Comedy headlines for 11/28/12

What’s happening in the comedy world now…

  • The Friars Club announced it will roast Jack Black in 2013. The 2013 Friars Club Roast will take place on April 5, 2013, in New York City.
  • Over Thanksgiving weekend, “Never Not Funny” and Jimmy Pardo raised more than $108,000 during the fourth annual Pardcast-a-Thon fundraiser to benefit Smile Train. This year’s twenty-five guests included Conan O’Brien, Jon Hamm, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, Bog Saget, Kevin Nealon, Simon Helberg, Rob Corddry, Scott Aukerman and Colin Hay. High definition video of the complete 2012 Pardcast-a-Thon will be available on demand via Dailymotion in December with proceeds benefitting Smile Train.
  • Comedy Central has renewed Key & Peele for a third season, with 13 new episodes of the sketch comedy fronted by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele due to hit cable TV in fall 2013.
  • Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, will receive the WGA West Animation Writers Caucus’ annual Animation Writing Award at the group’s annual meeting today in Los Angeles.
  • IFC announced a slew of guest stars for season three of Portlandia, which returns for its third season over the holidays. Roseanne Barr (Roseanne), Matt Berry (The IT Crowd),Rose Byrne (Damages, Bridesmaids), band Dirty ProjectorsJim Gaffigan (Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Juliette Lewis (Conviction, Natural Born Killers), Matt Lucas (Little Britain), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live), tennis champion Martina NavratilovaPatton Oswalt (Young Adult) and George Wendt (Cheers) will join Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein as wonderfully unique individuals who make up this dreamy rendering of Portland, Ore. As previously announced, Chloë Sevigny (American Horror Story, Big Love) will appear in multiple episodes throughout the season as Fred and Carrie’s new roommate, Alexandra.  Some of Portlandia’s most memorable friends, including Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day), Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives, Twin Peaks) and Kumail Nanjiani (Franklin & Bash) will also be returning for season three.

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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