showtime

Natasha Leggero To Guest Star in Andrew Dice Clay’s Showtime Comedy

September 15, 2015

andrew dice clay, natasha leggero, showtime

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

Along with Jim Carrey’s pilot about the LA comedy scene in the 1970s, Showtime seems really interested in going deep about comedy.

Andrew Dice Clay has a series that follows his life of currently trying to make a comeback, which is especially intriguing after his surprisingly good turn in Blue Jasmine.

Natasha Leggero, who is on a roll right now with Another Period and her comedy special, will play a girlfriend of Dice and only makes this latest comedian semi-autobiographical series all the more intriguing.

Showtime Orders Pilot About 1970s LA Comedy Scene From Jim Carrey and Dave Flebotte

August 12, 2015

comedy scene, jim carrey, la comedy, showtime

While comedy is certainly thriving in LA as you read this, there was another time in the 70s when LA was also really cooking when it came to comedy. So, now is probably as good a time as any to tell those stories.

Former comedian Dave Flebotte wrote the dark comedy pilot, “I’m Dying Up Here” (based on a book I’m Dying Up Here by William Knoedelseder) which focused on the hey day of comedy clubs in Los Angeles back in the 1970s. With Carrey on board as an EP, Showtime has just ordered a pilot.

With how many podcasts talk about the history of comedy or what comedy was like back in the day, we’d bet lots of folks will want to watch this.

“China, IL”, “The Comedians”, and “HAPPYish” All Got the Ax This Week

adult swim, china il, fx, happyish, showtime, the comedians

(via Deadline/The Hollywood Reporter/The AV Club)

We’re pretty sure this isn’t how the rule of three in comedy is supposed to go.

Adult Swim, FX, and Showtime all cancelled comedies on their networks this week. As the next pilot season is rolling around, this is the first wave of cancellations. We can only hope won’t be as bloody as the last round of cancellations where many freshman shows got axed.

China, IL made it to third season at Adult Swim, but The Comedians, and HAPPYish only made it to the end of their first season at FX and Showtime, respectively.

Perhaps, it won’t be before too long before we see what’s next for Brad Neely, Billy Crystal, Josh Gad, and Steve Coogan.

Part 1 of “SXSW Comedy with W. Kamau Bell” Premieres Tonight on Showtime

beth stelling, comedy special, iliza shlesinger, mark normand, matt braunger, nate bargatze, showtime, sxsw, w kamau bell

It’ll be on Showtime at 11:05PM.

Tonight, we’ll all get to finally see what the buzz is all about when it comes to watching comedy at a big time arts festival, specifically SXSW.

Matt Braunger, Beth Stelling, Nate Bargatze, Mark Normand, Iliza Shlesinger, and host W. Kamau Bell will all be on part 1 of the SXSW Comedy special tonight.

This should definitely be one of your things that you watch tonight/a reason to get Showtime’s online service for a free trial.

Get a Look at What Will Be the First in a Whole Row of Showtime Comedy Specials with “SXSW Comedy”

beth stelling, comedy special, iliza shlesinger, mark normand, matt braunger, nate bargatze, showtime, stand up, sxsw comedy, w kamau bell

Looks like Showtime is gearing up to produce more comedy specials along with Audible’s Rooftop Comedy in the coming months. They have the two part SXSW Comedy with W. Kamau Bell special premiere part 1 on July 24th and are working on a Brian Posehn special that was apparently shot right before Comic-Con this weekend.

Here’s your first look at SXSW Comedy Part 1, which will have Matt Braunger, Mark Normand, Iliza Shlesinger, Beth Stelling, and Nate Bargatze.

Showtime Orders 5th Season of “Episodes”

episodes, matt leblanc, renewed, showtime

Here’s more proof that Episodes has been flying quietly and delightfully under the radar.

Though cable comedies like Louie and Girls get way more press, Episodes on Showtime has also found its way to a fifth season. They’ve manage to do a Hollywood biz comedy starring Matt LeBlanc a la Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Comeback without imitating and coming at it from a different angle.

Look for nine episodes of Episodes in this next season and boost in its profile, probably, when Showtime launches its standalone streaming service.

Part 1 of “SXSW Comedy” Premiering in July on Showtime

beth stelling, comedy special, matt braunger, showtime, sxsw, todd glass, w kamau bell

If you were at SXSW this year, you know this is going to be really good.

For most of us that didn’t get to go to Austin for any festivals this year, you’ll get to see the comedy showcase special from Showtime and hosted by W. Kamau Bell this summer which will include the great comedic stylings of Matt Braunger, Todd Glass, Beth Stelling, Nate Bargatze, Mark Normand, and Iliza Shlesinger.

The first of two parts of SXSW Comedy with W. Kamau Bell, directed by the trusted talents of Steve Feinartz (Matt Braunger’s Big Dumb Animal, Eddie Pepitone’s In Ruins), Fri. July 24th at 11:05PM on Showtime.

Mark this on your calendars even though we’ll definitely remind you about it again.

Watch Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Dan Aykroyd, and Michael Keaton on “Inside Comedy”

dan aykroyd, david steinberg, inside comedy, jon stewart, michael keaton, showtime, stephen colbert

If you don’t want to get into podcasts, but are still into the history of comedy and pulling back its curtain, Inside Comedy is a good place to go.

Last night, Inside Comedy with David Steinberg returned to Showtime, kicking off another round off in-depth exploratory interviews about the inner workings of individual comedians.

Just check Steinberg chatting with Stephen Colbert, Dan Akyroyd…

…Jon Stewart…

…and Michael Keaton (yes, Michael Keaton used to do stand-up).

If you dug all of these, be sure to catch Inside Comedy on Tuesdays at 11PM on Showtime.

Showtime Letting You Watch Premiere Episode of “HAPPYish” Right Now

happyish, premiere, showtime

Get more than 48 hours ahead of the premiere.

Right now, Showtime has put up the premiere episode of HAPPYish at Sho.com entirely for free.

It’s Friday, so you can probably drop whatever you’re doing, right?

Watch it all right here.

Showtime’s “Happyish” To Follow Middle Aged Ad Man That’s Not Don Draper

happyish, kathryn hahn, showtime, steve coogan

The Hollywood Reporter chatted with the cast of Showtime’s upcoming Happyish which gave a little more insight into the show and how it might be, according to star Steve Coogan, an “…antidote to Mad Men…”

We got a brief glimpse of Happyish with the trailer posted over a month ago, but the specific plot details were a little fuzzy.

The cast made the story all the clearer in this THR interview as Coogan plays Thom Payne, middle-aged man working at an ad agency that apparently is going to confront many of the questions that Mad Men posed in the era, but answer them with more present day morality in mind. Kathryn Hahn who has been on a role over the last couple of years including arcs on Transparent and Parks and Recreation, is the wife of Thom that won’t be like Sally or Betty either as their marriage will be focal point for keeping things together on the show.

On top of all of that, they’ll be taking on real brands like Dora The Explorer, etc. and serving them up satirically.

Now that’s all cleared up, we’ll be looking forward to the premiere on Apr. 26th on Showtime at 9:30PM.

“Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro” Premieres Tonight

comedy special, jon dore, knock knock it's tig notaro, showtime, tig notaro

Though it might not be your home, Tig Notaro and Jon Dore went to homes across America and performed in possibly the most intimate way you could do a comedy show for this Showtime special.

Tonight at 9PM, “Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro” is premiering on Showtime. Like so many of her performances, we’re sure that all of these are unforgettable and will have the added silliness of going to where people live to do live comedy.

Again, don’t miss out the premiere at 9PM on Showtime.

The 4th Season of “Inside Comedy” Set For May 5h

conan o'brien, david steinberg, inside comedy, jon stewart, showtime

Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart are also set to be profiled and interviewed on the show.

Already, host David Steinberg is setting to chat one-on-one with Stephen Colbert, Michael Keaton, and Dan Aykroyd about comedy in the 4th season of Showtime’s Inside Comedy.

Both late night heavyweights O’Brien and Stewart should make for a pretty interesting season especially given how in-depth Steinberg gets with his interviews and now that the next era of late night has been pretty much set and off to its start.

Check out the season premiere on May 5th.

“Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro” The Trailer

comedy house show, documentary special, jon dore, showtime, tig notaro

America will be introduced to the magic that is the house comedy show as well as getting to see another set of magic that is Tig Notaro and her comedy.

Showtime got Tig Notaro to do a tour of comedy shows in people’s various homes throughout the country and captured the experience in a documentary special called “Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro”.

In addition to the amazing prospect that is Tig performing for an intimate crowd at someone’s house, the brilliant Jon Dore seems to be tagging along as well.

We’ll be able to see what shenanigans Tig and Dore get into throughout this special.

Showtime Airing “HAPPYish” Pilot After “Shameless” Finale

happyish, shameless, showtime

The premiere of HAPPYish isn’t until Apr. 26th on Showtime, but you can get a preview next Sun. Apr. 5th.

Following the finale of Shameless, which is Sun. at 9PM, Showtime will air the pilot of HAPPYish starring Steve Coogan. After that, you’ll have to wait three weeks for the actual series premiere, but it’s better than watching a trailer over and over.

Showtime To Offer Stand Alone Streaming Service

episodes, green room with paul provenza, inside comedy, Larry wilmore, online streaming, showtime, stand alone, tig notaro

Online streaming definitely seems to be the future of TV. Netflix gets bigger everyday and more broadcast and cable networks seem to be migrating their content online. HBO Now is set to launch next month and Showtime will be following suit with their own standalone service soon. We hope they include access to their comedy specials and series with that.

“The Green Room with Paul Provenza”, “Episodes”, “Inside Comedy”, “Knock, Knock It’s Tig Notaro”, “The Big C”, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and comedy specials from Dana Gould, Larry Wilmore, and more are some of things we could potentially have to look forward to with a Showtime streaming service.

Sounds kind of nice, right?

Watch First Trailer for Showtime’s HAPPYish

happyish, showtime, steve coogan, trailer

This series has taken more than its fair share of bizarre turns as the original starring role was going to Philip Seymour Hoffman until he suddenly and tragically passed away.

Showtime opted to not give up on the show and brought the great Steve Coogan on board in place of Hoffman. You can see by this trailer that Coogan will be just fine in this role.

Now, HAPPYish is set to premiere Apr. 26th on Showtime at 9:30PM.

Also, it’s interesting to note that along with the upcoming Blunt Talk, Last Week Tonight, Episodes, there’s a pretty interesting trend of Brits rising in premium cable comedy series.

Ed Begley Jr., Mary Holland, More Join “Blunt Talk”

February 24, 2015

blunt talk, ed begley jr, jackie weaver, mary holland, patrick stewart, romany malco, showtime

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

One of this upcoming TV season’s most intriguing new shows is Showtime’s Blunt Talk. Not only does it have Seth MacFarlane and Jonathan Ames coming together to make a show about a Brit trying to take on American cable news, but Patrick Stewart is starring.

To make matters more intriguing, the entire cast will now include Jackie Weaver, Ed Begley Jr., Adian Scarborough, Mary Holland, Romany Malco, and Karan Soni.

There are so many different elements at work here, with the fantastic people in front of and behind the camera, but this could very well be a “Veep” of cable news.

Showtime Gives “Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro” and “Happyish” Premiere Dates in April

January 13, 2015

dates, happyish, knock knock it's tig notaro, premiere, showtime, steve coogan, tig notaro

Showtime is really, quite literally picking up its comedy line-up. They already re-upped Inside Comedy with David Steinberg for a fourth season.

Now, they also have Tig Notaro’s traveling live comedy show docu-series and the dramedy that was set to star Philip Seymour Hoffman on deck for this year.

In April, Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro will premiere on the 17th (via TV Guide) and Happyish, which just got a series pick-up now starring Steve Coogan will premiere on the 26th (via Deadline).

So, it would appear that we should all be on the look out for Showtime in 2015.

If You’re Not Busy Live-Tweeting The Golden Globes, Watch the Premieres of “Togetherness”, “Girls”, and “Episodes”

January 11, 2015

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.

“Inside Comedy” Is Getting a 4th Season at Showtime

January 8, 2015

4th season, dan aykroyd, david steinberg, inside comedy, michael keaton, showtime, stephen colbert

The David Steinberg hosted interview series Inside Comedy is getting a 4th season at Showtime. This time around, the likes of Colbert, Michael Keaton, Dan Aykroyd, Carol Leifer, and more will sit and chat in-depth about their comedy with Steinberg.

Now that The Colbert Report is over, perhaps Stephen will divulge a little more about playing the character “Stephen Colbert”?

Showtime Developing Corporate Espionage Comedy from David J. Rosen and Marc Webb

December 9, 2014

corporate espionage, david rosen, marc webb, professionals, showtime

Showtime is really beefing up on the comedy side on these days. They already have Happyish recast with Steve Coogan, Cameron Crowe and his “Roadies” pilot, and Rachel Bloom starring in the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend pilot.

Now, they’re developing a corporate espionage comedy entitled Professionals from David J. Rosen and Marc Webb, who directed 500 Days of Summer. Perhaps, it’s somewhere along the lines of Michael Clayton as a comedy then?

Above all else, this might be more proof of how comedy as an entire genre is currently migrating in droves to cable and online.

Cameron Crowe’s Showtime Comedy Pilot “Roadies” Gets a Cast

December 8, 2014

cameron crowe, comedy pilot, imogen poots, keisha castle-hughes, luke wilson, peter cambor, roadies, showtime

Cameron Crowe’s Showtime comedy pilot “Roadies” has just locked its cast. Luke Wilson, who had an excellent turn in Skeleton Twins this year, Imogen Poots, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Peter Cambor will all play a touring rock band’s road crew making for a sort-of workplace comedy set behind-the-scenes at a rock concert.

Roadies definitely seems like the perfect bridge for Crowe to get into TV and we can’t wait to hear the soundtrack he has in store for us.

Steve Coogan To Replace The Late Philip Seymour Hoffman in Showtime’s “Happyish”

October 22, 2014

happyish, philip seymour hoffman, showtime, steve coogan

Earlier this year, Showtime landed something big when they ordered the dark comedy series Happyish that was going to star Philip Seymour Hoffman.

As you probably know, Hoffman passed away tragically not long after Showtime picked up the series.

Steve Coogan has now been appointed in filling the role that Hoffman was set for and given just his recent work on Philomena and Alan Partridge, he’ll fill in quite nicely.

There’s a Strong Possibility That You Could Get Showtime Completely Online

September 21, 2014

cbs, les moonves, showtime

While people are clamoring for a standalone HBO GO, CBS CEO Les Moonves has taken note and made serious considerations in offering Showtime direct to consumers online. Nothing has been specifically planned, but it’s definitely a move that should be taken as another sign of the times that the barriers between the Internet and TV are quickly fading away.

Currently, Showtime is home to such comedies as the award winning Episodes, Inside Comedy, and Web Therapy as well as various stand-up specials. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend starring Rachel Bloom is also being made into a pilot at the premium cable network.

Being able to binge watch a lot of those series and more to come online would definitely be a great move for Showtime.

Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra, Live at the Royal Albert Hall Now on Hulu

September 11, 2014

comedy dynamics, comedy special, hulu, live at royal albert hall, showtime, tim minchin

If you’re unfamiliar with the comedic works of the brilliant Tim Minchin (or even if you are), sit and give a watch to his special Tim Minchin at the Heritage Orchestra live at The Royal Albert Hall that played on Showtime.

Comedy Dynamics has just put it up on their Hulu channel and whether or not you were planning watching a comedy special today, watch this.