Day: January 29, 2010

Like I said, Sarah Silverman took part in a conference call this afternoon to talk about season three of The Sarah Silverman Program, which debuts Feb. 4 on Comedy Central — and also on Logo, the gay and lesbian cable channel that helped fund production costs for the third season. The first episode, "The Proof is in the Penis," has a more cinematic sweep and tone to it, even if it may set a new record for the number of times the word "penis" is said in 22 minutes — including one scene in which Silverman screams "I swallowed my penis!" over and over. You'll also find out that Silverman's donning of a mustache at the Emmys might not have been a prank as much as it was a tease. But the look and feel of the third-season debut definitely feels like a movie, and with a sisterly duet thrown in, reminded me of Silverman's movie, Jesus is Magic. The second episode, "The Silverman and the Pillows," written by comedian Chelsea Peretti, also opens with a musical number, and might have some people mistakenly trying to draw a parallel to the Leno/Conan debacle at NBC. That'd be silly, although Silverman said she's on Team Conan. "I think the first one, 'Proof is in the Penis,' feels really cinematic to me," Silverman told me today. "We haven't been on the...

If you attended last night's packed taping of Comedy Death-Ray Radio inside New York's UCB Theatre, you were treated to the mostly improvised antics of Todd Barry, David Cross, Zach Galifianakis and Winny the whiny baby (John Gemberling) with host Scott Aukerman. David Cross, sporting a red, knee-length sweatshirt, joked when Aukerman asked him about a potential third squeakquel to Alvin and the Chipmunks. "I'm so at piece with it," Cross said, adding later: "There's no accounting for the taste of 5-year-olds." He then said that within 12 hours, he'd be flying off to London where he'd be working until August. He didn't elaborate. But he doesn't have to. Cross is starring in a new sitcom for Britain's Channel 4 called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, in which he plays an American beverage salesman who gets promoted above his skill level to become the boss of the London office. The pilot's cast included brief appearances by Will Arnett and Cross' girlfriend, Amber Tamblyn, and Cross wrote it with British comedian Shaun Pye. Channel 4 has ordered six episodes, so off to the UK for Mr. Cross and company. Great news for the Brits! Don't worry, though, Yanks… The Comic's Comic has learned that IFC has a deal in the works to rebroadcast the first seven-episode season here in the United States. Don't have a date certain just...