Recent News

There’s a Network Bidding War Over Second Tina Fey Co-Produced Project

August 15, 2013

bidding war, comedy project, tina fey

There’s a Network Bidding War Over Second Tina Fey Co-Produced Project

It must not be a shock to anyone that Tina Fey was going to rest on the many laurels gained from 30 Rock after the series ended, but it’s amazing that she just sold a series to NBC with Robert Carlock, and now, has several networks interested another project all in one week.

We’re really looking forward to see what comes of all of this during pilot season.

MIT Media Lab Hosting Comedy Hack Day, A Comedy App Competition

August 15, 2013

comedy hack day, contest, cultivated wit, media lab, mit, submissions

MIT Media Lab Hosting Comedy Hack Day, A Comedy App Competition

When we say that comedy is an incredibly burgeoning art form, there are so many examples of that happening such as Cultivated Wit‘s Comedy Hack Day, a competition for app developers and comedians to come up with funny ways to pass the time on your mobile devices.

In fact, the venerable MIT is hosting the event and Baratunde Thurston was the emcee as well as W. Kamau Bell being a judge of the last edition in case if you’re curious how legitimate the event is.

Also, if you’re interested, you can currently enter the next Comedy Hack Day happening this September.

Set List to Tape 40 Episodes for Nerdist Channel All Over the Globe

August 15, 2013

cabo san lucas, edinburgh, fringe festival, improvised stand up, international comedy, jfl, nerdist, nerdist channel, set list, toronto

Set List: The Improvised Show just got 40 more episodes ordered at the Nerdist Channel to be shot anywhere from Nerdmelt here in LA to The Cabo San Lucas Comedy Festival to Edinburgh Fringe Festival to JFL 42 in Toronto.

Some of the performers that have taped/to tape soon include: Greg Proops, Brendon Walsh, Baron Vaughn, Eddie Pepitone, Jon Daly, Greg Fitzsimmons, Kyle Kinane, The Sklar Brothers, and Chris Fairbanks.

Oh, did you not know that Set List is killing it everywhere?

Watch Pilot Presentation for “Institutionalized”, A Demented Grade School Comedy That’s Not Animated

August 15, 2013

haunted, matt peters, pilot presentation

Many has the cartoon been made that takes place in grade school full of weird, bizarre, creepy, but ultimately funny set pieces. Yet, it has rarely been done sans animation in a school converted from a cursed insane asylum.

Well, that’s where we are all in luck with Matt Peters (you might have just seen him on Orange Is The New Black) & Aaron Alberstein’s pilot presentation for their series ‘Institutionalized’ comes in featuring just what we were mentioning above, a bunch of really funny people like Davey Johnson, Lizzy Cooperman, director Mike Upchurch, and a lot of twisted hilarity.

Watch the 10 min. pilot presentation here.

Eddie Pepitone to Launch Podcast Where He Rants Solo

August 15, 2013

bitter buddha, comedy podcast, eddie pepitone

Eddie Pepitone to Launch Podcast Where He Rants Solo

For a long, the brilliant Eddie Pepitone put his hat in the podcast ring with The Longshot Podcast, but is now venturing off on his own to make his own podcast where he rants about things, which is kind of Pepitone’s speciality.

Pep Talks with The Bitter Buddha Eddie Pepitone will launch next month, so get ready for some of the funniest yelling about anything and everything you’ve ever heard.

Trailer for Key & Peele Season 3

August 15, 2013

comedy central, key and peele, season 3

Some of your favorites are coming back (Luther, etc.) and there will obviously be some new classics, but either way, you really need to watch this trailer for this upcoming season of Key & Peele, returning to Comedy Central Wed. Sept. 18th.

LA Comedy Rundown 8/16/13

August 16, 2013

comedy shows, los angeles, open mics

ON THE HORIZON
Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen: Kurt Braunohler Album Release Party @ The Virgil Mon. Aug. 19th $5 in adv., $8 at door
Taylor Williamson @ Hollywood Improv Fri. Aug. 30th 8PM $15/2 item min.

Poster by Garret Ross

COMEDY CRAWL
Baby Talk with Dan Levy @ Nerdmelt Showroom 7PM $10
Brand New Ball @ UCB Theatre 7PM $5
Almost Ladies @ Lyric Hyperion Theatre & Cafe 8PM FREE
Peachy Keen @ Bar Lubitsch 8PM FREE
The Manifesto Show @ The Clubhouse 8PM FREE
Unnecessary Evil @ Westside Comedy Theater 8PM $10
Quote Unquote @ Hollywood Improv 8PM $10/2 item min.
The Swarm @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10
Tom Rhodes @ Flappers Burbank 8PM/10PM $20/2 item min.
Hello Giggles: After Dark @ Nerdmelt Showroom 9PM $10
Lady to Lady: Variety Show & Dance Party @ Echoes Under Sunset 9PM FREE
Show & Tell: Mike Judge’s Judgmental Sampler at Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 10PM $15
Diamond Lion @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5
Camp! @ The Clubhouse 11PM FREE
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World @ New Beverly Cinema MIDNIGHT $8

OPEN MIC RUN
SET LIST @ FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 5PM/First come, first served/must improvise set of never before seen provided set list/No purchase necessary
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./One item min.
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./First come, first served/$3 min.
MAX BLOOM’S 200 N. Malden Ave., Fullerton, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/booked show after/no purchase necessary
SILVERLAKE LOUNGE 2906 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (Silverlake)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/4 min./no purchase necessary
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/First come, first served/5 min./1 drink min.
SABOR Y CULTURA 5625 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA/Starts 8PM/Sign-up is a lottery/3 min./No purchase necessary
BOB’S ESPRESSO 5251 N. Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA/Sign-up 7:30PM/Starts 8PM/Ends 10PM/First come, first served/5 min./No purchase necessary
IMPROV JAM @ CLUBHOUSE 1107 N. El Centro Ave., Los Angeles, CA Ste. 110/Starts around 10:30PM after Manifesto Show/Anyone can play/No purchase necessary
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 11PM/Starts 11:30PM/lottery
IMPROV CAGEMATCH @ WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER 1323-A 3rd St., Santa Monica, CA/Starts 12:30AM/Sign-up team at wctcagematch@gmail.com/improv teams go head to head/Hosted by Courtney Barnett & Joey Greer

Emily Heller Brings Janeane Garofalo “The Future”, Albeit a Sponsored One

August 16, 2013

above average, emily heller, future, janeane garofolo, tarot cards

Emily Heller’s wonderful tarot card reading web series at Above Average, “The Future” returns with both guest Janeane Garofolo and sponsor from a local sandwich chain that we’ve never heard of, which may or may not affect “the future”.

Kurt Braunohler Makes Conan Stand Up Debut

August 16, 2013

conan, kurt braunohler, stand up, tbs

If you want to (and should) learn more about and get life advice from the guy, the hilarious Kurt Braunohler, who did a Kickstarter to write a joke in the sky, please watch his debut stand up set on Conan that taped yesterday right here.

Also, you can and need to pre-order his upcoming album “How Do I Land?”, which gives you the option of getting a commemorative two sided dildo.

Ed Helms-Produced Comedy Lands at ABC

August 16, 2013

abc, development, ed helms

Ed Helms-Produced Comedy Lands at ABC

Of this latest round of comedy development news, we haven’t heard much from ABC as NBC and Fox having been doing much of the buying lately.

Yet, ABC just nabbed a series to develop that Ed Helms is producing, though we’re a little curious as to whether Helms or someone else will be on camera or not though.

Joe DeRosa’s “You Will Die” Now on Pre-Order, Coming in Oct.

August 16, 2013

comedy album, joe derosa

Joe DeRosa’s comedy album titles are pretty fantastic including “The Depression Auction” and“Return of The Son of Depression Auction”. To finish off the hat trick for album names, DeRosa’s latest is simply called “You will die."

If that doesn’t already peak your interest, know that Joe is pretty damn funny and that this latest album You will die. is now on pre-order for an October release. Given the title’s name, you should probably just get in on this while you can.

Greg Fitzsimmons 1 Hour Special “Life on Stage” Premieres on Comedy Central This Sunday

August 16, 2013

comedy central, comedy special, greg fitzsimmons

Greg Fitzsimmons 1 Hour Special “Life on Stage” Premieres on Comedy Central This Sunday

Greg Fitzsimmons is having his first 1 hour special taped last year making its way to Comedy Central. “Life on Stage” will premiere this Sun. Aug. 18th at Midnight, which should give you more than enough time to watch whatever award winning dramatic series that you’ve been obsessed with out of the way.

Ignore Rotten Tomatoes For Once and Go See Austenland

August 16, 2013

austenland, jane austen, jerusha hess, now playing

These days, just because a comedy isn’t a straight dramedy where the humor lies in the complexity of life, usually centered around an ever present unresolved existential crisis, doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth seeing.

Well, the idea that this is the case for what’s popular in specialty box office comedy is our theory anyway behind why most critics are panning Jerusha Hess’ Austenland currently playing at The Landmark. Jennifer Coolidge rollicking through a Jane Austen fantasy while just wanting to get boned is funny enough for the price of admission and should get you off any sort of pretension against a neatly packaged romantic comedy in an offbeat setting.

You’ll especially enjoy this if you hated reading Jane Austen in high school.

Here’s First Episode “Law of The Land” with Almost Too Many Funny People

August 16, 2013

baron vaughn, brendon small, french kiss records, homeland, matt kirshen, parody, samm levine

Brendon Small, Ron Lynch, Baron Vaughn, Chris Walsh, Matt Kirshen, Samm Levine, Matt Besser, Ali MacLean, and more, making for a cast of some of the funniest people we know and you will hopefully know soon, all star in this wonderful parody of Homeland or any anti-terrorist hour drama.

Watch the first episode over at FKR.TV right now and get hooked like we did.

LA Comedy Rundown 8/17/13

August 17, 2013

comedy shows, los angeles

ON THE HORIZON
Comedy Living Room Tues. Aug. 20th 9PM FREE
Jim Jefferies @ Irvine Improv Fri. Aug. 30th-Sun. Sept. 1st $30/2 item min.

COMEDY CRAWL
Comedy Garage at Echo Park Rising @ Rafa’s Lounge Art Gallery 4PM FREE
Brent Weinbach at Echo Park Rising @ New California Barbershop 5PM FREE
Comedy Bang! Bang! The Musical at Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 5PM $14
The Mo Show @ Nerdmelt Showroom 7PM $10
Video Variety Show Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 7:30PM $14
Comedy Voltron @ Space 15 Twenty 8PM FREE
Jimmy Pardo @ Hollywood Improv 8PM $18/2 item min.
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 8PM $10 (stand by only)
Nancy & Beth ft. Megan Mullally & Stephanie Hunt @ Largo at the Coronet Theatre 8:30PM $30
Horrible Movie Night @ Nerdmelt Showroom 9PM $10
Fox ADHD Pizza Party at Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 9:30PM $12
Bestie x Bestie @ UCB Theatre 10PM $10 (stand by only)
Jonah Ray & Friends @ Hollywood Improv 10PM $18/2 item min.
The Tomorrow Show w/Ron Lynch Big 8th Anniversary Show @ Steve Allen Theater 11PM $15
12 Shiny Nickels @ Westside Comedy Theater 11PM $10
Tournament of Nerds @ UCB Theatre MIDNIGHT $5 (stand by only)

OPEN MIC RUN
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 3:30PM/Starts 4PM/Ends 6PM/5 min./One item min.
FLAPPERS BURBANK YOOHOO ROOM 102 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA/Starts 4:30PM/First come, first served
DANGERFIELD’S 3 2524 ½ James M. Wood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM/Lottery/3-5min./$2 cover
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./First come, first served/$3 min.
WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER 1323-A 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica, CA (in alley between 3rd and 4th St.)/Sign-up (lottery) 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/no purchase necessary/4 min.
HOLLYWOOD HOTEL 1160 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 7PM/5 min./first come, first served/one drink min.
FLAPPERS BAR 102 E. Magnolia Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 11PM/Starts around 11:30PM/lottery

Here’s the Line-up for the 2nd LA Podcast Festival

August 17, 2013

comedy festival, jimmy pardo, los angeles, marc maron, podcast, santa monica, todd glass, walking the room

Here’s the Line-up for the 2nd LA Podcast Festival

WTF with Marc Maron, Never Not Funny w/Jimmy Pardo, Walking the Room w/Dave Anthony & Greg Behrendt, Fitzdog Radio w/Greg Fitzsimmons, The Todd Glass Show, Probably Science, The Jake Fogelnest Podcast, The Dana Gould Hour, The Indoor Kids, Dining with Doug and Karen, Jordan, Jesse, GO!, improv4humans w/Matt Besser, Keith and the Girl, Deep Shit with Baron Vaughn, and more TBA are all coming to beautiful Sheraton Delfina Hotel in Santa Monica this October for the second edition of The LA Podcast Festival.

If the line-up wasn’t enough to get you to go, know that we went last year and had a blast that we wouldn’t have just listening to an episode of it later.

Fox Wins Bidding War for Tina Fey/Robert Carlock Comedy

August 17, 2013

development, robert carlock, tina fey

Fox Wins Bidding War for Tina Fey/Robert Carlock Comedy

With this buy over several other interested networks, Tina Fey/Robert Carlock could potentially have series both at NBC and Fox, which we don’t have any problem with.

Dan Telfer Releases 24 Min. Set/Half Hour Special on Vimeo

August 17, 2013

comedy special, dan telfer, paypal, vimeo

Dan Telfer Releases 24 Min. Set/Half Hour Special on Vimeo

Dan Telfer has just uploaded a long 24 min. set of his stand-up on Vimeo, free to watch, but hopefully for PayPal donations. If you were unaware, with commercials, most half hour stand up specials on TV actually time out to just under that time.

Basically, Dan’s giving you a half hour special for whatever you want to pay and you should take advantage of this.

LA Comedy Rundown 8/18/13

August 18, 2013

comedy shows, los angeles, open mics

ON THE HORIZON
Comedy Tent at FYF Fest @ LA State Historic Park Sat. Aug. 24th & Sun. Aug. 25th
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World @ Aero Theatre Sat. Aug. 31st 7:30PM $11

COMEDY CRAWL
Everything Is Vine… And So Are You at Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 1PM $12
Maria Bamford Show & Tell at Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 5:30PM $15
Crashbar Improv @ The Clubhouse 7PM FREE
ASSSSCAT @ UCB Theatre 7:30PM FREE
Hey Buddy @ Bootleg Bar 7:30PM FREE
Catsby @ Asylum Lab 8PM Donations accepted
UnCabaret @ First and Hope 8PM $20-$30
Harmontown @ Nerdmelt Showroom 8PM $10
The Drop-In Show @ Hot Mess Vintage 8PM FREE
Top Story Weekly w/Megan Koester @ iO West 8PM $5
Neal Brennan & Friends @ Westside Comedy Theater 9PM $5
Shut Up! I Hate You @ UCB Theatre 9:30PM $5
“The Phynx” Hosted by Patton Oswalt at Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 10PM $12
Shitty Jobs @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5 (stand by only)

OPEN MIC RUN
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 3PM/Starts 4PM/No purchase necessary/Hosted by TJ Amick
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 4PM/Ends 6PM/5 min./One item min.
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 6PM-ish/5 min./First come, first served/$3 min.
LOS GLOBOS 3040 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 6:45PM/Starts 7PM/5 min.
LIQUID ZOO 7214 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA/Sign-up 8:30PM/Starts 9PM/First come, first served/7 min./One drink min.
COCK N BULL 2947 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, CA/Sign-up 8:45PM/Starts 9PM/First come, first served/5 min./No purchase necessary
FLAPPERS CLAREMONT 532 W. 1st St., Claremont, CA/Starts 9PM/First come, first served/No purchase necessary
JARAGUA 4493 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 8PM/Starts 8:15PM/Lottery/4 min./No purchase necessary
IMPROV JAM @ THE CLUBHOUSE 1107-A El Centro Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Starts around 9:45PM after Crashbar/Anyone can play/No purchase necessary

Line-up/Tickets for 6th Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

August 18, 2013

bob's burgers, brooklyn, comedy festival, eugene mirman, ira glass, kristen schaal, kurt braunohler, neil degrasse tyson, nyc

Line-up/Tickets for 6th Annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival

We’ve been quite fortunate with the wave of comedy festivals coming on this side of country over the next several months, not to mention the plethora of comedy nightly here in LA. However, if you’re closer to the Atlantic than the Pacific, you might want to check out Eugene Mirman’s comedy festival now going on its 6th year.

At the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival will be Kristen Schaal, Jim Gaffigan, Ira Glass, Wyatt Cenac, Jon Benjamin, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael Che, Kurt Braunohler, Leo Allen, Jena Friedman, Dan St. Germain, and many more doing shows with such fun titles as The Urbane Comedy Hour: Non-Stop Courtesy and Culture Through the Prism of Comedy.

The festival runs Sept. 26th-29th in Brooklyn and you can get your tickets at the link.

Greg Fitzsimmons’ Life on Stage Premieres Tonight on Comedy Central

August 18, 2013

comedy central, comedy special, greg fitzsimmons

At 11:59PM tonight on Comedy Central, Greg Fitzsimmons’ first 1 hour special, Life on Stage, will make its television premiere. That leaves plenty of time for you to watch Breaking Bad, process it, discuss it, and then catch what will be a damn funny guy doing an hour of stand-up.

That sounds like a pretty great Sunday night to us.

Bo Burnham Going on Tour and Taping a Special

August 18, 2013

bo burnham, comedy special, tour

Bo Burnham Going on Tour and Taping a Special

Just because his under appreciated series Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous got cancelled by MTV, the wonderful Bo Burnham isn’t going to stop in comedy.

He’s currently working on a book of poetry and is now adding more dates to his current tour and comedy special taping on Sept. 20th in San Francisco, of which tickets will be available soon.

Perhaps, another TV show will come of all of this?

LA Comedy Rundown 8/19/13

August 19, 2013

comedy shows, los angeles, open mics

ON THE HORIZON
The Walsh Brothers Show @ UCB Theatre Sat. Aug. 31st MIDNIGHT $5
Todd Glass @ Irvine Improv Thurs. Sept. 5th-Sun. Sept. 8th $17-$20/2 item min.

COMEDY CRAWL
Doug Benson Movie Interruption: Now You See Me @ Everything Is Festival @ Cinefamily 7:30PM $14
What’s Up Tiger Lily? @ Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill 8PM FREE
Hot Tub with Kurt Braunohler & Kristen Schaal: Kurt Braunohler Album Release Party @ The Virgil 8PM $5 in adv., $8 at door
Monday Night Improv @ The Clubhouse 8:30PM FREE
Cindy Crawford Comedy Show @ MiMoDa Studio & Theatre 8:30PM $5 in adv., $8 at door
Keep It Clean @ 1739 Public House 10PM FREE
Crash Test @ UCB Theatre 11PM $5

OPEN MIC RUN
SAL’S COMEDY HOLE 7356 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/5 min./First come, first served/$3 min.
SARDO’S 259 N. Pass Ave., Burbank, CA/Sign-up 6PM/Starts 6:30PM/Ends 8:30PM/7 min./First come, first served/1 drink min.
ROCKPAPER COFFEE CO 7509 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 5PM/Starts 6PM/Ends 8PM/5 min./First come, first served/1 item min.
ANCHOR BAR 2675 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa, CA/Sign-up 7PM/Starts 7:30PM/5 min.
THE WAREHOUSE LOUNGE 4499 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA/Starts 7PM/Ends 7:45PM/First come, first served/5 min./8 spots only/No purchase necessary
NERDMELT SHOWROOM 7522 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 7PM/Starts 7:30PM/25 spots only + 5 spots for following week/Lottery/3 min./No purchase necessary
TRIBAL CAFE 1651 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA/Starts 8PM/no purchase necessary/first come, first served
ECHOES UNDER SUNSET 1310 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA/Sign-up 8PM/Starts 8:15PM/Lottery/15 5 min. spots/15 3 min. spots/One item min.
PALACE RESTAURANT 2112 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles, CA (Los Feliz)/Sign-up 8:15PM/Starts 8:30PM/lottery/No purchase necessary
JAKE’S 38 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA/Sign-up 9:30PM/Starts 10PM/Lottery/4 min./No purchase necessary

Check Out a Completely New Funny or Die

August 19, 2013

funny or die, makeover

Check Out a Completely New Funny or Die

On this very morning, Funny or Die has just redone their entire website. It’s cleaner, sleeker, more user friendly, but filled with all the same content you’ve come to know, love, or possibly want to die at Funny or Die. Also, there’s a brand new logo that’s also cleaner and sleeker.

Guess Funny or Die got tired of waiting for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to do a website?

The Cover of Prince’s New Single Comes Straight From a Chappelle’s Show Sketch

August 19, 2013

album cover, chappelle's show, dave chappelle, prince

The Cover of Prince’s New Single Comes Straight From a Chappelle’s Show Sketch

We can’t help but think that Dave Chappelle or someone close to him had to ask, “Wouldn’t it be great if we do this sketch of Prince and then he puts it on an album cover?”

Well, if that’s true, then that dream just became reality with the cover of Prince’s latest single, “Breakfast Can Wait”.