TCB Debriefing 3/12-3/15/24: Tig Notaro, The Feeling That The Time To Do Something Has Passed, Ghosts, Bill Maher, Sometimes I Think About Dying, Owen Wilson, Mark Twain Prize for Humor
1. It has been 12 years since Tig Notaro’s seminal, groundbreaking work LIVE if you can believe it and not only is Tig still very, VERY much with us, but she is still putting out hour after hour of her signature wry, low key brilliance. Take a gander of her latest special Hello Again (directed by her wife, Stephanie Allynne, an amazing comedic force herself) here. Then, look for it on Amazon Prime beginning Mar. 26th.
2. Raunchy sex comedy can give indie/arthouse and not just be relegated to multiplex or straight to DVD/streaming. Just look at the upcoming (and wondrously titled) The Feeling That The Time for Doing Something Has Passed from newcomer writer/director Joanna Arnow here, then please make plans to go see it in whatever indie/arthouse theater is nearest to you starting Apr. 26th.
3. While Abbott Elementary seems to be the network sitcom of the moment, don’t forget that CBS’ Ghosts is that network’s top comedy (that also commands comparable numbers per episode), which is why its getting a fourth season renewal (Deadline).
4. Real Time with Bill Maher is getting reupped for its 23rd and 24th season by HBO (Variety). Only Kimmel has had as long a tenure in that realm and it’s interesting to note that Maher almost never gets brought up in the same sentence as him or John Oliver or Seth Meyers, probably having something to do with his own particular brand of sarcastic liberal humor.
5. If you didn’t get a chance to catch Sometimes, I Think About Dying one of the best understated performances on the big screen in quite some time, surprisingly delivered by Daisy Ridley, along with a wonderful biggest-role-to-date for Dave Merheje since it played in a very small window in limited release, you can now rent or buy it on digital platforms and enjoy the hilarious, the beautiful, and the absurd that are all contained within the mundane minutia, depending on who you’re talking to. Go watch and enjoy it here.
6. Owen Wilson is going to play a washed up golf pro in his latest comedy (Golf Digest), which, come to think of it, Wilson has kind of the perfect look for .
7. The Mark Twain Prize for Humor, while a big night in comedy, is something that’s not that easy to find to watch and often just relegated to watching the acceptance speech from the Kennedy Center’s YouTube channel well after the fact. That’s changing this year as entertainment magnate Kevin Hart is getting honored and it will be able to be streamed on Netflix (Washington Post). Odds are you’ll still watch it on YouTube if you can find it there.
8 We’ll leave you with this: LA Marathon & St. Patrick’s Day are both this Sunday, so maybe think about adding about a half hour or more to your travel time if you’re in LA.