luenell – The Comedy Bureau

TCB Debriefing 9/20/23: COVID-19 Gets Shepherd/Kimmel, Luenell, Ryan Reynolds, Ms. Pat, Nate Craig, Voy! Voy! Voy!

September 20, 2023

covid-19, jimmy kimmel, luenell, ms. pat, nate craig, netflix, ryan reynolds, sherri shepherd

1. Sherri Shepherd, Jimmy Kimmel, and the staff of a Steve Martin/Martin Short show all got COVID-19 and have had to postpone/cancel whatever shows they were doing (THR). This is great time to remember that “endemic” doesn’t mean “disease free”.

2. Take a gander at the Luenell‘s Netflix special, Town Business, with the official trailer. Curiously, not only is it presented by Dave Chappelle, but branded as Chappelle’s Home Team. Wonder if they have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with pronouns on that team.

3. Ryan Reynolds will be the latest recipient of the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter in support of Glenn Close’s Bring Change to Mind org, a children’s mental health NPO (THR). They would have to probably not invite Deadpool to this, right?

4. Ms. Pat will add judge to her resume by taking up a gavel and presiding over Ms. Pat Settles It on BET on Oct. 18th (Deadline). If there’s eventually some sort of competitive reality show that will pit Ms. Pat against Judge Judy and Chrissy Teigen, we won’t be surprised in the slightest.

5. Nate Craig, who released one hell of a special this year with Live at the Green Mill, has got some tour dates all around the country. Go get tix at natecraig.com/calendar.

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6. Another country is going to submit a comedy to AMPAS for Oscar consideration. This time, Egypt is going with Omar Hilal’s Voy! Voy! Voy! a sports comedy about a man with normal vision trying his fortunes playing blind football (Deadline). Honestly, it should get some sort of distribution deal on the premise alone.

7. We’ll leave you with this: Guess Vegas is still aggressively relaxed on their COVID-19 measures.

TCB Debriefing 9/13/23: Comedy Gives Back Healthnet, Real Time with Bill Maher, Strike Force Three, Luenell, Meme Fighter Hiring

September 13, 2023

News

bill maher, comedy gives back, healthcare, luenell, meme fighter, netflix, real time, strike force five, wga strike

1. Comedy Gives Back, the 501 (c)3 non-profit dedicated to serving comedians and the comedy community, has just launched Comedy Gives Back Healthnet, a proposed low-cost alternative to healthcare (a thing that many comedians have to pay for out of pocket or, often times, just skip altogether). It’s not full on healthcare, but it’s $200 a year for:

-Smart Virtual Care ™, where you input your symptoms to receive advice from GigSafety.net’s network of healthcare professionals who check your symptoms and recommend a plan of action.
-One free telemed appointment annually (additional telemed appts vary depending on level of care needed, but start as low as $25)
-Access to low-cost and transparent pricing for prescriptions (existing and new)
-Access to low-cost and transparent pricing for Specialists, Hospital stays, X-rays, and more
-Access to virtual mental health therapy
-Access to a self-led recovery treatment program
-Access to risk-sharing health coverage (at an additional cost).

Get more details at comedygivesback.com/cgbhealthnet

2. Real Time with Bill Maher is set to return to air without its writers since they continue to be on strike. (Deadline). This means that late night will now consist of Bill Maher and Greg Gutfeld, which is almost as sad as how long the strike has gone.

3. The other hosts of late night are staying union strong for now and are opting to a live podcasting taping with the Jimmys (Kimmel and Fallon) and Colbert on Sept. 23rd in Vegas (Variety). Seth Meyers and John Oliver won’t be in attendance making it a “Strike Force Three” event though proceeds from the taping will go to the hosts’ respective staffs. If they really want to sell tickets they’ll have the majority of the conversation focused on Fallon and the past years at The Tonight Show.

4. Dave Chappelle’s name is actually not causing controversy today as his name is attached to a brand new Netflix special from the great Luenell, due out Sept 26th (Billboard). You’ve seen Luenell in countless TV shows and movies and you’ll now get to see her take center stage for her first Netflix special later this month.

5. Want to make memes as a job? Well, Meme Fighter is looking for you.

Meme Fighter is hiring for a part time MEME CONTENT CREATOR.

You read that right. We’re hiring someone to make memes for us.

Details, application instructions and more details here: https://t.co/KcKso0krSW

— Meme Fighter (@MemeFighterApp) September 13, 2023

6. We’ll leave you with this: comedy is richer when you have a life outside of it.

Comedy Central Launches Black Comedy Docu-series “Dark Humor”

February 4, 2021

News

chloe hilliard, gina yashere, jordan temple, josh johnson, lil' rel, luenell, ms. pat, nore davis, open mike eagle, rae sanni, roy wood jr, sinbad, yamaneika saunders

As the art form of comedy continues to evolve, there have been plenty of documentaries and docu-series that examine how comedy, whether it be stand-up, sketch, improv, etc. has transformed over the decades. The examination of black comedians and their journey, often one that’s mutually exclusive from mainstream/white comedy, has not been as closely examined even though some of the most revered comedians of all time include Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock.

So, Comedy Central’s new digital series, Dark Humor, offers such a look into the experience of black stand-up comedians today and their work that’s reflective of their black experience. It’ll feature plenty of clips as well as interviews from the likes of Baron Vaughn, Tommy Davidson, Sinbad, Nore Davis, Ms. Pat, Sonia Denis, Chloe Hilliard, Lil Rel Howery, Yamaneika Saunders, Roy Wood Jr., Josh Johnson, Damien Lemon, Jordan Temple, Open Mike Eagle, Rae Sanni, Cipha Sounds, Gina Yashere, and more.

They just launched Dark Humor just as Black History Month started and new episodes will come out every Mon. on Comedy Central’s YouTube channel.

You can get a taste of Dark Humor both with the series trailer as well as the very first episode which dives into the deep end by going into black comedy and American politics.