ucb

Watch The Death of, Not a Salesman, But a Content Creator

arthur miller, content creator, death of a saleman, greg roman, jocelyn deboer, nick ciarelli, olivia norman, parody, ucb, upright citizens brigade, will reese

Just like Arthur Miller saw how living the ‘American way’ became a fallacy and wrote Death of a Saleman, UCB LA Digital’s Will Reese, Nick Ciarelli, and Bradford Evans sees how trying to make a living off of attempting to make viral videos has become something very similar.

Watch as Greg Roman, Jocelyn DeBoer, and Olivia Norman try to keep it together in the 2010s on the hopes that the views of a parody video will cross into the seven figure thresh hold.

Emily Maya Mills Is Recording Her Debut Comedy Album This Month

ast records, comedy album, emily maya mills, taping, ucb

AST Records is at it again, this time with Emily Maya Mills.

By “it”, we mean recording another debut stand-up album from a comedian that we’ve had the distinct privilege of seeing all the time here in LA.

Emily will doing said taping at UCB Franklin on May 21st at 8PM and you shouldn’t miss it as it’ll surely be a hilarious night where the ethereal is juxtaposed with the absurdities of life.

Big Grande Gets a Round at Funny or Die’s “Test Tube”

big grande, dan lippert, drew tarver, funny or die, jon mackey, ryan rosenberg, sketch comedy, test tube, ucb

Please enjoy what could very well be a sketch series pilot for Big Grande.

In the same ballpark of IFC’s Comedy Crib, Funny or Die has their own sketch group incubation initiative with the Funny or Die Test Tube. They handpick groups and then give them a little scratch and they put together sketches and whatever else they want to put together.

UCB’s Big Grande put together over 20 minutes worth of sketches that we’d love to see be a pilot somewhere.

“Ménage à Trois Radio” Makes Some Great Retro Dating Profile Videos That Will Make Modern Dating Seem Slightly Less Awful

connor ratliff, dating profile videos, diana kolsky, menage a trois radio, murf meyer, neil casey, parody, retro, romance wranglers, shannon o'neill, ucb

Feeling like making an online dating profile is waste of time and are losing faith in finding love? Well, we don’t have a solution for that, but these Ménage à Trois Radio Romance Wranglers retro dating profile videos should make you feel better.

Murf Meyer and Diana Kolsky host a real steamy love and relationship show called Ménage à Trois Radio and, for some fun, they made these old school dating profile videos featuring the likes of Neil Casey, Shannon O’Neill, Connor Ratliff and so many more funny folks.

Like we said, Romance Wranglers won’t cure your troubles with Tinder or OK Cupid, but you’ll definitely will feel better knowing you could be doing worse with whoever you’re matched up with.

Watch it here, here, or more over here.

UCB’s Goldwater Asks You To Take a Trip Into The Woods Lovely, Dark, and Deep and Also A Little Strange

February 8, 2015

connor ratliff, goldwater, robert frost, ucb, woods

UCB’s Goldwater aims to make short films rather than short web video/sketches and, consequently, ends up making something usually funny, sweet, with a touch of the ethereal.

Their latest short “The Woods are Lovely, Dark and Deep” hits those marks pretty well. We hope this is the sort of wood that Robert Frost was talking about in that poem.

If You Think You Know a Stupid Cowboy, The Midnight Show Knows One That’s Stupider

January 15, 2015

cowboy, midnight show, stupid cowboy, ucb

Well, not much else to explain here apart from the headline.

Enjoy the always amazing Midnight Show and their Stupid Cowboy.

UCB LA Envisions a Police Procedural Made by Your Dad Who Is Worried About You

November 26, 2014

father's day, parody, police procedural, ucb, upright citizens brigade

This Thanksgiving is a time of, if anything, compulsory familial interaction and conversation. All in attendance probably mean well and just aren’t sure how to communicate especially in such a forced situation.

Perhaps, you’d get a better idea of what you’re dad is trying to telling you through “his version” of a police procedural thanks to UCB’s digital team here in LA.

UCB’s Beige Knows How to Give a Farewell

November 24, 2014

beige, ucb, upright citizens brigade

If you ever have to part ways with any sort of group, hope that this sketch from UCB’s Beige in NYC is how that they send you off.

If that is how you get a farewell, you must be part of one hell of a sketch group.

Look How Much Fun You Could Be Having With Paul F. Tompkins’ Dead Authors Podcast

November 15, 2014

dead authors, hg wells, mary holland, paul f tompkins, ucb, virginia woolf

For quite some time now, Paul F. Tompkins has been playing the role of the late author H.G. Wells in a live show called Dead Authors that is performed live once a month at UCB Franklin. As the show is called Dead Authors, there is another comedian that plays another dead author that has, through Wells’ fictionalized time machine, been brought to the present day to chat with Wells in a front an audience at a comedy theater. In short, it’s one hell of a good time.

Also, Dead Authors is now anachronistically a podcast as well that you should most certainly subscribe too.

Just take a look how much fun Paul and Mary Holland who is in the role of Virginia Woolf are having just trying to promote a single episode.

IFC Launches Their Own Hub For Digital Content “Comedy Crib” with UCB and Above Average

November 13, 2014

above average, clickbait, clickbait overload, comedy crib, ifc, ucb

Since IFC has really hit its stride over the last few years in their rebranding of their cable network towards comedy with Portlandia, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Maron, and more, they would be remiss if they didn’t have an outlet to regularly produce content online.

So, they fixed that with their new Comedy Crib, which will feature videos and series from the likes of UCB and Above Average.

One such series is Clickbait Overload where UCB challenges their very own to produce a clickbait video in 6 hours from a random topic and genre.

It’s pretty fun. Watch the first episode here and get into the rest of IFC’s Comedy Crib here.

Need Halloween Costume Ideas While Your Life Is Spiraling Out of Control? Let LASH Help You Out

October 23, 2014

diy costumes, halloween, halloween costume tips, langan kingsley, lash, parody, ucb, upright citizens brigade

Halloween is next week and many already have their costumes planned out and probably put together.

A good portion of us don’t have that type of time or enthusiasm for life in general, so UCB’s LASH is here to help you out.

Well, we’re using the term “help” very liberally here.

UCB Sunset Having Its Grand Opening on Nov. 1st, Inner Sanctum Cafe Open Now

October 15, 2014

ucb, ucb sunset, ucb theatre, upright citizens brigade

If you live in LA, you’ve probably driven past the new Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and Training Center on Sunset Blvd. several times, wondering when it’s going to open.

Actually, you can go in right now as there’s a cafe called Inner Sanctum that’s been open for around a week already. However, according to LA Weekly’s interview with Matt Besser, the grand opening, complete with live performances will be on Nov. 1st.

We’re excited for this space and what it has to offer as, just from the naked eye, it looks bigger than the UCB Theatre on Franklin and it’s not that far at all from there either (5 min. drive). Also, this is only part of a new wave of comedy specific performance spaces that are just now opening throughout LA like The Clubhouse.

We’ll be sure to tell you when UCB Sunset’s schedule is up.

Adam Newman Gets Interrupted by NYPD During Stand-Up Set

October 13, 2014

adam newman, heckler, nypd, ucb

Well, people often forget that the saying “lightning never strikes twice” actually goes “lightning never strikes the same place twice”.

Adam Newman is figurative proof that lightning can strike twice in two different places. Last year, he found cocaine in the jacket pocket of a disruptive audience member last year and recently, was just stopped dead cold in the middle of a stand-up set to the NYPD bursting into UCB Chelsea.

On top of that, Adam was apparently making a tape to submit to do a set on Conan. Honestly, it would be pretty great to see a late night set where the cops burst in and the comedian had to deal with it (real or rehearsed).

The Audiobook Version of Amy Poehler’s Yes Please Will Have a Chapter Recorded Live at UCB LA Tonight

September 4, 2014

amy poehler, live reading, ucb, ucb la, upright citizens brigade, yes please

Amy Poehler will be doing something atypical of audiobooks, but probably should be done more often: reading live.

Her upcoming book Yes Please set for release on Oct. 28th is currently on pre-order and she is, tonight, reading a chapter in front of a live audience at the UCB Theatre here in LA, which sure is to be a good time for both the audience and the listener later. Maybe future audiobooks might be done entirely in multiple sessions in front of live crowds?

For now, the reservations for Poehler’s live reading are full, but there is a wait list right now.

UCB Digital Shows Why There Probably Aren’t 100% Historically Accurate American Girl Dolls

September 1, 2014

american girl doll, parody, ucb, upright citizens brigade

For most kids with dolls, they’re at an age where the complexities of American History that is riddled with war, slavery, etc. are probably not easily understood or enjoyed. That’s probably why a 100% accurate story behind American Girl Dolls isn’t told.

Well, UCB Digital is here to fill in that missing part of the story as they showcase the full backstories of a few of dolls that “lived” vastly different lives (i.e. it’s not all smiles when class and race become involved).

Earwolf Will Be Taping and Releasing Daniel Van Kirk’s The Wahlberg Solution

August 13, 2014

daniel van kirk, earwolf, mark wahlberg, mark wahlberg impression, ucb

By this point, we’d hope you’d be familiar with Daniel Van Kirk’s mastered and hilarious impression of Mark Wahlberg that he’s done anywhere from Comic-Con to Set List: The Improvised Stand Up Show.

He’s now doing an entire show on Aug. 21st at 7PM at UCB LA as Mark Wahlberg with the following description: Musician, Model, Actor, Producer, Entrepreneur, Inspiration, Better Than You. After decades of using his knowledge to only benefit himself, Mark Wahlberg has teamed up with other celebrities and famous friends for “The Wahlberg Solution!” a round-table discussion of current news and events that will sort out the world’s problems as only A-List celebrities can.

It will be called The Wahlberg Solution and will feature Emily Maya Mills, Madeline Walter, and Kenny Stevenson as various “celebrity friends”, but, more importantly, Earwolf is recording this live performance that they will later release for all of us not lucky enough to be at UCB LA next Thurs.

How To Get Ready! (For Your Daily Grind at Your Unpaid Internship)

how to, langan kingsley, lash, morning start, ucb

UCB’s Lash shows you how to start your day off right, provided that your day is going to the emotional drain and constant sense of feeling ovewhelmed that an unpaid internship can be.

Langan Kingsley and these tips should make you be able to survive another day going to a 9-5 job that you’re doing completely for free.

So, UCB Is Going to Have a New Space Near Sunset Blvd. x Western Ave.

hollywood, los angeles, sunset, theatre, ucb, upright citizens brigade, western

So, UCB Is Going to Have a New Space Near Sunset Blvd. x Western Ave.

There’s a building on the north side of Sunset Blvd., less than a block East of Western Ave. that has Upright Citizen Brigade posted on it in big bold letters. We’re guessing that’s it going to be a supplementary performance space for UCB, but no official announcement has been made.

However, new businesses can try to get in on being next to this new space, whatever it is.

Here’s The Schedule for This Year’s Del Close Marathon in NYC

ben schwartz, broad city, chris gethard, dcm, dcm16, del close marathon, ucb

Here’s The Schedule for This Year’s Del Close Marathon in NYC

That time of year is upon on us once again where non-stop improv will last an entire weekend across several venues throughout NYC. That’s right the Del Close Marathon is set for Jun. 27th all the way through the 29th and will feature Ben Schwartz, Diamond Lion, Chris Gethard, The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Key & Peele Writers, BriTANick, Broad City, ASSSSCAT, and so much more.

You might want to get some rest in for this.

USA’s “Playing House” Does Live Improv at UCB

improv, jessica st clair, lennon parham, long form, playing house, ucb

Several weeks ago, Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham from the very funny series Playing House performed an evening of long form improv at the UCB Theatre here in LA. They rounded up the hilarious likes Zach Woods, Jason Mantzoukas, Brad Morris, and Joe Wengert to join them on stage for their scenes, which they made clear that they won’t be from the show, but will be like how they write the show.

We just hope TV shows with wonderful improvisers keep doing this sort of thing. Give part of a scene a watch here.

UCB Is Launching UCB Studios and UCB Digital

studios, ucb, upright citizens brigade

UCB Comedy is expanding its reach even further than it already has with UCB Studios and UCB Digital. 9 new digital teams selected by UCB will develop and produce comedic content out of this 3,243 sq. ft. space in NYC.

From sketches to longer form projects, UCB will be able to do more things entirely in house, which should prove useful after partnering with Above Average and Nerdist.

We’re excited to see what they do with an entire studio.

Above Average and UCB Comedy Are Partnering Up

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Above Average and UCB Comedy Are Partnering Up

UCB Comedy will now be an official partner of Above Average and have videos appear on the Above Average YouTube channel.

Slowly, but surely, online content is getting more organized and cache for a purely online audience is being built more and more everday.

Ian Roberts & Jay Martel To Be Showrunners on TV Land Comedy Pilot ‘Teachers’

alison brie, ian roberts, jay martel, key & peele, tv land, ucb

Ian Roberts & Jay Martel To Be Showrunners on TV Land Comedy Pilot ‘Teachers’

Ian Roberts, who you should know as one of the UCB 4, along with Jay Martel are producers on Key & Peele that will be headed over to TV Land to work on a comedy pilot entitled ‘Teachers’ produced by Alison Brie.

Hopefully, as the project is set in a school, we wonder if Key & Peele would mispronounce white kids’ names while taking roll in some sort of a cameo.

Here’s the Live Read of Space Jam with Blake Griffin as MJ and Seth Green as a Thug Bugs Bunny

blake griffin, live read, paul scheer, ralph garman, seth green, space jam, ucb

Sean O’Connor and Jensen Karp have been doing a series of live reads at UCB Theatre here in LA and they’re latest one brings back the 90’s “classic” Space Jam.

Seth Green plays an alternative Bugs Bunny, Nick Kroll plays Daffy Duck, Blake Griffin plays Michael Jordan, Paul Scheer plays Wayne Knight’s role, Ralph Garman does Porky Pig and more, and DeAndre Jordan nails playing Charles Barkley.

UCB’s Beige Does Some Spanish Homework, Sort Of…

beige, commercial, homework, sketch, spanish, ucb

If you can’t understand Spanish, then it might be a little difficult to understand your homework assignment in Spanish class.

UCB’s Beige take that idea to all new heights. Watch what you should have been doing in Spanish/any foreign language class here.