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Antenna TV To Air Reruns of “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”
August 12, 2015
Uncategorized
antenna tv, johnny carson, nbc, tonight show

(via Variety)

Because of “The Tonight Show” still currently running on NBC, they have to call it “Johnny Carson” though.

Those still that fondly reminisce of the probably still the biggest figure in late night history, Johnny Carson, will get to reminisce a little more vividly now as Antenna TV has secured the rights to air full episodes of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson starting Jan. 1st, 2016. Given how so many shows are being brought back from the dead, this is a probably a pretty good bet on Antenna’s part. 

Also, it’ll air nightly in line with the rest of late night, going up against Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, and Trevor Noah, starting at 11PM. 

Carson’s run came from 1972-1992 and we’re curious to see how much of it would hold up in 2015. We’re guessing more of the show than you might think would after decades of it being off the air.

Season 9 of “Last Comic Standing” Premieres Tonight
July 22, 2015
Uncategorized
anthony jeselnik, last comic standing, nbc, norm macdonald

It’s a two hour premiere event on NBC at 9PM.

Anthony Jeselnik is a host, Norm MacDonald is a judge, and Last Comic Standing, despite labor disputes, is actually happening.

Tune in tonight to see how everything in the competition goes down as well as get to see some really funny comics whose names you should commit to memory on TV.

Complete Box Set of “Parks and Recreation” Coming Out Next Week
May 27, 2015
Uncategorized
box set, dvd, nbc, parks and recreation

With TV headed more and more towards online streaming and disc drives are slowly disappearing on any sort of computer that isn’t a desktop, DVD box sets of your favorite shows are quickly going the way of vinyl records as collector items. 

Already, The Simpsons have discontinued DVD box set production.

That being said, having the entire series of Parks and Recreation would still be pretty great. It’s probably a perfect gift for plenty of people you know. NBC is releasing a box set of the complete series, currently priced at $149.98, next week on Jun. 2nd.

At the very least, you can ensure a better chance of still being able to watch Parks and Rec if the “singularity” ever happens.  

You can pre-order the box set here.

NBC’s Red Nose Day Shows What An Anna Kendrick Starring Indiana Jones Would Look Like
May 19, 2015
Uncategorized
anna kendrick, brett gelman, indiana jones, indianna jones, nbc, red nose day

Looks like Chris Pratt shouldn’t be the only one considered for the new torch bearer of the Indiana Jones franchise.

One of the sketches from NBC’s upcoming variety charity special, this Thursday, Red Nose Day puts Anna Kendrick in a leather jacket and fedora as Indianna Jones.

Considering Pitch Perfect 2 beat out Mad Max: Fury Road at the box office this weekend, is this such a crazy idea?

Also, Brett Gelman playing an ancient knight is pretty great too.

NBC’s Charity Variety Special “Red Nose Day” Will Have Will Ferrell, Jack Black, More
May 15, 2015
Uncategorized
funny or die, jack black, nbc, red nose day, will ferrell

(via Deadline)

Pardcast-a-thon helps cleft palates, Night of Too Many Stars helps autism programs, and NBC’s Red Nose Day will help fight child poverty.

Next Thurs., NBC’s primetime block will be dedicated to a star-studded live charity events which will feature appearances by Will Ferrell, Neil Patrick Harris, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Jack Black, Julia Roberts, and Jennifer Aniston just to name a few as well as segments from Funny or Die.

Several charity organizations focused on giving aid to children living in poverty throughout the world will be benefitted from this night. 

We wonder if they’ll have a celebrity filled phone bank like Night of Too Many Stars. Catch Red Nose Day on NBC, Thurs. May 21st 8PM EST.

NBC Orders The Next Season of “Undateable” And All The Episodes Will Be Done Live
May 9, 2015
Uncategorized
nbc, renewed, undateable, undateable live

(via Entertainment Weekly)

Apparently, NBC is really in love with doing stuff live these days.

The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, and SNL have served NBC well as live-to-air shows. Now, Undateable will join that class as the entire next season will air live. Of all the series orders and renewals that were just announced, Undateable Live is one of the most intriguing.

This should provide for plenty more hijinks from the cast and way more present laughter than canned laughter as well as encourage people to tune in primetime rather than watch it some time later. 

We certainly hope that, as it’s live, Ron Funches milks every moment of great weirdness that he can. 

Kumail Nanjiani Haunted By Jokes on “Silicon Valley”
April 23, 2015
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kumail nanjiani, late night with seth meyers, nbc, silicon valley, world's greatest dick joke

The number of times NBC has to bleep out the word “dick” is past midnight is pretty funny just by itself.

Kumail Nanjiani stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers this week and explained how many of the jokes he makes on Silicon Valley get often quoted to him in inappropriate real life situations, which, given the content of the show, is a lot of the time.

The moral of the story here is that you don’t tell the world’s greatest dick joke without it following you wherever you go.

Here’s the Trailer For SNL Doc “Live From New York!”
April 11, 2015
Uncategorized
nbc, Saturday Night Live, snl, tribeca film festival

If you didn’t feel that the montages of the SNL 40th Anniversary were in-depth enough about the history of Saturday Night Live, this should probably do the trick.

Bao Nguyen’s documentary Live From New York! will go throughout the timeline of SNL looking at the show’s inception, Lorne Michaels’ course at the helm, and the effect that it has had on American and global discourse in politics, pop culture, etc.

It’s set to play at the Tribeca Film Festival, but, for those of us not in attendance, we’ll have to chew on this trailer for awhile.

NBC Schedules “Mr. Robinson” and “The Carmichael Show” For Aug. 5th Premiere
March 26, 2015
Uncategorized
craig robinson, jerrod carmichael, mr robinson, nbc, the carmichael show

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

So, both Craig Robinson’s Mr. Robinson and Jerrod Carmichael’s The Carmichael Show could be the next big wave of comedy at NBC.

At the crossroads of Parks and Recreation ending, nixing Must See TV, selling Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to Netflix, and One Big Happy not getting off to a hot start, NBC is trying hard to figure their next move with comedies. 

There are plenty of pilots on the development slate, but they’ve got two series that have been stuck in their pocket, in one way or another, for awhile now. 

So, at 9PM on Aug. 5th, Mr. Robinson and The Carmichael Show will have their series premiere and then have the potential to be the next thing that the peacock was looking for in their comedy department. 

We’ll have to wait more than a few months to see. 

3rd Jerrod Carmichael Pilot at NBC Gets Series Order
March 11, 2015
Uncategorized
jerrod carmichael, nbc

(via Deadline)

Over the last couple of years, NBC has ordered three separate pilots from Jerrod Carmichael, making it obvious that they want a series with his face on it. Well, the third time is really the charm in this case as they finally put they’re money down on this latest pilot.

What will be interesting to see here is that this is yet another multicam sitcom based on the life and stand-up of a comedian.

If you’ve ever seen Jerrod Carmichael’s act, we certainly want that to mean that the multicam format is getting a much needed update and edge. 

The series has six episodes ordered to sort all of that out. 

NBC Planning Subscription Based Online Streaming Service For Comedy
March 4, 2015
Uncategorized
community, nbc, parks and recreation, snl, streaming service, the office, tonight show

(via Wall Street Journal)

NBC must be taking cues from how well comedy does online with the dedicated fan bases of The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Community as they’re now developing a subscription online service targeted for comedy. It’s not clear how this service will work specifically, but if it’s more like HBO GO, then that’s probably a step in the right direction.

NBC is saying episodes of The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live will be available, we’re more curious about the fates of the aforementioned Office, Parks and Rec, etc. and whether they will be taken off of Hulu and Netflix to live exclusively at this NBC streaming service.

Also, more content will be developed for this service, which, we hope means that they will be putting more backing behind certain pilots like Adam Scott and Joe Mande’s dispensary comedy.

Danny Pudi to Star in “Strange Calls” Pilot on NBC
February 27, 2015
Uncategorized
danny pudi, nbc, pilot season, strange calls

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

While Parks and Recreation and The Office are over, Community and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt finding their way online, and Must See TV dropped, NBC is at a big crossroads as to where there comedy will be headed. 

More and more this pilot season, NBC seems like they would like to keep some of their stars around from their last era of sitcoms. Community’s Danny Pudi has now been set to star in the pilot for Strange Calls, adapted from a high concept Australian horror sitcom, as the lead. He’d play a well-meaning police officer that has to deal with secretly supernatural town in the sticks. So, we guess it’d be like Eureka, but more supernatural and with Pudi.

Already, NBC has Adam Scott who just finished up with Parks and Recreation developing a dispensary comedy with Joe Mande, leaving us to wonder what’s to come for comedy series at the peacock.

NBC/Second City and HBO Launching New Diversity Programs
February 25, 2015
Uncategorized
diversity, fellowship, hbo, hboaccess, nbc, second city, submissions

Continuing in the direction of making the landscape of television less male and white, both NBC and HBO have just announced programs designed to find diverse talent.

More specifically, NBC has partnered with the legendary Second City to find new sketch talent (via The Wrap) in the form of fellowships, scholarship awards, and a festival. Hopefully, this will help them avoid such things as having to hold a “secret” audition for a new black female cast member for SNL. 

HBO has launched their own HBOAccess Writing Fellowship that will search for unrepresented writers from “diverse backgrounds” (via Deadline). If accepted, you’ll get a week long intensive, 8 months writing/development period with HBO top brass, and a live table read. With Girls, Silicon Valley, Veep, The Comeback, and Togetherness, we’re HBO would like to continue their hot comedy streak.

Another Reminder That The Finale of “Parks and Recreation” Is Tonight
February 24, 2015
Uncategorized
finale, nbc, parks and recreation

10PM tonight on NBC, Parks and Recreation closes out its amazing 7 season run, which will include a tribute to the late writer and EP Harris Wittels. 

There are plenty of think pieces and oral histories that detail why this TV series was so important and so damn good including making all 7 seasons memorable, maintaining an unflinching tone of positivity in a vast, grounded reality of Pawnee, and creating some what will be some of TV’s all time most beloved characters.

Instead, we’ll cut this short like Ron Swanson would prefer and just say, “Watch it, please and thank you.”

Watch TV Ads For The 7th Season “Parks and Recreation” Version of Pawnee
February 19, 2015
Uncategorized
fake ads, indian casino, nbc, parks and recreation, paunch burger, ron swanson, very good construction company, wamapoke

Last night’s Parks and Recreation furthered their look into the future of Pawnee and their storied Parks department with a series of ads. 

Included are TV spots for such Pawnee landmarks as Wamapoke Casino and Paunch Burger as well as some for new business ventures including Ron Swanson’s Very Good Building and Development Company and Verizon Chipotle Exxon. 

We can’t speak for the rest of the world, but it looks like Pawnee is doing just fine in 2017.

      

Neil Patrick Harris Will Be Pulling Out All The Stops (As Many As Time Will Allow) For His NBC Variety Show
January 30, 2015
Uncategorized
nbc, neil patrick harris, promo, variety show

NBC has done well to give one-man-show-spectacular Neil Patrick Harris his own variety show.

As you can clearly see in this brief promo, NPH will have bits, numbers, and more in his series set to premiere this fall. 

Well, he’ll have as much as he can before they run out of airtime.  

UK Comedy Series With U.S. Stars “Catastrophe” and “Cuckoo” Set to Come Stateside
January 29, 2015
Uncategorized
amazon, catastrophe, cuckoo, nbc, rob delaney, sharon horgan

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

There seems to be more cross-pollination between U.S. and U.K. comedy series as of late. Of course, The Office was famously adapted from Ricky Gervais’ version to the version starring Steve Carell that went for 9 seasons. Nowadays, James Corden and Showtime’s Episodes further connect the comedy bridge across the pond.

So, naturally, it would make sense that successful UK series Cuckoo that starred Andy Samberg and Catastrophe starring American comedian/author/Twitter king Rob Delaney and UK’s Sharon Horgan would find it’s way here.

NBC has ordered a pilot for an American remake of Cuckoo and Amazon has gotten rights to stream Catastrophe in the spring for people in the U.S.

Rob Lowe, Megan Mullally, Jenna Fischer To Star In “Apocalypse Slough” Dramedy
January 21, 2015
Uncategorized
apocalypse slough, jenna fischer, megan mullally, nbc, rob lowe, sky

(via Deadline)

A sub genre of apocalyptic comedies seems to be recently forming including This Is The End, The World’s End, It’s a Disaster, and the upcoming Last Man on Earth on Fox.

Now, UK’s Sky is producing a mini-series along the same lines that pits an unlikely bunch hunkered down together as a giant comet is headed for earth set to wipe out all life. NBC has agreed to air the series here in the States, which is a smart considering Rob Lowe, Megan Mullally, and Jenna Fischer are all part of the cast. 

Called “Apocalypse Slough”, the mini-series is currently being touted as a dramedy, but with Lowe, Mullally, and Fischer in, we’re sure that comedy will be well represented. 

Also, anyone think that there’s any significant connection between the series being set in Slough, where the UK version of The Office was set, and Jenna Fischer, who was the U.S. counterpart to Dawn in the UK version of The Office? We certainly hope so.

VH1 Classic To Do 433 Hour Marathon of SNL
January 15, 2015
Uncategorized
marathon, nbc, Saturday Night Live, snl, vh1, vh1 classic

We’re marathoning 19 days of back-to-back SNL episodes (433 hrs) starting JAN 28! http://t.co/pOGojmXJp6 #SNLclassic pic.twitter.com/ku2V4aUrqA

— VH1 Classic (@VH1Classic) January 14, 2015

Saturday Night Live is currently in its 40th season and VH1 Classic is marking the occasion by putting on the biggest single marathon of a series ever.

433 hours of SNL will air on the network starting Jan. 28th. FXx’s Simpsons marathon only spanned 12 days, which would come out to only at 298 hours maximum. 

The SNL Rewind:  2015 – 1975 Mega-Marathon will visit every single one of the 39 past seasons of the legendary live sketch variety show, which, for our money, means we’ll probably get to watch every bit of Celebrity Jeopardy again.

“Parks and Recreation” and “Kroll Show” Return Tonight For Their Final Seasons
January 14, 2015
Uncategorized
amy poehler, comedy central, kroll show, nbc, nick kroll, parks and recreation

Tonight’s TV airwaves belongs to what very well could be a comedy power couple/stars of Parks and Recreation and Kroll Show, Amy Poehler and Nick Kroll. 

Parks and Recreation returns for its seventh and final season tonight on NBC at 8PM with back-to-back episodes.

Kroll Show is also premiering its final season, though it’s only the third for Kroll, on Comedy Cetnral at 10:30PM.

Make plans to watch/DVR/hijack the TV at the bar you’re drinking at accordingly.

If You’re Not Busy Live-Tweeting The Golden Globes, Watch the Premieres of “Togetherness”, “Girls”, and “Episodes”
January 11, 2015
Uncategorized
amy poehler, duplass brothers, episodes, girls, hbo, nbc, showtime, showtimes, the golden globes, tina fey, togetherness

If you’re in LA right now, the rain couldn’t have come at more perfect time if you were looking more reasons to stay in tonight. Already, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey will be serving their hosting duties at The Golden Globes at 8PM on NBC. Twitter should be full on non-stop live-tweeting from both comedy folk and non-comedy folk that might be worth perusing from the comfort of your own home. 

On top of that, Girls returns for its fourth season at HBO at 9PM and the series premiere of The Duplass Brothers’ Togetherness follows right after at 9:30PM. To cap off the evening, there’s also the season four premiere of Episodes on Showtime at 10:30PM.

So, get comfy make plans/DVR accordingly.

Watch a Little Behind The Scenes and More Actual Scenes From The Final Season of “Parks and Recreation”
January 10, 2015
Uncategorized
nbc, parks and recreation, preview

Parks and Recreation’s final season premieres this Tues. Jan. 13th 8:30PM on NBC. So, we should enjoy every ounce of it that we can while it and any single camera comedy with talking heads is around at NBC.

Here’s a featurette to watch to get you started.

Lewis Black, W. Kamau Bell, and Laura Krafft Address Cynicism Perhaps Being a Byproduct of Comedy on Meet The Press
December 29, 2014
Uncategorized
chuck todd, laura krafft, lewis black, meet the press, nbc, salon.com

The satirical nature of comedy has been pointed to, especially as of late, a contributor to a current public dissatisfaction and apathy with the government in America. 

Chuck Todd invited Lewis Black, W. Kamau Bell, and Laura Krafft to have great discussion on this issue on Meet The Press and, perhaps answering the question of whether art imitates life.

Watch it here.

Watch Teaser for the Farewell Season of “Parks and Recreation”
December 17, 2014
Uncategorized
final season, nbc, parks and recreation, teaser

The beginning of the final season of Parks and Recreation comes Tues. Jan. 13th at 8PM on NBC and you can get your imagination running with how the show will close with this teaser trailer. 

By the way, Johnny Karate, drones, and more in the teaser will definitely get your brain going.

NBC Drops Must See TV Thursday Comedy Block; Sets Hour of Multi-Cam on Tues
December 15, 2014
Uncategorized
must see tv, nbc, one big happy, undateable

(via Deadline)

NBC has really stuck to the recent philosophy posed by their chairman Bob Greenblatt who said that the network had a “very drama-heavy midseason schedule” when asked about selling Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to Netflix.

Since the early 90s, NBC had their Must See TV comedy block scheduled in stone that saw the likes of Seinfeld, Friends, Will & Grace, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and more air in primetime. Now, as a sign of the times, they have dropped Must See TV altogether and made a comedy block of multi-cam sitcoms Undateable and One Big Happy set for Tues. in 2015.

With this big programming shift, we’d be curious to see what percent of the entire viewing audience of any of NBC’s comedies over the last year watched the show live versus on an online streaming service, legal and illegal, of some kind on their own time.

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