from AST Records here.

See Jim Carrey Lose Himself in Playing Andy Kaufman in “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond”

October 19, 2017

andy kaufman, behind the scenes, comedy history, documentary, jim & andy, man on the moon, netflix, the great beyond, trailer

1999′s Man On The Moon, which had Jim Carrey star as legendary comedian and performer Andy Kaufman brought Carrey to whole new level of method acting where he, seemingly, never stopped being Andy Kaufman whether on camera or off.

This documentary, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond shows never before seen behind the scenes footage from the making of Man On The Moon spliced with interviews from modern day Jim Carrey commenting on what was going in his head.

For comedians, comedy fans, film buffs, actors, and more, this documentary gives a look, like you very likely have never seen before, of what really disappearing into playing someone else is like in real life.

See for yourself in the trailer.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond starts streaming on Netflix on Friday, November 17th.

Nicole Byer’s Loosely Exactly Nicole to Get 2nd Season via Facebook

October 19, 2017

facebook, loosely exactly nicole, nicole byer

Nicole Byer’s Loosely Exactly Nicole to Get 2nd Season via Facebook

Brought back from cancellation at MTV, Facebook is now adding a single camera sitcom to its programming line-up, albeit one that’s made more robust (i.e. shorter) for Facebook users.

Indeed, Nicole Byer will be continue to be on our screens via FB with her show, Loosely Exactly Nicole. You should also note that this is probably only the beginning of Facebook buying up content to exclusively stream via their media player.

Win Tickets to 10th Annual Schtick or Treat

October 19, 2017

halloween, hollywood, los angeles, los feliz, schtick or treat, silverlake, stand up, the virgil, what to do

Every year, some of the best comedians in town get into the Halloween spirit a bit by dressing up and performing as some of the most renowned comedians for our favorite comedy Halloween tradition, Schtick or Treat.

Created 10 years ago by Mark Normand and Matt Ruby, this year’s Schtick or Treat will return to The Virgil will have at least 45 acts “including” Natasha Leggero, Louis CK, Dennis Leary, Pete Holmes, Maria Bamford, Ricky Gervais, Iliza Schlessinger, Norm MacDonald, Ron White, Wanda Sykes, Andrew Dice Clay, richard Pryor, Adam Carolla, Ali Wong, Jeff Dunham, to name a few.

(covered in costume and persona will actually be James Adomian, Amber Nelson, Henry Zebrowski, Chris Thayer, Josh Androsky, Lydia Popovich, Jenny Zigrino, Nick Vatterott, Megan Keoster, Zach Broussard, Troy Walker, Adam Newman, Ed Salazar, Babs Gray, Ed Larson, Grant Lyon and many more)

You can buy tickets for $15 OR you can enter to win a pair of tickets from us here: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways

Emily Fleming as Lucille Ball (Photo by Kevin Riggins)

Hosts and creators Mark Normand and Matt Ruby (Photo by Mindy Tucker)

Josh Androsky as Larry the Cable Guy (Photo by Kevin Riggins)

Watch Margot Robbie Become the Infamous Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” Teaser

October 19, 2017

i tonya, margot robbie, neon, teaser, tonya harding

Between Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad, and now, I, Tonya from director Craig Gillespie and writer Steven Rogers, there seems to some thread between the roles that Margot Robbie goes for.

They all seem to be complex, ambitious, and uncensored and Robbie plays them quite well.

Get a taste of how she becomes the infamous figure ice skating star Tonya Harding in this teaser for dark comedy biopic I, Tonya.

Look for I, Tonya in theaters on December 8th.

FX Renews Better Things for Season 3

October 19, 2017

better things, fx, renewed, season 3

On top of another quality FX series continuing on at the juggernaut cable network, reading the words “better things renewed” just feels good and makes us, even if for just a moment, hopeful.

October 19, 2017

anime, comedy shows, free comedy, free show, heather anne campbell, hollywood, improv, long form improv, los angeles, pack theater

Heather Anne Campbell, one of the funniest people around, carefully assembled team of great improvisers who also happen to enjoy anime for The Anime Show.

They will improvise an episode of anime that they have never seen. Sometimes, they are dead on and act out the episode as it actually plays out in the anime series.

In any case, it’s pretty damn fun and, because it’s at The Pack Theater, admission is pay what you can.

This latest edition of The Anime Show will happen on Saturday, October 21st at 10PM.

Please get more details here.

October 18, 2017

a special thing, ast records, comedians of interest, james austin johnson, stand up

One of our “Comedians of Interest” that you’ll have to keep a close an eye on for on our upcoming Comedians of Interest Vol. 1 album is the endlessly clever James Austin Johnson.

Here’s a track of Johnson’s straight from “our” files.

FYI, Comedians of Interest Vol. 1 comes out this Friday, October 20th via AST Records. You can pre-order the record in advance here.

Jerrod Carmichael Set Up Two Put Pilots at Fox Starring Lil’ Rel and Nate Bargatze

October 18, 2017

fox, jerrod carmichael, lil' rel, nate bagatze, pilot

In the span of a few weeks, Jerrod Carmichael has three pilots being made for three different stand-up comedians from an overall deal he has at 20th Century Fox TV.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that a Hulu pilot for Muslim comedy with Ramy Youssef got ordered.

Just this afternoon, Fox announced two put pilots from Carmichael. One (via Variety) is starring and will be based on the life of comedian Nate Bargatze (Carmichael is attached to write and produce). The other (via Deadline) will star Lil’ Rel from The Carmichael Show and will be written and produced by Lil’ Rel, Josh Rabinowitz, and Kevin Barnett (Carmichael and Mike Scully are attached as EPs).

If all three go to series, Carmichael will be the latest stand-up comedian to become a legitimate TV power player.

Well, Trailer for Louis C.K.’s “I Love You, Daddy” Couldn’t Be More Timely

October 18, 2017

chloe grace moretz, i love you daddy, john malkovich, louis ck, trailer

If you follow the entertainment industry trades, you’ve seen almost the entirety of coverage over the last several days has been dedicated to systemic sexual assault and harassment within Hollywood going back for decades.

Now, C.K.’s latest film (co-written with frequent collaborator Vernon Chatman), I Love You, Daddy, made pretty much in secret (as he has done with most of his works over the last couple of years), seems to tackle this very topic head on in a way that attempts to shine a light on the sort of insidious behavior that has been practiced by certain powerful figures in entertainment.

The description for the movie reads:

Louis C.K.’s I LOVE YOU, DADDY is a bittersweet comedy about successful TV writer/producer Glen Topher (C.K.), who panics when his spoiled 17-year-old daughter China (Chloë Grace Moretz) starts spending time with 68-year-old Leslie Goodwin (John Malkovich), a legendary film director with a reputation for dating underage girls.
Conceived in the high style of 1940s Hollywood movies, with lustrous black and white 35mm photography and a soaring orchestral score, I LOVE YOU, DADDY blends a classic look with Louis C.K.’s raucous modern comic sensibility to tell the story of a flawed man’s struggle to connect with his daughter and get back on his feet as an artist.

See for yourself in the trailer.

You’ve probably been aware of Tig Notaro’s recently saying that C.K. should address his own “sexual misconduct” rumors. Unfortunately, the notion of them being out there and remaining as rumors will undoubtedly cast a pall over this movie in addition to the myriad of reactions the film will inevitably bring about by dealing with the most glaring subject in all of Hollywood at the current moment.

Also, keep in mind, this is supposed to be on comedy on top of all of that. We’ll just have to wait to see the film and see what, if anything, C.K. says in upcoming interviews and public appearances.

I Love You, Daddy is set for a limited release on Friday, November 17th and will, very likely, spark more intense discussion than Aronofsky’s mother!

The Lady Dynamite Season 2 Gets The Amazing Trailer That You Were Hoping For

October 18, 2017

lady dynamite, maria bamford, mitch hurwitz, netflix, pam brady, season 2, trailer

The combination of Maria Bamford, Mitch Hurwitz, and Pam Brady had season 1 of The Lady Dynamite really turn the single camera comedy on its head in a dazzling way.

With season 2 coming up, you might have somewhat high expectations for how Maria’s life and the genre bending, meta nature of the show work together.

Well, the trailer for this new season delivers.

All episodes of The Lady Dynamite season 2 start streaming on Friday, November 10th.

David Letterman Offers Up His Side of the Story in Gifting Conan O’Brien a Horse

October 18, 2017

brooklyn, conan o'brien, david letterman, gift horse, horse, jimmy kimmel, jimmy kimmel live, late night, prank, saga

Last week, Conan O’Brien stopped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and told the story of how David Letterman sent a horse to Conan’s soundstage on the Warner Bros. lot and how much of a nightmare that ended up being.

Turns out Conan suspicions of Letterman sending a gift that was more of a joke than anything else was true, but things didn’t work out exactly how Dave would have liked.

On last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, Letterman explained how he really wanted the prank gift to work, then bemoaned how it, technically, worked more effectively (in the sense of causing Conan distress) than initially intended.

Ever the prankster himself, Jimmy Kimmel jumped in with a perfect button to this story at 4:58 of this clip of the interview.

October 18, 2017

brendon walsh, comedy show, davey johnson, dj douggpound, free comedy, gelson's, johnny pemberton, los angeles, magic show, mystiki, neil hamburger, silverlake, stand up

Normally, a show like this would be in the walls of some hallowed indie music venue a la Neil Hamburger and Special Guests at The Satellite. However, next week, this wondrous line-up will brings some delightful mischief to the Gelson’s in Silver Lake.

Also, the show is free to attend. Get more details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

All of Ernie Kovacs’ “Take a Good Look” Is Now in a Collector’s Box Set

October 17, 2017

ernie kovacs, shout factory, take a good look

Both for comedy and television, Ernie Kovacs was a trailblazing pioneer. There are plenty of rabbit holes of which you can go down in exploring his career and the subsequent influence he’s had on absurdist humor (Seriously, a bit of googling Kovacs will lead to a lot more googling of everything he’s done).

One of those rabbit holes is his game show Take A Good Look, which “…turns the secret guest show formula on its ear and almost inverts it. In Take A Good Look, it is the host who gives the panel hints about the secret guest’s identity, and in the form of surreal sight gags, blackouts and sketches. The clues only really make sense if you know who the guest is to begin with. Throughout the series’ run, different approaches were taken to address this.”

Shout Factory has put all 49 episodes on a 7 DVD disc set and is offering an Ernie Kovacs sketch comedy special to the first 1000 orders.

You can (and should) get Ernie Kovacs: Take a Good Look here.

Patton Oswalt: Annihilation Is Now Streaming on Netflix (and You Should Watch It ASAP)

October 17, 2017

annihilation, comedy special, netflix, patton oswalt, stand up

Patton Oswalt’s brand new hour special is now streaming on Netflix. That should be reason enough to carve out an hour today to watch Oswalt showcase his mastery of stand-up comedy.

However, you should watch this latest special as soon as you can, Annihilation, as Oswalt takes everyone on an unforgettable journey through the last year of his life, dealing with the passing of his wife Michelle McNamara and the aftermath. It’s as hilarious as it is heart wrenching and, ultimately, all the more beautiful for it.

Also, the message Patton has at the end is a maxim that we’d all do better to live by.

October 17, 2017

comedy shows, ebell theatre, los angeles, mike birbiglia, stand up, storytelling, wilshire

There are still tickets available for Mike Birbiglia’s two nights at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre next week. Very few are left for Thursday, Oct. 26th and a few more are left for Wednesday, Oct. 25th.

Please get them ASAP while they’re still around here and here respectively.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

October 16, 2017

a special thing, album, anniversary, comedy bureau, los angeles, nerdmelt

Oh yeah, we are releasing our very first compilation album Comedians of Interest Vol. 1 this Friday and throwing ourselves a 7th Anniversary Show/”Staff” Fundraiser on Sunday!

You can (and really should) pre-order the album here on AST Records and buy advance tickets for the show here.

Sarah Silverman Deconstructs Late Night Form and Brings a Lot of Heart in “I Love You, America”

October 16, 2017

hulu, I love you america, megan phelps roper, sarah silverman, trump voter

The traditional form of late night is so well established these days, parodying it is getting to be an old move as well.

Still, there’s room for reinvention as Sarah Silverman has shown in premiere of her new series I Love You, America. Right in the series premiere opening, she prefaces how different the show might be (case in point full frontal nudity in the first few minutes of the show) and even offers up a satirical sidekick of a white man at a desk a la most late night talk shows.

Aside from Silverman’s brand of humor that she has rode to success, Silverman leans in to her more genuine persona (something she has been slowly doing over the last couple of years) by actually having heart-to-heart conversations with a Trump voter family over dinner and a former Westboro Baptist Church member in her very living room style studio.

As she had warned, they may not be getting dozens of laughs per minute, but they are engaging and fascinating (and maybe succeeding in territory attempted by a show like Brand X with Russell Brand).

It’s the first episode, so we’ll have to see how I Love You, America progresses, but it is refreshing to Sarah really embody the heart in the title of her show.

The Big Sick Will Be Available for Streaming on Amazon Prime Starting November 24th

October 16, 2017

amazon, emily gordon, kumail nanjiani, the big sick, zoe kazan

If you don’t want to buy a DVD or Blu-Ray and just want to stream one of the best romantic comedies in recent memory, you’ll be able to stream The Big Sick on Thanksgiving weekend.

HBO Orders Late Night Wyatt Cenac Comedy Docu-Series

October 16, 2017

docu series, hbo, john oliver, late night, wyatt cenac

HBO Orders Late Night Wyatt Cenac Comedy Docu-Series

So, three very exciting developments with this new addition to late night in 2018:
1) Wyatt Cenac will be back on television again, this time, with his own show on HBO.
2) None of this show will be done from a desk. Wyatt will take on current issues in satirical documentary segments.
3) John Oliver is an EP.

Look for Wyatt’s late night show on HBO in spring 2018.