Patton Oswalt Returning To Host WGA Awards In L.A.
From coast to coast, the WGA Awards will have both Patton Oswalt and Amber Ruffin hosting and presiding over the evening’s ceremonies in LA and NYC respectively next year.
With both of them doing it, it might be worth considering doing more than just have some spare clips of it on YouTube.
Of the writers on Late Night with Seth Meyers, odds are that you’ve probably seen Amber Ruffin in sort of bit or segment on Late Night the most throughout 2017. She even has her own recurring solo segment where she lets loose because the Internet has responded to Ruffin so well.
That’s probably she has just been tapped to host the WGA Awards next year in NYC on February 11th.
This will be Ruffin’s first big hosting gig and we have no doubt that she’ll picked more often if all goes well.
One TBS Digital Pilot Will Be Given in Turner/Refinery29 Women’s Comedy Writers Lab
This weekend in NYC, Sasheer Zamata, Ashley Nicole Black, Lakshmi Sundaram, and Meredith Scardino will mentor Jonterri Gadson, Kim Blanck, Andrea Simons, Christina Anthony, Ariana Seigel, Susannah Bohlke, Atsuko Okatsuka, and Fareeha Khan as part exclusive women’s comedy writers lab put up by Turner and Refinery 29.
From the weekend’s workshop, one TBS digital pilot will be given to one project. It’s clear that TBS is continuing to be one of the more exciting, innovative places in comedy right now.
Jenny Slate To Write Book of Feminist Essays
In 2019, Jenny Slate will release a book of feminist essays via publishers Little, Brown, and Company. It’ll focus on her personal experiences in the broader context of being a woman in these times.
While that does seem a far off, we have a feeling it’ll be worth the wait, especially if Slate does her own audiobook.
The President Show’s Holiday Special Airs Tonight
“It’s “I Came Up With Christmas” Morning! The @PresidentShow Xmas special is TONIGHT!!! 10pm with so many surprise guests, old friends and the fat man himself @realDonaldTrump On @ComedyCentral”
You should watch it as The President Show is one of the best satirical things comedy has going and it’s slightly less insane than what the real Trump is up to.
Showtime Renews SMILF for Second Season
“So excited i can’t focus and my editor Todd is looking at me like Frankie put the phone down, put the phone down Frankie, we have a cut to finish, but there’s a party over here I’m jumping on the couch in love with this announcement like Tom cruise was in love with Katie Holmes”
Sometimes, things work how they’re supposed to and a great short film gets successfully adapted into a television worthy of being renewed. Such is the story of Frankie Shaw’s SMILF.
Our excitement for this show has sustained for several months now as Pat Bishop, Matt Ingebretson, and Jake Weisman’s slick, yet dark sense of humor is right up our alley.
Just look at Weisman obsession with taking pictures with knives, even when he’s announcing the premiere date of his show.
In any case, mark down Wednesday, January 17th, 2018 as the series premiere date for Corporate.
Also, here’s a brief teaser if you need a bit of a taste of what’s to come.
Cards Against Humanity Is Trolling Trump by Buying Land Where His Proposed Border Will Go Up
From cardsagainsthumanitysavesamerica.com:
Donald Trump is a preposterous golem who is afraid of Mexicans. He is so afraid that he wants to build a twenty-billion dollar wall that everyone knows will accomplish nothing. So we’ve purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built.
The money comes from their latest holiday “surprise mailers” campaign, which quickly sold out.
We can only imagine (and hope) that Cards Against Humanity will be doing more stunts like this under the Trump Administration.
Fox Might Be Finally Stepping Back Into the Late Night Ring with a New Show from Neal Brennan
Thanks to the Internet, late night is now more of a genre than it is a time slot. As such, the genre that gets dibs on making fun of what’s going on in the world first has become very popular, especially thanks to 12 hours news cycle and a psychopath in the White House.
For many years now, Fox has had no entry in the late night world like Kimmel or The Daily Show. They might joining with the times by developing a potential weekly late night show with Neal Brennan, stand-up, writer, and famed co-creator of Chappelle’s Show.
Preliminary details point towards a sort of Last Week Tonight/Full Frontal sort of format, but, we hope, within that format, Brennan might take a cue from his own Three Mics special to break down the week’s events in one-liners, bits, and truths.
The Jackie and Laurie Show, co-hosted by Jackie Kashian and Laurie Kilmartin, offers a wonderful and insightful look into the lives of two successful, undeniably hilarious female comedians that have been in the business for quite some time now.
As such, they provide an important, unfiltered perspective on the sexual abuse, harassment, misbehavior, etc. that they’ve held to deal with in their comedy careers as well as how the tides are now changing from all sides. You’ve probably read a few articles on the fall of Louis CK changing everything already, but please take some time to hear their stories.
Also, it’s one of our favorite podcasts and you should already be listening to it anyway.
Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents, the current brand for Comedy Central’s half-hour stand-up comedy specials, has just announced a new line-up featuring 9 comedians that are, in our opinion, solid through and through.
If you’re in New Orleans at the beginning of next month, you can attend the tapings for these specials at The Civic in New Orleans. Tickets available here.
Well, Cinefamily Is Closing Down for Good
Following the internal investigation of pervasive sexual harassment through the organization Cinefamily and the Silent Movie Theatre are closing up shop permanently. It has been decided that the damage done was far too great to recover from and Cinefamily is no more.
So, this means LA has just lost another beloved indie venue (the Steve Allen Theater has also just closed its doors), which makes it even more crucial that you back Dynasty Typewriter @ The Hayworth Theater, which has just one day left for its Kickstarter.
These days, it’s stuff like this that makes us feel like we’re a legitimate bureau.
Congratulations to Marcella, Joel, Nick & Brad, Cocoon Central Dance Team, Naomi, Chris, Patti, Matt, Sam, Langston, Natalie, Joe, Gary, Dulcé, Julio, Shane, Liza, Jaboukie, and Ramy for being the biz’s favorites.
Nick Kroll and John Mulaney Will Return as to Host 2018 Spirit Awards
When 2020 (hopefully) rolls around, we’ll have a non-psycho President elected and Kroll and Mulaney will be seen as one of the best comedy duos of the last decade.
We’ll be excited to see what they have up their sleeve. The 2018 Spirit Awards are set to air on Saturday, Mar. 3rd at 5PM PST on IFC.
Louis C.K. Influenced a Generation of Comedians. What Happens Now?
Vulture’s Jesse David Fox keys in on how a whole generation of comedy will need to reflect on what being “brutally honest” on stage means and how it might now be received depending on your angle.
If you watch or listen to any of Louis’ specials/albums where got “brutally honest” or watch the very controversial episodes of Louie now, you’ll find that much of what you might have laughed heartily at is now, unfortunately, kind of disturbing and sad.
Please Read “Being a Female Comic in Louis C.K.’s World” by Laurie Kilmartin
Laurie Kilmartin is an amazing comedian, a staff writer on Conan, an author, and the co-host of one of our favorite podcasts The Jackie & Laurie Show.
As the fallout from Louis C.K.’s admission to sexual misconduct is happening, she got to write this important opinion piece in NY Times. Please read it as soon as you can.
This Season of The Chris Gethard Show Will Get 10 More Episodes in Spring 2018 on TruTV
Or, as Gethard tweeted “The #ChrisGethardShow ’s inaugural season on @truTV has been extended by ten more episodes. Thanks to everyone who supports this show and refuses to let this ramshackle dream die.”
We like where TruTV is doubling down on their money.
Nathan For You to Have 2 Hour Season Finale Tonight
We have no doubt that Nathan Fielder will be probably be making comedy and TV history tonight at 9PM in Comedy Central.
Via Omaze, you do a good thing by supporting the organization Planned Parenthood as well as potentially sitting down with Rick and Morty creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland and actually recording season 3 Rick and Morty DVD commentary.
Additionally, if you win, you’ll be flown out to LA and get put up in a 4-star hotel.
In this case, there are only winners here, but act quickly as there is only one day left for this contest.
Seems like the very positive murmurs from the film festival circuit about Greta Gerwig’s indie comedy-of-age dramedy starring Saoirse Ronan are true.
On a weekend where Thor: Ragnarok took in a massive haul, Lady Bird scored the best limited theatrical release for 2017, which we can only hope means that the film will follow a similar path to The Big Sick (i.e. great reviews and high $-per-screen average will lead to great box office nationwide).
Look for Lady Bird to play in more theaters in the coming weeks leading up to said nationwide expansion.
The President Show, Drunk History, and The Daily Show to Have Holiday Specials
More specifically…
Because one of Drunk History’s most beloved episodes focused on Christmas and The President Show handled Halloween pretty well (in addition to the whole show being one of the best comedic takes on Trump, end of discussion), we’re actually looking forward to these specials.
Playing House Will Not Return for Season 4
Unfortunately, Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair will not get to continue on with Playing House on USA Network.
We have no doubt that the duo will return in another form for another great show (if you watched Playing House, you’d probably agree with the sentiment).
Morgan Murphy Father-Son Comedy Gets a Script Commitment Plus Penalty at Fox
In uplifting comedy news, great comedian and writer Morgan Murphy has a multi-cam sitcom that’s in the works at Fox. It’s “…set in the world’s most colorful bar in Mexico. When a man moves back to his hometown and opens his dream business, he is dismayed when his rudderless adult son follows him and he realizes his parenting days aren’t over.”
Beyond the premise of the series, we’re glad to hear that Morgan’s sense of humor might be getting its very own broadcast network TV show.
CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase Director Rick Najera Resigns After Harassment Allegations
Every day since Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment, abuse, assault, and rape claims got a deservingly harsh light shone on them, it seems Hollywood has been cleaning house, corner by corner.
Unfortunately, every corner seems to need thorough cleaning.
Yesterday, CBS made a statement that they have investigated claims of the man responsible for the CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase (a program that many comedians around the country, but especially in LA, work very hard to get in on) Rick Najera harassing performers of said showcase.
Since this has become public, as stated above, Najera has resigned.
What will happen with the CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase going forward and who will run it has yet to be announced, but we’ll keep you in the loop as more details emerge.
Netflix Renews Their True Crime Mockumentary ‘American Vandal’ For a Second Season
Netflix really wants to run the table on programming by not only having some of the best true crime documentary series around, but also spectacularly parodying them as well.
Look for season 2 of American Vandal to come next year.