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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.

Here’s the Season 2 Trailer for Hulu’s “Casual”

May 20, 2016
Uncategorized
casual, dylan gelula, hulu, jason reitman, katie aselton, michaela watkins, tara lynne barr, tommy dewey, vincent kartheiser, zander lehmann

One of Hulu’s more acclaimed comedy series, Casual, is returning on Tuesday, June 7th for its second season.

According to this trailer, the term “casual” is thankfully still confusing to Valerie, Alex, and Laura.

Jason Reitman, Diablo Cody, and Charlize Theron Are Teaming Up Again Five Years After “Young Adult”

April 5, 2016
Uncategorized
charlize theron, diablo cody, jason reitman, young adult

(via Variety)

If you’ve seen über-dark comedy Young Adult, you know that there’s probably something really exciting the Reitman, Cody, and Theron have going.

In 2011, director Jason Reitman, writer Diablo Cody, and star Charlize Theron brought us all the dark comedy gem Young Adult that followed the life of an out-of-control YA ghostwriter visiting her hometown. Together, they made Theron’s Mavis Gary almost as sinister as her turn in Monster and she didn’t need any prosthetics for it.

In 2016, the trio are teaming up again for something, though they’re keeping everything but the fact that they’re collaborating under wraps for now. 

Not that you would need to watch/rewatch Young Adult, but you should definitely now go do that.

Transparent, Veep, Anomalisa, and Master of None Get Golden Globe Comedy Nominations as Well as Joy and The Martian

December 10, 2015
Uncategorized
amy schumer, casual, crazy ex-girlfriend, hfpa, jason reitman, joy, master of none, nominees, rachel bloom, the big short, the golden globes, trainwreck, transparent, veep

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association continues to have a broader definition of comedy than anyone else during awards season.

There are your favorites as well as the favored upstarts in the field of this year’s Golden Globes nominees. The consistently praised Anomalisa and Master of None, heavy returning favorites Veep, Silicon Valley, and Transparent, comedy superstar Amy Schumer for Trainwreck, and brash newcomer Rachel Bloom for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend all got nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. There were even some noms for work that should be getting more love from more awards, but, somehow, isn’t. This includes Lily Tomlin’s turn in Grandma, Melissa McCarthy for Spy, and Hulu’s Casual from Jason Reitman.

With all of that said, films and shows that are being considered in different lights, mainly dramatic rather than comedic, have found their way into the comedy nominees, like they usually do, at The Golden Globes such as Joy, The Martian, The Big Short, and Orange Is the New Black. Certainly, Joy, The Martian, and The Big Short weren’t touting themselves as comedies in trailers and promotion and Orange Is the New Black has shifted to dramatic consideration with other awards. We’re not exactly sure why the distinction for comedy is so noticeably different with HFPA, but it does possibly allow for some notoriety for work that wouldn’t really get recognized otherwise.

So, here are the comedy nominees for this year’s Golden Globes.

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Joy
Spy
The Big Short
The Martian
Trainwreck

Best Screenplay
The Big Short-Adam McKay, Charles Randolph

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Lily Tomlin-Grandma
Jennifer Lawrence-Joy
Melissa McCarthy-Spy
Maggie Smith-The Lady in the Van
Amy Schumer-Trainwreck

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Al Pacino-Danny Collins
Mark Ruffalo-Infinitely Polar Bear
Christian Bale-The Big Short
Steve Carell-The Big Short
Matt Damon-The Martian

Best Director – Motion Picture
Ridley Scott-The Martian

Best Animated Feature Film
Anomalisa
Inside Out
Shaun the Sheep Movie
The Good Dinosaur
The Peanuts Movie

Best Foreign Language Film
The Brand New Testament-France

Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Casual
Mozart in the Jungle
Orange is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Veep

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Lily Tomlin-Grace and Frankie
Gina Rodriguez-Jane The Virgin
Jamie Lee Curtis-Scream Queens
Julia Louis-Dreyfus-Veep
Rachel Bloom-Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Patrick Stewart-Blunt Talk
Aziz Ansari-Master Of None
Gael García Bernal-Mozart in the Jungle
Rob Lowe-The Grinder
Jeffrey Tambor-Transparent

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Uzo Aduba-Orange is the New Black
Judith Light-Transparent

Get a look at the full list of the 2016 Golden Globes nominees here.

Hulu Renews Jason Reitman’s “Casual” For Season 2

October 21, 2015
Uncategorized
casual, hulu, jason reitman

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

This is yet another reason you should be watching Casual.

With only a few weeks since its premiere on Hulu, Jason Reitman’s foray into episodic series on a streaming service has not only gotten great critical attention, but also an order for a whole second season. 

Such news for online streaming series is good to hear considering Yahoo revealed that they lost $42 million between saving Community and creating Other Space and Sin City Saints yesterday.

If you’re really getting into the dark romantic dramedy of You’re The Worst and Catastrophe, Casual only further proves this latest trend is getting bigger and better.

Jason Reitman’s “Casual” Has Now Premiered on Hulu

October 7, 2015
Uncategorized
casual, hulu, jason reitman

Keep in mind that Hulu doesn’t release all the episodes all at once, which might actually make your day a little easier to plan for watching Jason Reitman’s latest work, Casual.

It’s been years since Reitman’s last comedy, but we’re more than excited that he’s back in the genre as Thank You For Smoking, Young Adult, and Juno still stick with us. Also, the idea of a Jason Reitman series at Hulu is an intriguing idea all on its own and a sign of the increasing shift of well-regarded filmmakers going to TV.

So, without further adieu, get into the first two episodes of Casual here.

Here’s a Great Trailer for Jason Reitman’s Hulu Series “Casual”

October 5, 2015
Uncategorized
casual, casual dating, hulu, jason reitman, michaela watkins, tara lynne barr, tommy dewey

This week, Jason Reitman’s foray into the wild west of online streaming networks, Casual, will be unveiled and from the looks of this trailer, it should be quite the thing to watch.

It’s a sort of romantic dramedy starring the great Michaela Watkins, Tommy Dewey, and Tara Lynne Barr that looks to examine the various strata of dating today with Reitman’s unflinching, but graceful touch.

Look for Casual to start on Hulu on Thurs. Oct. 7th.

Michaela Watkins to Star In Comedy Series “Casual” at Hulu, Executive Produced by Jason Reitman

February 5, 2015
Uncategorized
casual, hulu, jason reitman, michaela watkins

(via Deadline)

Netflix and Amazon are stepping up their games with producing original comedy content. The upping of $1 billion more in debt and Woody Allen specifically come to mind. So, naturally, Hulu will be expanding to more comedy series as well after their success with Burning Love and Hotwives.

So, they’ve enlisted the likes of Michaela Watkins who we’re certain you’ve seen in anything from Wanderlust to a plethora of online videos/sketches to Enlightened and so much more as well as the expertise of Jason Reitman in an executive producing role.

A dysfunctional bachelor brother, divorcee sister, and rebel daughter will attempt navigate through the treacherous waters of dating in this series called Casual. 

With guidance from Reitman, we think this will be more than just your average sitcom where estranged family members come together while also trying to find significant others.

Hulu Orders Jason Reitman Comedy “Casual” to Series

October 30, 2014
Uncategorized
casual, hulu, jason reitman

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

After nicely delving into the dramatic with films like Men, Women, and Children, Jason Reitman is now taking a step into the new territory of the episodic as well as the digital realm. 

Hulu has just ordered “Casual” from Reitman who is set to produce and partially direct. While there’s a lot of directions that a dysfunctional family comedy with a bachelor brother and a divorced sister can go, we’re sure Reitman will steer it in a good one like he’s done with Up In The Air or Thank You For Smoking.

Jason Reitman’s ‘Men, Women & Children’ Adds Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Dean Norris

December 18, 2013
Uncategorized
dean norris, emma thompson, jason reitman, judy greer

Jason Reitman’s ‘Men, Women & Children’ Adds Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Dean Norris

This is just another reminder that writer/director Jason Reitman gets stellar ensemble casts and will probably make something really special from it. 

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