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TCB Debriefing 3/31-4/3/24: Chair Company, George Carlin, 5th of July, Amy Silverberg, Smartypants, Las Culturistas, Martin Short, Worldwide Comedy Month

April 3, 2024
News
amy silverberg, chris estrada, dropout, george carlin, las culturistas, martin short, smartypants, steve feinartz, tim robinson, Worldwide comedy month, zach kanin

1. HBO smartly has ordered a pilot from the golden minds of Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin, the duo responsible for the best sketch show of this decade, I Think You Should Leave. You’ll be happy to know that this pilot, The Chair Company,, is perfectly set up for Robinson to play some sort of everyman that loses it in an office and has plenty of opportunity to yell, one of the things Robinson is better at than almost anyone (Variety).

2. In settlement with George Carlin Estate, the AI created special impersonating George Carlin from Dudesy will be taken down (Variety). Please remember this as this will be both an important milestone for dealing with AI both in art and comedy going forward.

3. Though Hulu stupidly (with a capital “S”) canceled This Fool, Chris Estrada is far from done with putting out his splendid brand of LA born-and-bred alt comedy. This just released short film, 5th of July, co-written and directed by the amazing Steve Feinartz, almost plays like part of what would have been the next season of This Fool. Please enjoy here.

4. Amy Silverberg has not only been a long time favorite of ours that we have the expressed privilege of seeing coming up in the LA comedy scene, but she beautifully contrasts her poetic turns-of-phrase sourced from her background as a writing professor and the grit of a very honest, truthful, vulnerable stand-up comedian. Please enjoy her CC Stand-Up Featuring set here.

5. Dropout has you hooked with Game Changer and is getting into more chaos (though slightly edutainment focused) with their latest upcoming series, Smartypants. Take a gander here.

6.. Matt and Bowen are getting Las Culturistas closer to where it should be in the pantheon of culture with takint their very own Culture Awards to the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn come this Summer.

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7. We’re pretty sure that Martin Short was probably some sort of “Mayor of Fun” already, but he now officially bestowed the title of Mayor of Funner, CA (THR)

8. As 800 Pound Gorilla has christened it, Worldwide Comedy Month has arrived. THERE SHOULDN”T BE A SINGLE DAY YOU DON’T SEE COMEDY.

9. We’ll leave you with this: A Real April Fools’ Day should be on April 2nd since corporations, like so many other things, kind of ruined the April 1st version.

The 101 Best Things in Comedy We Were Witness To in 2023 in No Particular Order

January 2, 2024
News
aaron jackson, academy museum, addi somekh, addie weyrich, albert brooks, alex edelman, alexander payne, alison stevenson, American fiction, andy iwancio, ari aster, asteroid city, barbie, beau is afraid, ben roy, Ben Wasserman, beth stelling, blair socci, bottoms, brad wenzel, cam gavinski, carol and the end of the world, chad damiani, chop and steele, chris estrada, chris fleming, civil dead, clay tatum, cole escola, cunk on earth, david drake, david gborie, demi adejuyigbe, Diane Morgan, dicks the musical, dream scenario, drew lausch, emma morgan, emma seligman, emma stone, ever mainard, extraordinary, fortune feimster, frankie quinones, futurama, gareth reynolds, green room, greg barris, greta gerwig, handsome podcast, hari kondabolu, harley quinn, hasan minhaj, how to with john wilson, i think you should leave, il fungo, jackie johnson, jackie kashian, james adomian, james hamilton, jamie loftus, jay jurden, jenny zigrino, jerrod carmichael, jesse david fox, jessica sele, joe kwaczala, joe pera, joe zimmerman, john early, john oliver, john waters, josh sharp, joy ride, julia sweeney, katherine blanford, kyle ayers, kyle kinane, langston kerman, last week tonight, lbj the play, leslie liao, Mae Martin, marc maron, maria bamford, mark vigeant, michael j feldman, mike bridenstine, mike lindell, mo welch, molly gordon, moses storm, nate craig, nick lieberman, paul giamatti, paul provenza, perfect amount of wrong, poor things, protected under parody, Rachel Coster, rachel kaly, rachel mac, Rachel Sennott, raine allen miller, reservation dogs, richard perez, richelle meiss, rob reiner, rye laine, sabrina wu, sam walt jones, scout durwood, steph tolev, sunanda, the holdovers, the other two, theater camp, this fool, tig notaro, tim robinson, Tina Friml, tom thakkar, tyler jackson, veronica osorio, wes anderson, whitmer thomas, yorgos lanthimos, zach teague, ziwe

Sorry for the delay and getting this on the 2nd. As always, we wanted to be thorough and not miss out on anything in late December like other lists (and, boy howdy, there were). Anyhow after working tirelessly through New Year’s Day up until now, here is our grand list of the 100 best things in comedy we saw/heard/etc. in 2023, in no particular order.

*An egregious error has been made in not including Gary Gulman’s brilliant new hour special. It’s so egregious that we are, for this one time only, expanding from 100 to 101. May Gary forgive us for the tardy inclusion.

  1. Jerrod Carmichael turned awards hosting on its head with his performance at The Golden Globes (kind of like he did with his SNL monologue and he should be hosting way more things).
  2. In addition to stealing every scene that they were in for Joy Ride, Sabrina Wu has more than put themselves on their map as a stand-up, especially with a stand out set on Netflix’s Verified Stand-Up.
  3. Cole Escola might have just outdone Eddie Murphy in regards to how many characters you can comically play on screen at the same time with their “lost” pilot for the Western “drama”, Our Home Out West.
  4. Diane Morgan’s Philomena Cunk has reached Alan Partridge status with Cunk on Earth.
  5. Between her interview with George Santos and her seminal collection of essays, Black Friend,, Ziwe‘s iconic status continues to grow and Showtime will look more and more stupid for cancelling her show.
  6. LBJ the Play achieves comedic brilliance while also, somehow, bridging the wide gap between President Lyndon B. Johnson and gender identity.
  7. The Perfect Amount of Wrong by Mike Bridenstine gives a great portrait of how kindred spirits in a comedy scene, specifically North Chicago alt-comedy, can evolve into some of the most celebrated performers of our time (and make you wonder what the magical ingredients are in 2024 to make that sort of thing happen again).
  8. The hysterical Rachel Kaly attempted to get back on Conan after appearing as a child with jokes that she wrote when she was a child. The journey was thankfully all captured in the blisteringly hilarious short film ATTN: CONAN O’BRIEN.
  9. Everyone who got to see Ben Wasserman do what will likely the best show to ever happen at a funeral home/mortuary/cemetery with Live After Death has been forever changed for the better.
  10. Yorgos Lanthimos outdid himself again with the exquisite, towering, fairy tale satire that is Poor Things featuring a career defining turn from Emma Stone (and Ramy Youssef).
  11. Kyle Kinane‘s Shock and Struts delivered the goods, almost in the way that the truck in a 20+ min. closing story delivered him and his truck out of the desert.
  12. Michael J. Feldman‘s solo show No, But I’m Definitely in a Better Place Than I Been in a Long Time is the solo show we both all deserve (and can revel in as it hits that gallows humor nerve perfectly).
  13. Addie Weyrich must have set some sort of record by having the overwhelming majority of the audience at The Addie Show individually take part of the show (complete with one of over 100 note cards with specific instructions on it).
  14. Addi Somekh made us rethink both balloon hats and the world arounds us with Inflatable Planet.
  15. Sure, Meg Ryan made a return to form in a rom com this year, but Rye Lane, the feature debut of Raine Allen Miller, in our minds, is the top of the pops for romantic comedies in 2023.
  16. Mae Martin plus a forest of trees on stage plus Abbi Jacobson directing equals Sap, one of the most dreamy comedy specials in recent memory.
  17. Mark Vigeant never ceases to amaze with his commitment to the bit, cleverness to go meta, and his vulnerability, all on wondrous display with his solo show, Mark Pleases You.
  18. Chad Damiani‘s half hour of silent improv is a ridiculous treat, even as shirts come off, sweat flies everywhere, and the narrative thread is often illusory.
  19. Scout Durwood pulls out all the stops for the marvelously off-the-rails cabaret/variety show Everybody Go Go and you should take up every opportunity to see it wherever and whenever you can.
  20. The songs, the moves, and the sharp comedy of Drew Lausch and Zach Teague are a force to be reckoned with.
  21. Greg Barris offers both a restorative emotional experience and a deluge of silliness with his latest album Deep Healing.
  22. The Other Two will forever be remembered as having some of the very best industry jokes of any comedy of all time. It’s almost worth working some awful Hollywood desk to enjoy every bit on the show.
  23. In a comedy world of unrelenting truth tellers and edgelords, one Tyler Jackson opts to revel in purely absurd bits and is masterful at it.
  24. Rachel Mac’s Teacher of the Year makes a case for Rachel Mac being one of the funniest teachers working today, which is saying a lot because, whether you know it or not, many teachers live a double life as a comedian.
  25. We got witness the top-to-bottom brilliance of Richard Perez with his solo show, I Have To Do This, and he has made new romances just a little more tolerable/bearable though this collection of (somewhat) grounded rom com vignettes.
  26. Joe Zimmerman’s special Cult Classic faithfully holds up the torch for classical, observational stand-up comedy without sounding like Seinfeld and being able to find a refreshing angle on killing baby Hitler.
  27. The fact that Bottoms is the second Emma Seligman/Rachel Sennott feature length film and that the first one was Shiva Baby should prove to you that they have a lot more delightful, hysterical havoc to wreak on the big screen in the not so distant future.
  28. May your very first special be as on point as Blake Wexler’s Daddy Long Legs.
  29. Cam Gavinski: how to make everything about you forever and always is yet more evidence of Cam being someone who has so much ambition and vision with their comedy, but has the rare ingenuity to actually pull it off.
  30. Very few people break down comedy and analyze it at the molecular level quite like Jesse David Fox does. The Vulture editor and long time host of Good One conclusively summarizes all of his succinct and astute observations on comedy in his appropriately titled Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture-and the Magic That Makes It Work by Jesse David Fox.
  31. Greta Gerwig’s take on Barbie was a feat on so many levels (financially, philosophically, tonally) all while being so damn fun. Don’t be surprised if comedy runs the table again this awards season.
  32. Being unapologetically genuine and exuberant are a great pairing for comedy and Rachel Coster is a perfect example of that.
  33. As far as taking big swings for specials, very few swung as big as Alison Stevenson with making up a streaming service for her special VUBITV+ Presents: Alison Stevenson: H*rny B*tch: A Comedy Special to “premiere” on and do a bunch of BDSM bits on top of it. It’s such a good time because of it.
  34. Tina Friml is a shining gem amidst a field of angrily smoldering embers and you should go seek out her stand-up whenever you can.
  35. It’s called Hell, but Chris Fleming and his groovy attire front what might be the silliest special on a major streaming platform. Kudos to Fleming keeping true to being utterly ridiculous.
  36. The imagination of Sam Walt Jones is wonderfully bigger than most as shown, just this year, by doing an entire live parody series of Survivor that actually spans several weeks and feels like a splendidly mutated Wonderland version of the show.
  37. LA got a wonderful addition to its scene this year with one Katherine Blanford whose warmth and cleverness ought to see her go real far in Tinseltown.
  38. The sultry voice of Leslie Liao blends comedically so well with her frank observations about herself and it has been a true joy to see her rise out of the ranks.
  39. Langston Kerman and David Gborie seem to be able to do no wrong with their podcast My Momma Told Me even though it’s dedicated to parsing out (and “legitimately” considering) some of the most ridiculous conspiracy theories out there.
  40. Richelle Meiss had a hit on her hands with an unauthorized musical parody of The Bachelor and she did an equally pitch perfect send up of Real Housewives this year. We would love if she just took on all trash TV with her musical parody prowess.
  41. Moses Storm got back to his more experimental comedy roots this year and devised a solo show, Perfect Cult, where he created a cult with the audience. Storm’s mixing of his own experiences, which, in turn, inform how he creates this in-show cult is so fun that you might just want to follow Storm wherever he goes.
  42. Veronica Osorio put all of her being, experiences, desires, and penchant for mischief into her Venezuelan Shamanic clown show, Medicine Woman, and made for one of the most enchanting, mystifying, original solo shows we saw all year long.
  43. Kyle Ayers is unfortunately afflicted with Trigeminal Neuralgia (AKA “Suicide Disease”) and yet, through his own indomitable comedic will, made a non-stop laughs solo show, Hard to Say.
  44. Beth Stelling‘s latest special If You Didn’t Want Me Then is so undeniably good (kind of like Girl Daddy) it should be the calling card for Beth to be in anything and everything that she wants to be.
  45. Kristoffer Borgli‘s Dream Scenario is one of the most radical movies of the year and did so by having Nicholas Cage play one of his most unassuming roles in his entire career. For our money, it’s the best and most original comedy about dreams since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
  46. Julia Sweeney‘s story about the death of her mom, when we heard it at UnCabaret, is one of the best, purest distillations of a comedian’s archetypal relationship with their parents.
  47. So much comedy on the big screen this year had wonderful bite to it, but American Fiction might have some of the most devastatingly funny lines delivered perfectly by Jeffrey Wright and crafted by Cord Jefferson.
  48. Mo Welch went above and beyond in going meta and daring with Dad Jokes, a half stand-up special/half docu-special with super dark dad jokes and then trying to reconnect with your estranged dad.
  49. Alex Edelman infiltrating a White Nationalist meeting as a Jew and turning it into Just For Us is every bit as illuminating and hilarious and resonant as you think it could be (and then some).
  50. As one can see from Live from the Big Dog, the comedic power of Blair Socci will not be denied.
  51. The Academy Museum’s exhibit John Waters: Pope of Trash is an ornate tribute to the auteur and one of the best displays of camp cinema/humor/etc. we’ve ever seen.
  52. How Hasan Minhaj handled the controversy around his New Yorker interview highlighted so much about comedy that people should never forget.
  53. Joe Pera’s first hour special Slow & Steady is a perfect distillation of Joe’s calming and politely off-kilter comedy that is the perfect salve for these times. Also, Joe has the best audience cutaway to the security guard of any special ever.
  54. LA now has its own, postmodern bouffant troupe Il Fungo and, as a postmodern bouffant troupe is wont to do, they bridge the sublime and the silly wonderfully.
  55. While comedians riffing off each other is well-mined territory in podcasts, Mae Martin, Fortune Feimster, and Tig Notaro hanging out on The Handsome Podcast has a magical quality to it.
  56. Julian Velard has the most amazing existential song about being a piano player being asked to play Billy Joel’s Piano Man in his marvelous musical solo show Julian Velard… Is in the Middle of Something.
  57. John Early is up to his meta hijinks in his HBO special Now More Than Ever that dresses up his hilarious stand-up in the middle of a classic rock doc. Also, bonus points go to John for the way he points out his parents in this hour
  58. A very special Green Room with Paul Provenza happened this year as it was all in Paul’s backyard and showed how comedy can shine the through darkest of traumas with Doug Stanhope, Andy Andrist, Kristine Levine, Annie Lederman, and Henry Phillips.
  59. Though Demi Adejuyigbe isn’t doing his September videos anymore, he is still dishing out brilliance in other forms as he did in 2023 with his declaration for 2023 Halloween costumes.
  60. For all the talk about The Boys, best not sleep on a UK satire on super powers from Emma Morgan, Extraordinary, which is decidedly less explicit and (maybe more) charming, in the keep-calm-and-carry-on British manner.
  61. As far as a classical looking and sounding comedy special goes in 2023, it doesn’t get much better than Nate Craig: Live at the Green Mill.
  62. For a show that’s so unpredictable and existentially rapturous, let’s all hold hands and take a moment for the final season of How to With John Wilson coming to a close last year.
  63. NYC comedy darling James Hamilton put out one hell of a debut album with I Don’t Deserve These Deals; the sort of album that makes you wonder how wrong the Grammys are about their nominations for Best Comedy Album.
  64. Thank goodness for the doc following Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett‘s fake strongman duo Chop & Steele and capturing how you might have to go, legally, to defend looking stupid on TV for fun.
  65. Let the hilarious weirdness of the life of one Jessica Sele wash over you with her debut album Weird Vibes.
  66. The new, new, new, NEW Futurama, believe it or not, is pretty damn good (and fully aware of how many times it has been revived).
  67. Albert Brooks: Defending My Life is a great and necessary reminder of how much Albert Brooks is a comedy pioneer as a performer/actor/director as well as a touching tribute from one of his best friends, Rob Reiner.
  68. Joe Kwaczala not only delivers on his album’s title of Funny Songs & Sketches, but cleverly delivers a grand variety of ingenious, innovative bits that points to Joe perhaps deserving a full on sketch show somewhere.
  69. While Barbie rode high this year, let us not forget the R-rated comedy of 2023, Joy Ride (that also a touching story about identity, adoption, and taking the baton from Crazy Rich Asians and running wild with it).
  70. Harley Quinn, now in its 4th season, continues to be a bright, hysterical, subversive light in the imploding world of comic book based IP.
  71. The NYC branch of Comedians You Should Know really made moves this year and one of those moves was one of its heads, David Drake, putting out his very first special that hit the perfect mark of self-deprecation with That’s It.
  72. At this point, you’d wonder how John Oliver could possibly up the ante with his prank calls to action with Last Week Tonight. Then, John went ahead and fixed a New Zealand bird election for the Pūteketeke and gave us an answer.
  73. If you want to see victory and self-acceptance and healing and an irresistibly funny solo show, look no further than Jackie Johnson: How To Get a Second Husband.
  74. Clay Tatum and Whitmer Thomas’ Civil Dead is a charming lowkey twist on what it means to be a ghost and/or the buddy comedy.
  75. Protected Under Parody might be the best sketch show going in LA even though it happens in the bar area of a hip movie theater.
  76. If you don’t already know the name Steph Tolev, you best know it now and remember it fully. The self-ascribed “Queen of Filth” is playing all over the country now and she’s as good at going blue and working a crowd as anyone out there.
  77. Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson made one of the most unhinged, unapologetically queer comedy of the year with Dicks: the Musical, doing A24 proud for their first musical. Let it be known that 2023 could be called the “Year of Dicks and Bottoms”.
  78. Countless hours of comedic observations have been dished out about generational differences, but the amazing Jenny Zigrino has some of the best and sharpest jokes in that realm in her special Jen-Z.
  79. Marc Maron pulled a hat trick with his latest hour in offering one of his most touching, darkest, and best specials yet with From Bleak to Dark.
  80. The only saving grace of Mike Lindell existing is that James Adomian keeps getting to play him brillliantly on Kimmel as he did throughout the year and even over this past holiday season.
  81. Even though Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, and Nick Lieberman had a touching, laugh riot of a tribute to theater kids everywhere with Theater Camp, this feature debut of Gordon and Lieberman is the definitive mockumentary of 2023.
  82. If you’ve mowed through dozens of specials and wondered if comedy has become stale/complacent/hollow, get a shot in the arm with Ben Roy‘s latest hour Hyena and rest easy (after laughing a whole damn lot).
  83. Brad Wenzel and his latest hour, joke. joke. joke. shows that the art form of the one liner, a corner of comedy that often seems to be of yesteryear, is alive and well (and can thrive in the 2020s).
  84. All hail the best sketch show on television, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, full stop. No further explanation should be needed.
  85. Her book Raw Dog, in our minds, has elevated Jamie Loftus into the status of comedy luminary (and is the sort of humor that the Mark Twain Prize actually seeks to honor if you read the award’s mission statement).
  86. The series of IG reels/Tik Tok It’s Not an Issue with Ever Mainard and their Mom on is simply blissful ridiculousness between a mom and their non-binary adult child.
  87. Wes Anderson retains his pristine symmetrical comedy auteur status with his most self-reflexive (and cheeky) work yet, Asteroid City.
  88. If they were a wing of a modern art museum dedicated to video art as dramedy, it should have the entire season of Carol & The End of the World playing on a loop. Hats off to Dan Guterman for creating a beautiful existential valediction to 2023 in the form of an adult animated series.
  89. As time passes, the comedic observations about pandemic times have become more and more worn, but such original and insightful and personal voices like those of Hari Kondabolu make for something special as he did with Vacation Baby.
  90. It might be strange to have a veritable set list as the title of your special, but England, Weed & The Rest from Gareth Reynolds belies his expert skills, especially when it comes to crowd work and making fun of being English. Salutations to Birthday Chicken.
  91. While working the road can wear on the psyche and will of a comedian, some get energized by the challenge and Tom Thakkar is clearly having so much damn fun playing clubs night in and night out wherever he is. That energy (along with thoughtful material about race and politics) is captured wonderfully on Thakkar Noir.
  92. Andy Iwancio not only has some of the very best trans jokes (go figure that the best trans jokes would come from a trans person) in her album Better Living Through Femmistry, but joyfully gets rambunctious about the recording of her album during the actual recording of it.
  93. The genre mash-up of horror and comedy (and your whole outlooking on existence and meaning) might be changed forever (and for the better) because of Ari Aster‘s Beau Is Afraid.
  94. Sunanda‘s solo show dedicated to their love of Britney Spears and their journey to self-actualization from it, the aptly names Sunanda Loves Britney,
  95. Comedy in pathos might have been best displayed in 2023 in the latest collaboration of Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti with The Holdovers.
  96. The trios of Chris Estrada/Frankie Quiñones/Michael Imperioli and Jake Weisman/Matt Ingebretson/Pat Bishop continue on their path to making one of the best comedies of this decade, balancing satirical subversion and the ludicrous all set in a grounded East LA with season 2 of This Fool.
  97. The third season of the modern day indigenous dramedy Reservations Dogs completes a wondrous arc and achieves its best episodes yet making for a rare instance of a TV series getting to do what it set out to do.
  98. The fact that Jackie Kashian made a special using the rearview camera of a car is so funny on its own and then there’s the fact that Jackie is also one of the funniest comedians working today that make Looking Back special.
  99. Whether you go by laughs per minute or just gut feeling, Jay Jurden is indisputably one of the best stand-ups on any stage these days. Just watch his Don’t Tell set, if you haven’t already, and you’ll see what we’re saying.
  100. Even though she might be against the organized religious aspects of it, let’s canonize Maria Bamford as a saint for her brilliant special Maria Bamford: Local Act and hit book Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult.
  101. Gary Gulman is a paragon of the art form of comedy in every single facet of it since he has, perhaps, the deepest understanding of the craft of stand-up, and that has been the case with Gary for a long time. His latest hour, Born on 3rd Base, might be his very best work yet.*

Pick of the Day: April Fools: A Benefit (in LA) 4/1

March 27, 2023
News
benefit show, beth stelling, chris estrada, comedy show, cristela alonzo, elysian theater, glenfeliz elementary, live comedy, los angeles, rory scovel, sabrina jalees

Though April Fools’ Day has largely been tarnished by corporations trying to live up to their legal status as “people”, not all is lost for what should be comedy’s day of the year.

Kurt Braunohler, along with The Elysian Theater, is throwing a very special, very stacked evening of stand-up in support of Glenfeliz Elementary School. There won’t be any pranks (and telling you that there would be here would ruin it, no?), but you’ll get a night of LA comedy’s best including Sabrina Jalees, Rory Scovel, Beth Stelling, Chris Estrada, and Cristela Alonzo.

This April Fools benefit show for Glenfeliz Elementary is set for April Fools Day at 7:30PM PT with tickets going for $25 a pop. Please go get your tickets here.

Pick of the Day: The Lyric Comedy Hour with Daniel Van Kirk and Irene Tu (in LA) Wednesdays Starting 1/18

January 12, 2023
News
beth stelling, chris estrada, daniel van kirk, ever mainard, irene tu, los angeles comedy, lyric hyperion, rory scovel

As you settle into remembering to date everything with 2023, you should also remember that the Lyric Hyperion is re-reopening with both a renewed vigor and a reverence for what the hallowed theater space used to be pre-pandemic. There is so much that’s up the sleeve of new new Lyric Hyperion that you should check out (and that we’ll highlight for you here) in the coming weeks and months (and, hopefully, years).

One of those many things will be a weekly stand-up show co-hosted by treasured LA comedy staples Daniel Van Kirk and Irene Tu called The Lyric Comedy Hour. On Wednesdays at 7:30PM starting Jan. 18th, Van Kirk, Tu, and the Lyric will bring together a nice and tight round-up of the city’s very best comedians, both established and ones that you should be on the look out for.

The inaugural Lyric Comedy Hour will have one hell of a line-up with Rory Scovel, Chris Estrada, Beth Stelling, and Ever Mainard.

Tickets are only $10 and you can (and should) get them every week here.

Hulu Renews This Fool for Season 2

November 10, 2022
News
chris estrada, frankie quiniones, hulu, this fool

As far as we’re concerned, This Fool will be one of 2022’s highlight shows, not only in the realm of comedy, but in all of TV (even as this current Golden Age of TV persists). Chris Estrada and Frankie Quinones are one of the small screen’s most dynamic duos this year (and the writing of Corporate team Matt Ingebretson, Jake Weisman, and Pat Bishop never fails to be a weird delight). So, we’re thankful that Hulu put all episodes on at the same time so we could binge through the whole first season to see how they would try to hilariously undermine each other while trying to keep a felon rehabilitation program alive (on top of watching a Michael Imperioli renaissance). Even beyond that, there’s so much of the shows humor that touches on class and mental health that is handled so sharply that there needs to be more episodes of This Fool ASAP.

Fortunately, Hulu feels the same way as they officially announced the season 2 pick up of This Fool today. This second season will be due out sometime in 2023. Though we don’t know the ballpark premiere date, we’re pretty sure it’ll all be worth whatever wait we have to go through for it.

Pick of the Day: TCB 12 Yr. Anniversary (in LA) 11/5

November 4, 2022
News
anniversary show, Best Actress, chris estrada, guy branum, ian karmel, little secret, los angeles comedy, max beasley, natalie palamides, Rachel Kaly Roz Hernandez, stand up

Just starting from not exactly where open mics where outside of the one coffee shop in Long Beach that we started at to being as central a hub for all the comedy info you need in LA and NYC as can be, 12 years of The Comedy Bureau has been almost indescribable (mostly because pretty much all the work at TCB rests on the back of Jake Kroeger and he doesn’t have that much time to think about 12 years of doing this when there are listings to update).

It seemed prudent that we should celebrate the occasion and we’re doing exactly that this Saturday, Nov. 5th at the ultra cool Little Secret in Hollywood with the brilliant comedic talents of Natalie Palamides, Chris Estrada, Best Actress, Guy Branum, Rachel Kaly Roz Hernandez, Max Beasley, Ian Karmel. Oh yeah, TCB’s very own Jake Kroeger will be taking a slight break from having 200 or more tabs open on his web browser to host the show.

Also, this is the perfect way to party out the end of Daylight Savings Time.

The show is at 8PM. Tickets are $12. Go get ’em here.

Yes, There’s So Much TV to Watch, But Seriously Binge and Enjoy “This Fool” Right Now

August 17, 2022
News
chris estrada, frankie quinones, hulu, jake weisman, matt ingebretson, pat bishop, this fool

Whether it’s The Bear or A League of Their Own or delving into all of Stranger Things once more because you’re obsessed, there is an abundance, perhaps an overabundance of TV to enjoy/work through in your weekly syllabus to keep up with the never ending class that so much of are in, Pop Culture 101. It’s clear this current “Golden Age of Television” is alive and well and has plenty more to give (we have no doubt that people are planning watch parties for The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon already).

One of the brand new series that’s keeping prestige TV going is This Fool, just released on Hulu. The creators of Corporate on Comedy Central, Jake Weisman, Matt Ingebretson, and Pat Bishop, teamed up with one of the LA comedy scene’s gem Chris Estrada to make a show that is uniquely it’s own single-cam sitcom version of how the other half lives in LA these days while maintaining a lot of the same darkly satirical verve that made Corporate so tantalizingly funny (Jake and Matt do make a cameo in This Fool, FYI).

Following an arc of the absurdities of trying to adapt to life after being incarcerated isn’t new territory for a comedy, but nearly every character in the show is fully realized in a way that offers nuance you probably wouldn’t find in a multi-cam with overlapping themes. In fact, such painstaking attention is paid to Frankie Quinones’ Luis, fresh out of prison and thrashing against life on the outside amidst adapting to it, and Michael Imperioli’s Minister Payne, the head of the show’s non-profit “Hugs Not Thugs” dedicated to reforming the formerly incarcerated that the show ends up sneaking in sharp commentary on prison, class, race, and mental health. That’s saying a lot for something is very much a pure comedy as opposed to the deluge of dramedies that keep coming out, hoping for an Emmy victory.

The authenticity of the show can’t be applauded enough. With Estrada’s life/stand-up serving as much of the spark, there is a clear telling of an original story from his perspective rather than another network trying to check off a diversity and inclusion box. In short, there isn’t a corny, performative feel to how the show has been crafted and its depictions of LA either South of the 10 or East of the 101. This seems to be quite the tall order these days at the network level. Also, Quinones, Imperioli, Estrada himself serve up such genuine performances that you can’t help but get enveloped in their endlessly flawed journey.

You can take a gander at all of this in the trailer here OR you can go stream all episodes right now at Hulu (a thing we highly recommend you do even if you feel like you’re overdoing it on prestige television).

 

You Better Enjoy Your First Look at Chris Estrada Series “This Fool”

July 19, 2022
News
chris estrada, frankie quinones, hulu, this fool

For whatever has been on top of the most anticipated new series of 2022, This Fool (previously known as Punk Ass Bitch), the single cam sitcom based loosely on the life of the hysterical Chris Estrada is way higher on the list than the LOTR spin-off. Co-created/written, with Chris, by the Corporate guys (Jake Weisman, Pat Bishop, and Matt Ingebretson) has been a combo that has had us hooked ever since we heard about it. The cameo of Fred Armisen along with him being an EP should just be a bonus for you at this point.

After years and years of being development, This Fool has the makings of a great sitcom that should be buzzed about with a balance of humor that’s both grounded, but gritty all set in the heart of East LA (along with a very likely scene-stealing Frankie Quinones set in a supporting role).

See all of this for yourself in the first official trailer for This Fool here, then look for it to drop on Hulu starting Aug. 12th.

Pick of the Day: Clocktower Comedy (in LA) 3/12

March 1, 2022
News
amy miller, asif ali, chris estrada, dtla, kevin camia, kurt braunohler, langston kerman, los angeles comedy, naomi ekperigin, steve hernandez, union station

Right around now, the two year mark of when the reality of COVID-19 was starting to set in for folks here in America, there seems to be things coming back from the appointed time that they were supposed to happen in March 2020.

One of those things was an outdoor comedy show at LA’s iconic train hub, Union Station in DTLA. A variety of stand-up and improv had been all booked and it was definitely going to be one of those highlight, pop-up shows with one of LA’s most picturesque Art Deco back drops.

Called Clock Tower Comedy, it’s now actually, really going to happen at Union Station on Sat. Mar. 12th at the North Patio. For only $5, you’ll get to see the LA’s very best with Naomi Ekperigin, Kurt Braunohler, Asif Ali, Langston Kerman, and Chris Estrada along with co-hosts in LA darlings Steve Hernandez and Amy Miller.

Tickets are only $5 right now (and $7 at the door. Go get them right here right now.

Will Smith’s Stand-Up Series “This Joka” Will Actually Get to See the Light of Day

February 18, 2022
News
baron vaughn, chris estrada, Christi Chiello, clayton english, Daphinque Springs, david gborie, jackie fabulous, martin urbano, megan gailey, punkie johnson, rell battle, roku, rosebud baker, sam tallent, sean patton, shane torres, stand up comedy, this joka, vanessa gonzalez, will smith

Well before COVID-19, there was a weekend where many of LA and NYC’s very best comedians that you needed to know were swept up to Vegas to tape a special stand-up comedy series that was entirely put up by the one and only Will Smith. Called This Joka, it was going to be a new introduction to many of our absolute favorite comedians that we personally try to highlight whenever we can here at TCB.

So, not only did COVID-19 put a pause, interrupt the scheduling of, or even outright shut down so much comedy, but This Joka temporarily fell victim to originally be at the ill-fated short form streaming service, Quibi. When the news broke that Quibi was closing up shop, This Joka was still on the docket to premiere and we were worried that this whole series would never get to be seen by you, us, and everyone else that needs to see the future of stand-up comedy.

Thankfully, Roku bought up Quibi’s library including This Joka and we will all get treated to see Will Smith’s curated stand-up series that features Baron Vaughn, Sam Tallent, Punkie Johnson, Rosebud Baker, Clayton English, Chris Estrada, David Gborie, Sean Patton, Megan Gailey, Rell Battle, Shane Torres, Vanessa Gonzalez, Daphinque Springs, Martin Urbano, Jackie Fabulous, and Christi Chiello.

Many have since gone to new heights in their career by the way. Estrada has his own Hulu series in the works, Rosebud got her own special, and Sam became an acclaimed author.

Come Fri. Mar. 4th, you’ll be able to stream This Joka for free on Roku. You can get a taste of what’s to come (and get nostalgic about comedy right before COVID) with the trailer here.

Pick of the Day: LOOSE (on Mondays) (in LA) Starting 10/11

September 30, 2021
News
alison stevenson, anna seregina, chris estrada, chris garcia, little joy, lizzy cooperman, los angeles comedy, megan koester
As live, in-person, indoors comedy has slowly come back in LA, one might notice that the amount of shows on Mondays is a little on the lighter side. The rest of the week has filled up pretty nicely with more and more options between not only stand-up, but all sorts of comedy. That dynamic is going to change in the coming weeks, thank goodness.
The weekly Monday comedy show at Little Joy in Echo Park is coming back! Once, it was called The Business and it was at 9PM, but now, it’ll be called LOOSE (and stay true to the title for having performers get really, really, truly, deeply loose with what they want to do) and start an hour earlier at 8PM PT. The stewards of LOOSE will be a crew of LA favorites including Chris Garcia, Megan Koester, Anna Seregina, and Alison Stevenson.
Their first “reboot” show on Mon. Oct. 11th will have even more LA favorites including Lizzy Cooperman and Chris Estrada as well as the newly transplanted POSTMEN (Anthony Oberbeck + Matt Barats + Carmen Christopher). Like in the old times, the show will be FREE (donations encouraged though to pay comedians).
Proof of vaccination will be required and it will be 21+. Get more info on the inaugural LOOSE here.

Chris Estrada Series “This Fool” (FKA Punk Ass Bitch) Gets Ordered to Series at Hulu

August 6, 2021
News
chris estrada, hulu, jake weisman, matt ingebretson, pat bishop

(via THR)

When this got put in development as Punk Ass Bitch earlier this year with the likes of Pat Bishop, Jake Weisman, and Matt Ingebretson, the whimsically dark minds behind Corporate on Comedy Central, we were so thrilled that Chris Estrada was getting his due as a true, blue LA comedy favorite, widely regarded as so funny and one of the hardest working comedians in the whole LA scene.

Also, a series called Punk Ass Bitch getting put in the works by a major streaming service was more than pleasantly surprising.

We’re even more ecstatic to know that Hulu is ordering the now-titled This Fool to series, essentially giving Estrada his first marquee role and vehicle to deservingly introduce him to his widest audience yet (after numerous stand-up TV appearances). Specifically, the show will follow Chris playing a version of himself working at “a gang-rehabilitation nonprofit and his quest to overcome his co-dependency issues with his family as he navigates working-class life in South Central Los Angeles”.

Again, you really ought to give Chris Estrada’s stand-up a watch, whether it be on YouTube or on his HBO Latino special, to know why you should be so very excited as we are for the show getting picked up to series.

Also, kudos to Hulu for continuing to push forward with some of the most intriguing and engaging comedies on TV.

Pick of the Day: Border Aid (Humanitarian/Legal Aid Benefit) 3/20

March 19, 2021
News
al otro lado, aparna nancherla, atsuko okatsuka, border aid, chris estrada, christina catherine martinez, opey olagbaju

The issue immigration is yet another pre-pandemic problem (that never really went away) that’s creeping back into the news cycle as things rush to reopen in America. All the organizations that give humanitarian and legal aid to immigrants that are facing separation from their families and deportation due to broken immigration policies are also still alive and well and, coupled with that, are the comedy benefit shows that support said orgs.

This Sat. Mar. 20th at 6:30PM PT/9:30PM ET, Border Aid will be one such fantastic live-stream comedy show that will be raising money for Al Otro Lado and all the crucial work their do for immigrants and the undocumented. The line-up is filled with comedy’s finest to offer their comedy wares in support and solidarity.

That includes: Aparna Nancherla, Chris Estrada, Atsuko Okatsuka, Christina Catherine Martinez, and Opey Olagbaju. Maddie Connors graciously hosts.

Donations are being accepted for Al Otro Lado here, and details and access to the live-stream can be found here. Do some good and enjoy some really, really good comedy this weekend.

Hulu’s Latest Comedy Will Be ‘Punk Ass Bitch’ From Chris Estrada & Creators of ‘Corporate’

February 5, 2021
News
chris estrada, corporate, hulu, jake weisman, matt ingebretson, pat bishop

photo by Mandee Johnson

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

This is about as great as news can get for us right now.

Corporate was one of our favorite shows in recent memory for its ruthlessly dark humor in the clothing of a workplace comedy. Chris Estrada has been and remains one of our favorite comedians to see on all sorts of stages in and around LA (when we could do that of course).

So, the fact that Hulu’s latest series will be from Jake Weisman, Pat Bishop, and Matt Ingebretson, the minds behind Corporate, with Chris Estrada starring has us (as can be during COVID-19) ecstatic. The series, marvelously titled Punk Ass Bitch, will very much be inspired by Estrada’s stand-up, which, again, has some of the best bits and punchlines that we’ve heard in recent memory, and will see Estrada go out of his way as a “punk ass bitch with a heart of gold” that won’t help himself, but will go above and beyond for everyone else.

There’s no premiere date yet, but it’s one more thing that we’re legitimately excited for in 2021 that has nothing to do with getting the vaccine.

Pick of Day: In Stitches-Hydrocephalus Association Benefit 11/19

November 18, 2020
News
chris estrada, dan levy, Debbie Allen, esther povitsky, hyrdocephalus, jamie lee, jesse tyler ferguson, kurt braunohler, max greenfield, Meghan Trainor, natasha bedingfield, neil patrick harris, Nigel Lythgoe, rachael harris, sebastian maniscalco, wayne brady, whitney cummings

One of the biggest benefit shows this week is dedicated to raising money in the fight for the deadly condition known as Hydrocephalus via the Hydrocephalus Association. The condition is caused by build-up of fluid in the brain and can currently only treated by brain surgery.

Annually, the Hydrocephalus Association puts on a big benefit show, In Stitches, and they’ve really outdone themselves this year with this 2020 virtual edition. For comedy, Whitney Cummings, Kurt Braunohler, Chris Estrada, Jamie Lee, Dan Levy and Esther Povitsky are on the bill, but there will also be a special musical performance from Natasha Bedingfield as well as some cameos from Debbie Allen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Max Greenfield, Neil Patrick Harris, Rachael Harris, Nigel Lythgoe, Wayne Brady, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Meghan Trainor.

That’s bordering on a mini-festival line-up and should make for a pretty swell Thursday evening this week.

In Stitches is virtually set for Thurs. Nov. 19th at 6PM PT/9PM ET. Tickets for the live-stream start at $50. There will also be a silent auction and a virtual red carpet starting at 5:30PM PT/8:30PM ET.

TCB Field Report Ep. 32: Chris Estrada & Making the Most Out of 2020

November 4, 2020
News, The Comedy Bureau Field Report
abc, bill burr, Bless the Harts, chris estrada, entre nos, fox, hbo latino, hbo max, how to with john wilson, latinx, paper tiger, sam jay, showtime

LA scene favorite Chris Estrada was poised for a great 2020 before the pandemic took hold. Now, 8 months into lockdown, Estrada is, thankfully, still getting some great things that he deserves coming his way like a HBO Latino Entre Nos special premiering later this month. Estrada zooms with TCB’s Jake Kroeger about weathering the world throughout this year and keeping the flame of his comedy alive whether it be on Zoom, at an outdoors comedy show, or on his first stand-up special. Also, they dish “hot” takes on new series developments at ABC, Showtime, and Fox as well as representation for Latinx in comedy and the label of Latinx itself.

Follow Chris @chrisestrada85 on Twitter and @chrisestradacomic on IG.

Shout-outs: Bless The Harts, Bill Burr: Paper Tiger, Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning, and How To with John Wilson

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

“Entre Nos: LA Meets NY” Has Chris Estrada and Ian Lara Co-Headlining a Comedy Special

November 3, 2020
News
chris estrada, comedy special, hbo, hbo latino, ian lara, stand up comedy

It would have seemed that stand-up comedy specials from the before times have been exhausted as Netflix and HBO haven’t released a comedy special with a live audience in quite some time. Yet, there’s still a bit of that good ol’ comedy before the pandemic took hold that’s left to see.

HBO Latino is set to release a brand new co-headlined special with LA’s Chris Estrada and NY’s Ian Lara for a bi-coastal comedy special, Entre Nos | LA Meets NY: Chris Estrada and Ian Lara. Either of them could carry their own special (Estrada has been a personal favorite of ours around the LA scene for years), but we’re glad to see that they’ll have an HBO credit to their name.

Get a taste of this latest Entre Nos special with this trailer and then look for it to premiere on HBO Latino on Fri. Nov. 13th at 9:30PM ET/PT and then also streaming on HBO Max.

Pick of the Day: Hollywood Quars 6/4

June 3, 2020
News
baron vaughn, brandie posey, caitlin gill, casey ley, charity benefit, chris estrada, hollywood quars, jessica sele, madison shepard, minnesota freedom fund, sean keane, steph tolev

This brand new, weekly comedy game show, Hollywood Quars, hosted by Matt Lieb, takes trivia to a whole new level as both the contestants AND the host don’t know the answers to the questions (even when the host wrote them). It’s up to a really great line-up of comedians to make it seem like their answer is the best (or maybe even actually right?).

For this first edition of Hollywood Quars on Thurs. Jun. 4th at 7:30PM PT/10:30PM ET, they’ve assembled:

Baron Vaughn (Netflix, Comedy Central)
Steph Tolev (Comedy Central)
Brandie Posey (Lady 2 Lady Podcast)
Sean Keane (Roundball Rock Podcast)
Caitlin Gill (NPR, 2 Dope Queens)
Madison Shepard (Album “Goodnight Silverlake Lounge”)
Jessica Sele (Vice TV)
Chris Estrada (Comedy Central)
Casey Ley (Gay Power Half Hour )

Also, we gotta say, having gotten a sneak peak, this very well might be one of the slickest looking comedy game shows done via live-stream.

By the way, they’ll be raising money for Minnesota Freedom Fund (which, due to so much support, is distributing funds to other worthy causes)

Tickets are $8 if you snag them right now and you can (and very much should) go get them here.

March 2, 2018
Uncategorized
chris estrada, free comedy, free tickets, hot Tub, jena friedman, joboukie young-white, joel kim booster, john early, kristen schaal, kurt braunohler, los angeles, los feliz, michael palascak, silverlake, stand up, the virgil, ticket giveaway

This upcoming Hot Tub’s line-up includes the mind behind a brilliant Adult Swim special, a scene stealing cast member of Search Party, a fast rising star that has made it onto several who-to-watch lists, one of our personal local favorites, and a recent transplant that we’re more than glad to have in LA. 

If you don’t want to miss any of that AND perhaps go for free, we’ve got tickets for you to win here: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways

July 10, 2017
Uncategorized
alycia coooper, brodie reed, casey ley, chase bernstein, chris estrada, comedy central, comedy shows, curtis cook, daniel rugg webb, free comedy, free tickets, heather thomson, hollywood, jamel johnson, jason webb, johan miranda, katie crown, kyle mizono, los angeles, puterbaugh sisters, simon gibson, stand up, steph tolev

Boy oh boy, we’ve (yes, we, The Comedy Bureau, are putting on a show) got a showcase of some of our “most wanted” (favorite) stand-up comedians in town that you need to be on the look out for. 

Wednesday, July 26th at 8PM at The Comedy Central Stage. 

Don’t be late.

Again, it’s free, but you have to RSVP here or at 323 960 5519.

Flyer by The Brain Trust’s Ed Weseloh with logo by Chris Fairbanks.

May 7, 2017
Uncategorized
cheap, chris estrada, chris fairbanks, comedy, david gborie, echo park, ever mainard, los angeles, sam tallent, stand up, steph tolev

This is a great line-up of LA’s best and brightest. Also, some of the best views in LA are to be had on hills in Echo Park and should have your interest peaked. 

Get more details here.

May 27, 2016
Uncategorized
backyard bootlegs, chris estrada, comedy show, debra digiovanni, devin blake, east hollywood, ever mainard, jonathan rowell, los angeles, los feliz, may 28, silverlake, simon gibson, stand up, what to do

More details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows/events as well as open mics and corresponding maps are embedded at www.thecomedybureau.com.

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