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TCB Debriefing 7/21-8/10: Roy Wood Jr. on CNN, Inside Out TV Series, Saturday Night Trailer+++
August 10, 2024
News
adam sandler, brian jordan alvarez, carmen christopher, chloe radcliffe, cnn, danny mcbride, english teacher, fx, high plains comedy festival, How to Die Alone, hulu, inside out, james adomian, jason reitman, john early, jordan peele, mitch hedberg, Molly Kearney, natasha rothwell, netflix, punch up, punkie johnson, ramy youssef, roy wood jr, sam morril, saturday night, scare tactics, snowflakes, solar opposites, southern book club's guide to slaying vampires, stephanie hsu, the incredibles, toy story, veeps

1. Roy Wood Jr. will be hosting his own topical panel show on, not Comedy Central, but CNN with Have I Got News For You. While The Daily Show did get Jon Stewart back, there is an unmistakable feeling that they missed out here.

2. Disney’s own version of Comic Con, D23, is this weekend and the big takeaway is that Mickey and company will be sticking with their big hits from Pixar in the form of an Inside Out series, another sequel to The Incredibles, and another sequel to Toy Story (which begs the question how much more existential crises can they explore through the nature of sentient toys).

3. Let’s call that a take 2 on Studio 60, but this time, from Jason Reitman that actually tackles the origin story of SNL head on (and it looks pretty damn great). Take a gander at the trailer for Saturday Night here, then look for it in theaters come Oct. 11th.

4. Adam Sandler took a big leap into the Safdie Brothers’ world when diving into Uncut Gems, and Josh Safdie is returning the favor by directing Sandler’s latest stand-up special, Love You (take a look at the trailer here). Let’s see if this leads to a Safdie Brothers slapstick comedy. Love You will hit Netflix later this month on Aug. 27th.

5. The High Plains Comedy Festival in Denver, CO is still one of the very best comedy festivals around (and is coming up soon on Sept. 19th-21st). Peep their first line-up announcement! THEN, go get your fest passes here.

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6. Given how truly insane the winds of change feels these days, a wave of absurdism/non-sequitur/unapologetic deconstructionist satire in a comedy special (as opposed to more litanies of crowd-work-fueled comedy specials) feels more than needed. Fortunately, Carmen Christopher has come through with his latest and very hilarious special Live from the Windy City that serves up many shots of all those ingredients in addition to thankfully showcasing Christopher’s stand up chops in a non-COVID-socially-distanced setting. If you’re any level of fan of I Think You Should Leave, you might recognized Carmen from a sketch or two and, as such, you’re really going to dig Live from the Windy City (after all, Tim Robinson does have his name attached to this special). Live from the Windy City is now streaming on VEEPS and you can (and should) stream it here.

7. While Abbott Elementary has the hearts and minds of America’s primetime viewing audience, FX is giving the high school work place comedy its own treatment with English Teacher from Brian Jordan Alvarez (that seems to have the same very satisfying bite that Election had over 20 years ago). Also, Sean Patton as Markie might be TV’s latest scene stealer. See for yourself with the trailer here, then look for the premiere on FX/Hulu on Sept. 2nd.

8. James Adomian, who voices many of your favorite adult animated series, is one of comedy’s best minds and voices and has been for years now. Thankfully, his very first hour special is due out on 800 Pound Gorilla on Aug. 16th and then, for everyone, on Sept. 19th. Please enjoy his retro comedy special trailer for Path of Most Resistance here.

9. After having some of the very best moments in season 1 of White Lotus, Natasha Rothwell is taking center stage with her very own series How to Die Alone, a comedy following a carpe-diem-turn for a woman who is afraid to fly, but works an airport. See what Natasha has up her sleeve with the trailer for How To Die Alone here, then look for it exclusively on Hulu come Sept. 13th.

10. Both Punkie Johnson and Molly Kearney are leaving SNL, which means the new cast announcement for the next season might be big (and plenty diverse).

11. Ramy Youssef has signed a first look deal with Netflix, which is yet another step for the rising comedy star. Note that this doesn’t mean he has the answer to achieving peace in the Middle East (only great jokes about it).

12. Quinta Brunson and Stephanie Hsu are teaming up on a comedy feature for Universal. No plot details are available at this time, which leaves us to assume that it’s about a multiverse of public schools that also don’t have enough funding.

13. It’s about time there was a Mitch Hedberg documentary especially considering that he set an intention of telling jokes without references so he could be timeless. Keep an eye out for this doc from 222-2222 Films.

13. While Chloe Radcliffe is in Edinburgh right now racking up well deserved acclaimed for her marvelous solo show, CHEAT, let’s not forget that Chloe is really damn good at stand-up. See her Don’t Tell set here for proof.

14. Not only is the fifth season of Solar Opposites around the corner (Aug. 12th on Hulu) and it just got renewed for another season, but it seems as any lingering controversy with Justin Roiland’s exit is well in the rear view mirror. All looks like a well oiled machine in this trailer for the new season.

15. In addition to Sam Morril making his Amazon debut with his brand spankin’ new special You’ve Changed, there’s, essentially, a bonus track of crowd work/material available exclusively on newly forged comedian streaming platform PunchUp called “Buying Drinks”. If you loved Sam’s rooftop stuff, you’ll love this.

16. In addition to doing a sharply honed high school comedy, it would seem FX is angling on a Gen-Z version of Friends with their new series, Snowflakes. Shout out to comedian Malik Elassal has is kind of having a banner year in 2024.

17. We don’t know how many seasons What We Do In the Shadows will ultimately go, but thank goodness Danny McBride is getting to work on adapting his own vampire comedy from Grady Hendrix’s book The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.

18. While a return to pure comedy might seem unlikely for acclaimed horror director Jordan Peele, him taking on prank series Scare Tactics is a welcome dip back into comedy. Look for Peele to possibly revolutionize prank shows later this Fall on USA Network.

19. We’ll leave you with this: Free tickets to John Early @ The Bellwether on 9/17 anyone? Yes? Hit us up at thecomedybureau@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can hook you up.

TCB Debriefing 7/7-7/20: Bob Newhart, Emmys Noms, Hulu Comedy Specials
July 20, 2024
News
a different man, a24, adam perason, anime, bill burr, bob newhart, comics to watch, d'arcy carden, futurama, hulu, inside out 2, jay johnston, jennifer lawrence, joe's pub, ledge theatre, margaret cho, netflix, rachel bloom, rick and morty, roy wood jr, sebastian stan, sunny nights, tenacious d, variety, will forte, z-suite

1. R.I.P. Bob Newhart, 1929-2024. Never forget that Newhart had the first #1 Billboard charting comedy album with The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart. Honestly, can’t remember the last time that happened since then.

2. Noms for this year’s Primetime Emmys were announced this week, which saw Ryan Gosling get nominated for breaking a bunch of times on SNL and The Bear getting a record number of nominations as a comedy with almost no comedy in it (don’t get it twisted– it’s a brilliant, astounding, paradigm shifting sort of show). Thank goodness What We Do in the Shadows got nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. Their honors are long overdue.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES NOMINEES:
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
Palm Royale
Reservation Dogs
What We Do in the Shadows

Full list of Emmy noms here.

3. Hulu, alongside Amazon, is gunning for Netflix’s big comedy fish, which, this week, includes Bill Burr and Roy Wood Jr. At one time, getting an HBO special was the gold standard for comedians, then it shifted to a Netflix special. The time for some new standard might be nigh.

4. Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson (who we hope you would have seen in Under the Skin) take a different approach to facing off in A Different Man, the latest dark comedy from A24 and director Aaron Schimberg. This very well could be a hallmark episode of The Twilight Zone, but with what seems like a hilariously satirical twist. Please enjoy the trailer for A Different Man here, then look for it in limited release this Fall.

5. Inside Out 2, at $1.37 billion in global box office, is now the second highest grossing animated film of all time (Collider) only to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Don’t be surprised if it gets #1 and if Disney Pixar has to figure out how to do sequels that cover Riley’s college and early twenties.

6. Oof, what a time for Tenacious D to cancel a tour and put all creative endeavors on hold because Kyle Gass said “Don’t miss next time,” referring to the recent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, during a concert. It almost seems like they will actually have to legitimately come up with the greatest song in the world to fix this mess.

7. Rachel Bloom‘s high concept comedy special, “Death, Let Me Do My Special” is going to find it’s way to Netflix (Variety). It’s kind of criminal that Bloom has gone this long without top billing after Crazy Ex-Girlfriend went off the air.

8. Star Wars, one of the most popular franchises of all time, went anime and now it’s Rick and Morty, one of the most popular animated franchises in the 21st century. Thursdays at midnight, starting on Aug. 15th, Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith will be a bit more stylistically animated and probably even zanier with this anime bent to the series from Takashi Sano. Adult Swim will be airing both English and Japanese language versions. Take a gander at the trailer here.

9. Futurama just keeps Futurama-ing (perfectly skewering the present time thousands of years in the future) and we like it that way. Peep the trailer for season 12 here, due out July 29th on Hulu.

 

10. The one and only Margaret Cho has just been bestowed the Vanguard Artist-in-Residence at Joe’s Pub that will allow her to handpick and personally curate a fair chunk of programming at one of NYC and NYC comedy’s most cherished stages (THR). Maybe this’ll lead to Cho opening up her own venue at some point?

11. There’s quite a bit major reshuffling in LA comedy theaters over the last couple of weeks. The Ledge Theatre in LA is coming to a close at the end of this month with The Pack Theater relocating from The Broadwater in Hollywood to their current space in Los Feliz. There’s a lot of dust to be pardoned here, but make sure to go support the Ledge while you still can and patronize the Pack when it gets up and running just a few doors down from The Clubhouse.

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12. Variety announced it’s first Comics to Watch line-up that would have to forego a victory lap at JFL Montreal. Hats off to this year’s picks Asif Ali, Ralph Barbosa, Jackie Fabulous, Rachel Feinstein, Tina Friml, Troy Iwata, Preacher Lawson, Leslie Liao, Nathan Macintosh, and Saul Trujillo, all comics that you have probably seen on TV more than a few times already or come up endlessly in one of your social media feeds.

13. Those missing Darcy C’Arden and Will Forte on the reg, fret not, as they will be the stars of a dramedy following a tanning business gone out-of-control called Sunny Nights (Deadline). One tiny detail is that it’ll be streaming on Aussie streamer, Stan, so, umm, you’re going to have to find a way to get access to that.

14. Jennifer Lawrence is staying in the comedy lane with Why Don’t You Love Me? (Indiewire). It’ll be from A24, so, as a comedy, you can count on reality probably being bent in some way shape or form (and we’re here for it).

15. Upcoming Tubi comedy series, Z-Suite (has nothing to do with zombies unfortunately), possibly sounds like a PG-rated update of The Lord of the Flies (Deadline) with Gen-Z’ers suddenly in charge at a NYC ad agency.

16. We’ll leave you with this: Mr. Show might play differently with Jay Johnston with being a Jan. 6th insurrectionist.

TCB Debriefing 5/11-5/18: Spaghetti Fest, Nikki Glaser, Conan O’Brien Must Go, Hulu, Ramy Youssef/Will Ferrell, Only Murders in the Building, Blair Socci, Seth Meyers, Happy Gilmore, Entertainment System Is Down, Rick & Morty: The Anime
May 18, 2024
News
blair socci, conan o'brien must go, happy gilmore, hulu, molly gordon, nikki glaser, only murders in the building, ramy youssef, rick and morty, ruben ostlund, seth meyers, spaghetti fest, will ferrell

1. The Elysian is getting ready for the 3rd edition of its never-before-seen-genre/definition-defying comedy festival, Spaghetti Fest, where they look to present completely original, brand new productions that pretty much swing for the fences with whatever their intended goal is. Submissions are open, but are due Jun. 15th for the fest set for this November. Get more details/submit here.

2. Nikki Glaser dazzled the world of Netflix with her set on The Roast of Tom Brady (and blew everyone out of the water; no one even came close to her set). Her brand spankin’ new hour special, Someday You’ll Die is a further display of Nikki still ascending in her comedy powers. She never fails to put on a clinic with stand-up in regards to word economy, diction, delivery, stage presence, and the always tricky part of verisimilitude in one’s performance, but also, sneakily, goes on a journey of comedically exploring the inevitability of death from her vantage point. It’s material that should come off darker, but Glaser’s joke writing and telling are simply that death comes off a much more light topic. Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die is now streaming on Max.

3. Max finally made a smart decision regarding a TV show and renewed Conan O’Brien Must Go for a second season. Fingers crossed that O’Brien can not only travel to way more places for this second season, but will also get Werner Herzog for another brilliant, scorching intro.

4. We were wondering when Hulu was going to get into the comedy specials game with Netflix, Max, and Amazon already firmly planted in it. Looks like that time is now and they’re leading off with a sure bet in Jim Gaffigan (Variety).

5. Coming off the heat from Ramy Youssef in Poor Things, Josh Rabinowitz co-writing Babes, and Will Ferrell being Will Ferrell, the idea of a golf comedy with all these folks is pretty enticing (Variety).

6. Thank goodness that Only Murders in the Building is back for a fourth season and keeping Steve Martin in comedy and Martin Short on screen regularly as it should be. Take a gander at season 4, due out on Aug. 27th on Hulu, with the teaser here.

7. Both figuratively and literally, Blair Socci is one of the most unique and entertaining voices in stand-up comedy right now. See this notion in action with her Don’t Tell Comedy set here.

 

8. Seth Meyers and his revolutionary casual look as host of Late Night will keep on keepin’ on through 2028 as Meyers just renewed his NBCU deal this past week (Variety).

9. Many millennials are probably getting a sequel that they’ve wanted for a long, long time with Netflix greenlighting a sequel to one of Adam Sandler’s classics, Happy Gilmore (Deadline).

10. Molly Gordon is sitting back at the director’s chair for a new project, Small Parts, after pretty much nothing but love (and well deserved) for Theater Camp last year. Carmy really f’d up, didn’t he? (Deadline).

11. Ruben Östlund, the amazing comedy auteur behind Force Majeure and The Square and Triangle of Sadness, will have Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, and Daniel Brühl for his latest pic, the wonderfully titled, The Entertainment System of Down. That will have made Östlund taken down masculinity, the art world, rich/beautiful people, and, thankfully, “the biz”.

12. Rick and Morty is officially a cinematic universe unto itself with this first look at Rick and Morty: The Anime, due out to Adult Swim and Max later this year.

13. We’ll leave you with this: Timing standing ovations should be outlawed.

TCB Debriefing 2/27/24-2/29/24: Richard Lewis, The Daniels, Tom Cashman, Poor Things, Jockular,
February 29, 2024
News
daniels, hulu, jockular, poor things, richard lewis, tom cashman

1. Of course, R.I.P. Richard Lewis. We sincerely hope he rests peacefully with the thought that folks around the world remembering him fondly. Not only was he a crucial part of Curb Your Enthusiasm, but Lewis’ stand-up is what brought him to prominence to be the friend/foil to Larry David in the first place. Lewis is one of the very few comedians (until the last few years or so) that ever got to play Carnegie Hall and, on top of that, sell it out. May you go down a YouTube/streaming rabbit hole watching and his enjoying his comedy and honoring his memory.

2. The minds behind the truly groundbreaking (we should use that word more rarely, no?) Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) are set for their next (we assume) comedy epic come Summer 2026 (Deadline). There are no other details other than that at this time, but if it’s a movie to follow the lineage of Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once, you better bet that there will be plenty of genre mashing, meta commentary, the highest and lowest brow humor, and so much heart.

3. Aussie comedian Tom Cashman (accidentally) proved that comedy can actually affect social change. A mere feisty retort to a landlord about references ended up stretching out into an international saga and, eventually, very real legislation in Australia. Please see/hear/enjoy Cashman’s whole journey (and the proof that comedy has more value than just cheap laughs) with Cashman’s special Pests here.

4. 2023 awards frontrunner, Poor Things, is coming to Hulu on March 7th, so you can enjoy the delightful madness of Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s most ambitious work to date.

5. Though the worlds of comedy and sports have crossed more than a couple of times, a sports podcast with great comedy folks Tien Tran, E.R. Fightmaster, and Katie Kershaw with the backing of Adam McKay should be very much highlighted (Variety). Cleverly called Jockular, we have a feeling it’ll be a take on sports that hasn’t been really heard/seen and, consequently need to be heard and seen ASAP.

6. We’ll leave you with this: surface level jokes about the pandemic are getting so well worn that it would actually be refreshing to hear about airplane food.

TCB Debriefing 11/2/23: Jon Glaser, Futurama, Joe Pera, Taylor Tomlinson, Dad Jokes?
November 2, 2023
News
after midnight, futurama, hulu, joe pera, jon glaser, soothing meditations for solitary dog, taylor tomlinson

1. Truly, Jon Glaser never ceases to amaze. Being able to make absurdist comedy bloom out of the minutia of “gear” or, inversely, finding the comedic minutia in being in witness protection, Glaser’s comedy stylings comes in the friction between finding emotional truths/vulnerability and sheer ridiculousness. His guided meditation album for “solitary dogs” is a perfect display of his work. Glaser inhabits and creates a very real world of making a “serious” 30 minute track to soothe a dog that, of course, comes apart at the seams (on top of it being a product “made for dogs” that will only be enjoyed by humans. It’s a more than welcome, hilarious departure from the actual, terrifying world that is soothing for, well, anyone or anything listening. Jon Glaser’s Soothing Meditations for the Solitary Dog is available now wherever you get your comedy albums, courtesy of Pretty Good Friends.

2. Hulu did the correct thing and shut up and gave Futurama their money for two more seasons.

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3. Joe Pera talks with America from now to the end of whatever fruit is in season at the end of Spring 2024. Kindly go get tickets when you have a moment at joepera.com/shows.

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4. Behold the late night coronation of Taylor Tomlinson, the host of After Midnight, and the late night tag team partner of Stephen Colbert and The Late Show.

5. We’ll leave you with this: Not to jump the gun here, but can we make a New Year’s Resolution for 2024 to make better dad jokes? Enough with cringeworthy wordplay.

TCB Debriefing 8/14/23: Andy Kaufman, Jodie Sweetin, Landscape with Invisible Hand, Solar Opposites
August 14, 2023
News
andy kaufman, dan stevens, hulu, jodie sweetin, landscape with invisible hand, solar opposities

1. Legendary boundary pushing and, subsequently, groundbreaking comedian, Andy Kaufman, is going to posthumously receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Announced as guest speakers for the occasion are Kristen Schaal, Kevin Nealon, and Michael Kaufman, but we’d honestly be surprised if someone didn’t show up as Tony Clifton.

2. Jodie Sweetin is making absolutely clear that she did not want her latest movie, a rom com called Craft Me a Romance, to air on Great American Family, a more conservative, family focused network that loves rebranding homophobia as “preserving traditional marriage” (Yahoo). She promises to donate money made from the movie towards LGBTQ+ orgs. So, does that mean Sweetin is aiming to do an A24 movie soon?

3. Super high concept, sci-fi dramedy from Cory Finley, Landscape with Invisible Hand, just dropped its final trailer before its theatrical release this Fri. Aug. 18th. It gives a more than pleasant surprise of how Tiffany Haddish continues to dazzle with her acting range if you weren’t already sold on a satire about co-existence.

4. The brand new seasons of Solar Opposites, complete with the voice of Dan Stevens in place of Justin Roiland, has just gone up at Hulu. Yes, that includes all episodes so you can binge Stevens’ gorgeous British accent all in one go.

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5. Uh, Burbank and North Hollywood are having comedy festivals at the same time?

TCB Debriefing 8/11/23: Asteroid City, BIPOC Late Night/Variety Writers Panel, Hulu Price, Quiz Lady, Jackie Chan
August 11, 2023
News
asteroid city, hulu, jackie chan, quiz lady, wga strike

1. Wes Anderson‘s latest and greatest, Asteroid City, is now available digitally across several platforms. Hopefully, you have the home theater set up to make watch an Anderson’s exuberant masterpiece (read our thoughts here). If you indeed do, and are dressed in proper Wes Anderson-esque attire for the occasion, go buy the film here.

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2. The Wrap brought together an esteemed BIPOC late night and variety writers panel (Tim Barnes, Greg Iwinski, John Thibodeaux, Celeste Yim, Naima Pearce),  to talk about where they’re at past 100 days of the WGA Strike and reiterate the very reasonable demands that they’re fighting for.

BIPOC Late Night & Variety Writers Speak Out: TheWrap Strike Roundtable https://t.co/bGMZWloGXA

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) August 10, 2023

3. Starting Oct. 12th, Hulu will be pretty much $18 instead of pretty much $15 (USA Today) if you don’t want ads. Fingers crossed that the new season of Futurama preemptively did a joke about this.

4. Despite the buzz and glitz of the Toronto International Film Festival being in jeopardy because of the strikes, buddy road/quiz show comedy Quiz Lady that pairs Awkwafina with Sandra Oh is still set to premiere at TIFF (Deadline). We can only promise of an Awkwafina and Sandra Oh two-hander is alluring enough to earn a release next year.

5. Anyone notice that international action comedy star/legend Jackie Chan has quietly return to the big screen? He’s a voice in the latest TMNT movie AND there’s a John Cena/Jackie Chan movie, Hidden Strike, that has snuck its way onto Netflix. For fans of 90s Jackie Chan movies, it might just be right up your alley.

6. If comedians ever tried to form a union again, you’d think artisanal chicken tenders as opposed to the paltry normal comedy club ones would be one of the demands?

TCB Debriefing 8/9/23: Sam Mendes/Armando Iannucci at HBO, Barbie Not in Kuwait, Twisted Metal, Only Murders in the Building, The Invisible Fight
August 9, 2023
News
armando iannucci, barbie, hbo, hulu, kuwait, locarno, only murders in the building, peacock, sam mendes, the franchise, the invisible fight, twisted metal

1. HBO has wisely ordered Sam Mendes & Armando Iannucci’s series, The Franchise, following the inner workings of making a super hero movie (Deadline). So, the pitch would be that one season of Entourage where Vinny plays Aquaman, but done well and for smart people?

2. While getting the green light in Saudi Arabia, Barbie will not screen in Kuwait and possibly not in Lebanon either (THR). Claims that it “promotes homosexuality” and “contradicts values of faith and morality” are being cited as well as “diminishing the importance of the family unit”. Well, that’s almost better marketing than the heaps of praise that Barbie has earned and will guarantee a long run in theaters, much longer than probably first projected.

3. Twisted Metal, the adaptation of the armageddon demolition derby/race video game of the same name on Peacock, sets a record for the streamer as their “most binged comedy premiere” (Deadline). That somehow edges out Poker Face?

4. A friendly reminder that the third season of Only Murders in the Building is now streaming on Hulu, complete with Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep.

5. There is a Soviet Era Kung Fu comedy called The Invisible Fight set to premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland (Variety). From the sounds of the premise, it’s echoes The Last Samurai, but set with Chinese monks/Kung Fu masters and Soviets and done up as a comedy. Oh, Black Sabbath is playing in the background? Hopefully, this gets U.S. distribution.

6. Day 100 of the strike has come to pass and Bob Iger has mainly learned that he shouldn’t say realistic demands are “unrealistic”.

TCB Debriefing 8/1/23: This Fool, Two Dykes and a Mic, Toast of Tinseltown, Disenchantment, Seth MacFarlane
August 1, 2023
News
disenchantment, hulu, matt berry, mckenzie goodwin, rachel scanlon, roku, seth macfarlane, this fool, toast of tinseltown, two dykes and a mic

1. The second season of one of our favorite comedies right now, This Fool, not only premiered last week, but dropped all episodes on Hulu for your binging pleasure. Get into it and you might just find a great poke at The Bear and Burning Man.

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2. Rachel Scanlon and McKenzie Goodwin, hosts of one of the best queer podcasts around, just kicked off a gigantic Two Dykes and a Mic tour across North America that will last you almost the way to Thanksgiving. Go get tickets right now right here.

3. If you can’t get your Matt Berry fix quick enough when waiting for the next episode of What We Do in the Shadows, be thrilled to know that Toast of Tinseltown is now streaming free, at your convenience, on Roku.

4. Matt Groening’s Disenchantment is going to come to a close with season five on Netflix come Sept. 1st on Netflix. Five seasons is more than most shows last these days, but it’s unfortunately far from Groening’s other show, The Simpsons, which is currently at 34.

5. Kudos and cheers and applause to Seth MacFarlane as he just made a $1 million donation the Entertainment Community Fund to support those entertainment industry workers directly affected by the historic WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike (Deadline). You don’t need to give a million, but you can donate to the ECF here.

6. In LA, let’s have a moratorium on calling any new comedy shows, Mixtape. There are too many already.

TCB Debriefing 7/26/23: Futurama, Louis CK Doc, Only Murders in the Building, TMNT,
July 26, 2023
News
barbie, futurama, hulu, louis ck, only murders in the building, teenage mutant ninja turtles, tiff

1. Futurama is back (again), baby. It’s as clever as ever and well aware of how ridiculous it is to be revived yet again, this time on a streaming service (after having its first resurrection on basic cable). The first episode of what will be season 11 is on Hulu now and expect new episodes on Mondays.

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2. A lot of headlines about this year’s Toronto International Film Festival will be made about the lack of star power present due to the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, but the premiere of a documentary about the accusers of Louis CK ought to be not overlooked in the slightest (Variety). Remember that he barely apologized, if you can even call the circumlocution about what happened a few specials ago “an apology”.

3. Here’s the first full trailer for s3 of Only Murders in the Building. Guest stars Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep do what they do best and will likely steal all the scenes that they’re in. Look for it on Hulu starting Tues. Aug. 8th.

4. Ahead of its international rollout, the latest iteration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has already scored a sequel and a Paramount+ series (Variety). One has to wonder what sort of formula between ticket pre-sales and trailer views and social media engagement equals multiple greenlights.

5. Ted Cruz and Ben Shapiro are predictably and pathetically mad at Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (HuffPo). Unknowingly, they just gave some of the best pull quotes for the movie that will undoubtedly translate to more box office success.

6. For any sort of live comedy event (or any live event for that matter), can we stop having just a door time and no start time? Please do both.

TCB Debriefing 7/20/23: Krapopolis, Ben Roy, They Cloned Tyrone, Minx, Praise Petey
July 20, 2023
News
ai, ben roy, hulu, krapopolis, minx, netflix, praise petey, they cloned tyrone

1. It seems like Dan Harmon’s latest work, Krapoplis, has been teased for years at this point, especially since it has scored a third season without even having premiered, but the arrival of a group of petty gods trying to guide civilization is nigh. Please enjoy the first official trailer here, then just wait a bit more for Sun. Sept 24th for its actual premier on Fox, then streaming on Hulu the next day.

2. Ben Roy‘s fantastic new hour, Hyena, is available to rent here as a special (which includes a digital copy of the album version) right now from 800 Pound Gorilla, and then will be able to stream on YouTube, free for your convenience beginning Thurs. Aug. 10th. Per usual, Roy’s prismatically expressive looks into his own life and the lives around him are, yet again, a reliably refreshing jolt from one of comedy’s most arresting performers. More detailed review to come soon.

3. FYI, if you’re out of luck of seeing Barbie and/or Oppenheimer this weekend, you’ll be glad to know that you can catch the slick sci-fi thriller comedy They Cloned Tyrone on Netflix and season 2 of Minx on Starz beginning this Friday.

4. The series premiere of Freeform‘s latest comedy (to hopefully make up for cancelling their critical darling Single Drunk Female) Praise Petey is also this Fri., Jul. 21st (next day on Hulu). Take a gander at the comedy following the most unlikely, reluctant of cult leaders from the brilliant Anna Drezen here,

5. Anyone think that movies and TV will soon be marketed as “AI Free” or “a Completely Original Story”?

TCB Debriefing 7/19/23: Adult Swim Festival, Killing It S2, Barbie Pre-Sales, Only Murders in the Building
July 19, 2023
News
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1. Due to the double strike, the upcoming Adult Swim Festival in San Diego had to amend their schedule (i.e. much of their series experiences/meet & greets had to be canceled) Check the full schedule here.

2. Craig Robinson and Claudia O’Doherty return as one of TV’s most unlikely, but still charming duos with the second season of Killing It, due out Aug. 17th on Peacock. Get your first look here.

3. Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie is the best pre-selling movie this year since Avatar: The Way of Water (Deadline). One can only hope that Gerwig’s take on Barbie is The LEGO Movie of 2023.

4. The cameos of Only Murders in the Building only get better and better. Take a gander at Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd character posters, then set a reminder for Aug. 8th, the season premiere date on Hulu.

5. At this moment in time, is public speaking (and, by proxy, stand-up comedy) still anyone’s greatest fear?

Take a Gander Into the New, New Futurama
June 27, 2023
News
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Though it’s not without precedent, TV series hardly ever get revived twice, let alone once. That said, the enduring timeliness of Futurama being a hyper-clever, adult-animated commentary on the present day has brought the beloved cartoon back from the dead one more time. After all, one of the most foundational memes of the entire Internet, Fry demanding “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY”, does come from Futurama.

Originally starting out at Fox in 1998-2003, then being having a 5 year second life at Comedy Central from 2008-2013, this latest era of Futurama will now be at Hulu, as subliminally flashed in the titles briefly saying “Hulurama” in the first trailer. While, this is yet another dive back into established, beloved IP rather than networks and streaming services putting their money on something completely original, we’re sure Futurama is going to have a pretty great meta joke about it (several of them, probably).

All that said, take your very first look at Futurama 3.0, coming to Hulu on Jul. 24th, here

Solar Opposites Is Replacing Justin Roiland’s Character with Dan Stevens (and, Yes, That Means Korvo Sounds British Now)
June 20, 2023
News
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For decades, networks have tried switching up the talent of specific characters on their popular series, but futilely tried to do so without fans and viewers alike noticing too much. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air tried it with Aunt Viv and, more recently, Ayo Edebiri replaced Jenny Slate for the voice of Missy on Big Mouth. Solar Opposites is trying a whole new tactic, complete transparency, since the ousting of series co-creator Justin Roiland and his disturbing domestic abuse charges unveiled just months ago.

Korvo, the lead alien in Solar Opposites that used to be voiced by Roiland, will now be voiced by UK phenom Dan Stevens (who has done everything from Legion to a Beauty and the Beast remake) with his actual British voice. Even though Stevens is talented enough to nail Roiland’s often hardened American cadence, Solar Opposites has opted to have a clever plot device to essentially retcon Korvo as a posh, yet still angry, alien.

For our money, it kind of really works (though, we’re not sure what sort of precedent this is setting for other series down the line?) Get a taste of what’s to come for yourself with the new new Solar Opposites coming to Hulu on Mon. Aug. 14th here.

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

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.

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

Get Your Very First Look at Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part 2
January 13, 2023
News
history of the world part 2, hulu, mel brooks

Over two scores ago, Mel Brooks unveiled History of the World Part 1 on the silver screen and broke new ground on how silly and absurd you could get when satirizing historical events. So much more history has happened since the film’s release in 1981 (including how Tinseltown works) and, perhaps, it’ll be worth the wait to see Brooks, still sharp at his advanced age, and his take on things these days.

Also, Part 2 is kind of a sequel as it’s an 8 part series to be released on Hulu, though it seems like it’s a much bigger production with a main cast of Mel Brooks, Wanda Sykes, Nick Kroll, and Ike Barinholtz and several cornucopias of cameos including:

Pamela Adlon, Tim Baltz, Zazie Beetz, Jillian Bell, Quinta Brunson, Dove Cameron, D’Arcy Carden , Ronny Chieng, Rob Corddry, Danny DeVito, David Duchovny, Hannah Einbinder, Jay Ellis, Josh Gad, Kimiko Glenn, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Jake Johnson, Richard Kind, Johnny Knoxville, Lauren Lapkus, Jenifer Lewis, Poppy Liu, Joe Lo Truglio, Jason Mantzoukas, Ken Marino, Jack McBrayer, Zahn McClarnon, Charles Melton, Kumail Nanjiani, Brock O’Hurn, Andrew Rannells, Emily Ratajkowski, Sam Richardson, Nick Robinson, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Timothy Simons, J.B. Smoove, David Wain, Taika Waititi, Reggie Watts, and Tyler James Williams.

Could this end up being Hulu’s own I Think You Should Leave? Maybe it will and we certainly hope so (and the teaser is promising). Go see for yourself here, then look towards the premiere on Mar. 6th on Hulu with episodes being release throughout that very week.

 

Enjoy the Trailer for The Drop, a Comedy About Dropping a Baby
December 12, 2022
News
anna konkle, hulu, jermaine fowler, jillian bell, joshua leonard, sarah adina smith, the drop

In 2015, NBC tried to do a very, capital V, serious drama about parents dealing with a parent slapping a kid that isn’t their own who was being out of pocket. The explicitly straight-forward title of The Slap didn’t really help with how overly wrought the show was.

That said, maybe it needed to lean a little more in how maudlin it could be and end up being a comedy? Well, in 2022, The Drop from writer/director Sarah Adina Smith and co-writer Joshua Leonard might just be that very thing as a stellar cast that includes Anna Konkle, Jermaine Fowler, Robin Thede, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Jillian Bell deal with the fallout of Konkle’s character dropping a baby that’s not hers. The ensuing ridiculousness, from which the dropping of the baby is only the inciting incident (even when the baby is fine), reveals that there’s more at play here than just dropping an infant.

Also, we’re pretty sure Aparna Nancherla punches someone and that might be worth the price of Hulu that month.

Get a taste of what’s to come after The Drop with the trailer here, then look for its premiere on Hulu on Jan. 13th.

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.

Get Your First Look at Season 3 of Ramy
September 14, 2022
News
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It has been well over two years since we’ve last got to see Ramy explore the meaning of life and search for purpose from his modern day Muslim perspective in a dramedy-ish way in his critically acclaimed and eponymous series. Ramy himself has taken the stage plenty since then, when it was varying degrees of safer to do so. Hopefully, you got into one of those shows and that would have tided you over in awaiting the arrival of new episodes of Ramy, arguably one of the more daring series on TV without having to get into organized crime or warring fantasy lands.

Ramy and his whole TV family are back (along with Bella Hadid?), much like much of the world and it seems to be picking up, like so many of us, right where we left off in the beginning of 2020 with a crisis of belief, a forever fertile ground for comedy. See for yourself in this season 3 trailer here, then look for it to start streaming on Sept. 30th on Hulu.

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).

 

Atlanta Announces Final Season to Premiere in September with Very Trippy Teaser
July 22, 2022
News
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What started as a dramedy about coming up in the rap game in Atlanta has become something so expansive in its artistic scope that it’s hard to truly define or categorize in most traditional ways. Donald Glover’s vision for dissecting race, class, and the history of the two that we all carry with us has been electrifying and why Atlanta has been an award winner right out of the gate.

The reverberations of these past three seasons of the series have already had a ripple effect in terms of what TV could be a doing away with any sort of previously enshrined rules of narrative or genre. We have no doubt that’ll be the case for season 4 of Atlanta especially with an announcement teaser that features Coconut Crunchies falling from the sky, striped gators, an ostrich being born and grown to adulthood in mere seconds, the inverse of a mic drop, and more.

See for yourself here, then get hooked for the fourth and final season of Atlanta when September comes around (thank goodness we don’t have to wait another indefinite amount of years between seasons).

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.

Get a More Complicated Look at Only Murders in the Building Season 2
June 14, 2022
News
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While Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez made it out alive for season 1 of Only Murders in the Building (because, of course, there has to be a few more seasons before they have something extremely drastic happen), they certainly didn’t escape unsullied. Steve Martin is throwing more flies into the ointment with season 2 of the thriller/comedy that might be scratching that itch that Search Party gave you with a competing murder podcast to Only Murders in the Building in the universe of the show and just happening to be tagged as prime suspects in the murder of yet another tenant of The Arconia.

The teaser mainly just gave you the great row of guest stars, but see where Martin and Short’s potentially fatal hijinks land them with the full season 2 trailer here, then look for the series premiere on Hulu on Tues. Jun. 28th.

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