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TCB Debriefing 11/20/23: Rachel Kaly, Tina Friml, Abso/UCB, Harley Quinn, Blair Socci
November 20, 2023
News
absolutely productions, blair socci, harley quinn, rachel kaly, Tina Friml, tonight show, ucb

1. Forget the lauded documentary Comedian, Rachel Kaly’s ATTN: CONAN O’BRIEN, a short film following her attempting to get on Conan via doing her jokes she did as a child in this NYC pay-to-play scheme (but doing so as an adult), is the thing to watch to capture “the journey” to “making it”.

2. Let the world know the true delight that is Tina Friml has arrived (via the Tonight Show).

3. Abso (otherwise known as Abso Lutely Productions, the birthplace of Tim & Eric Awesome Show) will now be under the same umbrella, often collaborating in their efforts of fostering and developing the “most adventurous” comedy, especially when it comes to UCB’s live stages in LA and the-soon-to-open NYC location. Hopefully, this means, they’ll have an updated Abso x UCB hoodie that every comedy nerd will own.

4. Harley Quinn, a heralded animated series that somehow still seems unheralded, is renewed for its fifth season. Guess some good stuff can get past David Zaslav? (via Variety)

5. TCB favorite Blair Socci is going to release her very first special, Live from the Big Dogs, on Dec. 1st via a brand new streaming platform, Veeps. You can buy a digital ticket to the premiere for $14.99 here.

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6. We’ll leave you with this: may we all have as much honesty in our lives as the track titles from André 3000’s instrumental record that just came out.

TCB Debriefing 9/7/23: Quiz Lady, Atsuko Okatsuka, Sam Jay, Dreaming Whilst Black, Fallon
September 7, 2023
News
atsuko okatsuka, dreaming whilst black, hbo, jimmy fallon, quiz lady, sam jay, tonight show

1. Awkwafina and Sandra Oh join forces for what could be a very, very fun buddy road comedy that vaguely echoes Little Miss Sunshine in Quiz Lady. Take a gander with the trailer here, then look out for it on Hulu starting Nov. 3rd.

2. The marvelous Atsuko Okatsuka is about to go back out on the road for her Full Grown Tour. So, you better go get your tickets ASAP before they sell out.

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A post shared by Atsuko Okatsuka (@atsukocomedy)

3. If you’ve been wondering what Sam Jay has been up to since it has been a minute since Pause with Sam Jay, you have your answer in the trailer for her brand new hour special, Salute Me or Shoot Me, the long awaited follow-up to 3 in the Morning. Look for it on Max starting Sept. 23rd.

4. Your favorite new British dramedy might be right around the corner with Dreaming Whilst Black from Adjani Salmon. Take a full look with its first full length trailer here, then look for it on Paramount+ (yes, this is where Showtime Anytime was headed) starting tomorrow.

5. Several of the rumblings and rumors you’ve heard from former Tonight Show staff over the last several years were effectively confirmed following a personal apology from Jimmy Fallon himself in response to a damning article published in Rolling Stone. We’re guessing that there’s more to the story of the “freak accident” of how he broke his finger and had to have a huge cast on his hand while hosting for several weeks. If you’re not already listening to Strike Force Five, now is probably a good time to get into it.

6. Apologies for missing out on a debriefing yesterday. We’re putting on two shows this month, one of which is our 13th anniversary (it’s invite only, but let us know if you want to come!).

Sure Sounds Like Jerrod Carmichael Has a Lot of Fun Up His Sleeve for Golden Globes
January 9, 2023
News
golden globes, jerrod carmichael, tonight show

If you’ve seen any promo for the upcoming Jerrod Carmichael hosted Golden Globes, you might notice that there’s a chance that it’ll be unlike any Golden Globes that has come before. It won’t be the potshot-filled roast of Ricky Gervais or the brilliant warmth and bits of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. 2023’s Golden Globes, so it would seem, will be an event since Jerrod Carmichael is dead set on doing things his way and braking any sort of previous awards host mold.

Last Friday, Jerrod went on The Tonight Show and shared just a bit of his plans (as well as a wonderfully contemptuous relationship with NBC Marketing) on his ideas of how to promote this Golden Globes. His ideas were so delightfully against-the-grain that we can only imagine that Carmichael will try to get away with whatever he can (and we can only hope that NBC and the HFPA allow him to do so).

Don’t expect a traditional late night-ish monologue or, perhaps, even staying on whatever copy is being fed through a teleprompter. If Jerrod does it how he has done things for the last couple of years, it will be both completely from the heart and so darkly funny at the same time.

Guess you’ll have to tune in on NBC or Peacock at 5PM PT/8PM ET Tues. Jan. 10th to find out.

 

Watch and Enjoy Kurt Braunohler Returning to Do Stand Up on The Tonight Show for 3rd Time
November 10, 2022
News
kurt braunohler, late night, stand up, tonight show

Stand up on late night has ticked a little closer to where it was 2019, but it’s still not a plethora of comedians that are showing off an incredibly tight 5, hoping to be called to the couch by Johnny Carson. That said, the lack of frequency makes performing on any late night show special in its own way and getting to return to the same show as a favorite to perform multiple times is even rarer accomplishment with the lack of slots going around.

So, Kurt Braunohler, fresh off the release of his latest special Perfectly Stupid, available at perfectlystupid.com, marks his 3rd set on The Tonight Show last night and delivered what we think is a classic Kurt set (some absurdly clever short jokes and examining the human condition through a ridiculous and hysterical story he went through with some perfectly chosen yelling).

Go see and enjoy it all for yourself here.

Please Enjoy All the Intersections of Sabrina Wu on Their Tonight Show Debut
October 6, 2022
News
late night, sabrina wu, stand up comedy, tonight show

While there are certain people who are going to take some time to wrap their around all the spectrums that exist for identity, it should be noted that the expanding diversity of who comedians are these days had led to many deeply funny bits that we’ve never seen before as opposed to interchangeable bits about dating or taking Lyft/Uber.

Sabrina Wu is delightful, charming proof of this as shown by their set from last night’s Tonight Show. Being Chinese, trans, queer, and pretty good at sound effects amount to a very, very strong debut late night set. Sabrina managed a pretty hilarious contrast of being deeply vulnerable and silly and wove that into every bit of every facet of their identity. It’s an indelible set of, hopefully, many more to come.

See for yourself and watch Sabrina’s Tonight Show debut here.

Please Enjoy ATL’s Katherine Blanford and Her Late Night Debut on The Tonight Show
August 4, 2022
News
katherine blanford, late night, stand up comedy, tonight show

If you don’t already know about how great the comedy scene is in Atlanta, let this serve as a friendly reminder that plenty of great comedians are right there right now in addition to the wealth of headliners that come through their healthy stable of comedy clubs/theaters/venues. Both Joe Zimmerman and Andy Sandford came out of ATL and are now very solid staples of NYC’s stand-up scene.

Katherine Blanford is a shining star in Atlanta’s scene and showed exactly why, as well as repping for Atlanta comedy, on The Tonight Show last night. Blanford’s dazzling charisma, homespun, down-to-earth delivery, and her plentiful, sharply written punchlines put on quite the debut for a late night set (and we have no doubt that there will be more to come).

With that all said, please enjoy Katherine Blanford’s first Tonight Show set here.

Please Enjoy Emil Wakim’s Late Night Debut on The Tonight Show
April 6, 2022
News
emil wakim, late night, stand up comedy, tonight show

It’s still a toss up as to which late night show will take the baton from Conan to most prominently feature stand-up during an episode. Thankfully, in the race that’s mainly between Corden and Fallon, plenty of great comedians are getting highlighted and really getting to do their thing.

NYC’s Emil Wakim is the latest to make their late night debut and Wakim really plays with the negative space (i.e. for comedy, extended pauses and dramatic passages) while painting a honest image of his intersectional biracial identity. It’s a pretty fun, very confident late night debut and you should give it a watch here.

Please Enjoy Rojo Perez’s Set on The Tonight Show
June 28, 2021
News
late night, rojo perez, stand up comedy, tonight show

Just performed last week, Rojo fabulously continued the pretty robust featuring of stand-up comedy on Fallon.

In fact, that might be the part of The Tonight Show these days, especially since they feature comedians, seemingly, on a weekly basis where no other late night show (as Conan has come to a close) does so.

Perez had a tight set on what he has been through this time, showing that it is neither too soon to talk about something so sensitive to anybody and that a well-worn topic like the pandemic can still be territory for jokes and stories. Also, kudos to him really taking on quite the dashing look in this set (more so than any other look on a late night set in recent memory).

With that said, please enjoy Rojo’s set here.

Please Enjoy Graham Kay’s Latest Late Night Set on The Tonight Show
June 22, 2021
News
fallon, graham kay, late night, stand up, tonight show

As we come towards the other side of the pandemic, there are, unmistakably, things that haven’t changed one bit. While that’s alarming in some regards (i.e. people living life as if nothing happened in the last year and a half), there are many things that we’re glad to see weather lockdown intact.

Graham Kay and his comedy stylings are very much still sharp and on point as we remember them. Kay put them on display for his second late night set in his career (the first one was on Colbert), appearing on The Tonight Show last night. He even pulled one of his go-to stories, which he came up with years before the pandemic, but still made it sound fresh. That is truly a feat, especially while on camera for late night.

With all of that said, please enjoy Graham’s Tonight Show set here.

Please Enjoy Emmy Blotnick Espouse the True Joys of Weighted Blankets on The Tonight Show
April 20, 2021
News
emmy blotnick, late night, stand up, tonight show, weighted blanket

As things are supposedly reopening for the umpteenth time, there does seem to be, at least partially, a sense that we can pick up right where we left off long, long ago at the beginning of 2020.

There is world beyond the pandemic (even though it’s still not over) and, in regards to doing stand-up comedy on late night, which is probably as topical as stand-up comedy gets on linear television without your very own show, there is room to talk about things like weighted blankets.

(Also, if you’re worried about people not talking about “what’s going on”, trust that there will be more than plenty of comedy about COVID-19, white supremacy, etc. that will be written and performed for several years to come.)

Case in point: Emmy Blotnick‘s absolutely terrific latest late night appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon wherein she details the marvelous virtues of owning a weighted blanket. It’s among one of the funniest sets of stand-up sets we’ve seen in awhile and it’s almost like you could have seen this in Jan. 2020 just like you’re watching it now in Apr. 2021 and it’s just as sharply funny in both times and places.

That’s a testament how damn funny Emmy is. With that said, enjoy Emmy Blotnick on The Tonight Show here.

 

Please Enjoy Mary Beth Barone Doing Stand Up in Studio on The Tonight Show
March 24, 2021
News
jimmy fallon, late night, mary beth barone, stand up comedy, tonight show

Over the last few weeks, the tides of late night have shifted towards doing in studio tapings again (though that’s not all of them quite yet).

For Fallon and The Tonight Show gang, there have been back in Studio 6B in 30 Rock and have just started featuring live stand-up on their stage once more (as opposed to being done remotely on a ferry or in some other club in a different state or an outdoor show). They recently had Mike Vecchione as the first comedian to perform yards away from Jimmy and, last night, Mary Beth Barone delivered a terrific set that very much feels like a throwback to pre-pandemic times (hearing other people laugh not through Zoom and the like), yet is so wryly and cleverly of the moment.

Please enjoy Mary Beth’s set here.

Please Enjoy Kenice Mobley’s Top Notch Debut on Tonight Show
February 25, 2021
News
kenice mobley, stand up comedy, tonight show

With all the things that are going on at this moment in time, it is indeed so very hard it is to do comedy right now, arguably harder than any other time in our lifetimes. So, trying to do stand-up on late night, for all the hurdles that you would have to clear to do it at all right now (and still dare to do it during the pandemic), is a whole other level of difficulty that no one could have possibly imagined a year and a half ago.

NYC’s Kenice Mobley delivered such a finely tuned set for her first time (remotely and very likely a tiny audience) on The Tonight Show that it should be doubly noted for her stellar delivery and execution of it. Mobley has been a NYC comedy favorite for years now. Without the pandemic, she probably would have gotten to played plenty of cities across the country at this point.

Hopefully, this set will be thoroughly enjoyed and remembered when things can open, safely, in earnest.

Watch and enjoy Kenice’s debut set on The Tonight Show here.

Watch Mark Normand Do a Tonight Show Set on The Staten Island Ferry
January 11, 2021
News
fallon, mark normand, stand up, tonight show

In case you didn’t know from the several months of lockdown that we’ve gone through and the several more that we will have to go through, comedy venues and live performance venues of all kinds have gone dark. What that entails from these establishments and the performers who take to their stages continues to be very uncertain.

Thus, in 2021, if you want to perform stand-up, you still have to be very outside-the-box as Mark Normand has handily done for his latest late night set on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Normand took to performing on the deck of the Staten Island Ferry, socially distant to a masked crowd in the open air as the crossed the water. It’s a far cry from the bright lights of Fallon’s studio where he tapes The Tonight Show, but that’s what we’re all afforded right now.

Of course, Normand still has a bunch of one-liners at the ready to effectively narrate the short ferry journey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Give Mark’s set a watch here.

Nate Bargatze Just Did the First Late Night Stand-Up Set During the COVID-19 Pandemic Last Week
October 12, 2020
News
comedy history, nate bargatze, tonight show

Since lockdown started, late night talk shows have been holding on any which they could to keep going, though they have had to experiment with every facet of their format to do so. Not being able to have guests in studio with them or even being in studio has hindered a lot of what late night used to be, especially when it comes to featuring stand-up comedy.

Stand-up comedy, as it was traditionally done, especially on late night is one of the last things that will get to return to “normal” if that even is in the cards post-pandemic. Still, that doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen again or that it can’t be reimagined or done differently to keep the art form, and its performers that are bound to it, going.

Just this past week, the delightful Nate Bargatze got to perform stand-up on The Tonight Show, the first set in all of late night since March before everything shut down. Bargatze was in another venue altogether and not even anywhere near NYC, back in studio where Fallon was broadcasting from. Bargatze was in Huntsville, Alabama at Stand-Up Live with a limited capacity, socially distanced audience.

Not much is seen of the crowd in the set, but this does seem a far cry from that unfortunate set by D.L. Hughley at Zanies Nashville where he fainted on set. This set up isn’t too dissimilar from how Jimmy Kimmel Live was featuring stand-up by taping sets in Vegas at Kimmel’s comedy club before COVID-19 (maybe he’ll do that again?)

Nate doesn’t miss a step with his signature cool, calm, collected observations about the minutia of life right now, which is more impressive with a deadly virus still holding its grasp firmly on the world’s population. As far as a first late night stand-up set during this pandemic to set a tone, a benchmark, it’s pretty damn good. It underscores the importance of comedy in processing tragedy and horror in not only giving catharsis to folks on collectively shared tension, but connecting us on such common ground at a time that we’ve all been as divided and isolated as we’ve ever been.

Please enjoy Nate’s latest set on The Tonight Show and the first stand-up set on a late night talk show since the pandemic started in America here

Please Enjoy a Much Needed Dose of Jo Firestone with Another Tonight Show Set
February 11, 2020
Uncategorized
jo firestone, late night, stand up comedy, tonight show

“See Jo Firestone” should be an additional definition to the word “delightful” in any and all dictionaries. 

Firestone got to return to the Tonight Show stage for her second set in front of Fallon. You can’t help but smile and laugh at as well as really consider the true demographic of women’s clothing company Ann Taylor. 

Enjoy Jo Firestone on The Tonight Show here.

Please Enjoy Carmen Lynch’s Latest Set on Fallon
January 27, 2020
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carmen lynch, late night, stand up comedy, tonight show

Last Friday, Carmen Lynch showed yet again that she can really craft and deliver a hilarious classic late night set on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Callbacks, misdirection, and overall great joke structure and delivery are all on display here in addition to the charm of Carmen’s low-key persona and incredibly expressive eyes (used marvelously to comedic effect).

So, please enjoy Carmen Lynch’s latest late night set here. 

Please Enjoy Jessica Kirson’s Set on The Tonight Show
November 25, 2019
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jessica kirson, late night, stand up comedy, tonight show

Man oh man, the many voices and asides (literal asides from herself to herself) from Jessica Kirson are such a delight in this set from this late night set on last week’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It’s the perfect preview for her special Talking to Myself premiering on Comedy Central on Dec. 6th at midnight.

Please watch and enjoy Jessica Kirson on The Tonight Show here.

Please Enjoy Megan Gailey’s Set on The Tonight Show
November 6, 2019
Uncategorized
late night, megan gailey, stand up comedy, tonight show

Megan Gailey just released a great album this week, My Dad Paid For This and offered a more fine comedy wares with her set on The Tonight Show from last night. 

This set is a pretty great bookend to the album as Megan demands that she be engaged on her album by the time of its release and is now, in fact, engaged. Gailey’s just a few steps ahead always.

Please enjoy the set here. 

Please Enjoy a Very Classic Looking Late Night Set from Ryan Hamilton
September 11, 2019
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late night, ryan hamilton, stand up, tonight show

In a slick silver suit, on The Tonight Show, and executing a flawless delivery on very well crafted 5 min. set, Ryan Hamilton almost seems a throwback to the Johnny Carson’s days on the Tonight Show.

That being said, the set itself has a certain timeless quality and probably would have killed in the 70s too. See Ryan’s set from last night’s Tonight Show for yourself here.

Julio Torres Previews His Upcoming Special “My Favorite Shapes”
August 7, 2019
Uncategorized
fallon, hbo special, julio torres, my favorite shapes, prop comedy, stand up comedy, tonight show

Julio Torres has been having quite the 2019 with Los Espookys, writing on SNL, and his own stand-up.

Perhaps, his own upcoming comedy special, My Favorite Shapes, set to premiere on HBO this Sat. Aug. 10th at 10:30PM will be the biggest splash for Julio this year as he is doing an entire special where he, as the title suggests, presents his most favorite shapes. 

You’ve seen a bit of what he has in store in the My Favorite Shapes trailer, but Julio gave an extended preview of what to expect on last night’s Tonight Show and it was pretty glorious. 

In fact, Julio might have just brought the avant garde to prop comedy. 
April 22, 2019
Uncategorized
fallon, jess salomon, late night, stand up comedy, tonight show

Please Enjoy Jess Salomon’s American Late Night Debut on The Tonight Show

It’s undeniable that Jess Salomon’s smile and energy is infectious (would it surprise you to know that she’s Canadian?). On top of that, she has a wildly fascinating life story (we don’t want to ruin it, but where she came from to comedy and the woman she married could make for a pretty enticing memoir), which makes her debut on The Tonight Show, pretty memorable. 

Please enjoy her set here.

Jo Firestone Shouts Out Mamma Mia 2 and Also Delivers Another Great Late Night Set
January 27, 2019
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fallon, late night, stand up, tonight show

Jo Firestone, always one to eschew from convention, prefaced her set on the last Tonight Show this past week with some “praise” for Mamma Mia 2. Then, she went into her set with her signature charming offbeat style for a great set that makes you want to hear Jo kind of talk about anything and everything.

Please enjoy it here.

Please Enjoy Jaboukie Young-White’s Second Tonight Show Set
October 11, 2018
Uncategorized
fallon, jaboukie young white, stand up, tonight show

Behind the sweet face of Jaboukie Young-White is a clever, mischievous (yet, also still sweet) sense of humor. It’s the thing that has carried him to a big following online, TV writing gigs,  and this second set on the Tonight Show from last week. 

For us, the closer on this set is stellar.

Watch and enjoy it here.

So, It Looks Like Hannah Gadsby Won’t Be Quitting Comedy
July 26, 2018
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hannah gadsby, tonight show

Hannah Gadsby, the voice behind the groundbreaking special Nanette (wherein she shockingly stated that she had to quit comedy), made it pretty clear during her appearance on last night’s Tonight Show that she will not be leaving comedy.

“I said I was quitting and if I quit, I’m an idiot, now. 

So, we’re not quite sure what, when, where Gadsby’s next work will be, but you can look forward to something from her in the future.

Also, enjoy Hannah setting and maintaining her signature tone/presence during this interview aside the always giddy Jimmy Fallon.

Mark Normand Serves Up Another Classic Late Night Set on the Tonight Show
July 17, 2018
Uncategorized
late night, mark normand, mental health, stand up, tonight show

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Mark Normand’s style, writing, cadence, persona, etc. are kind of perfect for the demanding nature of doing stand-up on a late night talk show.

His tight writing, structure, and transitions (and the fact that he dons a suit) calls back to a sort of a classic tight 5 on Carson (this set just happens to be a bit over 5 min. FYI). 

In any case, you should enjoy Normand’s set here.

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