AXS to debut new “Gotham Comedy Live” weekly TV stand-up showcase

Live at Gotham may be no more, but there’s an even more literally live live stand-up comedy showcase debuting at Gotham Comedy Club this Thursday night.

Mark Cuban’s AXS TV (formerly HDNet) will debut Gotham Comedy Live at 10 p.m. EST Thursday. The hour-long showcase will feature five comedians each week for 12 consecutive weeks, live on Thursday nights with rebroadcasts later over the weekend.

Orlando Jones hosts this week’s premiere episode, with performances by Wali Collins, Veronica Mosey, Mike Vecchione and Paul Virzi. If you’re 18 or older and in or near NYC, you can be in the audience (tickets). Mario Cantone will host the Jan. 24 showcase; Robert Kelly, Jan. 31. Susie Essman also will host one of the future live TV showcases.

“What’s exciting about it is, it’s live live,” said Gotham owner Chris Mazzilli. “And for comics, there’s no language restriction.”

The deal with Cuban and AXS only finalized last week, so Mazzilli is still booking out the remaining weeks of shows. He said he wants to include not only “regulars of mine who headline here, who perform at Gotham Comedy Club,” but also newer talents. “I want to break people,” he said. “If they’re ready for TV, if they have a good 10-15 minutes, we’ll consider them.”

Cuban rebranded HDNet as AXS TV in summer 2012, with partners that include AEG, CAA and Ryan Seacrest. The channel is available on American TVs via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Suddenlink, and Verizon FiOS.

Sorry, Time Warner Cable subscribers.

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For his part, Cuban said: “Gotham Comedy Live continues AXS TV’s commitment and growth of live entertainment programming.”

Gotham Comedy Live is produced by Killer Bunny Entertainment and Sugar Hit Entertainment in association with Gotham Comedy Club.

Here’s a one-minute promo with Orlando Jones. Roll it.

If you’re a comedian looking to get booked on Gotham Comedy Live, Mazilli suggests you send your 10-minute submissions to Gotham Comedy Club, c/o Leigh-Ann Weingarten, 208 W. 23rd St., New York, NY, 10011. Label the outside of your submission “Gotham Comedy Live.”

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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