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Recent News

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Reboot, the Comedy About Reboots, Is Now Dead the Same Week Fawlty Towers Is Rebooted
February 9, 2023
News
canceled, hulu, reboot

The type of irony that comes with life imitating art (that is, as fate would have it, imitating life) is one of the cruelest kinds. It comes at a level that very likely won’t be fully grasped until years from now when media historians or cultural critics take a look back at the early decades of the 21st century and how TV and movies found itself to be a box office/ratings obsessed Ouroboros.

Reboot, the satirical sitcom that aimed to skewer Hollywood’s obsession with old IP and any and every generation’s nostalgia, got the axe at Hulu last week and was subsequently being shopped around, with the hope being that it’s über clever writing would find its audience on another platform that wanted to give it more time. Creator Steve Levitan announced this week that the quest to keep Reboot alive had unfortunately ended, spelling out a one season one or Reboot being a “limited series” in the annals of TV history.

At the same time, the news that a reboot of Fawlty Towers, a sitcom from the 70s that highlighted John Cleese as a star separate from Monty Python, arrived. That’s just the latest reboot in a plenty of reboots/revivals/sequels that have happened in 2023 alone (you’ve peeked at That ’90s Show haven’t you?), which we can only surmise that the media conglomerate powers that be (the ones that Succession shines a very bright light on) have no interest in having their core strategy being sent up in an entire TV series… yet.

Will there ever be a time where that changes or will we be stuck in a perpetual cycle of cash grabs from things we kind of loved from our childhoods, so long as we’re at the age range with the most disposable income? Well, let’s see if Reboot ever gets its own reboot.

Well, that seems to be a wrap on Reboot. Very proud of our amazing cast and crew and what we did together. Thanks to all who watched and said such nice things. Haven’t seen it? Check us out on Hulu if you can find it. #UnintentionalLimitedSerieshttps://t.co/9Y2xPDxDNL

— Steve Levitan (@SteveLevitan) February 7, 2023

Pick of the Day: Why Are You Single? (in NYC) 2/22
February 9, 2023
News
dave mizzoni, littlefield, marie faustin, nyc comedy

Undoubtedly, there are millions of people who are headed into Valentine’s Day without a significant other and wish that wasn’t the case.

With that in mind, post-Valentine’s Day this year, NYC comedy favorite Marie Faustin is going to tackle this issue head on by running three eligible New York singles through a gauntlet of dating challenges to ascertain why the hell they’re still single. Who knows? Maybe it is the world’s fault? You’ll have to come see Why Are You Single?, created by Faustin and Dave Mizzoni, at Littlefield on Wed. Feb. 22nd at 8PM to find out.

Tickets are $19.29 for such a juicy, spicy comedy show and, also, if you want to be a contestant, you can submit via IG @reeezy.

Take a Gander in What Could Only Be a Bob Ross Inspired Comedy “Paint”
February 8, 2023
News
bob ross, brit mcadams, ifc films, owen wilson, parody

To Millennials, Bob Ross is almost a viral sensation even before the Internet really caught on (if you can even imagine a time). The offbeat, yet gentle paint instructor got so much airtime via ads and has seeped into the consciousness of that entire generation.

So, it only stands to reason that there should be a comedy about such a figure that is so commonplace to the psyche of people in their thirties right now and that’s exactly what writer/director Brit McAdams, a fro’d-up-very-Bob-Ross-like Owen Wilson, and IFC Films have done with Paint. Well, it’s part Bob Ross, part Election (or maybe Talented Mr. Ripley?), which we’re very much on board for.

Take a peek at what’s to come with Paint with the first official teaser here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 150: Bill Oakley & Bringing Back Mission Hill
February 8, 2023
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
adult animation, ai seinfeld, bill oakley, mission hill, rick and morty, simpsons

Renowned comedic mind and self-made food celebrity Bill Oakley (Simpsons, Futurama, Portlandia, Steamed Ham Society) joins TCB’s Jake Kroeger for this week’s TCB Field Report to talk through the changing decades of satire, especially when it comes to adult animation. More importantly, Bill is revisiting Mission Hill, his unfortunately short lived series co-created with Josh Weinstein after their time at The Simpsons, and currently touring it throughout theaters in the U.S. with an entirely new 4K restoration.

Also, “hot” takes on Simpsons episode being dropped in Hong Kong, AI Seinfeld going dark, and the future of Rick and Morty.

Follow Bill @thatbilloakley on IG and join in at The Steamed Ham Society at patreon.com/steamedhamssociety

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Pick of the Day: Whatever Show with Rory Scovel & (Return) of Loose (in LA) Mondays
February 8, 2023
News
elysian theater, la comedy, mondays, rory scovel, whatever show

To say everything has changed from what it was in 2019, or even 2021, is a massive, massive understatement. While many things that we used to have pre-COVID are back or new things sprouted from after lockdown have taken root while going into 2023, nothing is really like it quite used to be.

For the purposes of this post, Monday night stand-up in LA is definitely no longer the same. Long standing Monday night comedy institution Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen moved to Wednesdays (and to a different part of a town-Cypress Park to be exact).

Don’t worry however as there is a great Monday night comedy run to be had in LA.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rory Scovel (@roryscovel)

The always thrilling Rory Scovel has taken over Mondays at the Elysian with The Whatever Show, which strives to be true to his name with it being a night that could just be Rory doing top flight improvised stand-up to him riffing with Conan O’Brien and everything in between. That’s been going at 7:30PM since January and you really ought to be on the ball about getting tickets because the Elysian is getting packed on Mondays now. Do so here.

We also thought beloved Monday night LA staple Loose was over (for a bit) since their long standing home Little Joy is renovating and then no longer having comedy, but they are actually going over to the newly new Lyric Hyperion and going late night for Mondays at 9:30PM with one of the most venerable hosting duos in LA, Megan Koester and Alison Stevenson, and the beautifully hilarious clowning/stand-up antics of Anna Seregina. Their first night at Lyric Hyperion is set for this coming Mon, Feb. 13th with tickets only costing you $5. Go get ’em here.

Both are close enough to each other that you can very much make both shows and have Monday be, potentially, one of the best nights of the week.

CBS Looking to Replace Late Late Show with Rebooted Version of @midnight with Stephen Colbert as EP
February 7, 2023
News
late late show, midnight

(via Deadline)

Rather than find someone else from the UK to take over their 12:30AM slot, CBS is looking into following up Stephen Colbert’s Late Show with, surprise surprise, a reboot of a popular series from years ago. This one will supposedly be the Comedy Central hit @midnight where three comedians went head-to-head to see who was the funniest (or best at word play) in satirizing the Internet that day. Chris Hardwick hosted hundreds and hundreds of episodes of @midnight as well as making one of Twitter’s most popular hashtags #hashtagwars in the original series run.

Other than that Hardwick won’t really be involved in this iteration, should it get a greenlight, and that Colbert himself will EP this reboot, there are no other details of what this iteration of @midnight will be or who might host it or what sort of contestants will play. It would spell the end of decades of The Late Late Show and would make NBC the only network with two late night talk shows back-to-back. Overall, it follows the trend of TV shrinking due to cutthroat write-offs and cancellations in order to balance the books/budget/etc.

What this will mean or how it will affect the late night landscape and comedy-at-large has yet to be seen, but don’t be surprised if @midnight comes back and ends up saving Twitter from losing users if they choose to do #HashtagWars like they used to.

Get a First Look at Josh Johnson’s Peacock Special “Up Here Killing Myself” Cutting Between Therapy and Live Stand-Up
February 7, 2023
News
comedy special, josh johnson, peacock, stand up comedy, trailer, up here killing myself

It’s a wonderful thing that mental health has been more focused on than ever in the realm of comedy. Not only are more and more people in and around comedy seeking out and getting the help they need with their anxieties and insecurities, but they’re more candid about it on stage than was ever previously the norm.

To highlight this shift even further (as well as furthering the emphasis on mental health), Josh Johnson‘s hour special Up Here Killing Myself, coming to Peacock. as it will intercut between Josh doing stand-up in front a live crowd and then to a reenactment of a therapy session, gorgeously shot in black and white. The link between his material and what eats away at his psyche is so strong that it seems Josh is finishing his own sentences in therapy on stage, in joke form (hence the title).

Take a gander for yourself with the trailer for Up Here Killing Myself here, then look for it on Peacock starting Fri. Feb. 17th.

Pick of the Day: Standups Doing Improv (in NYC) 2/9
February 7, 2023
News
conor janda, improv, jeff wright, kaneez surka, nyc comedy, ruby karp, sabrina wu, stand up comedy

Of the disciplines in comedy, there will always seem to be the thickest line in the sand drawn between stand-up and improv. That line should be kicked away, but, in the indefinite mean time, seeing either side do the other can still be immensely fun. We still fondly hold a memory of Andy Peters “asking” for a suggestion of a car dealership and a planet and going with Saturn and Saturn on a show once called ImproVStandup.

So, Kaneez Surka and Ruby Karp are going to wrangle NYC comedy scene staples Jeff Wright, Sabrina Wu, and Conor Janda to let them do stand-up, then, make them take a suggestion and attempt to do scenes together. We wonder how many sweep edits or tagging out will happen (or if they’re even aware that those are options that are crucial to doing improv).

Standups Doing Improv is set to happen this Thurs. Feb. 9th at Friends & Lovers in Brooklyn at 8PM. Tickets are only $7.18 and you can (and should) get them here.

Comedy Albums Deserving of Best Comedy Album Grammy in 2023 (and a Reminder That the Recording Academy Is Out of Touch))
February 6, 2023
News

Supposedly, The Grammys, like all other major entertainment awards are decided by a vote of industry professionals, often gathered under an official organization such as The Recording Academy or, for the Oscars, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. That said, year after year, there seems to be an egregious snub or an equally mistaken win in a given category of any EGOT award or anything tangential to them.

The Best Comedy Album at The Grammys, in particular, seems to be an especially glaring point of contention as streaming services and networks dubiously release their high profile specials as albums, almost always pushing out any comedians that just had the resources to record an audio-only album and then, pouring corporate money that they only have into a FYC campaign. It has thusly become a high profile popularity contest that really undercuts the intention of the award: rewarding excellence in comedy on a recorded audio platform. Comedy luminary Dan Pasternack goes into great detail about the history of this specific award in an audio doc Obsessive Comedy Disorder: The 60-Year History of the Comedy Grammy Award on SiriusXM.

What should have been in contention and potentially be in a position to win this year were some of the most celebrated and talked about hours of comedy that were released in time for this most recent Grammys including:

Joel Kim Booster: Psychosexual
Jen Kirkman: OK, Gen-X
Sheng Wang: Sweet & Juicy
Ali Siddiq: Domino Effect
Moses Storm: Trash White
Ms. Pat: Y’all Want to Hear Something Crazy

*note that Jerrod Carmichael’s Rothaniel wasn’t released as an album.

All of these albums not only gave a cathartic release in reflecting/processing the horrific time that we live in, but did so in such an incisive, clever, and damn hysterical way.

Instead of those hours getting any recognition, 2022’s most controversial comedy special, The Closer from Dave Chappelle took home Best Comedy Album at last night Grammys after a creatively diminished and somewhat still disgraced Louis C.K. won last year. Transphobic material aside (if you can even just momentarily compartmentalize that), The Closer, despite Chappelle’s own claim that it’s both his greatest work and the greatest special of any comedian today, is maybe passively amusing (especially if you compare it to your favorite Chappelle’s Show sketch or his old stand-up). Of course, judging comedy is always prisoner to one’s subjectivity, but if you’ve watched stand-up comedy closely for the last several years, you ought to know that many of Dave’s premises in The Closer are well-worn by many other comedians that take on some edgelord-ish persona in the name of free speech.

It should be noted at this point that, of course, Dave is more than allowed to be more on his soap box than be about jokes as we are more than allowed to be critical of it. Keep in mind that he’s still a multi-millionaire plenty of times over as he gets to freely complain about being silenced.

The other contenders for Best Comedy Album at this year Grammys included:

Louis C.K.: Sorry
Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster
Randy Rainbow: A Little Brains, A Little Talent
Patton Oswalt: We All Scream

In case you didn’t know, there’s a cut off from Sept. 30th every year to be even considered for nomination at The Grammys as well as a-not-always-affordable-for-everyone submission fee. From those several dozen submissions, the “industry experts” at The Recording Academy cull the herd into what seems to be the most recognizable names and, in recent years, one sort of outlier, which was Randy Rainbow for this time around, in a paltry attempt to placate any criticism (the kind that we’re doing right now). We have seen a list of what could have been considered for a Best Comedy Album Grammy in the past and we know it’s a gargantuan amount of work to sit down and listen to every one of those albums. Yet, considering what is at stake, that’s part of what should go into figuring out what constitutes “Best Comedy Album”.

It would seem the problem lies in the voting body in that there is too much to consider from too narrow a perspective. On paper, there seems to be a move towards inclusion and diversity, of all kinds, that is happening at these various arts “Academies”, but that ought to be reflected in a new crop of perennial favorite nominees if we’re to believe that’s actually happening.

If so, let’s see if Atsuko Okatsuka or Sean Patton gets nominated for a Grammy in 2024.

Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part 2 Gets Trailer Part 2
February 6, 2023
News
history of the world part 2, hulu, mel brooks

Decades of percolating ideas in comedy legend’s Mel Brooks‘ head are about to hit Hulu in the follow-up to Brooks’ History of the World Part 1, the aptly named History of the World Part 2. It’s going to be as chock full of as many cameos from the funniest and most famous folks as the show can possibly fit in as you saw in the recently released “teaser”.

In fact, the teaser clocks in at almost 2 minutes, which, in most cases, counts as a full trailer making the so-called “History of the World Part 2 Trailer” more akin to a sequel, especially since it gives an even greater scope of the high flying, somewhat historically accurate (maybe?) antics that Brooks along with Wanda Sykes, Nick Kroll, and Ike Barinholtz dive into with utter abandon including Shakespeare’s Writers’ Room to Sigmund Freud’s Masterclass.

Take a gander for yourself here, then look for the premiere of History of the World Part 2 on Hulu on Mon. Mar. 6th.

Pick of the Day: Super Dating Simulator-Love! at the Demon Hunter Agency (in LA) 2/16
February 6, 2023
News
alamo drafthouse, dtla, free show, game show, los angeles comedy, super dating simulator

What a perfect time of year for the return of one of our favorite romance based comedy shows in existence, Super Dating Simulator. Inspired by the craze for Japanese video game dating simulator, it’s an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure-ish, live-in-person comedy game show where comedic actors act at the will of the audience, while dressed up as outlandish anime-style characters.

In this particular edition that’s coming right after Valentine’s Day, Super Dating Simulator will be taking on a love story appropriate for our times, Love! at the Demon Hunter Agency, and will be bringing it to DTLA’s Alamo Drafthouse on Thurs. Feb. 16th at 8PM.

Best of all, the show is completely free to attend. Get more details and stay on top of Super Dating Simulator updates @superdatingsimulator on IG.

A Meditation on Mike Lindell Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live in a Claw Machine (Yes, That Really Happened)
February 3, 2023
News
james adomian, jimmy kimmel, jimmy kimmel live, mike lindell

The intention of satire is to highlight the oft-taken-for-granted absurdities of the real world through cartoonish or ironic depictions that are even more heightened (and often comedic because of it). With that in mind, where is satire’s sharpened point when the exaggeration is moot because, well, the real world absurdity decided they wanted to be in on the bit, no matter how much they’re debasing themselves?

Such is the quandary presented on this week’s Jimmy Kimmel Live when frequent monologue target Mike Lindell, the troubled CEO of My Pillow, not only agreed to appear yet again on Jimmy Kimmel Live, but agreed to do so in a claw machine, at Jimmy’s request, only to be hysterically discovered, also again, by Kimmel’s go to Lindell impersonator, the brilliant James Adomian. Throughout most of the interview, which was still very funny despite how unbelievable this all felt, there was a lower third, which doubled as a My Pillow sales reminder and a place to comedically tighten the screws on Lindell with “promo codes” that read “CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS NUT AGREED TO DO THIS?” and “WE’RE GOING TO LEAVE HIM IN THERE”.

Lindell guffawed the entire time in addition to repeating his own bit of trying to give kids the toy prizes that he was submerged in while uttering “It’s a rigged game!” It’s hard to imagine something more ridiculous than the real Mike Lindell being interviewed while seated in a game devised for impatient children and then having to face a caricature of himself pretending to be in crisis (and that includes losing out on a campaign to be a RNC Chair by a massive landslide after boasting he was leading in polls over and over).

One has to wonder is this even satire at this point or adding to insult to injury since the injured asked to be hilariously insulted? There are points at which satire is so heightened that it ceases to be comedic and, perhaps, this is the reverse? Is it better to describe this as “gonzo comedy” because of Lindell’s involvement in his own ridicule (and note that Kimmel doesn’t really hold back in that regard)?

Donald Trump proved to be a similar challenge as it was difficult to be more outrageous, for comedic purposes, than what Trump really said and did during his time as POTUS. However, Trump would never take part in a bit where he was the punchline or the butt of the joke. Arguably, being a punchline at the Seth Meyers-hosted White House Correspondents Dinner is what bolstered him to run for office in the first place. Lindell, on the other hand, seems glad at the opportunity to laugh at his own expense, but in a far different, much more performative way than at a comedy roast. It feels as though he’s laughing the whole time to appear as though Kimmel’s jabs at him are ineffective, but, as you can see in the clip above, it’s absolutely baffling that he wants to come off as though he is having a good time when he is being made out to be the most ridiculous thing in a pile of toys.

It could be very easy to see this particular appearance as an outlier when it comes to what political comedy and satire are trending towards today. However, there is a parallel, unsettling feeling here to Elon Musk’s episode of SNL and how awkward the whole affair ending up being (as well as it being foreshadowing of how farcical he would be when taking over Twitter). We can’t imagine where Mike Lindell will head to or what he will do next, but coming back into a position of being taken seriously is likely not one such possibility. There’s an uncanny valley feeling to these incidents and, as far as we can gather, a reflection of objective truth being more disjointed than ever in 2023, even when it’s supposed to be a joke.

Pick of the Day: Joe Castle Baker is Gordon in COME, LOVE (in NYC) 2/14
February 3, 2023
News
brooklyn, littlefield, nyc comedy, valentine's day, what to do

Again, that pesky Valentine’s Day is coming very soon and it would just so happen that Feb. 14th is going to be on a Tuesday. That probably makes planning, should you choose to partake in specifically cherishing your partner that day, a little complicated between the weekend leading up to it and an early weekday.

Do you just do the Valentine’s stuff on the day of or get it over with on Saturday/Sunday?

Well, we don’t know that particulars of whatever relationship/situationship that you’re in currently, but we can tell you that NYC comedy staple Joe Castle Baker will be playing a facsimile of himself, Gordon, to host a stellar comedy variety show on Valentine’s night. Apropos to the day, COME, LOVE ought to be a fantastic evening of comedy as NYC comedy stars Sarah Sherman, Max Wittert, Edy Modica, Chloe Troast, and Francesca D’Uva will be joining with Gordon/Joe at 8PM at Littlefield in Brooklyn will prove that going to a live comedy show is far from one of the riskiest things to do on a date.

Tickets for Joe Castle Baker is Gordon in COME, LOVE are $19.29 and you best go get them here.

 

Here’s a Trailer for Marcella Arguello’s HBO Debut Special “Bitch, Grow Up!”
February 3, 2023
News
comedy special, hbo, marcella arguello, stand up comedy, trailer

Marcella Arguello wasted no time in staking her claim in the LA comedy scene when she moved down from the Bay Area some years ago. Her quick and cunning jokes and striking presence quickly made her favorite of crowds and comics all around the Greater LA Area.

So, it has been about time for Marcella to get an HBO special for awhile and, thankfully, that time is very, very close. Fri. Feb. 10th, Marcella will make her HBO debut with her hour special Bitch, Grow Up! Go ahead and set a reminder for that Friday when it drops on HBO Max and then see for yourself why Marcella has made every to-watch comedy list for years in the Bitch, Grow Up! trailer.

The White House Correspondents Dinner Is Happening Again and Roy Wood Jr. Will Be Hosting
February 2, 2023
News
nerd prom, roy wood jr, white house correspondents dinner

It wasn’t too long ago that the annual tradition of the White House Correspondents Dinner was absent from the calendar after being a time honored tradition of the President, news media at large, and the rest of Capitol Hill got roasted live on C-SPAN. Between Trump and COVID-19, “nerd prom”, as it’s sometimes affectionately referred to, had been forgone or done with a historian rather than a comedian. Alternatives like Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’s Not the White House Correspondents Dinner happened instead because of Trump whining about not showing up to be ridiculed again (at the very event that many experts point to being the spark for him running for POTUS).

The White House Correspondents Dinner wasn’t going to be done over Zoom during quarantine/lockdown, so the WHCA waited until last year and tapped Trevor Noah to reset the annual event and, now, it seems like we’re back on track, on to some sort of “normal”. Today, the WHCA announced that this latest WHCD will happen on Apr. 29th and The Daily Show’s Roy Wood Jr. would take on hosting duties. Roy’s prowess as a stand-up and being a crowd favorite on The Daily Show should make for a damn good WHCD (and maybe will highlight why Comedy Central might go with him to replace Trevor Noah at The Daily Show desk).

Roy follows Trevor as the next host of the WHCD, so it kind of makes sense that Comedy Central would follow suit with their flagship show, right?

Pick of the Day: An Evening with David Sedaris (in LA) 4/29 & 4/30
February 2, 2023
News
david sedaris, dtla, los angeles comedy, theatre at ace hotel

Comedy luminary and celebrated author and humorist and so many more things, David Sedaris, stops in to LA probably once a year. Most of those stops come with the arrival of a new David Sedaris book.

COVID-19 threw a huge wrench in that annual routine, but Sedaris is finally coming back to LA after all these years and doing it up big at DTLA’s Theatre at Ace Hotel on Sat. Apr. 29th & Sun. Apr. 30th at 7:30PM as he indeed has a new book, Happy Go Lucky, coming out soon. Tickets are $49 for this special evening with David that will including a Q&A and a book signing.

Tickets are $49 (and don’t be surprised if it sells out despite how big the Theatre at Ace Hotel is). Go get ’em here.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 149: Reshma Meister & Giving Yourself Permission to Clown
February 1, 2023
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
clowning, los angeles comedy, process, reshma meister

There are endless hours of content and pages of books dedicated to the process of stand up, sketch, improv. Such is not the quote the case, yet, with clowning. We talk with rising LA clowning star Reshma Meister, one of 100 Best in Comedy for 2022, about all her motivations and intuitions when it comes to things like blending her own inner monologue while playing a Na’vi on stage.

Follow Reshma @cadetkellycapoor on IG and TikTok

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT
Photo by @imcarolinaaa

Pick of the Day: Spoons Toons & Booze Eleven Yr. Anniversary Special (in NYC) 2/18
February 1, 2023
News
anniversary, brooklyn, morning cartoons, nitehawk cinema, nyc comedy

For 11 years, Spoons, Toons, and Booze has been NYC’s go-to Saturday-Morning-Cartoons-for-adults providing free cereal and pairing it with speciality cocktails and, of course, as much animated nostalgia you can handle, all at a movie theater. It’s quite a special thing for those of us that had the collective experience of Saturday morning cartoons (that’s probably not so much a thing for the streaming generation, right?).

Secret Formula in NY will be throwing a very special eleven year bash with hosts Michael Austin and Nell Casey at Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on the mornings of both Sat. Feb. 18th and Sun. Feb. 19th, specifically at 11:15AM. There will be a specially curated selection of vintage cartoon favorites as well as audience picks from over 150 different cartoon series that span decades upon decades upon decades of television.

Tickets are only $20 and you best go get them here.

Hulu Revives “King of the Hill” After Cancelling “Reboot”, a Show Making Fun of Hulu Rebooting a Classic Comedy
January 31, 2023
News
hulu, king of the hill, reboot

The homespun satire of King of the Hill endures in the hearts and minds of its audiences that it captured well over a decade ago. That’s part of why Hulu is tapping co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels and the original cast to revive the series after it went off the air in 2010 (Deadline). Another reason why is, as the coffers of networks and streaming services get shallower and shallower, the dependence on content based off of popular IP (i.e. adaptations, reboots, revivals) is only growing stronger, seemingly every week.

It’s kind of a stark irony and/or a shot across the bow towards completely original ideas for TV and movies that only yesterday, Hulu original series, Reboot, a show sending up the corporate obsession with capitalizing on nostalgia on any given programming slate, was cancelled after only one season (Variety). Sharp writing that recalled the sort of pacing of Arrested Development could have blossomed into a go-to binge series, but Reboot‘s creators and cast are now relegated to shopping the show’s second season to other networks and streaming services (because it wasn’t an instant, chart-topping breakout hit?).

While impressions of Hank Hill still resonate with Gen X-ers and Millennials alike and the two will justifiably be delighted at the return of Hill and his family, such a move by Hulu is just one flag of many that are signaling that original programming is going to be even rarer than it already is on major platforms. Again, this is a notion that Reboot skewers quite well between a power struggle between a father who created a hit multi-cam sitcom in the 90s, his daughter who is seeking to do a “very special episode” reboot of the show, and an in-over-her-head TV executive that is getting a crash course in comedy while in charge.

Life imitating art can be kind of cruel, no?

We have no doubt in our minds that the next Atlanta, an all-out label defying original series is out there, but we can only hope that some major network or streamer will take a chance on it. Don’t be surprised if we get to a point where some phrase like “Completely Original” becomes a selling point for a show or movie in the very near future.

Pick of the Day: Amelie + Valentine’s Ball (in LA) 2/14
January 31, 2023
News
amelie, cinespia, los angeles, los angeles comedy, valentine's, valentine's day, what to do

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and, for the most part, pretty unavoidable. If you’ve got someone in your life that you’d like to do something with that particular day and they happen to be a big cinephile, you might find that most screenings of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Amelie are sold out around town.

Luckily, Cinespia has you covered as they’re taking over the massive Los Angeles Theatre in DTLA to have a very special Valentine’s Day screening of the enduringly charming, whimsical, humorous modern classic that is Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amelie from over 20 years ago. Not only will there be a exclusive Valentine’s screening of Amelie, but there will be a free photobooth, live music, and dance party.

All you got to do is snag tickets at $44 here and make sure you wear formal attire (or dress kind of like you’re in Amelie?)

There Might Be Consequences via WGA West for Warner Bros. Discovery Cancelling a Lot of What You Loved
January 30, 2023
News
warner discovery, wga

(via Deadline)

Tuca & Bertie, Gordita Chronicles, The Last O.G., Chad, Full Frontal with Sam Bee, Minx, and much much more has been cancelled/unrenewed/kicked to the curb over the last several months. This comes as a result of Warner Bros. making a giant merger with Discovery to become the sullied portmanteau of Warner Bros. Discovery. The conglomeration of so many networks and platforms here has led to downsizing and tax write-offs at a pace that TV hasn’t seen in a long, long time.

Unsurprisingly, lots of folks are mad, specifically the Writers Guild of America, West. One of the country’s feistiest unions are condemning what they’re seeing as promises proving false; the shrinking of opportunity for content creators, especially when it comes to women and POCs. It’s hard to argue that there is more opportunity with shows that were underneath the Warner Discovery umbrella being stripped from their slate while they’re in the middle of production (which is what exactly happened to Minx).

So, contract negotiations for WGA West are coming up in May and the effect of media conglomerates merging with each other will inevitably be a huge sticking point. It’s hard to say what might happen at this point, but it’s even harder to imagine that any sort of discussions of residuals/packaging/etc. will be started in good faith. Speculatively, there could always be the chance of another Writers Strike that brings Tinseltown to a screeching halt like it did in 2007.

Such a thing happening may seem far off, but Warner Discovery cancelling everything (and probably more to come) seemed unlikely too just about a year ago.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll get your favorite Warner Discovery comedy property back on the air if these negotiations get rowdy enough.

Pick of the Day: Dr. Brown Beturns (in LA) 2/28
January 30, 2023
News
clowning, dr brown, los angeles comedy, ucb

When it comes to clowning in LA, the ever-burgeoning, exciting, rebellious corner of comedy that has sparked the imagination and inspiration of a growing number of performers and shows and venues, one of the bigger figures around is Dr. Brown (Phil Burgers). A perennial international comedy award winner at such prestigious festivals as the Edinburgh Fringe and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Dr. Brown was and is a big part of clowning now being an integral part of the LA comedy scene.

That said, it has been quite some time since he’s down his own show. It has been years (even before COVID probably?) since that has happened.

Thankfully, the tides are changing and Dr. Brown is venturing out once again, often at PDA in Altadena, but specifically at UCB Franklin on Tues. Feb. 28th at 8:30PM for the aptly named Dr. Brown Beturns. Tickets are $20 and you’re going to want to snag them before they sell out here.

Pick of the Day: Tinder Live Valentine’s Day Special (in NYC) 2/11
January 27, 2023
News
brooklyn, lane moore, littlefield, new york city, nyc comedy, tinder live, valentine's day, what to do

When it comes to love and comedy, there is kind of no better option than Lane Moore‘s brilliant creation, Tinder Live, where she actually swipes and messages and gets into all other manner of dating hijinks via the popular dating app.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, you ought to know that Lane is doing a very special Valentine’s Day edition of her show and, again, we’re pretty sure it’s your best bet for comedy when corporatized love is in the air (even if you’re rolling solo that day/weekend). This Valentine’s round of Tinder Live will feature special guest NYC comedians Gabe Gonzalez, Anna Borges, and Dan Chamberlain and happen Sat. Feb. 11th at 8PM at the show’s Brooklyn home, Littlefield.

Tickets are only $25.35 right now and you best go get them now here.

Pick of the Day: Good One Live! with Jesse David Fox (in NYC) 3/17
January 26, 2023
News
francesca d'uva, George Civeris, good one, jesse david fox, Marcia Belsky, phoebe robinson, sam taggart, union hall, vulture

Process.

It’s one of the most mysterious and elusive elements in the art form of comedy. Trying to decipher an individual comedian’s process might actually be harder than making a room full of strangers laugh. That said, Jesse David Fox has done tremendous work in uncovering how comedians actually do their work and pull off that magic that is making people laugh with his long running podcast, Good One.

Fox is doing a special edition of the podcast that will show off his expertise in front of a live audience at Union Hall on Fri. Mar. 17th at 7PM. Phoebe Robinson, StraightioLab, Marcia Belsky, Francesca D’Uva, and possibly more will do short sets followed by an in-depth interview about said set.

It ought to be something special as you’ll get an in-real-time, up-close-and-personal look at exactly how some of NYC’s funniest do what they do best.

Tickets are $18.98. Go get them now before they probably sell out here.

Party Down’s Season 3 Trailer Is Here
January 26, 2023
News
adam scott, ken marino, party down, season 3, starz, trailer

One of the most beloved cult comedies of all time, Party Down, is, after all these years, actually coming back. On Feb. 24th, Adam Scott will have to deal with folks annoyingly saying “ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?” while managing the misguided anxiety of Ken Marino and Party Down Catering. Also, the likes of Jennifer Garner, Tyrel Jackson Williams, Zoë Chao, and James Marsden will be in the mix for this long awaited season (in addition to a great cavalcade of cameos).

Hopefully, the existence of this trailer means that is indeed true and it won’t get un-renewed or something like other shows these days.

Season 3 of Party Down premieres on Starz on Fri. Feb. 24th.

Oh, you can catch up/rewatch the other two seasons of Party Down on Hulu right now.

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