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TCB Debriefing 5/19-6/1: Hacks/Hannah Einbinder, JFL, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Fantasmas, Ali Clayton, Ali Siddiq, Clare O’Kane, Paul Scheer/June Diane Raphael, Am I OK?, Make Some Noise, Ren Faire, Jenny Zigrino, The Undervale, Steph Curry, Aubrey Plaza/Joe Wengert, Laid, Steve Carell

June 1, 2024
News
ali clayton, ali siddiq, am i ok, aubrey plaza, clare o'kane, dakota johnson, everything everywhere all at once, fantasmas, hacks, hannah einbinder, hbo, jenny zigrino, jfl, julio torres, june diane raphael, laid, make some noise, max, paul scheer, ren faire, steph allynne, steph curry, stephanie hsu, steve carell, the undervale, tig notaro

1. Well, everything is coming up Hacks (and, by extension, Hannah Einbinder). Coming hot off the heels of a blisteringly hot 3rd season, Hacks, has been renewed for a fourth season (Zaslav allowed a good creative decision to happen?). On top of that, Hannah Einbinder’s very first comedy special, Everything Must Go, just released its first special and set the premiere date of Jun. 13th on Max. Taped live at LA’s El Rey Theatre, it truly was something marvelous, especially as a goddamn debut special (the ingenuity, poise, and sharpness would make one believe this is far past her first hour special). Take a gander with the trailer for Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go here.

2. Just For Laughs indeed has filed for bankruptcy protections in Canada as they were operating with millions of dollar of debt to their name. They have begun the sale of select assets to ensure they stay afloat, which still sounds uncertain (THR).

3. Maybe you didn’t get to see Everything Everywhere All at Once in theaters (or at all for some ungodly reason), but thankfully, you’ll have a chance to see the Oscar Best Picture Winner in IMAX come August (Indiewire).

4. While Los Espookys is long gone, Julio Torres is finally on the track he should be on with nothing but accolades for Problemista and more magically real, beautifully funny absurdity with his HBO series, Fantasmas. Take a gander at what he has up his ethereal sleeves with the trailer here, then look out for it’s premiere on HBO/Max come next week on Jun. 7th.

5. Ali Clayton has arrived. She has done so in quite the fashion too with her debut album, Country Queer, that dives deep into discovering herself and her queer identity being from the South. Clayton’s drawl, warmth contrasted with her candor and vividly colorful writing is one of the best ways to kick off Pride this June. Please enjoy and listen to Country Queer now, fresh off the presses from Blonde Medicine here.

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6. It’s a rare feat to tell a story over the course of an hour and it be so thoroughly engaging that it makes for a captivating special, especially when it’s a hilarious take on your journey through the criminal justice system here in the U.S. of A. Ali Siddiq has not only achieved said feat, but done a hat trick with part 3 of Domino Effect, which might be the first legit comedy special trilogy that is narratively tied altogether. Siddiq’s poise and uncanny ability to find the comedy gold in his time going to prison are so solid that you kind of don’t notice the special is almost 90 minutes long. Please enjoy Domino Effect Part 3: First Day of School, now on YouTube, here.

7. Clare O’Kane is yet another shining example of someone who did write at SNL and has yet to show off their true potential in comedy (Tim Robinson anyone?). Fresh off Eugene Mirman‘s Pretty Good Friends Records, Clare’s sophomore album, Everything I know how to do, maintains a delightfully bubbly spirit while wading into the deep end of many personal anecdotes about polyamory, pansexuality, rejected SNL sketch pitches, sharp feet, and more often with Clare’s ironically silly flourishes. You can and should listen to Everything I know how to do here.

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8. Paul Scheer and June Diane Raphael are taking the next step in their ascent as a comedy power couple by co-hosting an awards show, The Humanitas Prizes, this year in September (Variety).

9. Speaking of comedy power couples, Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne are co-directing their first feature together, Am I OK?, that seems like it’s probably taking a lot of cues from early on in their relationship with a sort of lost Dakota Johnson finding that she might be into women after having nothing but misfires in dating men. See how close they come to real life with the trailer here, then look for it on Max come Jun. 6th.

10. Dropout might have gameshows better figured out than GSN as you can see with the season 3 trailer of Make Some Noise. This game show in particular has such a beautifully simple game, but gets many of the world’s very best improvisers to twist and contort the show into some Dropout magic.

11. Ren Faire, a doc coming to HBO seems like King of Kong, but for one particular Ren Faire in Texas. See for yourself in the trailer here, then look for it on HBO/Max come this Sunday, June 2nd.

12. A good amount of the country will have a chance to see the amazing Jenny Zigrino live coming up and a good amount of the country should not miss out.

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13. CBS’ Ghosts will have some competition at Netflix with The Undervale (not to mention that it will have the guiding hand of Dan Harmon as a producer) (Variety).

14. Let’s see if Steph Curry can best LeBron and Space Jam: A New Legacy with GOAT, Steph’s animated sports comedy feature (THR).

15. There’s more animated comedy worth keeping track with an animated series order for Joe Wengert and Aubrey Plaza‘s Kevin that follows a cat that wants to not live with humans anymore (THR). Not sure whether Joe or Aubrey (or someone else) would voice the cat, but either of them would be the perfect voice for an wonderfully anti-human cat.

16. The Stephanie Hsu comedy Laid that follows the mystery of formers lovers all strangely dying has gotten a stacked supporting cast now featuring John Early, Chloe Fineman, David Denman, and Andre Hyland (Deadline).

17.. Steve Carrell will be returning to a comedy series that ISN’T the revival of The Office, but, instead, takes him to a college campus with the producing hands of Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses (Deadline).

18. We’ll leave you with this: Sorry for taking so long. Turns out that running a theater while running a bureau is a lot of work.

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.*

TCB Debriefing 11/1/23: After Midnight, John Wilson, Jenny Zigrino, Mike Birbiglia, HBO Fake Twitter Accounts,

November 1, 2023
News
after midnight, fake twitter accounts, hbo, jenny zigrino, jimmy kimmel live, jo firestone, john wilson, mike birbiglia, netflix, old man and the pool, taylor tomlinson

1. The newly minted version of @midnight, which will be called After Midnight, will be hosted by Taylor Tomlinson and have Jo Firestone as the head writer and Jack Martin from the actual @midnight as showrunner (THR). Aside from the Jimmys, Stephen, Seth, and John, After Midnight will be the representation for diversity in late night whenever SNL is not on the air (or if/when The Daily Show picks a replacement, presuming they don’t go with an old white guy).

2. Like his HBO series How To with John Wilson, John Wilson is pure human magic on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

3. Jenny Zigrino is a stand-up comedy force to be reckoned with. Go reckon with her on her winter tour all over the U.S. Get tix now at jennyzigrino.com/live.

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4. If you didn’t have the coin to catch Mike Birbiglia on Broadway (because you probably never had the coin to catch anything on Broadway), fret not. His latest Broadway show, The Old Man & The Pool, is coming out in Netflix special form on Nov. 21st and you can take your first look at it here.

5. Oh, HBO. How the mighty have fallen and resorted to spam Twitter accounts to troll reviewers (THR). The question now is whether Showtime, Hulu, Roku, or someone else will do a slapdash drama about this revelation.

6. We’ll leave you with this: Anyone looking to open up a bar, please do it right next door to any and all comedy venues, for the love of whatever you believe in.

Pick of the Day: Meme Fighter LIVE! (in LA) 9/23

September 5, 2023
News
Dylan Adler, game show, ify nwadiwe, jenny zigrino, los angeles comedy, lyric hyperion, meme fighter, nick gligor

As it stands now, there is no undisputed sort of King of Iron Fist Tournament for comedy, but, we here at The Comedy Bureau have partnered with brand spankin’ new app, Meme Fighter, to get a bit closer to such a thing with the aptly named Meme Fighter LIVE!

As you might surmise, we pit some of the very best comedians (and you know we mean that when WE here at TCB say it) versus each other with memes as the only “weapon” at their disposal. Meme Fighter Live! will decide comedy supremacy through the shrewdest, most hysterical manipulation of the language of the Internet.

For this inaugural edition, we have the esteemed “fighters” of Dylan Adler, Ify Nwadiwe & Jenny Zigrino, all undeniable comedic forces in their own rights under the presiding of one of the best hosts around, Nick Gligor. They will all gather at Lyric Hyperion on Sat. Sept. 23rd at 9:30PM and for $15 you can get a front row seat to see who is the cleverest and funniest of them all (seriously, we’re part of the running the show, which means it’ll be a damn good time).

Get tickets right now right here.

Jenny Zigrino Sends Up All the Generations with Her Debut Hour Special “Jen-Z”

March 13, 2023
News
comedy central, comedy special, jen z, jenny zigrino, stand up comedy

The tapping of generational divides is a time honored source of comedy and very likely will be until, well, the end of time. That said, it takes exceptional comedic prowess, skill, and talent to find unique, singular footing on such well-tread territory. The keen wit and acumen of Jenny Zigrino in her first marvelous, amazingly self-produced hour special Jen-Z very much hit that mark (as well as broke away from the unfortunate comic habit of purely punching down at younger generations).

Zigrino herself is a Millennial and cheekily called it Jen-Z with plenty of great material on how Generation Z stole the thunder that Millennials had going for them going right before COVID-19 shuddered everything for awhile (Also, Jenny’s COVID material delightfully stands out from the countless hours of it we’ve seen over the last three years). Gen-X and Baby Boomers are in the mix too since Jenny does her due diligence to make inclusively satirize all ages.

Again, Jenny makes sure that any sort of generational bitterness gets evened out by a very insightful and funny balance for folks younger (who want everyone to be sexually gratified) and older (who didn’t have to find love through a dating app). Throughout Jen-Z, it’s a great reminder that people of all times are trying their best and some of the best comedy comes from finding where people’s “best” is sometimes just worthy of a participation trophy.

Jenny Zigrino: Jen-Z is now streaming on YouTube for your convenience, free of charge. Look for Jen-Z as an album from Blonde Medicine on Apr. 14th.

Jenny Zigrino Makes a Grand Start to Late Night Stand Up Sets in 2023

January 13, 2023
News
james corden, jenny zigrino, late late show

Every calendar year does technically start on January 1st, but it seems to take a couple of weeks for everyone to get into the full swing of things and actually “start” the year (including late night talk shows). Fortunately, late night is back in full swing and so has stand-up comedy being featured on such programs (and we can only hope there will be even more of it this year?)

The always on-point and hilarious Jenny Zigrino starts this year in this realm of stand-up off with a bang on Corden. She had a tight, yet very fun set dissecting the generational disconnects between Gen Z and Millennials when it comes to romance (proof that there will always be new avenues to talk about dating in stand-up, especially if you make it personal).

So, please watch and enjoy this first great late night set of 2023 with Jenny here.

High Plains Comedy Festival 2022 Announces Line-Up

August 8, 2022
News
amy miller, ben roy, blair socci, candice thompson, david gborie, denver comedy, guy branum, high plains comedy festival, jenny zigrino, kyle kinane, pink foxx, shane torres, sheng wang, stand up comedy, steph tolev, yedoye travis

Despite everything comedy has gone through, Denver’s High Plains Comedy Festival, one of the USA’s (and, dare way say, the world’s) best comedy festivals has come out the other side in tact and ready to take up its mantle once more. Spanning the weekend of Sept. 8th, Denver, CO will be the place to be for live comedy in North America with three days/nights of stand-up, podcasts, and much more all throughout Denver.

In fact, High Plains just announced its first wave of performers to remind us all how much they stack their programming with some of the very best comedians working today, some of which happen to be homegrown talent.

Thus far, High Plains will be giving their mics and stages to:

  • Kyle Kinane
  • Nick Thune
  • Steph Tolev
  • Sheng Wang
  • Guy Branum
  • Jenny Zigrino
  • Shane Torres
  • Candice Thompson
  • Blair Socci
  • Yedoye Travis
  • Tom Thakkar
  • Pink Foxx
  • Jim Tews
  • Amy Miller
  • Adam Cayton-Holland
  • Ben Roy
  • Andrew Orvedahl
  • Kimberly Clark
  • David Gborie
  • Sean Jordan
  • Michelle Biloon
  • Ahmed Bharoocha
  • Shain Brenden
  • Caitlin Peluffo
  • Zahid Dewji
  • Felicia Folkes
  • Sam Tallent
  • Rob Haze
  • Matty Ryan
  • Alex Kumin
  • Shaunak Godkhindi
  • Jay Menz
  • Raegan Niemela
  • JT Habersaat
  • Kenice Mobley
  • Colton Dowling
  • Chad Opitz
  • Anna Valenzuela
  • Mike Wiebe
  • Rob Gleeson
  •  Troy Walker
  • Hayden Kristal
  • Chris Charpentier
  • Jordan Doll
  • Mara Wiles
  • Stephen Agyei
  • Kevin O’Brien
  • Allison Rose
  • Nolawee Mengist
  • Brett Hiker
  • Harris Alterman

Right now, you can get a Peak Pass to High Plains, which includes “…all three days of shows on South Broadway, a commemorative t-shirt, and reserved seating at ‘The Zarlengo Foundation Presents Ken Jeong & Joel McHale’ show at Bellco Theatre on Saturday, September 10th,” for $150.

Snag those passes and get more details at highplainscomedyfestival.com.

Pick of the Day: NY Comedy Festival 11/8-11/14

October 11, 2021
News
colin quinn, david cross, dynasty typewriter, esther povitsky, hannah pilkes, jenny zigrino, mekki leeper, new york comedy festival, please don't destroy, sabrina jalees, stamptown, Sydnee Washington

It’s that time of year and we’re on this side of the pandemic, so get ready for the annual New York Comedy Festival to roar through the NY comedy scene once more with a a cornucopia of comedy throughout all five boroughs, through clubs, theaters, indie venues, and more with comedians from even corner of the art form.

Whether it be Colin Quinn or Please Don’t Destroy or Sydnee Washington or Stamptown or Jenny Zigrino taping her special or David Cross or Esther Povitsky or Butterboy or Mekki Leeper or Dynasty Typewriter @ The Bell House or Hannah Pilkes or Sabrina Jalees or Murder Book: A True Crime Comedy Night, the New York Comedy Festival is aiming to be back at full strength in taking over the city from Mon. Nov. 8th-Sun. Nov. 14th.

Take a full gander at the massive schedule and line-up and go get tickets here.

Please Enjoy Trailer for Indie Horror Comedy Set in LA Comedy Scene “Too Late”

April 30, 2021
News
alyssa limperis, dw thomas, fred armisen, gravitas features, jenny zigrino, mary lynn rajskub, ron lynch, will weldon

The wires between comedy and horror get marvelously crossed more and more these days to produce some great, out-of-left field movies and TV shows (just think of a good fifth of what Adult Swim puts out). Another entry into this burgeoning hybrid genre is the upcoming indie film, Too Late.

This particular film from D.W. Thomas actually takes the intersection of comedy and horror quite literally as the story is set in the LA comedy scene coupled with a dark, evil presence nestled deep within it. Beloved LA venue Dynasty Typewriter is prominently featured as our so many LA comedy staples including stars Alyssa Limperis and Ron Lynch (who seems to be playing an insidious alternate version of himself/host of the famed Tomorrow! w/Ron Lynch) as well as supporting cast Will Weldon, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Fred Armisen, Jenny Zigrino, and Brooks Wheelan.

See what Thomas has cooked up with the trailer for Too Late here, then look for its release on Fri. Jun. 25th.

May 30, 2019
Uncategorized
chris garcia, clark jones, dtla, giulia rozzi, jenny zigrino, lizzy cooperman, nicole byer, stand up comedy, style

Well, stand-up shows doesn’t get much cooler than this. 

In a loft downtown with baked goods and vintage threads for you to get obsessed with, a fantastic pairing of Giulia Rozzi and Jenny Zigrino will host a line-up of our favorites of in the scene, Byer, Garcia, Jones, and Cooperman, for what might be the most stylish stand-up show, Well-Dressed Comedy, in LA in recent memory. 

So, make a note for Wed. Jun. 12th to have at least $5 if not more for treats and a cool new outfit.

Please Enjoy Jenny Zigrino’s Latest Set on Conan

February 15, 2019
Uncategorized
conan, jenny zigrino, late night, stand up

In prepping for the new streamlined Conan, Jenny Zigrino was the comedian that Team Coco went for to do a test show in the new format. The word is she crushed it.

Thankfully, she got to actually do a set that made it to air and we definitely see what that test audience got to see.

Please enjoy it here.

Win Tickets to Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen for Aug. 27th

August 23, 2018
Uncategorized
comedy show, erin lennox, free tickets, hot Tub, jenny zigrino, jordan doll, los angeles, los feliz, mekki leeper, silverlake, stefan pop, steph tolev
image

Hot Tub is back at it again next Monday and so are we with an accompanying ticket giveaway. 

Win a pair by entering here: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways

Win Hot Tub Tickets to James Acaster, Moses Storm, Jenny Zigrino Next Week!

May 10, 2018
Uncategorized
comedy show, free tickets, hot Tub, james acaster, jenny zigrino, kara klennk, kristen schaal, kurt braunohler, laura prangley, los angeles, los feliz, moses storm, silverlake, stand up, vladimir caamano
image

From across the pond to favorites of the scene, next week’s Hot Tub is another round of live comedy not to miss.

Per usual, we’ve got a pair of tickets that could be yours!

Enter here at DoLA for your chance to win: http://dola.com/events/2018/5/14/hot-tub-w-kurt-kristen

March 2, 2018
Uncategorized
bill clinton, brandie posey, colin he, experimental comedy, free comedy, free show, jena friedman, jenny zigrino, jermaine fowler, john early, los angeles, los feliz, luke mcgarry, mike hollingsworth, mike mayfield, silverlake, stand up, storytelling, the virgil

For over half a decade, comedians and animators have met in a comedy venue to tango and create some of the most spectacular, haunting, and hysterical images to be described in real time for Picture This!. 

Let’s all celebrate that by going to their 6 Year Anniversary show next weekend! Get more details here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, screenings, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

Please Enjoy Jenny Zigrino’s Latest Conan Set

September 12, 2017
Uncategorized
body positive, conan, conan o'brien, jenny zigrino, late night, stand up, tbs

Jenny Zigrino returned to Conan’s stage for another delightful late night stand-up set last night. From her dangerous posterior to summarizing country songs, Jenny went through a tight five and a half minutes we really enjoyed.

Watch and also enjoy it here.

And Here’s Your First Look at “Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents”, the Latest Round of Comedy Central Half Hour Specials

September 9, 2017
Uncategorized
comedy central, comedy special, jenny zigrino, joel kim booster, julio torres, sam jay, solomon georgio, stand up, tv special

Julio Torres, Joel Kim Booster, Jenny Zigrino, Solomon Georgio, Sam Jay, Adam Cayton-Holland, and Shane Torres are just a bit of who you’re going to get to see grace the new season of Comedy Central’s half hour stand-up specials. 

Even though it’s not called The Half Hour anymore, you know the drill.

Get a taste of what’s to come here.

Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents premieres this Friday, September 15th.

August 29, 2017
Uncategorized
benefit show, caitlin durante, charity, charlottesville, chris fairbanks, comedy show, erin foley, guy branum, hollywood, jenny zigrino, langston kerman, los angeles, marcella arguello, meltdown comics, naacp, nazi punch party, nerdmelt, nikki glaser, sam jay, solomon georgio, stand up

It’s a great line-up, great cause, and a great name for a show. What more do you want?

Get your tickets here.

The rest of our listings for comedy shows, events, open mics, maps, and more can be found at www.thecomedybureau.com.

Comedy Central Announces 2017 Half Hour Specials Line-Up, To Call It “Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents” Instead of “The Half Hour”

March 20, 2017
Uncategorized
adam cayton holland, anthony devito, casey james salengo, comedy central, comedy central stand-up presents, free comedy, free taping, half hour, jenny zigrino, jo firestone, joel kim booster, josh johnson, julio torres, lashonda lester, louisana, new orleans, sam jay, shane torres, stand up, tv taping, yamaneika saunders
image

Adam Cayton-Holland
Anthony DeVito
Jenny Zigrino
Jo Firestone
Solomon Georgio
Casey James Salengo
Sam Jay
Josh Johnson
Joel Kim Booster
Lashonda Lester
Chris Redd
Yamaneika Saunders
Julio Torres
Shane Torres

Those are the 14 names that will get to do a half hour Comedy Central special that will be now called “Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents” later this Fall. If you take a closer look, this might be CC’s best, most diverse half-hour line-up yet (i.e. it’s mostly fantastic comics that aren’t straight white guys)

Kind of harkens back to the days of when Comedy Central had “Comedy Central Presents”, doesn’t it?

The tapings will take place next month, Wednesday, April 19th-Saturday, April 22nd, in New Orleans at The Civic Theatre. You can get free tickets here.

Get Jenny Zigrino’s Debut Album “JZ’s New Album”

March 12, 2017
Uncategorized
comedy album, jenny zigrino, stand up, stand up records
image

This week, Jenny Zigrino’s first album, cleverly titled “JZ’s New Album” (the track listings altogether reads “I. Hope. That. Jay. Z. Doesn’t. Sue. Me. For. Doing. This.”).

This hour from Jenny shines a light on her bubbly, yet fierce persona. Her succinct observations on feminism, body positivity, and her own life make for a timely and delightful listen. 

Get JZ’s New Album from Stand Up! Records off of iTunes now.

Jenny Zigrino and Jen Saunderson Made a Cooking Show Actually Inspired by Jokes with “The Filling Is Mutual”

February 20, 2017
Uncategorized
chopped, comedy crib, cooking show, giulia rozzi, ifc, janelle james, jen saunderson, jenny zigrino, joke recipe, langston kerman, matteo lane, mehran khaghani, parody, stand up, the stand, ty barnett

If you’re a fan of any cooking show where chefs all have to use a weird ingredient, you’ll dig IFC web series The Filling Is Mutual.

Hosts Jenny Zigrino and Jen Saunderson pick out a single joke from their comedian guests’ acts and then dream up a dish based on said joke. Sometimes, it’s delicious and sometimes, it really embodies the joke as much as a recipe can. 

In any case, you should watch The Filling Is Mutual and maybe get hungry for ‘dicks in a komono’ or ‘white devil eggs’.

Watch Jenny Zigrino’s Late Night Stand-Up Debut on Conan

May 23, 2015
Uncategorized
body positive, conan, debut, jenny zigrino, stand up

As Jenny Zigrino just moved here, she definitely knows how to make an entrance with going on Conan.

She performed quite the set on Conan this week, which also counts as her first stand-up performance on a late night talk show. Just in case you didn’t know, there was still other things going on in the late night realm besides Letterman’s send-off.

Watch Jenny’s set here.

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