snl – The Comedy Bureau

debra digiovanni, demi adejuyigbe, don't tell comedy, katherine blanford, nate bargatze, snl

1. Debra DiGiovanni demonstrates why most comedians these days opt to not follow her if at all possible in this exclusive Don’t Tell Comedy set. Her rhythm, exuberance, and irrefutable command of the mic/stage makes her a force to be reckoned with/throughly enjoyed via copious amounts of laughter. Please enjoy it over and over here.

2. Even though we’re so glad that the marvelous Katherine Blanford is in LA now, we are thrilled that the rest of the country is also getting blessed with her sweet and crafty comedy stylings. Dates below and tickets at katherineblanford.com.

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A post shared by Katherine Blanford (@itskatherineblanford)

3. Demi Adejuyigbe has given the assignment for Halloween Costumes, which, honestly, could and should be themes for next year’s Met Gala.

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A post shared by demi adejuyigbe (@electrolemon)

4. Nate Bargatze is set to host the 10/28 episode and we have a feeling his monologue will probably be one of the best the show has had in recent memory.

5. We’ll leave you with this: We’re all done with Twitter, right? It’s Threads now? Yeah, it’s Threads.

TCB Debriefing 10/4/23: Beth Stelling Special, The Drew Barrymore Show, Chloe Troast on SNL, Moshe Kasher, Zainab Johnson,

October 4, 2023

beth stelling, chloe troast, comedy special, moshe kasher, netflix, snl, stand up comedy, the drew barrymore show, zainab johnson

1. The long awaited follow up from Girl Daddy, a special that will be remembered as one of the best of this decade, is finally here. That’s right, Beth Stelling brand new special, If You Didn’t Want Me Then, has just been released on Netflix this morning and delivers on the high expectations that were riding on it. Stelling is somehow even more self-assured in this hour (when that’s already her specialty), commanding the theater and anyone watching it as a special on Netflix with such ease and casual grace. It’s that sort of ever present sense of calm (reinforced by her choice of tea rather than the standard issue bottle of water on the stool) that makes her punchlines and tags and asides pop so acutely. Her continued, evolving portrait of herself as a woman in this day and age is so rich and full even though it feels like an old friend (albeit, your funniest friend) is just catching you up to speed over the last few years. Just give Beth her own late night talk show already. While we wait for that to happen, enjoy If You Didn’t Want Me Then now streaming on Netflix here.

2. The Drew Barrymore Show is now set to return after the debacle of trying to return during the WGA Strike, then rescinding the announcement. That said, her head writers Chelsea White, Cristina Kinon and Liz Koe have declined the offer to return as a result of not only Drew trying to get back on the air during the strike, but finding out via social media ticket giveaways (THR). So, expect at least one, if not a few, “very special episodes” of The Drew Barrymore Show when it finally makes back to TV

3. Chloe Troast will be SNL’s newest cast member and, as of this debriefing, the only new cast member to be added this season. We hope this signals a continuation of SNL getting weirder and wilder as it has with Sarah Squirm, Please Don’t Destroy, James Austin Johnson, and Bowen Yang.

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A post shared by chloe troast (@chloe_troast)

4. Some folks actually did get around to their King Lear during lockdown. One of those folks is the brilliant comedian Moshe Kasher. Moshe already has one astounding memoir under his belt with Kasher in the Rye and is set to release his next one, Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes, on Jan. 30th. Kasher is such an exquisite writer and storyteller that he shouldn’t have to make a promo on IG to promote the book, but he did anyway so you can enjoy something until the book’s release. Pre-order Subculture Vulture here.

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5. Take your first gander at Zainab Johnson‘s very first hour special, Hijabs Off, due out on Oct. 24th on Amazon Prime. It’ll be the perfect time to watch it as you probably also try to get two day shipping on whatever last minute costume you’re coming up with for Halloween.

6. We’ll leave you with this: Should we rebrand the term “gallows humor” as “2020s humor”?

SNL Post Editors Set Date of April Fools Day to Strike If NBCU Doesn’t Reach New Contract Agreement

March 9, 2023

snl, strike

(via Deadline)

For months now, the post-production editors of Saturday Night Live, the department crucial to many of the most viral clips on SNL these days, have been trying to negotiate a contract renewal as a unionized group with NBC Universal. No such agreement has been reached at this point and, as such, the SNL Post-Production Editors have set a date for April 1st to walk out in the fight for fair wages and health benefits.

Doing post production for a live-to-air show usually means that crunch time is all the time. That is the pace of Saturday Night Live in general, but one often only hears of the long hours and wild turnaround times for the writers and performers. The crew and staff behind SNL are under the same sort of pressures, but operate thanklessly (at least from the general public) in the shadows. So, it shouldn’t be the case that people that are putting together all the fake commercials, graphics, etc. should be struggling with their pay or health care for such an TV and comedy institution as Saturday Night Live.

We can only hope their terms are met by NBCU as April 1st just happens to be on a Saturday.

Also, it should be noted that April Fools’ Day is finally getting a much needed shake-up.

Kids in the Hall Make Fun of Lorne Michaels in Trailer for Their Return on Amazon

April 13, 2022

amazon prime, bruce mcculloch, dave foley, kevin mcdonald, kids in the hall, lorne michaels, mark mckinney, scott thompson, snl, trailer

You ought to know and be eternally grateful for what Canada has given to the world of sketch comedy. Nathan Fielder, Lorne Michaels (the forever grandfather of SNL), and Kids in the Hall.

Of the three, Kids in the Hall made their mark over 20 years ago by being darker and weirder in a way that sketch comedy or any of television had ever seen (and hasn’t been seen much since until I Think You Should Leave). Thankfully, Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson are rounded up once more for another round of The Kids in the Hall and they’re going to be as daring as ever, a bold endeavor in 2022, as you can see in this red band trailer for their upcoming Amazon prime edition.

Sure, there’s plenty of NSFW stuff in the trailer, but it’s pretty clear that they’re doing a pretty spot on send-up of Lorne in pondering what the return of The Kids in the Hall should look like. The series premieres on May 13th and we can only wonder (and hope) that SNL/Lorne responds?

Pick of the Day: James Austin Johnson-Close To You Tour (in NYC) 8/11

April 7, 2022

bell house, brooklyn comedy, james austin johnson, nyc comedy, snl

The debut season of James Austin Johnson has been a whirlwind unlike almost any other cast member in SNL history and the comedic craftsmanship and prowess of JAJ are wholly responsible for that.

That said, what you’ve seen on the show, if you haven’t had the treasured experience of seeing Johnson live, is only scratching the surface of how James Austin Johnson can hysterically dazzle you. His repertoire of voices and characters and cleverness with which they’re wrought are so damn delightful that you really shouldn’t miss out on a chance to see him.

James will be embarking on his Close To You tour this Summer during the off-months of SNL and will be specifically stopping in at The Bell House at Thurs. Aug. 11th at 7:30PM ET. Tickets are on sale right now and you should go snag ’em at $25 a pop before they inevitably sell out here.

Pick of the Day: Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This? (in LA) 2/15

February 2, 2022

chris redd, dynasty typewriter, los angeles comedy, snl, stand up comedy

Throughout every season of Saturday Night Live, there are bye weeks that allows the cast and writers to, well, do whatever they want. Sometimes, they take some well earned rest, but many of them choose to go back to the things that brought them to the institution that is SNL in the first place.

Thus will be the case when SNL’s Chris Redd returns to LA and headlines Dynasty Typewriter this month with his vibrant and colorful observational stand-up comedy. Redd had been making his way in LA right before he got cast a few years ago (or over a decade ago if you feel like the pre-pandemic times were a very long time ago) and you’ll have a small window here to see him live.

Redd is set for a special evening of stand-up comedy that he’s calling Why Am I Like This? on Tues. Feb. 15th at 8PM PT, thankfully saving us from any residual, forced schmaltz of Valentine’s Day.

Tickets are $25 and you can (and should) go get them here.

James Austin Johnson Breaks Down the Specifics of His Trump Impression and Having a “Yuge” SNL Debut

January 25, 2022

james austin johnson, late night, seth meyers, snl

Just like in his SNL debut, James Austin Johnson is the very first of the new cast members on this 47th season of Saturday Night Live to make a late night appearance. Johnson, unlike almost any other cast member in the history of the show, appeared as the core character in this season opening cold open sketch as President Biden.

Since then, JAJ has appeared in several sketches throughout this season almost as if he was a full cast member.

Johnson sat down with Seth Meyers on Late Night to share his whirlwind life changing move to NYC after finding out he got SNL and gets into the nitty gritty with how he perfected his very specific, very brilliant Trump impression.

Please enjoy his interview here and here, which we’re sure will be the first of many late night appearances.

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 94: Casey Feigh & Walking Into a Dive Bar to Do Improv

January 12, 2022

aziz ansari, bob saget, casey feigh, goldbergs, improv comedy, long form improv, netflix, snl

Long form improv, pretty much at any level, almost exclusively happens in black box theaters as they just happen to be the perfect set up for a team to improvise comedic scenes out of “thin air”. The enduring pandemic has not afforded such spaces with ease as was had in 2019 resulting in improvisers having to, well, improvise. Casey Feigh leads off one of the only weekly improv shows in LA, which used to have dozens upon dozens a show per week, Holy Sh*t Improv, currently housed at long standing Silverlake watering hole, The Silverlake Lounge.

It’s kind of a challenge to do live comedy in any bar where the main bar and the main stage are in the same room, but Feigh, a veteran improviser/comedian, sees his way past any of the challenges through the community he fosters with the very best improvisers in and around the once improv-saturated Los Angeles comedy scene. Casey joins TCB Field Report to chronicle trying to run one of the only recurring improv shows during a pandemic.

Also, “hot” takes on a new SNL podcast, Aziz Ansari’s upcoming new Netflix special, and more.

Follow Casey @caseyfeigh on Twitter and IG and Holy Sh*t Improv @holyshitimprov on IG

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 91: Rebecca Drysdale & Changing with Change

December 22, 2021

emmys, lorne michaels, rebecca drysdale, snl

Rebecca Drysdale has not only been one of the best all around comedy folks that we know with writing on Key & Peele and having the longest running UCB Cagematch record with Hebecky Drysbell (partnered with Heather Anne Campbell), but is the founder of the magical DIY-as-can-be comedy venue The Clubhouse, which has thankfully survived to this side of the pandemic (and will need your help to continue to survive on this Kickstarter). She joins in with Jake Kroeger and TCB Field Report this week to talk how doing punch up for superheroes was her salvation after having one of the Tonight Show’s shortest stints of being a head writer and getting into the nitty gritty philosophy of doing comedy as a career. It’s the sort of beautiful conversation where time just faded away.

Also “hot” takes on Lorne Michaels potentially retiring from SNL, Emmy rule changes for comedy and drama, and more.

Support the Clubhouse’s reopening Kickstarter ASAP here: kickstarter.com/projects/clubhouseisback/clubhouse-phoenix-rising and follow Rebecca @beckdrys on IG.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 79: Paul Provenza & Comedy of Future Past

September 29, 2021

andy andrist, charlie barnett, doug stanhope, jfl, moontower comedy, paul provenza, snl, the green room

One of comedy’s most respected minds, Paul Provenza, joins in for this week’s TCB Field Report to go down the rabbit hole of the art form of comedy. Paul and TCB’s Jake Kroeger explore so many different angles, different generations, and different perspectives that they ended zipping through the running time of a Marvel movie. Truly, a fascinating conversation that weaves through the new SNL hires and Just For Laughs partnering with Moontower and explores the philosophy of comedy and what many people are missing out that’s coming up because they aren’t looking to the past at Brother Theodore or Charlie Barnett. Also, Paul discusses his groundbreaking work with Andy Andrist, both in documentary (that he’s still working on) and comedy special form with Andy’s Last Shot, The Green Room with Paul Provenza on Showtime, and Set List: Improvised Stand Up.

Follow Paul @paulprovenza and Set List @setlistshow on Twitter and IG and watch Andy Andrist’s Last Shot at naturejack.com.

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).

Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

Aristotle Athari, James Austin Johnson, and Sarah Sherman (AKA Sarah Squirm) Are the Newest SNL Cast Members

September 27, 2021

aristotle athari, james austin johnson, sarah sherman, sarah squirm, Saturday Night Live, snl

The latest additions to the comedy institution that is Saturday Night Live is three of the LA comedy scene’s favorites. Aristotle Athari who we hope you would know from Goatface Comedy and James Austin Johnson who we’d hope you know from him doing some of the best characters/impressions in comedy right now @shrimpjaj and Sarah Sherman (AKA Sarah Squirm) who we’d hope you know from being the ringleader of Helltrap Nightmare will be the three new featured players for this season of SNL that starts back up this Saturday, Oct. 2nd.

Athari, Johnson, and Sherman might be the most well rounded additions that SNL has had in awhile as they are all multi-disciplinary comedians that all excel doing stand-up, characters, and working behind the scenes to create some of the most unique and hysterical content out there. They’ve all got their own streak of absurdity that, in so many ways, is as beautiful as it is funny. Go down a YouTube/IG rabbit hole if you’re not familiar with them already.

We truly hope they get to weave their voices in making SNL something new and subversive and thrilling (like Bowen Yang has gotten to do in the last year).

Look for their debut on SNL this Saturday, Oct. 2nd at 11:30PM ET/8:30PM PT on NBC (and streaming on Peacock).

Welcome to the cast!

Aristotle Athari
James Austin Johnson
Sarah Sherman pic.twitter.com/n36tKsxhRE

— SNL is back October 2! (@nbcsnl) September 27, 2021

Ted Lasso and Hacks Win Big and Conan O’Brien Doesn’t Get a Proper Send-Off at 2021 Primetime Emmys

September 20, 2021

comedy emmys, emmys, hacks, last week tonight, snl, ted lasso

This past Sunday’s Primetime Emmys was a culmination of a groundswell of people desperate for the feel good pillow that is Ted Lasso and the razzle dazzle, truest encapsulation of stand-up comedy in Hacks. Both series racked up more than impressive numbers for nominations and made good with multiple wins each. It’s good to know that there has been a very emphatic changing of the guard, for the most part, when it comes to these Primetime Emmys wins.

That said, SNL, Last Week Tonight, and Stephen Colbert nabbed the variety series/specials categories leaving Conan O’Brien without a send-off Emmy after ending his late night run this year. John Oliver even commented that he was rooting for Conan. Good thing that Conan has been very clear that he isn’t done with his comedy empire yet.

Also, Bo Burnham’s acclaimed comedy special Inside was up for an Emmy, but, unfortunately lost to the already highly decorated and celebrated Hamilton (as a taped special version of streamed on Disney Plus this past year).

Also, the Emmys are going through a round of what the Oscars went through with #OscarsSoWhite. Maybe Desus & Mero ought to get more awards love (as it deserves)?

While Ted Lasso is dealing with predictable criticism in its second season (as it was just so beloved in its first season and contrarians always spring eternal), Hacks has yet to embark on its second go around. No matter how any of that goes, both series will have to deal with What We Do In The Shadows next year.

Here’s the full list of comedy winners for this year’s Primetime Emmys:

Best Comedy Series-Ted Lasso
Best Variety Special-Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020
Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series-Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series-Jean Smart, Hacks
Best Comedy Series Directing-Lucia Aniello, Hacks
Best Comedy Series Writing-Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, Hacks
Best Variety Sketch Series-SNL
Best Variety Talk Series-Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Best Variety Series Writing-Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series-Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series-Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

If you want the full list of 2021 Primetime Emmys Winners, go here.

And Here Are Your Comedy Nominees for 2021 Primetime Emmys

July 13, 2021

Here’s the entire list of Primetime Emmys nominations.

2021, bowen yang, emmys, hacks, jessica walter, nominations, snl, ted lasso

As you might have seen throughout your socials, the nominations for this year’s Primetime Emmys were announced this morning complete with plenty of welcome surprises, infuriating snubs, and dozens upon dozens of categories that might be overwhelming to look through. So, we’ve got all the nominees of main comedy categories listed below between comedy series, actor and actress nominations, writing, etc.

Overall…
-Ted Lasso continues to be people’s quarantine comfort food as they got a record amount of nominations for its first season.
-Hacks, also in its first celebrated season, got several nods including a first time nomination for co-star Hannah Einbinder and Carl Clemon-Hopkins.
-Bowen Yang, who is very likely several people’s favorite cast member on SNL right now, got his very own nomination.
-The Amber Ruffin Show also marked its very first nomination in writing.
-Jessica Walter posthumously got nominated for her voice work on Archer
-Conan got nominated as his final season ran this year.
-For some reason, Cobra Kai is now a comedy and Emily in Paris got another nomination despite previous uproars in past awards shows
-Despite the pandemic throwing off everyone’s schedule, What We Do In The Shadows, Insecure, and Marvelous Mrs. Maisel are left out of the running.
-Also, even though it just premiered, I Think You Should Leave season 2 should just be shoehorned into the competition right now.

Here’s the full list of comedy nominees:

Comedy Series
“Ted Lasso”
“Hacks”
“The Flight Attendant”
“The Kominsky Method”
“Black-ish”
“Pen15”
“Cobra Kai”
“Emily in Paris”

Comedy Actress
Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”)
Allison Janney (“Mom”)
Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”)
Jean Smart (“Hacks”) |
Aidy Bryant (“Shrill”)

Comedy Actor
Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Kenan Thompson (“Kenan”)
William H. Macy (“Shameless”)
Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”)

Variety Talk Series
“Conan”
“Daily Show With Trevor Noah”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”
“Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (“Hacks”)
Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”)
Brendan Hunt (“Ted Lasso”)
Nick Mohammed (“Ted Lasso”)
Paul Reiser (“The Kominsky Method”)
Jeremy Swift (“Ted Lasso”)
Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”)
Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant (“Saturday Night Live”)
Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”)
Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Rosie Perez (“The Flight Attendant”)
Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”)
Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”)
Hannah Waddingham (“Ted Lasso”)

Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Jane Adams (“Hacks”)
Yvette Nicole Brown (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”)
Bernadette Peters (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”)
Issa Rae (“A Black Lady Sketch Show”)
Maya Rudolph (“Saturday Night Live”)
Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”)

Variety Sketch Series
“A Black Lady Sketch Show”
“Saturday Night Live”

Variety Special (Live)
Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special (Multiple Platforms)
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)
The Oscars (ABC)
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd (CBS)
Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 (Showtime)

Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix)
David Byrne’s American Utopia (HBO)
8:46 – Dave Chappelle (Netflix)
Friends: The Reunion (HBO Max)
Hamilton (Disney Plus)
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (HBO Max)

Animated Program
“Big Mouth” (Netflix)
“Bob’s Burgers” (Fox)
“Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” (Adult Swim)
“The Simpsons” (Fox)
“South Park: The Pandemic Special” (Comedy Central)

Short Form Animated Program
“Love, Death + Robots” (Netflix)
“Maggie Simpson In: The Force Awakens From Its Nap” (Disney)
“Once Upon a Snowman” (Disney Plus)
“Robot Chicken” (Adult Swim)

Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
Bonding • Netflix • Netflix-Brendan Scannell as Pete Devon
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-Kevin Hart as Kevin Hart
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-John Travolta as Ron Wilcox
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-John Lutz as Gilbert Pewntz
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-J.B. Smoove as Chief Billy Bills

Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
Die Hart • Quibi • LOL Studios-Nathalie Emmanuel as Jordan King
Keke Palmer’s Turnt Up With The Taylors • Facebook Watch • Kids at Play-Keke Palmer as Barbie / Gammy Tay / Lil Thad / Miranda / Rick
Mapleworth Murders • Quibi • Universal Television in association with Broadway Video and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions-Paula Pell as Mrs. Abigail Mapleworth
Reno 911! • Quibi • High Sierra Carpeting production in association with Central Productions, LLC-Kerri Kenney-Silver as Deputy Trudy Wiegel

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Archer • The Double Date • FX Networks • FX Productions-Jessica Walter as Malory Archer

Big Mouth • A Very Special 9/11 Episode • Netflix • Netflix
Maya Rudolph as Connie The Hormone Monstress

black-ish: Election Special (Part 2) • ABC • Cinema Gypsy Productions, Inc. & Khalabo Ink Society in association with ABC Signature
Stacey Abrams as Stacey Abrams

Bridgerton • Diamond Of The First Water • Netflix • A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia
Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown

Central Park • A Fish Called Snakehead • Apple TV+ • Apple / 20th Century Fox Television
Tituss Burgess as Cole Tillerman

Central Park • A Fish Called Snakehead • Apple TV+ • Apple / 20th Century Fox Television
Stanley Tucci as Bitsy Brandenham

Family Guy • Stewie’s First Word • FOX • 20th Television Animation
Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Glenn Quagmire

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series

Carpool Karaoke: The Series • Apple TV • CBS Studios in association with Fulwell 73 Productions
Ben Winston, Executive Producer James Corden, Executive Producer Eric Pankowski, Executive Producer David Young, Co-Executive Producer Sheila Rogers, Supervising Producer Diana Miller, Producer

Late Night With Seth Meyers: CORRECTIONS • YouTube • Universal Television and Broadway Video
Seth Meyers, Host
Mike Shoemaker, Produced by

The Randy Rainbow Show • YouTube • 4 Irene Productions Inc.
Randy Rainbow, Executive Producer/Performer John Retsios, Producer
Jeff Romley, Producer
Victoria Varela, Producer

Reno 911! • Quibi • High Sierra Carpeting in association with Central Productions, LLC
Thomas Lennon, Executive Producer Robert Ben Garant, Executive Producer Kerri Kenney-Silver, Executive Producer John Landgraf, Executive Producer Peter Principato, Executive Producer David Lincoln, Producer

Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News • Paramount+ • CBS Studios, Late Night Cartoons
Stephen T. Colbert, Executive Producer Chris Licht, Executive Producer
RJ Fried, Executive Producer
Tim Luecke, Executive Producer
Zach Smilovitz, Co-Executive Producer Mike Leech, Co-Executive Producer

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

The Flight Attendant • In Case Of Emergency • HBO Max • HBO Max in association with Berlanti Productions, Yes, Norman Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
Steve Yockey, Written by

Girls5eva • Pilot • Peacock • Universal Television in association with Scardino and Sons, Little Stranger Inc., Bevel Gears and 3 Arts Entertainment
Meredith Scardino, Written by

Hacks • There Is No Line (Pilot) • HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Lucia Aniello, Written by
Paul W. Downs, Written by
Jen Statsky, Written by

Pen15 • Play • Hulu • Hulu, Awesomeness TV, Odenkirk Provissiero, Lonely Island Classics
Maya Erskine, Written by

Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Jason Sudeikis, Teleplay by
Brendan Hunt, Story by
Joe Kelly, Story by

Ted Lasso • Pilot • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Jason Sudeikis, Teleplay by & Story by
Bill Lawrence, Teleplay by & Story by
Brendan Hunt, Story by Joe Kelly, Story by

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series

The Amber Ruffin Show • Peacock • Universal Television and Sethmaker Shoemeyers Productions
Jenny Hagel, Head Writer
Demi Adejuyigbe, Writing Supervised by Ashley Nicole Black, Written by
Michael Harriot, Written by
Shantira Jackson, Written by
Ian Morgan, Written by
Dewayne Perkins, Written by
Amber Ruffin, Written by

A Black Lady Sketch Show • HBO • HBO in association with JAX Media, 3 Arts Entertainment, Issa Rae Productions and For Better or Words Inc.
Lauren Ashley Smith, Head Writer
Robin Thede, Written by
Ashley Nicole Black, Written by Akilah Green, Written by Shenovia Large, Written by Rae Sanni, Written by
Kristin Layne Tucker, Written by Holly Walker, Written by Kindsey Young, Written by

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • HBO • HBO in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Johnathan Appel, Writer Ali Barthwell, Writer Tim Carvell, Writer
Liz Hynes, Writer
Greg Iwinski, Writer
Mark Kramer, Writer Daniel O’Brien, Writer
John Oliver, Writer
Owen Parsons, Writer Charlie Redd, Writer Joanna Rothkopf, Writer Chrissy Shackelford, Writer Ben Silva, Writer
Seena Vali, Writer

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert • CBS • CBS Studios
Ariel Dumas, Head Writer
Jay Katsir, Head Writer Stephen T. Colbert, Written by Delmonte Bent, Written by Michael Brumm, Written by River Clegg, Written by
Aaron Cohen, Written by
Nicole Conlan, Written by
Paul Dinello, Written by
Glenn Eichler, Written by Django Gold, Written by
Gabe Gronli, Written by
Barry Julien, Written by
Michael Cruz Kayne, Written by Eliana Kwartler, Written by
Matt Lappin, Written by
Pratima Mani, Written by
Felipe Torres Medina, Written by Opus Moreschi, Written by Asher Perlman, Written by
Tom Purcell, Written by Kate Sidley, Written by Brian Stack, Written by
John Thibodeaux, Written by Steve Waltien, Written by

Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Dan Bulla, Written by
Steven Castillo, Written by
Megan Callahan-Shah, Weekend Update Written by Michael Che, Head Writer
Anna Drezen, Head Writer
Alison Gates, Written by
Fran Gillespie, Writing Supervised By
Sudi Green, Writing Supervised By
Steve Higgins, Written by
Colin Jost, Head Writer
Erik Kenward, Written by
Dan Licata, Written by
Jasmine Pierce, Written by
Dennis McNicholas, Weekend Update Written By Lorne Michaels, Written by
Josh Patten, Weekend Update Written By
Gary Richardson, Written by
Pete Schultz, Weekend Update Head Writer Streeter Seidell, Writing Supervised By
Mark Steinbach, Weekend Update Written By
Will Stephen, Written by
Kent Sublette, Head Writer
Bryan Tucker, Senior Writer
Celeste Yim, Written by
Dave Sirus, Weekend Update Written by
Mike Lawrence, Weekend Update Written by
Emma Clark, Written by
Sam Jay, Written by

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special

Bo Burnham: Inside • Netflix • Netflix
Bo Burnham, Written by

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse – Into The MAGAverse • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Devin Delliquanti, Written by
Zhubin Parang, Written by

8:46 – Dave Chappelle • Netflix • Pilot Boy Productions
Dave Chappelle, Written by

John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero • CBS • Jesse Collins Entertainment
Mitchell Marchand, Written by

Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 • Showtime • SHOWTIME Presents a CBS Studios Production
Ariel Dumas, Written by
Jay Katsir, Written by
Stephen T. Colbert, Written by Delmonte Bent, Written by Michael Brumm, Written by River Clegg, Written by
Aaron Cohen, Written by
Nicole Conlan, Written by
Paul Dinello, Written by
Glenn Eichler, Written by Django Gold, Written by
Gabe Gronli, Written by
Barry Julien, Written by Michael Cruz Kayne, Written by Eliana Kwartler, Written by Matt Lappin, Written by
Felipe Torres Medina, Written by Opus Moreschi, Written by Asher Perlman, Written by
Tom Purcell, Written by
Kate Sidley, Written by Brian Stack, Written by
John Thibodeaux, Written by Steve Waltien, Written by

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 28: Jamel Johnson & The LA Outdoors

October 7, 2020

jamel johnson, outdoor comedy, second city, snl

Jamel Johnson was one of the first comedians to record a special in all of quarantine during this COVID-19 pandemic with the audience-less Friend or Foe. He’s also done a remote segment on Conan, kept up a basketball podcast going during the NBA Playoffs, and managed to do some of LA’s newly minted outdoor shows, which means he has maintained himself working as much as he can and being so damn funny while doing so. Jamel zooms with TCB’s Jake Kroeger to discuss all such things as well as SNL managing to have a live audience, Second City being on sale, things to think about in doing in-person shows during a pandemic and more.

Follow Jamel on IG @broccolihouse & Twitter @nonprofitcomic and listen to his podcasts Air Buds and Sorry We Love Football. Get and watch his special, Friend or Foe.

Shout outs: Michelle Buteau’s Buteaupia. Chinedu Unaka’s Mostly Kidding, and Josiah Johnson

The Comedy Bureau @thecomedybureau across platforms and please, please support TCB via GoFundMe, Patreon, or on Venmo (@jakekroeger).
Produced by Jake Kroeger
Music by Brian Granillo
Artwork by Andrew Delman and KT

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 24: Steve Hernandez & Calculated Risks

September 9, 2020

chatterbox, comedy news, comedy podcast, ellen, i'm thinking of ending things, jake kroeger, maria bamford, snl, steve hernandez, ted alexandro

Before lockdown, one of LA’s best comedy shows, sometimes described as one of the best indie comedy shows in the entire country happened on Sunday Nights at The Chatterbox in Covina. Steve Hernandez not only built the show from the ground up over several years, but has also grown his own personal podcast empire in co-hosting Views From the Vista, The Male Gaze, and Who’s Your God? (as well as an upcoming fourth podcast that he reveals on the pod). Steve zooms with TCB’s Jake Kroeger to talk on how Steve meticulously has adjusted and planned for the survival of all those things and what may or may not come for live comedy in LA in the coming months and years. Also, there’s some “hot” takes on SNL promoting Ego Nwodim to repertory player and Ellen DeGeneres setting a return date for her show and promising that “we’re gonna talk about it.”

In the midst of all of that, Jake gets into his hang-ups with the new Charlie Kaufman movie I’m Thinking of Ending Things even though he hasn’t seen it yet.

Follow Steve @hernia on IG and @bighern on Twitter. Listen/subscribe to Views From the Vista, The Male Gaze, and Who’s Your God?

Shout outs: Maria Bamford’s You Are (a Comedy) Special, Ted Alexandro’s CUT/UP

Here are the Comedy Nominees for 72nd Primetime Emmys

July 28, 2020

a black lady sketch show, comedy nominees, emmys, insecure, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, marvelous mrs maisel, nicole byer, nominations, primetime emmys, ramy, robot chicken, schitts creek, snl, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, what we do in the shadows

For the 72nd Primetime Emmys, many of the perennial favorites got their nominations like Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, SNL, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Dave Chappelle Schitt’s Creek, Hannah Gadsby in the categories they perennially occupy.

However, there are a few pleasant surprises (there always a few) in this year’s Emmys nominations including A Black Lady Sketch Show, Ramy, Robot Chicken, What We Do in the Shadows, Nicole Byer as host of Nailed It!, and FX’s Cake. What We Do In The Shadows and Insecure actually very much earned their spots in the Outstanding Comedy Series category as they have probably been the two most beloved current/new comedies during the entire pandemic.

Voting will run through the end of next month and the winners will be announced on Sept. 20th by Jimmy Kimmel. We’re going to guess that will be not the normal Emmys telecast chock full of celebrities dressed to the nines.

Take a gander at all the comedy nominees below. Get a full list of all the nominees for the 72nd Primetime Emmys here via Deadline.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead To Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do In The Shadows

Outstanding Television Movie

American Son
Bad Education
Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend • Netflix

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show
Drunk History
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones
Dave Chappelle: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor
Hannah Gadsby: Douglas
Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill
John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch
Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Black Monday-Don Cheadle as Mo Monroe
black-ish-Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson Sr.
The Good Place-Ted Danson as Michael
The Kominsky Method-Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky
Ramy-Ramy Youssef as Ramy
Schitt’s Creek-Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

black-ish-Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson
Dead To Me-Christina Applegate as Jen Harding
Dead To Me-Linda Cardellini as Judy Hale
Insecure-Issa Rae as Issa
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel
Schitt’s Creek-Catherine O’Hara as Moira Rose

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine-Andre Braugher as Captain Raymond Holt
The Good Place-William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye
The Kominsky Method-Alan Arkin as Norman Newlander
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-Sterling K. Brown as Reggie
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman
Ramy-Mahershala Ali as Sheikh Malik
Saturday Night Live-Kenan Thompson as Various Characters
Schitt’s Creek-Daniel Levy as David Rose

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

GLOW-Betty Gilpin as Debbie Eagan
The Good Place-D’Arcy Carden as Janet
Insecure-Yvonne Orji as Molly
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman
Saturday Night Live-Kate McKinnon as Various Characters
Saturday Night Live-Cecily Strong as Various Characters
Schitt’s Creek-Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose

Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series Or Special

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee
Netflix • Embassy Row
Jerry Seinfeld, Executive Producer/Host
Tammy Johnston, Executive Producer
George Shapiro, Executive Producer
Denis Jensen, Producer

Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath
A&E • The Intellectual Property Corporation in association with No Seriously Productions
Leah Remini, Executive Producer/Host
Eli Holzman, Executive Producer
Aaron Saidman, Executive Producer
Ray Dotch, Executive Producer
Devon Graham Hammonds, Executive Producer
Chris Rowe, Co-Executive Producer
Mike Rinder, Co-Executive Producer

Ugly Delicious
Netflix • A Tremolo Production
Morgan Neville, Executive Producer
Dara Horenblas, Executive Producer
David Chang, Executive Producer/Host
Christopher Chen, Executive Producer
Caryn Capotosto, Executive Producer
Blake Davis, Co-Executive Producer
Chris Ying, Co-Executive Producer

VICE
Showtime • VICE Media, LLC
Beverly Chase, Executive Producer
Subrata De, Executive Producer
Craig Thomson, Co-Executive Producer
Greg Wright, Supervising Producer

The World According To Jeff Goldblum
Disney+ • Nutopia
Jeff Goldblum, Executive Producer/Host
Jane Root, Executive Producer
Peter Lovering, Executive Producer
Keith Addis, Executive Producer
Matt Renner, Executive Producer
Arif Nurmohamed, Co-Executive Producer
John Hodgson, Series Producer

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

Amy Schumer Learns To Cook: Lunch Break And Pasta Night
Food Network • It’s So Easy Productions and Big Fish Entertainment
Amy Schumer, Executive Producer
Chris Fischer, Executive Producer
Dan Cesareo, Executive Producer
Lucilla D’Agostino, Executive Producer
Jordana Starr, Executive Producer
Faith Gaskins, Executive Producer
Lisa Koehler, Co-Executive Producer

Cheer
Netflix • One Potato Productions, Boardwalk Pictures and Caviar
Greg Whiteley, Executive Producer
Andrew Fried, Executive Producer
Dane Lillegard, Executive Producer
Jasper Thomlinson, Executive Producer
Bert Hamelinck, Executive Producer
Adam Leibowitz, Supervising Producer
Arielle Kilker, Producer
Chelsea Yarnell, Producer

Kevin Hart: Don’t F**k This Up
Netflix • Lionsgate Television, Hartbeat Productions, Magical Elves Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Kevin Hart, Executive Producer
Dave Becky, Executive Producer
Angus Wall, Executive Producer
Russell Heldt, Executive Producer
Casey Kriley, Executive Producer
Alexandra Marks, Executive Producer
Rich Eckersley, Co-Executive Producer
Allison Klein, Supervising Producer
Kent Kubena, Producer
Terry Leonard, Producer
Jennifer Sofio Hall, Producer

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
VH1 • World of Wonder Productions
Tim Palazzola, Executive Producer
Randy Barbato, Executive Producer
Fenton Bailey, Executive Producer
Tom Campbell, Executive Producer
RuPaul Charles, Executive Producer
Steven Corfe, Executive Producer
Camilo Valdes, Executive Producer
Mandy Salangsang, Executive Producer
Kenneth Leslie, Co-Executive Producer
Adam Bronstein, Supervising Producer
Thairin Smothers, Senior Producer
Jen Passovoy, Producer

We’re Here
HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with House of Opus 20 and IPC
Stephen Warren, Executive Producer
Johnnie Ingram, Executive Producer
Eli Holzman, Executive Producer
Aaron Saidman, Executive Producer
Peter LoGreco, Executive Producer
Erin Haglund, Co-Executive Producer
Sabrina Mar, Co-Executive Producer

Outstanding Competition Program

The Masked Singer
Fox • Fox Alternative Entertainment Studios
Craig Plestis, Executive Producer
Izzie Pick-Ibarra, Executive Producer
Rosie Seitchik, Executive Producer
Nick Cannon, Executive Producer
Pat rizia Di Maria, Co-Executive Producer
Chris Wagner, Co-Executive Producer
Deena Katz, Co-Executive Producer
Lindsay Tuggle, Co-Executive Producer
Brian Updyke, Co-Executive Producer
Ashley Baumann-Sylvester, Co-Executive Producer
Jeff Kmiotek, Supervising Producer
Peter Hebri, Supervising Producer
Erin Brady, Supervising Producer
Kristin Campbell-Taylor, Supervising Producer
Tiana Gandelman, Supervising Producer
Lindsay John, Senior Producer
Mike Riccio, Senior Producer
Zoe Ritchken, Senior Producer
Lexi Shoemaker, Senior Producer

Nailed It!
Netflix • Magical Elves Productions
Patrick J. Doody, Executive Producer
Gaylen Gawlowski, Executive Producer
Casey Kriley, Executive Producer
Jo Sharon, Co-Executive Producer
Sandra Birdsong, Co-Executive Producer
Anika Guldstrand, Supervising Producer
Cat Sullivan, Supervising Producer

RuPaul’s Drag Race
VH1 • World of Wonder Productions
Tim Palazzola, Executive Producer
Randy Barbato, Executive Producer
Fenton Bailey, Executive Producer
Tom Campbell, Executive Producer
RuPaul Charles, Executive Producer
Steven Corfe, Executive Producer
Mandy Salangsang, Executive Producer
Michelle Mills, Co-Executive Producer
Jacqueline Wilson, Co-Executive Producer
Lisa Steele, Supervising Producer
Adam Bronstein, Supervising Producer
Thairin Smothers, Senior Producer
John Polly, Producer
Michelle Visage, Producer
Jen Passovoy, Producer
Alicia Gargaro-Magana, Producer

Top Chef
Bravo • Magical Elves
Doneen Arquines, Executive Producer
Casey Kriley, Executive Producer
Tara Siener, Executive Producer
Tom Colicchio, Executive Producer
Padma Lakshmi, Executive Producer
Elida Carbajal Araiza, Co-Executive Producer
Hunter Braun, Co-Executive Producer
Brian Fowler, Co-Executive Producer
Thi Nguyen, Co-Executive Producer
Hillary Olsen, Co-Executive Producer
Patrick Schmedeman, Co-Executive Producer
Wade Sheeler, Co-Executive Producer
Rich Brusa, Supervising Producer
Scott Patch, Supervising Producer
Eric Vier, Supervising Producer
Nora Cromwell, Senior Producer
Steve Lichtenstein, Senior Producer
Diana Schmedeman, Producer

The Voice
NBC • MGM Television, Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television and ITV Studios The Voice USA, Inc.
John De Mol, Executive Producer
Mark Burnett, Executive Producer
Audrey Morrissey, Executive Producer
Stijn Bakkers, Executive Producer
Amanda Zucker, Executive Producer
Kyra Thompson, Executive Producer
Teddy Valenti, Co-Executive Producer
Kyley Tucker, Co-Executive Producer
Anthea Bhargava, Supervising Producer
Melysa Lovell Garratt, Supervising Producer
Clyde Lieberman, Supervising Producer
Brittany Martin Porter, Supervising Producer
Barton Kimball, Supervising Producer
Dan Paschen, Senior Producer
Amanda Silva Borden, Senior Producer
Tod Schellinger, Producer
Carson Daly, Producer
Jared Wyso, Producer
Hayley Opalek McSherry, Producer

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance

Big Mouth-Maya Rudolph as Connie the Hormone Monstress
Central Park-Leslie Odom Jr. as Owen
Crank Yankers-Wanda Sykes as Gladys
The Mandalorian-Taika Waititi as IG-11
The Simpsons-Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Nelson, Ralph, Todd
The Simpsons-Hank Azaria as Professor Frink, Moe, Chief Wiggum, Carl, Cletus, Kirk, Sea Captain

Outstanding Animated Program

Big Mouth • Disclosure The Movie: The Musical!
Bob’s Burgers • Pig Trouble In Little Tina
BoJack Horseman • The View From Halfway Down
Rick And Morty • The Vat Of Acid Episode
The Simpsons • Thanksgiving Of Horror

Outstanding Short Form Animated Program

Forky Asks A Question: What Is Love?
Robot Chicken • Santa’s Dead (Spoiler Alert) Holiday Murder Thing Special
Steven Universe Future • Fragments

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel • It’s Comedy Or Cabbage-Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce
Modern Family • Legacy-Fred Willard as Frank Dunphy
Modern Love • When Cupid Is A Prying Journalist-Dev Patel as Joshua
Saturday Night Live • Host: Adam Driver-Adam Driver as Host
Saturday Night Live • Host: Eddie Murphy-Eddie Murphy as Host
Saturday Night Live • SNL At Home #2-Brad Pitt as Dr. Anthony Fauci

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show • Angela Bassett Is The Baddest B***h-Angela Bassett as Mo
The Good Place • You’ve Changed, Man-Maya Rudolph as The Judge
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel • A Jewish Girl Walks Into The Apollo…-Wanda Sykes as Moms Mabley
The Politician • Vienna-Bette Midler as Hadassah Gold
Saturday Night Live • Host: Eddie Murphy-Maya Rudolph as Senator Kamala Harris
Saturday Night Live • Host: Phoebe Waller-Bridge-Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Host

Outstanding Actor In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series

#FreeRayshawn-Laurence Fishburne as Lt. Steven Poincy
#FreeRayshawn-Stephan James as Rayshawn
Most Dangerous Game-Christoph Waltz as Miles Sellers
Oh Jerome, No (Cake)-Mamoudou Athie as Jerome
Survive-Corey Hawkins as Paul

Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series

Dummy-Anna Kendrick as Cody
Flipped-Kaitlin Olson as Cricket Melfi
#FreeRayshawn-Jasmine Cephas Jones as Tyisha
Razor Tongue-Rain Valdez as Belle Jonas
Reno 911!-Kerri Kenney-Silver as Deputy Trudy Wiegel

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program

Making It-Amy Poehler, Co-Host, Nick Offerman, Co-Host

Nailed It!-Nicole Byer, Host

Queer Eye
Bobby Berk, Host
Karamo Brown, Host
Tan France, Host
Antoni Porowski, Host
Jonathan Van Ness, Host

RuPaul’s Drag Race-RuPaul, Host

Shark Tank
Barbara Corcoran, Host
Mark Cuban, Host
Lori Greiner, Host
Daymond John, Host
Robert Herjavec, Host
Kevin O’Leary, Host

Top Chef-Padma Lakshmi, Co-Host, Tom Colicchio, Co-Host

Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series

Better Call Saul Employee Training: Legal Ethics With Kim Wexler
AMC.com • AMC Digital Studio, Bacon & Sons Film Co.
Dan Appel, Executive Producer
Vince Gilligan, Executive Producer
Peter Gould, Executive Producer
Ariel Levine, Executive Producer
Melissa Bernstein, Executive Producer
James Heth, Producer

The Good Place Presents: The Selection
NBC • NBC
Michael Schur, Executive Producer
Morgan Sackett, Executive Producer
David Hyman, Executive Producer
Eric Kissack, Producer
Matt Quezada, Producer
Doug Smith, Producer

Most Dangerous Game
Quibi • Black Jack Films/Mayhew Pictures/Silver Reel/CBS Television Studios
Nick Santora, Executive Producer
Gero Bauknecht, Executive Producer
Gerd Schepers, Executive Producer
Gordon Gray, Executive Producer
Liam Hemsworth, Executive Producer
Phil Abraham, Executive Producer

Reno 911!
Quibi • High Sierra Carpeting / Central Productions, LLC
Thomas Lennon, Executive Producer
Robert Ben Garant, Executive Producer
Kerri Kenney-Silver, Executive Producer
John Landgraf, Executive Producer
Peter Principato, Executive Producer
David Lincoln, Producer

Star Trek: Short Treks
CBS All Access • CBS Television Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry
Entertainment
Alex Kurtzman, Executive Producer
Heather Kadin, Executive Producer
Olatunde Osunsanmi, Executive Producer
Frank Siracusa, Executive Producer
John Weber, Executive Producer
Aaron Baiers, Co-Executive Producer

Outstanding Short Form Variety Series

Beeing At Home With Samantha Bee
TBS • Jax Media with Randy and Pam’s Quality Entertainment
Samantha Bee, Executive Producer/Host
Jason Jones, Executive Producer
Allana Harkin, Co-Executive Producer
Elisa Kreisinger, Producer
Mike Drucker, Producer
Kristen Bartlett, Producer

Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis: The Movie, Sorta Uncut Interviews
Netflix • Funny Or Die
Scott Aukerman, Executive Producer
Zach Galifianakis, Executive Producer
Mike Farah, Executive Producer
Caitlin Daley, Executive Producer
Corinne Eckart, Producer

Carpool Karaoke: The Series
Apple Music • CBS Television Studios, Fulwell 73
Ben Winston, Executive Producer
James Corden, Executive Producer
Eric Pankowski, Executive Producer
David Young, Co-Executive Producer
Sheila Rogers, Supervising Producer
Diana Miller, Producer

Jimmy Kimmel’s Quarantine Minilogues
YouTube/JimmyKimmelLive • ABC Studios in association with Kimmelot
Jimmy Kimmel, Executive Producer
Jill Leiderman, Executive Producer
Molly McNearney, Co-Executive Producer
Tony Romero, Supervising Producer
Seth Weidner, Supervising Producer
Danny Ricker, Producer

The Randy Rainbow Show
YouTube • 4 Irene Productions Inc.
Randy Rainbow, Executive Producer
John Retsios, Producer
Jeff Romley, Producer
Victoria Varela, Producer

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series

Between The Scenes – The Daily Show
Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Trevor Noah, Executive Producer/Host
Jennifer Flanz, Executive Producer
Ramin Hedayati, Supervising Producer
Matt Negrin, Producer
Ryan Middleton, Producer
Jocelyn Conn, Produced by

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents: Pandemic Video Diaries
TBS • Jax Media with Randy and Pam’s Quality Entertainment
Samantha Bee, Executive Producer
Allana Harkin, Co-Executive Producer
Elisa Kreisinger, Supervising Producer
Anthony Zaccone, Producer
Caroline Dunphy, Producer

National Geographic Presents Cosmos: Creating Possible Worlds
National Geographic • Ignition Creative
Erin Newsome, Executive Producer
Sarah Lavoie, Executive Producer
Maricruz Merlo, Supervising Producer
Meghan Gleason, Producer
Matt Wizan, Producer
Tatiana Villegas, Producer

Pose: Identity, Family, Community
FX Networks • More Media Inc.
Stephanie Gibbons, Executive Producer
Sally Daws, Executive Producer
Kenna McCabe, Executive Producer
Maureen Timpa, Executive Producer
Ryan Murphy, Producer
Tanase Popa, Producer

RuPaul’s Drag Race Out Of The Closet
VH1 • VH1
Ray Hunt, Executive Producer
Brittany Travis, Executive Producer
Joseph Gerbino, Senior Producer
Robert Dominico, Producer
Nalissa Cuthbert, Producer

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

The Great-The Great (Pilot)-Matt Shakman
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-It’s Comedy Or Cabbage-Amy Sherman-Palladino
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-Marvelous Radio-Daniel Palladino
Modern Family-Finale Part 2-Gail Mancuso
Ramy-Miakhalifa.mov-Ramy Youssef
Schitt’s Creek-Happy Ending-Andrew Cividino & Daniel Levy
Will & Grace-We Love Lucy-James Burrows

Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show • Born At Night, But Not Last Night-Dime Davis
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah • Dr. Fauci Answers Trevor’s Questions About Coronavirus-David Paul Meyer
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • Episode 629-Christopher Werner
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert • Live Show; Chris Christie; Nathaniel Rateliff-Jim Hoskinson
Saturday Night Live • Host: Eddie Murphy-Don Roy King
Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready • Flame Monroe-Linda Mendoza

Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special

Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones-Stan Lathan
62nd Grammy Awards-Louis J. Horvitz
Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: “All In The Family” And “Good Times”-Pamela Fryman & Andy Fisher
Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Starring Jennifer Lopez And Shakira-Hamish Hamilton
73rd Annual Tony Awards-Glenn Weiss

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series

Curb Your Enthusiasm • Elizabeth, Margaret And Larry-Steve Rasch, ACE, Editor
Insecure • Lowkey Trying-Nena Erb, ACE, Editor, Lynarion Hubbard, Additional Editor
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel • A Jewish Girl Walks Into The Apollo…-Kate Sanford, ACE, Editor, Tim St Reeto, ACE, Editor
Schitt’s Creek • Happy Ending-Trevor Ambrose, Editor
Schitt’s Creek • Start Spreading The News-Paul Winestock, CCE, Editor
What We Do In The Shadows • Resurrection-Yana Gorskaya, ACE, Editor, Dane McMaster, Editor

Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series

The Conners • Slappy Holidays-Brian Schnuckel, ACE, Editor
One Day At A Time • Boundaries-Cheryl Campsmith, ACE, Editor
Will & Grace • We Love Lucy-Peter Beyt, ACE, Editor
Will & Grace • What A Dump-Joseph Fulton, Editor

Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah • Trump’s Coronavirus Address (Bloopers Included) And Trevor’s Audience Tribute Song
Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
Mike Choi, Editor
Tom Favilla, Editor
Nikolai Johnson, Editor
Mark Paone, Editor
Erin Shannon, Editor
Catherine Trasborg, Editor
Einar Westerlund, Editor
Robert York, Editor
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones • Netflix • Lathan TV | Pilot Boy
Jeff U’Ren, Editor

Dave Chappelle: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor
Brad Gilson, Editor
Chester G. Contaoi, Editor
Jon Alloway, Editor
Pi Ware, Package Editor
Brian Forbes, Package Editor

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • Eat Shit Bob! (segment)
Ryan Barger, Editor

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • The Journey of ChiiJohn: Chapter 2 (segment)
Anthony Miale, Editor

The Comedy Bureau Field Report Ep. 17: Steven Feinartz & The Wait to See

July 22, 2020

adultswimcon, cancel culture, directing, eddie pepitone, for the masses, jfl, snl, steven feinartz, the satellite

The Comedy Bureau Field Report welcomes its first director (of TV/film/documentary) Steven Feinartz who has helmed truly great stand-up specials and documentaries including Eddie Pepitone’s For The Masses and The Bitter Buddha. Steven zooms with TCB’s Jake Kroeger about the persisting lockdown affecting production and how he might approach shooting stand-up/comedy right at this moment. Also, they get into on comedy festivals going virtual, SNL’s possible return to studio 8H, LA’s The Satellite turning into a restaurant to survive, and a robust discussion about cancel culture and where it is now.

Follow Steven @stevenfeinartz on Twitter and Instagram and check out his filmography that also includes Please Understand Me, The Lot, and Bill Burr Presents The Ringers at stevenfeinartz.com.

SNL Planning Possible Return to Shooting in Studio This Fall

July 20, 2020

Saturday Night Live, snl

(via Variety)

Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon have already returned to some sort of stage to do their respective late night shows, which has Lorne Michaels seemingly antsy to have SNL return to Studio 8H. Also, at this point in time, NYC’s reopening seems to be go somewhat smoothly, compared to many botched reopenings across the country at the very least. What lies ahead has yet to be seen, especially since a COVID-19 vaccine isn’t available yet.

Still, rather than doing the entirely remote produced episodes of Saturday Night Live at the end of their last season, Michaels is aiming to have season 46 get closer to where they were before the pandemic took hold in America. To do this, it’s likely, similar to many TV shows that had a live audience, that no one will be sitting in the crowd to watch it live and the crew will have to be small for effective social distancing and be masked. We wouldn’t be surprised to see if this translates to more pre-taped segments versus live sketches that you’d very likely only hear crew members potentially laughing in the background.

All of these plans are merely in a hypothetical stage and nothing is set in stone and will very likely be affected based on how COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and the progress of a vaccine is coming along. That being said, if they pull off producing episodes live, it’s very likely that they will be a template themselves for other live TV shows/sketch series to attempt something with enough (or hopefully more than enough) safety measures and protocol.

Julio Torres Reveals a Rejected Sketch and One of His Oddest Moments at SNL

September 7, 2019

julio torres, late night, seth meyers, snl

Julio Torres is on his own comedic wavelength (ex. My Favorite Shapes, Los Espookys) and not easing up for anyone, which makes him all the more wonderful.

This clip from his most recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers is further proof of his otherworldly charm wherein he shares a sketch that he never got to make at SNL and how he freaked out one of the interns. Please enjoy here.

April 4, 2018

alamo drafthouse, dana carvey, dtla, mike myers, penelope spheeris, regent, snl, spaceland, wayne's world

Of the things that you could get nostalgic about from the 90s, Wayne’s World is definitely something worth revisiting in a big, dark room with friends and strangers alike, followed by an Q&A with the director.

Get tickets here for that exact thing happening next Sunday at The Regent in DTLA.

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

Win Tickets to The Gateway Show and/or Hot Tub!

February 15, 2018

comedy show, DoLA, free comedy, free tickets, jon daly, kristen schaal, los angeles, los feliz, melissa villaseñor, mid city, nick turner, silverlake, snl, ticket giveaway, tim dillon, zack bornstein

Whether you like seeing your comedy performed by people who are or are not high, we’re giving you a chance to win tickets to see some of LA’s finest sling jokes at you.

To win a pair of tickets to The Gateway Show this Friday or Hot Tub with Kurt & Kristen this coming Monday, enter here: http://thecomedybureau.dola.com/giveaways

Veep, Will & Grace, Last Week Tonight, and SNL Win at 2018 Writers Guild Awards

February 12, 2018

Veep, Will & Grace, Last Week Tonight, and SNL Win at 2018 Writers Guild Awards

hbo, last week tonight, nbc, snl, veep, wga, will and grace, writers guild awards

More specifically, the comedy winners of the 2018 Writers Guild Awards are

Comedy Series
Veep, Written by Gabrielle Allan, Rachel Axler, Ted Cohen, Jennifer Crittenden, Alex Gregory, Steve Hely, Peter Huyck, Erik Kenward, Billy Kimball, David Mandel, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Dan Mintz, Lew Morton, Georgia Pritchett, Will Smith; HBO – WINNER

Episodic Comedy
“Rosario’s Quinceanera” (Will & Grace), Written by Tracy Poust & Jon Kinnally; NBC – WINNER

Comedy/Variety Talk Series
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Writers: Tim Carvell, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Geoff Haggerty, Jeff Maurer, John Oliver, Scott Sherman, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Juli Weiner, Ben Silva, Seena Vali; HBO – WINNER

Comedy/Variety Sketch Series
Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Chris Kelly, Sarah Schneider, Bryan Tucker, Writers: James Anderson, Kristen Bartlett, Jeremy Beiler, Neal Brennan, Zack Bornstein, Joanna Bradley, Megan Callahan, Michael Che, Anna Drezen, Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Nick Kocher, Michael Koman, Dave McCary, Brian McElhaney, Dennis McNicholas, Drew Michael, Lorne Michaels, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Pete Schultz, Streeter Seidell, Will Stephen, Kent Sublette, Julio Torres; NBC Universal – WINNER

At some point, there ought to be a category for podcasts or, at the very least, ad copy/reads for podcasts.

You can get a full list of the winners here.

This Saturday, Kumail Nanjiani Will Be Hosting SNL

October 11, 2017

kumail nanjiani, Saturday Night Live, snl

Having seen Kumail work out his monologue, it might be worth your time to tune in this Saturday (or watch it the next day on YouTube).

Maybe SNL will have a more Portlandia/Silicon Valley/Big Sick/The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail vibe to it this week?

Oh yeah, here’s the first promo with Kumail!

SNL Adds Heidi Gardner, Luke Null, and Chris Redd as Featured Players and Sam Jay, Gary Richardson, Erik Marino, Andrew Dismukes, Steven Castillo, Claire Friedman and Nimesh Patel as Writers

September 26, 2017