Recent News – The Comedy Bureau

TCB Debriefing 9/29/23: Joe Zimmerman, Sean Patton, Toxic Avenger, Invisible Fight, Perfect Amount of Wrong

September 29, 2023

invisible fight, joe zimmerman, mike bridenstine, perfect amount of wrong, sean patton, toxic avenger

1. Without a doubt, Joe Zimmerman has one of the best comedy specials of this year with Cult Classic. In 2023, believe it or not, Zimmerman achieved that on the strength of classical joke writing/telling/delivery alone. The most stodgy old guard comedy snobs and modern day comedy fans alike should love this special. We’ll leave our thoughts at that for now and expound how much we dig Zimmerman’s latest hour for later. For the time being, just enjoy Cult Classic, free of charge and streaming service on YouTube right here.

2. Rain, sleet, or snow, we’ll probably endure any conditions to go see the brilliant Sean Patton, a master of both tall tales and hysterical, heart-wrenching true stories. He’s on tour come November across the U.S. of A. You need to go tickets now at meseanpatton.com and plan accordingly on how to get to any of these cities if you don’t already live relatively close to them.

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3. The Troma classic The Toxic Avenger from Lloyd Kaufman is getting a modern/actually budgeted update with a star-studded cast that includes Peter Dinklage in the title role, that includes Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood, and Kevin Bacon. It almost feels like part of the Suicide Squad Universe derived from the DCEU with its plethora of delightful viscera. Take a gory gander here.

4. Mike Bridenstine’s Perfect Amount of Wrong, a wondrous detailed chronicle of the rise of alt comedy in Chicago’s North Side (that includes the ascent of Pete Holmes, John Mulaney, Kyle Kinane, Cameron Esposito, and Kumail Nanjiani) is out now. Go get a copy for yourself or as a present for the holidays for family or friends or, again, yourself.

5. We’ll leave you with this: Some folks might have taken the advice of the screenwriting how-to book Save the Cat a little too literally?

Pick of the Day: Don’t Tell Comedy NYC Tapings (in NYC) 10/6 & 10/7

September 29, 2023

News

don't tell comedy, live taping, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Though the name says otherwise, Don’t Tell Comedy is a nationwide (and, actually, an international) phenomenon. This year alone, they’ll have done thousands of pop up comedy shows in over 140 cities, wherever they may be a weird, cool, non-traditional comedy venue and strong comedy scene might be.

The strength of that brand has lead them into now having taped sets presented on Don’t Tell’s YouTube channel that rival any that you’d see on TV or streaming services. If you’re in the NYC area next week, you could actually be part of the latest round of Don’t Tell Comedy tapings, set for Fri. Oct. 6th in Williamsburg/Brooklyn and Chelsea/Manhattan on Sat. Oct. 7th. You could actually make it a comedy taping hat trick as Comedy Central’s tapings are on 10/5.

Tickets are only $25 and, per the Don’t Tell Comedy protocol, the line-up is secret and exact location is revealed day of after purchase of your ticket. Go get them here before they sell out.

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TCB Debriefing 9/28/23: The Curse, Cam Gavinski, Late Night Returns, Big Mouth S7, Fingernails, Ziwe, Zainab Johnson, Invisible

September 28, 2023

News

airplane, big mouth, cam gavinski, fingernails, late night, the curse, zainab johnson, ziwe

1. Take your first peek at what hath Nathan Fielder, The Safdie Brothers, and Emma Stone wrought with a teaser for their “haunted” real estate series, The Curse, set to premiere on Nov. 10th Showtime/Paramount+.

2. Cam Gavinski proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the best way to break the rules in comedy is to know them with one hell of a debut special how to make everything about you forever and always. We’ll share more thoughts soon, but, for now, please enjoy a grand 90 minute, very tightly rehearsed meta comedy epic here.

3. Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, and Stephen Colbert are all set to return to their desks on Oct. 2nd (and effectively kick that punk Gutfeld to the curb) along with John Oliver coming in a day early on Oct. 1st with Last Week Tonight. Expect a new episode of Real Time with Bill Maher this Friday as well (Variety).

4. A “Making of Airplane!” is in the works (Deadline) and you ought to know that there will be plenty of old folks saying that they couldn’t make a movie like this today (despite the Internet being chock full of much more controversial content).

5. As October is technically the spookiest month of the year, it only makes sense that the adult animated series that simultaneously makes you burst out laughing about the most embarrassing moments of your adolescence. Get ready with this first trailer for season 7 of Big Mouth, set to premiere on Oct. 20th on Netflix.

6. Fingernails is The Office meets Black Mirror? See for yourself on Nov. 3rd on AppleTV+.

7. Unsurprisingly, tickets for Ziwe’s Black Friend Tour are selling out fast and have resulted in more dates being added. Go get your tickets at ziwe.com before you miss out and are forced to think how you would have fared on a round of Baited.

8. Zainab Johnson, who you have probably have seen on Upload, but hopefully have seen do delightful stand-up, is having her debut hour on Amazon Prime, come Oct. 24th, with the wondrous title, Hijabs Off.

9. We’ll leave you for this: Drew Carey not only covered people’s tabs at Swingers and Bob’s Big Boy for the entire duration of the WGA Strike, but included one extra day as a victory breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Pick of the Day: Spaghetti Fest (in LA) 11/1-11/11

September 28, 2023

News

comedy festival, experimental theater, los angeles comedy, the elysian

Another day, another comedy festival. That’s a saying, right? Well, certainly this Fall is full of comedy festivals of all shapes and sizes including the daring, all original, all brand spankin’ new experiment Spaghetti Festival (FKA Forget About Spaghetti Festival).

10 nights of 10 freshly dreamt up and produced shows that span comedy to experimental performance from all corners of LA are set to take over the Elysian from Nov. 1st–Nov. 11th. There will be shows that imagine realities beyond a concession stand, a Kyle Mizono-ified world of Being John Malkovich, Nosferatu’s Sweet 16, the end of a cult, and an entire clown interpretation of the Zodiac. The first one was a beautiful fever dream and this one ought to pick up right where the last one last left off.

All shows are at 8PM each night and individual tickets are $18, but you can save yourself $30 if you wanna catch all 10 shows by being a Spaghetti Festival Pass for $150. Get all the info, specific schedule, and tickets/passes here. Do it right now. Seriously. It’ll be the best thing you spend money on November (and that includes whatever the hell you do for Thanksgiving).

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 183: Zach Zucker & Stamptown Stamping Everywhere

September 27, 2023

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

stamptown, zach zucker

Zach Zucker has taken his creation Stamptown and its ringleader Jack Tucker to the height of international comedy stardom with having it being a rollicking circus of all types of comedy and wild performance in LA, NYC, and London (and elsewhere too). For our money, Zucker is one of the only folks in all of comedy to pull this off on a regular basis and his award winning antics are the proof to back up such a feat. This week’s TCB Field Report dives into the ins and outs of touring all around the globe doing some of the wildest comedy out there (and continuing to push the comedy envelope beyond that).

Follow Stamptown at stamptowncomedy.com and Zach Zucker @zach_zucker across platforms.

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Jill Petracek

Pick of the Day: Filipino Comedy Festival (in NYC) 10/20 & 10/21

September 27, 2023

News

caveat, filipino american heritage month, filipino comedy festival, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

It’s comedy festival season in NYC. The New York Comedy Festival is on the horizon, there is Apartment Fest 2023, and now there is the very first Filipino Comedy Festival, presented by the NYC Filipino comedy collective that is Banana Ketchup, that’s coming to NYC as well (just in time for Filipino American Heritage Month, FYI).

Keith Pedro, Patricia Dinglasan, and Kyle Marian will indeed be taking over Caveat in LES for four shows over two night highlighting some of the best Filipino comedians, many of which have gotten shine elsewhere on TV or in LA & NYC including Michael Cruz Kayne, Andrew Orolfo, and Clare O’Kane. Fingers crossed that there will be plentiful lumpia as well instead of the typical comedy show staple of chicken fingers.

Come kick off this inaugural Filipino Comedy Festival on Fri. Oct. 20th and Sat.. Oct. 21st and you can snag $15 tickets if you go buy them right now (this will also be available for livestream if you’re not in NYC or maybe in the P.I.).

TCB Debriefing 9/26/23: WGA Strike Ends, Rick & Morty S7, Dr. Strangelove Live, The Office, Relax, I’m From the Future Moonlighting, Brad Wenzel

September 26, 2023

News

armando iannucci, brad wenzel, dr strangelove, moonlighting, relax I'm from the future, rhys darby, rick and morty, steve coogan, wga strike

*before we begin, WordPress is a dinosaur and, as such, we apologize for the massive amount of “dust” in trying to make some fixes to such an old hunk of junk.

1. WGA votes to ratify interim agreement and rescind strike order. This has the return of late night, including the Jimmys, Stephen, Seth, and John as well as SNL, set in motion for the next month or so. More importantly, that means Greg Gutfeld will no longer be #1 on late night anymore.

2. Here’s your official gander at Rick and Morty season 7 with the kickoff set for Oct. 15th. Not sure if Arm Rick will be as popular as Pickle Rick, but we didn’t think that Schezuan sauce debacle would actually get out of hand as much as it did (as well as hearing the new voices of Rick & Morty because of Justin Roiland…, well, you know by now).

3. Um, Steve Coogan will star in an Armando Iannucci/Sean Foley live stage adaptation of Dr. Strangelove that is set for an Oct-Dec. run in London’s Noel Coward Theatre (Deadline). Honestly, this is kind of worth the airfare, hotel, and ticket.

4. Apparently, there is a reboot of the U.S. version of The Office in the works (Collider). Something tells us if we let this reboot fly, we’re going to have another decade of reboots. Please go watch originals.

5. Speaking of originals, Rhys Darby continues to be a one-of-a-kind with the full length feature adaptation of the critically acclaimed time travel comedy short, Relax I’m from the Future. Take a gander here, then look for it in limited release right now.

6. One of Bruce Willis‘ crowning achievements in his very long, decorated career is one of his earliest, Moonlighting, co-starring a paragon of her time, Cybill Shepherd. You’ll be able to see why soon as the entire series will be on Hulu as of Oct. 10th (Indiewire).

7. One of the best one liner comedians/artisanal joke tellers out there today is Brad Wenzel. He’s currently on the road and you really ought to go see him live. After all, you have to be a very special Brad in comedy to have the URL bradcomedy.com (where you’d go get tickets to go see at these shows).

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8. We’ll leave you with this: Seriously, we’re working on a better TCB for all of you (and us too because updating everything has been a nightmare for a long time). Once more, please pardon our dust.

Pick of the Day: Joe Kwaczala Album Release (in LA) 9/28

September 26, 2023

News

comedy album, dynasty typewriter, joe kwaczala, los angeles comedy

With his prolific output of sketches at a single given time (31 for 31 and 21 for 21) and Joe’s simultaneous balancing that with his ever-so-clever stand-up, you’d think that he’d have a few albums under his belt.

If that’s what you’re thinking, then you’d be genuinely surprised to know that his very first album, the aptly named, Funny Songs & Sketches, is just about to come out. Kwaczala is having a very special night this Thur. Sept. 28th at 7:30PM at Dynasty Typewriter to celebrate the release that will very likely be every bit as magical as when we first saw Joe do The Wheel Show at Nerdmelt Showroom, a sketch variety show whose fate was decided by the spin of a wheel.

Tickets for Joe’s album release are $20 a pop and you better get them here soon as Thurs. 9/28 is coming up real quick.

Pick of the Day: Apartment Fest 2023 (in NYC) 10/19-10/22

September 25, 2023

News

apartment fest, eitan levine, harlem, nyc comedy, stand up comedy

Sure, sure, The New York Comedy Fest is coming in November and taking over the entire NYC comedy scene for a week and a half. What if you don’t want to wait until November for a comedy festival in the NYC area?

Thank goodness that Eitan Levine is here for you with the return of his Apartment Fest, a four day comedy festival that’s run out of, you guessed it, his apartment, somewhere in Harlem (and it’s a little crazy to us that this doesn’t happen more often in any of the five boroughs, to be honest). This will be the festival’s sophomore year following his first run pre-pandemic that, like so many things in comedy, started as a joke (creating a festival because Eitan was rejected from a comedy festival), then manifested into a real, very fun thing.

This year, Apartment Fest will run Thurs. Oct. 19th-Sun. Oct. 22nd with NYC comedy scene staples as headliners including Chloe Radcliffe, Ismael Loutfi, Stef Dag, Sureni Weerasekera, and Matthew Broussard. Tickets are $10 per show right now and we highly suggest you get in on ’em here.

TCB Debriefing 9/22/23: Kyle Kinane, Bumper in Berlin, Mean Girls, Kidnapping of a President, Toxic Avenger

September 23, 2023

News

bumper in the berlin, kidnapping of a president, kyle kinane, mean girls, toxic avenger

1. The great Kyle Kinane has just lined up his fall and winter dates. Go buy tickets immediately at kylekinane.com and think of going to see his truly beautiful comedy as an early holiday present for yourself or someone else.

2. The latest casualty of the strike is Bumper in Berlin, which has now been canceled at Peacock (Deadline). That’s after it already got an order for a second season, which means that your show isn’t safe until all episodes of your show have been written, shot, edited, and most importantly, aired.

3. The movie version of the musical adaptation of the 2004 comedy classic Mean Girls has gotten an upgraded release as it’ll now play in theaters near you as opposed to just Paramount+ (THR). Will Lindsay Lohan be part of the inevitable 20 year retrospective of the movie that will be made just to promote Gen-Z’s(?) Mean Girls.

4. There is a Finnish dramedy in the works about the very real kidnapping of a former Finnish president aptly titled The Kidnapping of a President (Variety). If it’s a hit and there’s an interest in a U.S. adaptation, interested parties could just do a mini-series about the idiots that tried to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

6. Heads up to all the midnight movie buffs out there, a remake of Troma shlock classic, The Toxic Avenger has been remade with Peter Dinklage and Elijah Wood (Indiewire). If remaking Troma movies becomes a thing, now would be a pretty great time to take a stab at rebooting Surf Nazis Must Die.

7. We’ll you leave you with this: big theaters need to do better with bike storage/parking (i.e. don’t force folks to either risk their bike getting stolen on the street or having to pay $10 to lock it up safely in a parking garage, which is completely a thing we did when going to see Please Don’t Destroy).

Pick of the Day: Live After Death: a comedy show about grief and loss! (in LA) 10/13 & 10/14

September 22, 2023

News

Ben Wasserman, live after death, los angeles comedy, solo show

The hysterical and poignant Ben Wasserman did get to bring his very special solo show, Live After Death, to LA to mix unfettered silliness with deep healing from grief and loss, but had to do it in a traditional theater, an atypical set up for his show which was largely performed at a funeral home.

Thankfully, Wasserman’s return to Los Angeles with Live After Death is going to happen at Death Doula LA, a different sort of family planning service that guides individuals and their families through the end of life. Wasserman’s show is special as is with truly getting you to have you double over laughing and also “feel all the feels” between absurd bits and cathartic sharing of stories and remembering of loved ones that we’ve lost. It will undoubtedly be something, even more so, that one shouldn’t miss at a venue that deals with death on a day-to-day basis.

Ben has Fri. Oct. 13th and Sat. Oct. 14th at 7:30PM set for two exclusive performances of Live After Death with LA comedy darlings Reshma Meister and Camirin Farmer opening the shows respectively. Tickets are $15 and you can (and should) go get them here.

TCB Debriefing 9/21/23: Ralph Barbosa, Hari Kondabolu, Matt Walsh/DTWS, Seth MacFarlane, Colin From Accounts

September 21, 2023

News

colin from accounts, dwts, entertainment community fund, hari kondabolu, matt walsh, ralph barbosa, seth macfarlane

1. Seems like Netflix is picking their old pace of stand-up specials. Earlier this week, it was Luenell and now they’re set to release rising star Ralph Barbosa and his debut hour special on the streaming giant. Called Cowabunga, Ralph’s hour is set to premiere on Halloween, which should provide a nice non-scary alternative to those who are mostly looking to ignore trick-or-treaters or getting dressed up that Tuesday night. Here’s Ralph’s very chill announcement to prove that sentiment.

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2. The absolutely brilliant Hari Kondabolu has just his touring dates for this Fall. Do not miss out on some of the smartest and most clever stand-up in any of these cities (even if you’re only kind of close to it). Tickets available at harikondabolu.com/tour.

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3. Matt Walsh holds up from taking the floor on Dancing With the Stars until the WGA Strike is resolved (Deadline). So, this means more live improv from Matt Walsh until then?

4. Seth MacFarlane has now upped his total contribution to the Entertainment Community Fund, a general fund for those affected by double strike, to $6 million in total (Deadline). Hope that the strike is referenced in plenty of episodes of the multitude of shows that MacFarlane has a hand in (especially The Orville).

5. The latest comedy export from Australia will come in the form of Aussie hit TV series Colin From Accounts on Paramount+ on Nov. 9th. Take a gander at how charming their accents are amidst an absurd meet cute.

6. We’ll leave you with this: Was anyone thinking that comedians were telling the 100% unembellished truth, ever? How is that even news?

Pick of the Day: Comedy Central Stand Up Featuring Taping (in NYC) 10/5

September 21, 2023

News

comedy central, nyc comedy, stand up comedy, taping

Comedy Central is doing its latest round of exclusive tapings for their digital stand-up showcases, which is the most consistent stand-up comedy endeavor from the comedy channel these days. Also, it has been nice to see that these recent tapings have seen comics getting to play fast and loose rather than stick strictly to a set list.

The 2023 NYC Comedy Central Stand-up Featuring will have two tapings at NYC’s beloved Cutting Room on Thurs. Oct. 5th. Per usual, tapings are free to attend so long as you RSVP (do so here).

Slated to perform are choice picks out of the NYC comedy scene:

6:30PM: Ayanna Dookie, Sam Morrison, Chinedu Unaka, Homles, Randall Otis, Lucas Zelnick & Kate Sisk

9PM: Tommy Brennan, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Usama Siddiquee, Mark Smalls, Mav Viola, Asha Ward, Ethan Simmons-Patterson, & Eagle Witt

Again, RSVP here before it fills up! FYI, there is an open bar an hour prior to the show!

TCB Debriefing 9/20/23: COVID-19 Gets Shepherd/Kimmel, Luenell, Ryan Reynolds, Ms. Pat, Nate Craig, Voy! Voy! Voy!

September 20, 2023

News

covid-19, jimmy kimmel, luenell, ms. pat, nate craig, netflix, ryan reynolds, sherri shepherd

1. Sherri Shepherd, Jimmy Kimmel, and the staff of a Steve Martin/Martin Short show all got COVID-19 and have had to postpone/cancel whatever shows they were doing (THR). This is great time to remember that “endemic” doesn’t mean “disease free”.

2. Take a gander at the Luenell‘s Netflix special, Town Business, with the official trailer. Curiously, not only is it presented by Dave Chappelle, but branded as Chappelle’s Home Team. Wonder if they have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with pronouns on that team.

3. Ryan Reynolds will be the latest recipient of the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter in support of Glenn Close’s Bring Change to Mind org, a children’s mental health NPO (THR). They would have to probably not invite Deadpool to this, right?

4. Ms. Pat will add judge to her resume by taking up a gavel and presiding over Ms. Pat Settles It on BET on Oct. 18th (Deadline). If there’s eventually some sort of competitive reality show that will pit Ms. Pat against Judge Judy and Chrissy Teigen, we won’t be surprised in the slightest.

5. Nate Craig, who released one hell of a special this year with Live at the Green Mill, has got some tour dates all around the country. Go get tix at natecraig.com/calendar.

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6. Another country is going to submit a comedy to AMPAS for Oscar consideration. This time, Egypt is going with Omar Hilal’s Voy! Voy! Voy! a sports comedy about a man with normal vision trying his fortunes playing blind football (Deadline). Honestly, it should get some sort of distribution deal on the premise alone.

7. We’ll leave you with this: Guess Vegas is still aggressively relaxed on their COVID-19 measures.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 182: Kyle KA & Don’t Tell Comedy Tell All

September 20, 2023

News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report

don't tell comedy, kyle ka

1000 shows over 100 cities in a year sounds like something that the likes of Live Nation could only pull off for some sort of huge touring act. Well, Don’t Tell Comedy will have notched in 3000 shows over 140 cities by the end of 2023. They’ve accomplished that with only doing stand-up comedy shows in secret locations, often backyards, all around the country and, just recently, the world, with secret line-ups, often featuring great up and coming comedy talent. We get the lowdown on all things Don’t Tell Comedy for this week’s TCB Field Report from Don’t Tell’s founder and CEO, Kyle KA.

Follow Kyle @donttellkyle on IG and Don’t Tell Comedy at donttellcomedy.com

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and Jake Kroeger
Photo by Matt Misisco

Pick of the Day: Little Secret Climate Fest (in LA) 9/30

September 20, 2023

News

adam conover, climate action, little secret, los angeles comedy, variety show

Today, the UN has convened for a climate summit that supposedly will address the dire circumstances that the entire global population faces from undeniable climate change. Only four years ago, Greta Thunberg had assembled the largest climate protest in Manhattan and, as you can see in the headlines, natural disasters around the world have only gotten more violent since then (minus those few months during COVID-19 quarantine where everyone stayed inside, for the most part).

That’s all to say that a lot more has to be done, which is why Little Secret is throwing a big climate action bonanza at the end of this month. The best comedy, music, and climate focused minds will be coming together for Little Secret Climate Fest on Sat. Sept. 30th at 8:30PM.

On the bill thus far are Adam Conover, Leah Bonnema, Echo Kellum, Lance Bangs as well as Jenny O., Escape Artist of Lovers (feat. Rain Phoenix), Grace Mckagan, Amanda & Shepard Fairey, and many, many more. Proceeds will benefit the work of @sunrisemvmtla & @ycstrikela.

For all of this, tickets are only $10. Plus there’s a really kicking after party, per usual at Little Secret, going late.

Go get tickets here (address given 48 hrs. before event w/purchase of ticket).

TCB Debriefing 9/19/23: Dream Scenario, John Waters, Heather McMahan, Russell Brand, Among the Dead, Second City NYC, Jena Friedman

September 19, 2023

News

among the dead, dream scenario, heather mcmahan, jena friedman, john waters, nicholas cage, nyc comedy, russell brand, second city, walk of fame

1. It seems like the Nicholas Cage from Weather Man (i.e. an entrancing balance of nuance and “going full Cage”) is back in Dream Scenario, a comedy of literal dreams, from rising star Norwegian director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself). Simply put, Cage plays a rather ordinary professor who, all of sudden, starts appearing in everyone’s dreams. If that’s not the perfect role for Cage, we don’t know what else would be. Take your first gander at Dream Scenario here.

2. When the word “cult” is being used an appreciative adjective rather than a disturbing noun, there might not be a name more synonymous with that iteration of the word than filmmaker and cultural icon, John Waters. As such, it’s about time that he got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and this week saw that momentous event come to pass. Unsurprisingly, Waters gave what very well be the best Hollywood Walk of Fame acceptance speech ever.

John Waters speaks at the unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: "Here I am, closer to the gutter than ever!"

Watch our digital cover story with John & his #Hairspray star @RickiLake: https://t.co/Uj7eFevZ0f pic.twitter.com/Yfzbk3sKi1

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) September 18, 2023

3. Heather McMahan will be the latest beloved, headlining comedian to go the route of self-producing their special and then Netflix buying it as Netflix announced the release of her hour Son I Never Had slated for Oct. 17th (THR). Has Netflix finally gotten closer to the bottom of what seemed like bottomless pockets?

4. With multiple investigations going into allegations of sexual assault, rape, and emotional abuse by Russell Brand, both the BBC and Channel 4 in the UK have removed all content featuring Brand (Deadline). They cited the reasoning of it “…falling below public expectations,” which makes some sort of sense since Brand never really outdid his performance in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (where he played a sex obsessed rock star, mind you).

5. The zombie film and TV subgenre is so expansive that it very well could almost be its own genre separate from horror. Case in point, there is a Japanese, English-language zombie mockumentary in the works from Japanese comedian Shinagawa Hiroshi and writing duo Midnight Pizza called Among the Dead (Variety). Like the depictions of zombies themselves, zombie films are getting smarter and more complex.

6. Following recovery from both the pandemic and an internal reckoning that changed the entire structure and ownership of legendary comedy institution, Second City, it’s beautiful news to hear that Second City NYC will open its doors on Nov. 16th (Brooklyn Vegan). We’re even more thrilled to hear that former Asylum NYC AD, the amazing Alan Kliffer, will be their Artistic Director.

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7. No one does dark humor quite like Jena Friedman, which is why you should take every opportunity to go out and see her shows. Here are four shows she’s lined up for her “Not Funny” Tour, but we won’t be surprised if more dates get added.

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A post shared by jena friedman (@jenafriedman)

8. We’ll leave you with this: If you do 10,000 hours of bad stand-up, you’ll be mastered at bad stand-up.

Pick of the Day: Burning Clown: A One Hour Festival (in LA) 9/24

September 19, 2023

News

burning clown, clown, los angeles comedy, pack theater

Burning Man is over, done and dusted, but that doesn’t mean the spirit of it has faded (even if you couldn’t even afford it or have enough outrageous attire for you to appropriately go). Certainly, the clowns of the LA comedy scene revel in the wild and ethereal energy that Burning Man provides and want to keep it going (though there’s no official affiliation between the playa and clowning).

Thus, they’re having Burning Clown, a one hour clown comedy festival, coming to the Pack Theater @ The Broadwater this Sunday. The humor, light, and vulnerability of Jet Eveleth, Il Fungo, Freak Nature Puppets, Jill and Geri, and Cole Saleh will be on display starting at 7:50PM on Sun. Sept. 24th and go for an hour (and hopefully realign your vision of the world).

Tickets are only $7.50 and you can (and very much should) go get them here.

TCB Debriefing 9/18/23: CCSUF, NYCF, Talk Shows Pause Return, Russell Brand, Barbie, Jonah Kills

September 18, 2023

News

barbie, bill maher, comedy central, drew barrymore, jax media, jonah kills, new york comedy fest, russell brand, stand up comedy, wga strike

1. The latest round of Comedy Central’s digital stand-up showcase, “Featuring” or more explicitly “Comedy Central Stand Up Featuring” just announced its New York line-ups for its latest taping. The likes of Ayanna Dookie, Sam Morrison, Chinedu Unaka, Homles, Randall Otis, Lucas Zelnick, Kate Sisk, Tommy Brennan, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Usama Sidiquee, Mark Smalls, Mav Viola, Asha Ward, Ethan Simmons-Patterson, and Eagle Witt will be taking the Cutting Room stage on Thurs. Oct. 5th. Admission is free so long as you RSVP to the early or late show here. Thank goodness this came along and the arrival of Comics Unleashed on CBS won’t be on the only short form stand-up you’ll see from a TV network.

2. The New York Comedy Festival, running from Nov. 3rd-12th, just made a big announcement for their line-up and schedule which includes:

Get the full schedule/line-up/tickets all at nycomedyfestival.com/schedule

3. Both Drew Barrymore and Bill Maher have paused their return of their respective talk shows, The Drew Barrymore Show and Real Time with Bill Maher (NY Times), following controversy stemming from the ongoing WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes. Considering negotiations are to resume on Wednesday; let’s hope this is a good omen for talks to pick up in earnest and bring the strikes to an end with fair deals all around.

4. Russell Brand is facing allegations of emotional abuse, sexual assault, and rape during the “height of his fame” and nearly every project and endeavor has been put on pause (BBC). We would wonder how has it taken this long for this to come out, but the story of survivors is so frequent that it’s common knowledge that it could take years and years and years for them to step forward when processing trauma.

5. Barbie has just surpassed The Avengers as the 11th highest grossing domestic release in film history with $626 million in U.S. theaters (Variety). If it makes $30 million more at home, it’ll beat the far less raved about Jurassic World to be in the top 10.

6. Showtime is lining up its ducks for when the strike ends, starting with a UK comedy from UK theater impresario Clem Garrity called Jonah Kills (Deadline). Fingers crossed that this is another sign that we’re nearing the end of the strikes, which has lasted 139 days.

7. We’ll leave you with this: Elon Musk is thinking of starting to charge for use of Twitter/X concluding that it might be the best way to combat bots on the platform. It’s also the best way to finally sink Twitter into oblivion besides trying (and kind of failing) to change its name to X.

Pick of the Day: Kumail Nanjiani is Doing This Again (in LA) 10/3

September 18, 2023

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kumail nanjiani, largo, los angeles comedy, stand up comedy

It has been seemingly an eon and a half has passed since hundreds of folks would gather at the back of Meltdown Comics to see Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani helm one of the best weekly comedy shows in the country. While the physical space that housed The Meltdown with Jonah & Kumail is now slated to be another overpriced apartment building in LA, we’re over the moon to see Kumail’s return to stand-up comedy after becoming a legitimate movie star.

You’ve might have seen Kumail in and around LA popping up as a special guest, but he’s taking over a whole night at Largo at the Coronet (a short drive from Sunset x Gardner) on Tues. Oct. 3rd. The show was just announced today and bound to sell out. So, get your tix at $46 a pop here quick.

TCB Debriefing 9/15/23: Joe Pera Special, Derrick Brown Album, Spaghetti Fest, Thank You For Coming, Conan on Trump, Hasan Minhaj

September 15, 2023

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bollywood, comedy festival, conan o'brien, derrick brown, hasan minhaj, joe pera, spaghetti festival, thank you for coming, the elysian

1. The most gentle soul in comedy, Joe Pera, is releasing his very first special, self-produced and set to be released on YouTube on Fri Oct. 6th. True to his spirit, it’ll be called Slow & Steady and very likely be the sort of soothing and surprising glee with the way the world is these days. Please enjoy Joe’s announcement here.

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2. The multi-talented, multi-faceted, very funny and very evocative Derrick Brown has just come out with his first album, A Close Shave with Heaven, fresh off the presses from Pretty Good Friends. We’ll fill you in on Brown’s synchronous blend of comedy & poetry soon, but enjoy the record (and amazing cover) as it has dropped today (wherever you get your comedy albums).

3. The Elysian‘s Spaghetti Festival (AKA Forget About Spaghetti Fest) is set to return with completely original new, never before seen comedy productions come Nov. 1st-11th. Tickets, details, and line-up to come soon!

4. One of the gala films at TIFF is a Bollywood sex comedy that takes aim at the patriarchy cheekily called Thank You For Coming (Variety). A female empowerment comedy hailing from Bollywood is a pretty big deal and we hope Thank You For Coming finds its way to American theaters soon.

5. Preach, Conan O’Brien, preach.

6. Hasan Minhaj admitting to embellishing his stories in service of comedy is actually very much at the heart of the art form of comedy itself; artistic expressions that are, above all, in service of the joke.

Pick of the Day: The George Lucas Talk Show (in NYC) 10/9

September 15, 2023

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bell house, connor ratliff, george lucas talk show, griffin newman, patrick cotnoir

The arrival of Ahsoka on Disney+ should signal an especially special time for The George Lucas Talk Show since the significance of Ahsoka being a main player in the Star Wars Universe is all at the behest of George Lucas himself. Truly, any excuse for Connor Ratliff to don a beard and a slick, custom souvenir jacket and join a Watto-fied Griffin Newman and Patrick Cotnoir for GLTS is all good with us.

The hysterical, very meta talk show is not as regularly scheduled as it once was, which is why we feel particularly tasked with highlighting when it does come around, especially when it’s playing such a venue as The Bell House. Come Mon. Oct 9th at 7;30PM, Ratliff and company will assemble for GLTS and, who knows, maybe even strike a deal between the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, AMPTP?

Only one way to find out. Go get tickets for $25.42 here before they sell out.

TCB Debriefing 9/14/23: Henry Sugar, Adam Sandler Tour, Diffidate delle Imitazioni, Murray Hill, Big Mouth, Mr & Mrs Smith, Our Flag Means Death

September 14, 2023

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adam sandler, big mouth, Diffidate delle Imitazioni, donald glover, henry sugar, mr and mrs smith, murray hill, our flag means death, rai tv, wes anderson

1. It shouldn’t really come as a surprise that a Wes Anderson film adapted from a Roald Dahl book would seem to be an utter delight and yet another colorful addition to Anderson’s storied filmography. We’re thrilled that it was only a few short months ago that Asteroid City came out and we’re now treated to another helping of Wes Anderson so soon. So, without further adieu, take your first gander at The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar starring Benedict Cumberbatch, due out on Netflix on Sept. 27th.

2. Adam Sandler is going back on tour from Oct. 12th-Dec. 12th (Billboard). His last tour and special were some of Sandler’s most cherished work to date, especially outside of things like Uncut Gems.

3. Diffidate delle Imitazioni (literally translated as Beware of Imitations, but will be called Fake Show in English) is a brand new Italian comedy game show, ordered by Rai, where Italian celebrities will improvise based off of suggestions and prompts generated by AI (Deadline). Though it might try, AI will not best Clive Anderson as an improv show host.

4. Frequent scene stealer Murray Hill (Live & Beth and Somebody Somewhere) is coming out with his very first memoir, Showbiz! My Unexpected Life as a Middle-Aged Man, which appears to have more than just a story of making it in the Big Apple. It’s set for 2025 release, but we’re sure we’ll get tid bits and morsels leading up to that day.

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5. Just a little more than a month of waiting before you get Big Mouth season 7 (specifically, Oct. 20th on Netflix).

6. The premiere of Donald Glover and Maya Erskine‘s Mr. and Mrs. Smith is delayed due to the ongoing strike and its prohibition of promoting certain big time movies and TV series (THR). If the studios do end up going rogue from the streamers and tech giants, we might have to wait even longer to see this.

7. This full length trailer for season 2 of Our Flag Means Death almost makes you want to go back in time to make piracy more like it is between Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. Season 2 sets sail on Thurs. Oct. 5th.

8. Nothing Bill Maher does on this writer-less return of Real Time will top Conan O’Brien spinning his wedding ring.

Pick of the Day: Luke Null: Live Special Taping (in LA) 10/2

September 14, 2023

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dynasty typewriter, los angeles comedy, luke null, musical comedy

For all the well earned misgivings that come with musical comedy, especially the kind done with a guitar, Luke Null is a bright and shining exception. He subverts the songwriting form in a subtle, but masterfully comedic way and has penned and sung some of the best comedy songs we’ve heard in recent memory. Innovative, poignant, and devastatingly satirical, Null makes up (and then some) for so much hackneyed guitar comedy that you’ve very likely been subjected to over the last several years.

With that in mind, you really need to be at his taping to see and laugh at and tap your toe with on Mon. Oct. 2nd at Dynasty Typewriter. There are two tapings, 7:30PM & 10PM, and you can (and very much should) get tickets at $20 here and here respectively.

TCB Debriefing 9/13/23: Comedy Gives Back Healthnet, Real Time with Bill Maher, Strike Force Three, Luenell, Meme Fighter Hiring

September 13, 2023

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bill maher, comedy gives back, healthcare, luenell, meme fighter, netflix, real time, strike force five, wga strike

1. Comedy Gives Back, the 501 (c)3 non-profit dedicated to serving comedians and the comedy community, has just launched Comedy Gives Back Healthnet, a proposed low-cost alternative to healthcare (a thing that many comedians have to pay for out of pocket or, often times, just skip altogether). It’s not full on healthcare, but it’s $200 a year for:

-Smart Virtual Care ™, where you input your symptoms to receive advice from GigSafety.net’s network of healthcare professionals who check your symptoms and recommend a plan of action.
-One free telemed appointment annually (additional telemed appts vary depending on level of care needed, but start as low as $25)
-Access to low-cost and transparent pricing for prescriptions (existing and new)
-Access to low-cost and transparent pricing for Specialists, Hospital stays, X-rays, and more
-Access to virtual mental health therapy
-Access to a self-led recovery treatment program
-Access to risk-sharing health coverage (at an additional cost).

Get more details at comedygivesback.com/cgbhealthnet

2. Real Time with Bill Maher is set to return to air without its writers since they continue to be on strike. (Deadline). This means that late night will now consist of Bill Maher and Greg Gutfeld, which is almost as sad as how long the strike has gone.

3. The other hosts of late night are staying union strong for now and are opting to a live podcasting taping with the Jimmys (Kimmel and Fallon) and Colbert on Sept. 23rd in Vegas (Variety). Seth Meyers and John Oliver won’t be in attendance making it a “Strike Force Three” event though proceeds from the taping will go to the hosts’ respective staffs. If they really want to sell tickets they’ll have the majority of the conversation focused on Fallon and the past years at The Tonight Show.

4. Dave Chappelle’s name is actually not causing controversy today as his name is attached to a brand new Netflix special from the great Luenell, due out Sept 26th (Billboard). You’ve seen Luenell in countless TV shows and movies and you’ll now get to see her take center stage for her first Netflix special later this month.

5. Want to make memes as a job? Well, Meme Fighter is looking for you.

Meme Fighter is hiring for a part time MEME CONTENT CREATOR.

You read that right. We’re hiring someone to make memes for us.

Details, application instructions and more details here: https://t.co/KcKso0krSW

— Meme Fighter (@MemeFighterApp) September 13, 2023

6. We’ll leave you with this: comedy is richer when you have a life outside of it.

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