2016: The most popular posts you read on The Comic’s Comic

Here are the stories that caught your attention more than anything else I posted in 2016.

It certainly tells you how different the comedy news landscape is on The Comic’s Comic compared to the rest of the Internet. To wit…

Title
1. An Unexpected Gift: The 1993 Answering Machine Recordings of Phil Hartman for a Fan In an otherwise crazy year, how heartwarming to see this tale I shared with you resonated the most, thanks to how many of you wanted to listen to the late great Phil Hartman and share his voice once more with fellow fans.
2. The definitive guide to comedy festivals for 2016 News you most definitely could us, as I showed just how big the comedy fest business had become around the world, as well as information so you could get in the game if you’re a comedian or book your tickets if you’re just a fan.
3. Gary Owen’s family earns BET reality series order: “Gary Owen Family” The name of the series changed since BET announced it. I mean, The Gary Owen Show makes more sense than Gary Owen Family if you’re telling your friends to watch it, even if it’s about his blended family as much as it is about the comedian.
4. The 9/11 Seinfeld spec script you absolutely have to read today Millions of Seinfeld fans read about this hilariously offensive spec script, but you first learned it existed here. Family Guy hired Billy Domineau, by the way, since finding out about this. Good news all around.
5. Here are your New Faces of Comedy 2016 for Montreal’s Just For Laughs More important than making any other Top 10 or Best of list on any website, at least in the minds of comedians and industry alike, is who gets “New Faces” for Montreal each July.
6. Saturday Night Live cuts Taran Killam, Jay Pharoah and Jon Rudnitsky in transition to Season 42 I wasn’t the first to tell you about Killam and Pharoah leaving the show, although I was the first to tell you that Season 41 rookie cast member Rudnitsky also wasn’t returning. Killam and Pharoah left one year earlier than most anyone (themselves included) had expected, although their departures were hastened by their separate pilot deals with Showtime. And Killam is stepping into a major role on Broadway with Hamilton in 2017!
7. Oddball comedy tour scales back 2016 schedule amid cancellations The annual end-of-summer outdoor comedy tour from Funny or Die called Oddball got off to a late start, and suffered in ticket sales because of it. Or are there just too many big-ticket comedy shows these days? Discuss among yourselves.
8. Jon Rudnitsky’s “Dirty Dancing” tribute on SNL Before his one-and-done season ended, Rudnitsky did manage to put a version of his 2015 Montreal New Faces showcase performance onto SNL for the rest of the world to enjoy.
9. WHAT A JOKE: Comedians organize festival of shows nationwide over Inauguration Day Weekend to support ACLU Coming later in January 2017, comedy shows across America to lampoon the incoming president, what’s his name.
10. Jim Gaffigan, his kids and his stand-up in a Chrysler Pacifica Comedians in nationwide TV ads aren’t new, but seeing Gaffigan’s real-life wife and children is something we’re not used to seeing. Good to see them all getting work! 🙂
11. A recap of what went down at Montreal’s New Faces Unrepped showcase 2016 Another example of what you’ll only find here and not on any other comedy news website.
12. Artie Lange on Showtime’s The Nasty Show and finding serenity in his kitchen-based podcast Excerpts from my own podcast with Artie Lange, in which I transcribed his thoughts on hosting The Nasty Show as well as launching a new version of his podcast.
13. Bill Maher to deliver Trump-targeted comedy show, “Whiny Little Bitch,” via Facebook Live News you first read about here. Not that it changed enough minds/votes.
14. Roast Battle, Goddamn Comedy Jam, two Kevin Hart series, more get Comedy Central green light More news you can use.
15. Nick Thune for Dell Evidence that people really do want to know who those funny people are in their TV commercials.
16. R.I.P. Kevin Meaney (1956-2016) While media everywhere covered the deaths of Garry Shandling and Gene Wilder and Garry Marshall everywhere, you had to come here first to find out about the sadly short life of Kevin Meaney.

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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