The Definitive Guide to Comedy
The easiest way for me to tell you how thrilled I am about Kate McKinnon joining the cast of Saturday Night Live is to remind you what I’ve told readers about McKinnon. From my review of her “one-woman sketchtacular,” Kate McKinnon on Ice, last year during its run at the …
The TV Guide Network wants to make you laugh while you wait for the channel listings to scroll past (although don’t you have another cable menu to use by now, so perhaps this network needs to produce original programming by now). And so. They announced two new comedy ventures this …
On Bill Burr’s “Monday Morning Podcast,” Burr went off on a bit of a rant against the rise of nerds in comedy and how the so-called “alternative comedy” scene made it seem as though anyone could be a stand-up comedian. He really seems to be angrier about how “alt-comics” take …
FX continues to dip its toes into the late-night TV waters, green-lighting a six-episode order for a talk show hosted by W. Kamau Bell and executive produced by Chris Rock. It follows an order earlier this year for six late-night shows hosted by Russell Brand. As for Bell’s show, he …
Just when you thought Ronna & Beverly was merely a UCB LA theater piece that you didn’t get and couldn’t figure out, guess what? The United Kingdom has decided we all need to see Ronna & Beverly! Jamie Denbo told The Comic’s Comic: “The English have a wonderful comic sensibility. …
Will Ferrell (friend of Conan O’Brien) made a surprise appearance last night on Conan in his “Ron Burgundy” character to make a very special announcement: He’s finally reached a deal with Paramount Pictures to make a sequel to the Anchorman movie. Here’s Ferrell in his stayest classiest San Diegoist to …
Most of the categories in The Comedy Awards are left up to a select voting committee (disclosure: I’m on that voting board, so how select could it be, right?), but they’ve opened up a few awards for everyone and anyone to vote. So. Here they are. Breakout Performer of the …
Moshe Kasher appeared on Conan last night and told us about a couple of odd things he encountered during his childhood because he grew up with deaf parents. Roll it. Don’t worry about the short set, because Kasher also did a panel segment with Conan O’Brien. If you’d like to check …
The BBC’s Radio 4 recently tried out an American version of its long-running News Quiz programme, and you can listen to it (limited time offer!). They had Lewis Black host the pilot, with a panel including Andy Borowitz, Kathleen Madigan, Todd Barry and Ted Alexandro. If enough people like it, …
Over this winter, comedian Chris Bliss delivered a TED talk about comedy and the power it has, particularly when satire is rooted in truth — whether it’s Tina Fey’s impersonation of Sarah Palin or the continued production of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart — to change perceptions and public …
