veeps – The Comedy Bureau

TCB Debriefing 7/21-8/10: Roy Wood Jr. on CNN, Inside Out TV Series, Saturday Night Trailer+++

1. Roy Wood Jr. will be hosting his own topical panel show on, not Comedy Central, but CNN with Have I Got News For You. While The Daily Show did get Jon Stewart back, there is an unmistakable feeling that they missed out here.

2. Disney’s own version of Comic Con, D23, is this weekend and the big takeaway is that Mickey and company will be sticking with their big hits from Pixar in the form of an Inside Out series, another sequel to The Incredibles, and another sequel to Toy Story (which begs the question how much more existential crises can they explore through the nature of sentient toys).

3. Let’s call that a take 2 on Studio 60, but this time, from Jason Reitman that actually tackles the origin story of SNL head on (and it looks pretty damn great). Take a gander at the trailer for Saturday Night here, then look for it in theaters come Oct. 11th.

4. Adam Sandler took a big leap into the Safdie Brothers’ world when diving into Uncut Gems, and Josh Safdie is returning the favor by directing Sandler’s latest stand-up special, Love You (take a look at the trailer here). Let’s see if this leads to a Safdie Brothers slapstick comedy. Love You will hit Netflix later this month on Aug. 27th.

5. The High Plains Comedy Festival in Denver, CO is still one of the very best comedy festivals around (and is coming up soon on Sept. 19th-21st). Peep their first line-up announcement! THEN, go get your fest passes here.

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6. Given how truly insane the winds of change feels these days, a wave of absurdism/non-sequitur/unapologetic deconstructionist satire in a comedy special (as opposed to more litanies of crowd-work-fueled comedy specials) feels more than needed. Fortunately, Carmen Christopher has come through with his latest and very hilarious special Live from the Windy City that serves up many shots of all those ingredients in addition to thankfully showcasing Christopher’s stand up chops in a non-COVID-socially-distanced setting. If you’re any level of fan of I Think You Should Leave, you might recognized Carmen from a sketch or two and, as such, you’re really going to dig Live from the Windy City (after all, Tim Robinson does have his name attached to this special). Live from the Windy City is now streaming on VEEPS and you can (and should) stream it here.

7. While Abbott Elementary has the hearts and minds of America’s primetime viewing audience, FX is giving the high school work place comedy its own treatment with English Teacher from Brian Jordan Alvarez (that seems to have the same very satisfying bite that Election had over 20 years ago). Also, Sean Patton as Markie might be TV’s latest scene stealer. See for yourself with the trailer here, then look for the premiere on FX/Hulu on Sept. 2nd.

8. James Adomian, who voices many of your favorite adult animated series, is one of comedy’s best minds and voices and has been for years now. Thankfully, his very first hour special is due out on 800 Pound Gorilla on Aug. 16th and then, for everyone, on Sept. 19th. Please enjoy his retro comedy special trailer for Path of Most Resistance here.

9. After having some of the very best moments in season 1 of White Lotus, Natasha Rothwell is taking center stage with her very own series How to Die Alone, a comedy following a carpe-diem-turn for a woman who is afraid to fly, but works an airport. See what Natasha has up her sleeve with the trailer for How To Die Alone here, then look for it exclusively on Hulu come Sept. 13th.

10. Both Punkie Johnson and Molly Kearney are leaving SNL, which means the new cast announcement for the next season might be big (and plenty diverse).

11. Ramy Youssef has signed a first look deal with Netflix, which is yet another step for the rising comedy star. Note that this doesn’t mean he has the answer to achieving peace in the Middle East (only great jokes about it).

12. Quinta Brunson and Stephanie Hsu are teaming up on a comedy feature for Universal. No plot details are available at this time, which leaves us to assume that it’s about a multiverse of public schools that also don’t have enough funding.

13. It’s about time there was a Mitch Hedberg documentary especially considering that he set an intention of telling jokes without references so he could be timeless. Keep an eye out for this doc from 222-2222 Films.

13. While Chloe Radcliffe is in Edinburgh right now racking up well deserved acclaimed for her marvelous solo show, CHEAT, let’s not forget that Chloe is really damn good at stand-up. See her Don’t Tell set here for proof.

14. Not only is the fifth season of Solar Opposites around the corner (Aug. 12th on Hulu) and it just got renewed for another season, but it seems as any lingering controversy with Justin Roiland’s exit is well in the rear view mirror. All looks like a well oiled machine in this trailer for the new season.

15. In addition to Sam Morril making his Amazon debut with his brand spankin’ new special You’ve Changed, there’s, essentially, a bonus track of crowd work/material available exclusively on newly forged comedian streaming platform PunchUp called “Buying Drinks”. If you loved Sam’s rooftop stuff, you’ll love this.

16. In addition to doing a sharply honed high school comedy, it would seem FX is angling on a Gen-Z version of Friends with their new series, Snowflakes. Shout out to comedian Malik Elassal has is kind of having a banner year in 2024.

17. We don’t know how many seasons What We Do In the Shadows will ultimately go, but thank goodness Danny McBride is getting to work on adapting his own vampire comedy from Grady Hendrix’s book The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.

18. While a return to pure comedy might seem unlikely for acclaimed horror director Jordan Peele, him taking on prank series Scare Tactics is a welcome dip back into comedy. Look for Peele to possibly revolutionize prank shows later this Fall on USA Network.

19. We’ll leave you with this: Free tickets to John Early @ The Bellwether on 9/17 anyone? Yes? Hit us up at thecomedybureau@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can hook you up.

TCB Debriefing 6/15/24-6/24/24: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, Reggie Watts, Alex Edelman, Onika McLean, Between the Temples, Elijah Wood, John Hastings, Marge Simpson/Nancy MacKenzie, Space Balls, Resident Alien, What’s Funny Fest, Murray Hill, Eric Idle, Eugene Mirman, Mr. Bean, Free Eric Andre Tix

1. Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. We’re sold on just the title alone (and how charming that it’s also French). It definitely feels like part of the Last Lovers Left Alive side of the vampire comedies. Please enjoy the trailer here. If you’re digging it, it’s rolling out in limited release now.

2. It has almost been a decade since the brilliant Reggie Watts has released a proper new hour, but, thankfully, we’re not going to reach that decade mark. Watts’ new comedy special Never Mind is set to premiere on VEEPS (the new streaming service of du jour it would seem) next month. Take a gander of what sort of esoteric hijinks Watts gets into this time with the trailer for Never Mind here.

3. Alex Edelman officially won a damn Tony for his nearly unbelievable solo show, Just For Us. May this set a precedent for more stand-ups to win Tonys for their shows about how they put their lives on the line just out of curiosity amongst other things.

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4. In and around, high and low, and all around the five boroughs, Onika McLean is a name you’ll see all around the NYC comedy scene and that’s largely because she’s killing it wherever she goes with a sweetness-tinged honesty. See what New Yorkers get to see all the time with her set from Don’t Tell here.

5. Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane together and it’s not a Wes Anderson movie? Take a gander at what might be an extremely charming comedy of later age comedy from Nathan Silver, Between the Temples, here, then look for it in theaters very soon.

5. Elijah Wood spent so many years of his life in New Zealand playing Frodo Baggins in the monumental cinematic achievement that is the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and he is now set to kind of flip that experience by returning to NZ in a film where he plays a “washed up Las Vegas illusionist” looking for a mythical panther (ok, so maybe it’s kind of the same?) in the upcoming Bookworm (Deadline).

6. John Hastings has put a special that’s actually more of a fascinating documentary about how well-read and sharp he is at crowd work no matter where he is in the world. It’s almost as if there were some sort of crowd work decathlon, you might want to put your money on Hastings. See why with his special John Hastings: The Times They Are a John Hastings here.

7. The voice of Marge Simpson, Nancy MacKenzie, has passed away at 81 (Deadline). RIP and let it be known that we’re not interested in an AI generated sound alike of Marge.

8. A sequel to Mel Brooks’ landmark Star Wars parody, Space Balls, is in the works with Josh Gad set to star (Variety). What are the odds that this sequel is called Space Balls: The Foreskin Awakens?

9. Resident Alien, the current show you can watch Alan Tudyk put on a clinic when it comes to comedic character acting, is getting fourth season, though it will be at USA Network rather than SyFy (THR). This announcement will probably double as a reminder that the USA Network is still going.

10. Years before JFL Montreal had to postpone and Just For Laughs had to figure out its money woes, JFL Chicago got the axe. Thankfully, Lil’ Rel and Knowledge Beckom are bringing a big time comedy festival to Chicago, a city that more than deserves one with Whats Funny Fest this fall (Deadline).

11. Murray Hill has such a knack for stealing scenes, most recently in Somebody Somewhere, that it’s about time he got his own show. Thankfully, that process is underway with Hill developing a campy gumshoe comedy “Shorty Big Time” (Deadline).

12. Not sure if there will ever be another Monty Python live tour, but you can count on Eric Idle touring his solo hour, a familiar title of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, LIVE! that’s touring throughout the U.S. and Australia from Sept. to Nov. Go get tix here (and don’t wait for them to sell out).

13. Eugene Mirman is going on tour in September and November as well (though just the Midwest and West Coast) with his An Evening of Whimsy and Mild Grievances. Fingers crossed that he does live Russian language lessons from I’m Sorry (You’re Welcome). Get tix here!

14. There is going to be a whole channel dedicated to Rowan Atkinson‘s seminal character, Mr. Bean (Deadline). If this is the way to get folks on board with Blackadder, so be it.

15. We’ll leave you with this: Remember, we got some free tix to giveaway for The Final Eric Andre Show LIVE @ The Bellwether on July 19th. If you want in, let us know at thecomedybureau@gmail.com.