The Definitive Guide to Comedy
Patton Oswalt recently wrote that anyone looking to become a comedian should simply watch Brian Regan: The Epitome of Hyperbole and try doing what Regan does. "You won’t even come close, but your attempt to come close to the pure brilliance that is Brian Regan will, by default, make you …
I happened to arrive home late Saturday night, but not so late that when I turned on my TV, I couldn’t see a new listing at 1 a.m. Sunday on my local FOX station for something called Bananas. All the info button would tell me: "Taylor Mason 2." Comedy. New. …
Anyone who doubted whether TBS could or would pull together a full slate of A-level comedy talent for its first edition of The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas without HBO as a partner, well doubt no more. Over the weekend, TBS unveiled its first look at the official schedule for …
And the first casualty of the 2008 fall TV season is…Do Not Disturb! The half-hour sitcom on FOX probably didn’t help its chances when the production team sent a letter to TV critics last week saying, in part, that they were sorry "for being the perpetrators of such bad television." …
We haven’t forgotten about MADtv, which also aired its third new episode of the season on Saturday night, and really put a focus on new cast members Eric Price and Matt Braunger, having them open the show as guys wanting to live like Mad Men, which was fun and would …
Chris Rock’s new HBO special, Kill the Messenger, began with a bold statement, displaying the breadth of his popularity on his current stand-up comedy tour: 8 countries, 4 continents, 554,781 fans. Filmed in three venues — Johannesburg, South Africa; London, England; and New York City’s Apollo in Harlem — Rock …
You know, a lot of comedians making the promotional rounds to hype up their specials will focus on the specials. Chris Rock, who has a new HBO special debuting tonight, Kill the Messenger, isn’t afraid to follow President Bill Clinton on Letterman and take him to task, nor continue talking …
Hey comedy fans, I have to step away from the computer today (and not just because it’s my birthday, although that’s a very good reason to not spend all Friday tip-tap-typing away), but if you want to know what’s going on in the comedy business, you can hear me talk …
The Comedy Underground, my original home club, has a new home in Seattle’s Pioneer Square and opens the doors tonight at 109 S. Washington St. (about two blocks from the spot it occupied from 1981 until this summer, when building renovations forced the move). And yes, it’ll still be located …
The UCB Theatre in New York City has a tradition of offering great stand-up comedy showcases for free late-night Mondays. For a while, Aziz Ansari hosted the showcase under the name Crash Test. Then Ansari got all Human Giant, and the showcases took a break. Leo Allen has taken over …