Ricky Gervais Invades America Again

Nice to see Ricky back for more laughs. This Saturday on HBO.

Funny of Die Presents - Season 2

From the funny people over at FunnyorDie.com, FunnyorDie Presents returns to HBO for season two of absurdist and funny comedy shorts starting January 14th at midnight.

In this blog's and other comedy fetishists' opinion, the first season was a bit uneven, but not always due to the lack of funny. (There were a few clunkers or two). The main issue was how some 5 minute shorts by more popular alternative comedians were chopped up into installments, each airing weeks apart, losing the flow and adding confusion to the quirky storylines. Meanwhile, some of the weaker shorts were broadcast in one go.

Enough fans voiced their unhappiness about this online, so perhaps the powers that be have revised the format. Nonetheless, it's something to look forward to in 2011. More teasers to come!

Paul McCartney and Jimmy Fallon Get Their Scrambled Eggs On...

Paul McCartney is in NYC to perform on SNL this Saturday (guest host is Paul Rudd), but he stopped by Jimmy Fallon's studio to chat and sing the working title version of the classic Beatles hit "Yesterday", once entitled "Scrambled Eggs". Although the lyrics sung last night were obviously punched up, both Macca and Fallon were amazingly good together. Paul also sang his tribute to John Lennon "Here Today".

Barring the dumb embedded commercials (if any) here's "Scrambled Eggs...oh my baby how I love your legs." (Watch out for those waffle fries.)

Comedy Central Introduces New Logo

As per Deadline Hollywood Daily,Comedy Central will be announcing a whole new look today. Here's the dazzle reel. Weird. Different. Brain turning, if that's a thing.

Comedy Central Press
Comedy Central: Refreshed and Rededicated
www.comedycentral.com
Funny Jokes Ugly Americans The Benson Interruption

NBC is Christmassy Tonight

NBC has put out the Christmas decor for tonight's Holiday lineup. The Office is a must see. Holly Flax is back in town to take over for Toby Flenderson while he's doing long term jury duty. It will be anyone's guess if she's going to leave AJ behind and embark on a life with Michael. There was a time when I'd root for AJ, the new love of Holly's life because he seemed nice. Why not have her move on, right? But now I say - screw him. Here's hoping that Holly and Michael step into the happily ever after and leave that guy behind. Meanwhile, Jim and Dwight are acting like little boys in the backseat of a SUV who won't behave. A snowball fight challenge is on the table. Revenge will be Schrute's. (The Office "Classy Christmas" Tonight. 9pm et/8pm ct.)



30 Rock never disappoints at Christmas time - especially when Jack's mother Colleen pays a visit to her son. Liz Lemon stays put to avoid her once painfully repressed parents who have broken their daughter's fantasy of their perfect marriage and replaced it with tears. Jack is spending Christmas with the make believe voices in his head at NBC, and Tracy is inflicting his good will by doing charity work, which means something funky and weird is going to happen to some people in need. That's my take on it. What really happens is Liz and Avery try to get Jack to confess some secrets to his mom while trying to get Jenna to patch up her break up with Paul, and Tracy tries to block his own firm's release of a song because it "undermines his newly invented persona". Alan Alda, Elaine Stritch and Elizabeth Banks are in the house. This is going to be Christmas-awesome. (30 Rock "Christmas Attack Zone". Tonight. 8:30pm et/7:30pm pt.)




And...Community! This hilarious Joel McHale starring joyful show is entering the land of Claymation tonight. (Community. "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas". 8pm et/7pm ct.)

A Charlie Brown Christmas

On Tonight. On ABC at 8pm PT.

Carrie Fisher Spills It...

In other Fisher news (see below - although spelled differently), Star Wars legend Carrie Fisher has been enjoying a world wide tour of her one woman show Wishful Drinking. An autobiographical telling of her life, Fisher has been spilling it since 2006 when the original stage production began. It arrived on Broadway in 2009, and has just recently wrapped in Australia.

Now, it's been made into an HBO special. Taped in June before a live audience at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) in South Orange, NJ, Fisher dips into her famous family archives to laugh about her strange, wild ride as the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher - the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston of their day, with the "home wrecking" Elizabeth Taylor representing today's Angelina Jolie. From Princess Leia, to George Lucas, to pills, sex, booze and manic depression to her life as a writer, Fisher exposes her issues with the same hilarity and brutally honest voice that's made her famous. (That - and Star Wars merchandising).

Having seen some previews, this really looks good. If you love a good yarn about crazy in Hollywood, check this out.

Wishful Thinking premieres on HBO Sunday, December 12th at 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

No Underwear in Space

Jenna Fischer/Lee Kirk Project Underway

My favorite newlyweds are getting it done with a new project called The Giant Mechanical Man. As per Hollywood Reporter, Jenna Fischer is to co-produce and star in the romantic comedy, written by her husband Lee Kirk. Just added to the cast are Rich Sommer (Mad Men), Bob Odenkirk (Mr. Show, Breaking Bad and our favorite uncle of comedy) and Lucy Punch (Dinner for Schmucks). Topher Grace, Chris Messina and Malin Akerman are also on board.

Jenna will be featured as a zoo keeper torn between two love interests. With The Office winding down into a sitcom hum, kept alive by NBC programmers, it's terrific news to see the talented Fischer go beyond the walls of Dunder Mifflin and collaborate with Kirk to bring more smiles to theaters.

Joel McHale Signs on For Two Years of 'The Soup'

Joel McHale, star of NBC's Community, now in it's second season, has just signed on for two more years on E!'s The Soup. Friday nights are always all the more fun knowing Joel will be on making fun on crappy television that we regular people are too busy to watch in our regular lives. The Soup has been on for seven seasons (in this incarnation), and has just aired it's 300th episode. McHale's star is ricocheting upward. He has four films coming out in the next year, and he'll be hosting the Independent Spirit Awards on February 26th.

Source of all this can be found at Deadline Daily.

Steve Carell and NBC Continue To Do Business...

So, you thought Steve Carell's last season as Michael Scott would end his days on the small screen. After all, big time movie career beckons. It looks as though Carell's heart still remains at NBC. As announced by Deadline Hollywood yesterday, the soon-to-be former Michael Scott will be developing a new series for the Peacock. It will be a show based on his own true life experience as a mail carrier in a small Massachussets town. The working title is The Post-Graduation Project. It appears that Carell will not star, but could turn up in cameo roles, lending more of his time in writing scripts than being in front of the camera.

Speaking of The Office, Mindy Kaling appeared on Ellen earlier this week with a clip from the upcoming Christmas episode entitled "Classy Christmas". Looks like Holly Flax is back in Scranton, and a little pissed that her boyfriend AJ hasn't popped the question yet. This is good news on two fronts. 1) You know that conflict is going to bring Holly into the ever loving arms of Michael, making his exit a happily ever after one, and 2) You can't have Holly break it off with AJ without seeing AJ try to win her back. This means a Rob Huebel appearance is possible. Huebel cameos are always good.

Comedy Death Ray X-Mas

The comedians of planet Earth have come together once again to bring some happiness and food on the tables of Los Angeles' less fortunate. For the past several years, comedian Scott Aukerman and various funny people of the alterative comedy scene have banded to together to record an album of hilarious song spoofs, culminating into a video that sends up yet celebrates the music videos of yore. Last year, they recreated Bob Geldolf's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to amazing results. This year, they've given Quincy Jones and the plethora of 80's talent a nod by unearthing their version of "We Are The World". Of course, an album of funny Christmas tunes sung by Sarah Silverman, Kevin Nealon, Loraine Newman and a boat load of familiar and funny people is also available for purchase at www.aspecialthing.com on CD or download at www.earwolf.com.

Proceeds go to LA Food Bank. For further donations, visit http://www.lafoodbank.org/

Here's this years video with an introduction by Kurt Russell. "We Are The World".

We Are The World 25.75 from Kurt Russell

Oprah's Favorite Thing

Quaid-Con!

QUAIDCON!	UCBcomedy.com
Watch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com

Whip Your Hair Back and Forth

Beatles Come to iTunes

Just seeing The Beatles dial in to the 21st Century of digital downloads makes this music fan happy. Of course, most people who love this infamous band probably already own their albums and CDs. Yet, sometimes you just don't have that one song - the one track listed on your hard drive a few years ago, before the day you slammed your laptop in anger and murdered it after it lost an entire article you laboriously had to pull out of your empty brain like a lost Chilean miner. I still don't have Yellow Submarine in my current computer. Problem solved! Download it.

This is a major deal whose time has come. Hurrah Beatles!

Happenings Around Los Angeles: Human Giant Reunion and Benson Interruption

The three headed comedy monster known as Human Giant, came together for a reunion at the Cinefamily Theater in Los Angeles last night. Sketches from their MTV series of the same name were screened as creators Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer, Aziz Ansari and Jason Woliner hosted with inside stories about the process of producing the show and some juicy tales thrown in for good measure. Sorry... we've been made to adhere to the "cone of silence" - meaning that we will be destroyed and lives of our loved ones will be obliterated if we, the privileged one hundred breathing beings in the venue, even leak out what was uttered by the foursome.

However, I'm going to dish some morsels of interest. When Human Giant hosted a 24 hour marathon in May of 2007 (the concept was - if they received one million hits on their MTV site, they'd be renewed for a season two), it garnered the lowest ratings the cable channel had ever seen since Carson Daly's post 9-11 show. (Although the marathon did rate well with the young boys demographic.) Also, Rob Riggle, one of the guests on the show who played the character of Cliff Clavin (sp?), HG's security guard throughout he live event, got pissing drunk back stage. But after 24 hours of non-stop comedy with friends - can you blame him?

Viewing the sketches on a movie screen with a small crowd was more fun than imagined. I'm used to watching the show at home, alone like a loser, and cackling in my own space. It was a blast to join in and watch my favorite bits, "Let's Go!", "Balloon Cops", "Shutterbugs", and "The Illusionators" with a like minded group and the Human Giant guys themselves laughing along. It reminded me how much fun this show was, and how much we all hope for a season three. Hell, we'd be happy if season two landed on DVD; yet, the probability of that is slim right now. Apparently, MTV wants Human Giant to return for season three, and if they're not able to do this, they are holding the season two DVD hostage. Problem is - these guys are too busy to come together. When not involved in other projects, Paul is finding amazing success on FX's The League, Rob is super funny on the popular Adult Swim's Childrens Hospital plus working on a project for Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films, Aziz is working on NBC's massive hit Parks and Recreation (returning in January) and also writing a film with Jason Woliner. So...season three? You're a dream. Season two DVD? Hope MTV is taking good care of you in captivity because these guys are busy and you might not see daylight for a long time.



Friends and collaborators on Human Giant were in attendance last night. Writer Eric Appel and Nick Kroll were in the house, as well as friends Lake Bell and Doug Benson.

And...speaking of Doug Benson.


The Benson Interruption premiered a few weeks ago on Comedy Central. It airs Fridays at 12midnight and is a fun version of Doug's live show that found a home at LA's Largo until cable came-a-calling. I attended a taping at the Music Box Theater in Hollywood a week ago with Rob Huebel, Eugene Mirman and Mary Lynn Rajskub that's already aired. (I must say - that was fast!)

Although I don't know Doug, whenever I see him perform, it's like hanging with a friend. The admiration between Benson and the performers was and is always palpable. These are some of the funniest people in the biz., and have done the Interruption before, so they knew the flow. (Although Mirman may have been off track with Doug interrupting him). The behind the scenes banter, plus taped retakes were hilarious. Chat about what they can and cannot say on air - which actually did make it on air - punctuated how reigned in the program has to be compared to the live stage show. Yet, trying to skirt around the naughty bits made it even funnier. Still, what you see as the finished, edited product, is fantastic. Watch this show.

Conan Premieres Tonight

TBS's comedy landscape changes tonight with the premiere of Conan at 11pm.

While getting ready for his long awaited show, Conan took some time off to make an American Express commercial.

Childrens' Hospital

Ok, so it really wasn't live. I'll admit it. I had a feeling the "LIVE" thing wasn't real, but I wanted to believe. Yet, my life is so busy, that honestly, I can't keep up with the inside jokes my favorite comedians hatch while fooling the crowd. However, I was riding that wave of sort of belief - until the first second after midnight when it dawned on this viewer that it just didn't feel "Live".

Yet, the concept was sort of genius. In essence, the "live" aspect wasn't a lie. Last night's finale "The Sultan's Finger" (or was it them giving it to us?) was pretty much taped "live", not in front of a studio audience, but in a live flow without edits (not to my naked eye). Also, Childrens Hospital's conceit is a send up of various self important (and although good, sometimes ridiculous) hospital dramas like ER, the now classic show that once broadcast an episode live.

So, well done, David Wain and crew. Standing back a bit, I see the big picture, and it totally worked. Plus - it was incredibly hilarious.

In conclusion, I had two revelations last night: 1) I can never EVER get enough of Jon Hamm's funny cameos because he's gorgeous and a solid comedian and 2) Ken Marino is a cutie when he cuts off his finger and is in supreme agony. (Sorry, I have to go all girlie once in a while).

Production on season two of Childrens Hospital will begin in December.

Tomorrow!

Are you excited? I am. 11pm Monday!

Tonight

Semi-Ho - memade with Sandra Lee

Someone reminded me that 70% store bought - 30% fresh cooking maven Sandra Lee of The Food Network is Andrew Cuomo's girlfriend. Make that the new Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo. That means Simple Sandie is the first lady of The Empire State, my home state.

With the holidays down the pike, my thoughts hearken back to Sandra's famous Kwanzaa cake - the most ridiculous and insulting cake ever made. This lump of weird was made with the freshest canned apples and day old bargain sponge cake from Pathmark. And those yummo corn nuts (not "acorns"- not where I live) are so festive, forget they have no place anywhere near that unfortunate pile of ingredients. If you choke on one, just use one of those big ass candles to stick down your throat to dislodge the nut obstruction, or to induce vomiting. Your choice. It's a free country. Cooking is fun!



I wrote something about the yin and yang of The Food Network, featuring Sandra Lee and Ina Garten - two women on opposite ends of the earth when it comes to food preparation. Ina wins.

Live From Brazil....

...(because the show does take place in Brazil)....it's Childrens Hospital on Adult Swim!

(Rehearsals: Photo via Rob Huebel)

Rob Corddry and the cast and crew of Childrens Hospital are so cool and cocky now, they're doing the show's season finale LIVE this Sunday on Adult Swim. That's going to be 15 minutes of awesome, so watch the show.

The Benson Interruption Premieres on Friday!

This blog has been talking about it - now it's real: The Benson Interruption finally makes its way to air on Comedy Central tomorrow at 12:00AM and will broadcast the same day and time until infinity, we hope. It's a fun night with comedian Doug Benson as he sits on stage and showcases some funny people who will be constantly interrupted by the host with his jokes and banter. Upcoming guests will be Patton Oswalt, Nick Kroll and Eugene Mirman plus so many more.

I'll be attending a taping tonight. The guests are usually a surprise, so I'm clueless. Should be fun. Watch it! Friday! (Or Saturday AM if you're going to be specific.)

Here's a peak - with Nick Swardson:

Jokes.com
Doug Benson - Interrupting Nick Swardson Pt. 1
comedians.comedycentral.com
Doug Benson Videos Buy Doug Benson's New CD Funny Jokes

Show Zero Starts Tonight!

Check out Rolling Stone magazine this month! Conan's in there!

Also, if you can't wait to see the premiere of Conan on TBS on November 8th, O'Brien and his staff will provide. Starting tonight at 11pm ET/8pm PT, Team Coco will start streaming Show Zero online to kick off the comedy. You can find it on TeamCoco.com, YouTube and Facebook.com/TEAMCOCO

Finally, Andy Richter was interviewed for the NYPost to discuss how Conan on TBS will be different than Late Night or The Tonight Show. He's also pretty content that ratings have shown Leno to be garnering less ratings than Conan did this time last year.

Shameless Cinema Plug

...because Shea Stadium was my second home. As dumpy as it was:

Jon Hamm Hosts SNL This Weekend..

...and the promos are up!

'Sherlock' on Masterpiece Mystery!

Back in 1984, Britian's Granada Television spawned The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It starred Jeremy Brett as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Victorian detective and David Burke as Dr. Watson (soon to be replaced by Edward Hardwicke) as his steadfast friend. Co-produced by WGBH Boston, it ran in the UK and the US until 1993 as the health of its star waned and the stories dried up. In this series, the world of Holmes was captured perfectly through religious devotion to Doyle's Canon thanks to Producer Michael Cox. The incredibly frenetic and manic depressive portrayal of the Baker Street sleuth by Jeremy Brett also conjured many fans - including myself. Even his overly histrionic tendencies lent a nice touch. (Brett was a protege of Lawrence Olivier, and had the touch of the ham about him.)

Turn the clocks ahead to today. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, the writers on Dr. Who, have re-captured the Sherlock tales by shedding the gas lit streets of London for a 21st Century version of this legendary literary icon. Sherlock is filled with iPhones, Wifi and all the technological wonders that you know would have amazed and enhanced the Victorian Holmes' powers of deduction. Viewing all the everyday technology we've grown to rely upon, structured around the remnants of a Victorian character, is quite thrilling.

Last Sunday's premiere episode on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery!, 'A Study in Pink', was an incredible dose of high intensity and electric chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, who both take on the mantel of these two fictional characters with terrific ease. You can feel the Dr. Who pacing, the magical story beats as they move along through darkened London streets. Cumberbatch almost has that seething, quick witted intensity that made Brett's Holmes so enticing to me. Freeman, best known as Tim from the UK's The Office, is as calm, curious and as pleasing as Dr. Watson as Burke/Hardwicke were during the Granada days.

Sherlock airs on your local PBS station on Sundays at 9pm. (Check your local listings.) Seriously watch this. It might just make you a Conan Doyle fan. And getting an eyeful of this amazing new take on Holmes might actually make you read some mystery books on your Kindle - or a real book with paper pages...like...in a library. Your choice. Either way - that's a good thing.

Have a look:

Fear and Sanity in D.C.

Colbert and Stewart take over Washington DC this Saturday. Have you bought your Amtrak ticket? Found a Hotel? Packed your tent? Started bumming rides from creepy truck drivers on the NJ Turnpike? If not, you better get started. The 'Rally to Restore Sanity' and the 'March to Keep Fear Alive'will be swarming the National Mall in Washington this Saturday. If you can't be there, just fire up your TV to Comedy Central from 12noon - 3pm and make the choice to find sanity or be afraid of the world. It's your choice, people.

On another note, President Barack O'Bama was on the The Daily Show last night. At last, on the (sort of) eve of the big rally in Washington, the President took time out of his busy schedule while Stewart was in town to discuss what's been happening and why people are mad. It was an amazing moment. However, I fell asleep in the middle of the interview, so here's how it went down.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Barack Obama Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

Stiller and Meara

The comedy partnership of Stiller and Meara is an important touchstone in the American comedy landscape, spanning over 40 years and a section of two centuries. Successful as actors individually today, they were a ubiquitous husband and wife comedy duo in the 60's and 70's, performing on television variety shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, touring the club circuit and guesting in some very entertaining game shows.

Adorable and hilarious, they bring their comedy to the internet in their own web series. They're like your Mom and Dad - kvetching with love. I imagine Ben Stiller (Producer on this series) growing up with this banter at home.

Go to http://video.yahoo.com/network/102532345 and view more comedy shorts by Stiller and Meara.

Episode 5: Paranormal Activity @ Yahoo! Video

Babelgum Commissions UCBComedy for Original Content

This week brought some great news for original content comedy on the internet. Earlier this week, Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films announced their deal with Paramount Digital Entertainment to produce two new web series. Now, Babelgum, the multichannel platform, has announced their alliance with UCB Comedy, commissing the Upright Citizens Brigade's online comedy team to produce unique programming to run monthly on Babelgum's Comedy Channel. The benefits of streaming on Babelgum's site are huge. Not only will it provide more exposure for UCB Comedy, it will supply an ad team to sell spots against content.

Source: Tubefiller News

Funny Stars Came out for Autism Education and Awareness

If you missed Comedy Central's broadcast of Night of Too Many Stars, it's never too late to check out some of the funny mess that went down - and to donate.

This moment killed me.

Night of Too Many Stars	Thursday, October 21, 2010
Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan - "Scarborough Fair"
www.comedycentral.com
Ugly Americans New Episodes Nick Swardson's Pretend Time Night of Too Many Stars

The Defenders

I've been charmed by some shows this fall season (See Mike and Molly), and since my brain is a barren desert of stress, unicorns and daydreams, I'm inspired by some new shows that appear conventional on the surface, but enjoyable when digging in to view.

CBS unveiled their new law drama The Defenders a few weeks back, starring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as best pals and defense lawyers bending the rules to find justice in the Las Vegas court system. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting much from another law firm drama. Furthermore, although I like the guy, I was never a fan of Belushi's Life According to Jim. Yet, this show reeled me in.

Belushi plays Nick Morelli, a hard working soon-to-be single father who picks impossible lost cause cases to the bone by going beyond the usual legal methods. Alongside him is O'Connell as Pete Kaczmarek, a man with a hot woman in every corner, and is as relentless as his partner in the pursuit of justice at all costs.

Both Belushi and O'Connell have tight, comedic chemistry. The pace is fast, humorous, but dark when it's needs to be. Vegas is the setting, with big time corruption, crime and sex illuminated by the bright lights of the strip. The Defenders is entertaining. Contrived at times? Yes. It's hard not to roll your eyes when the first scene of the first few shows has Kaczmarek with yet another airline stewardess or babe undressing before or getting dressed after a night of humping. Yet, the show is still fun to watch. And I still can't believe the fit, handsome O'Connell was that chubby kid from Stand By Me.

The Defenders on CBS - Wednesdays at 10pm.

Night of Too Many Star on Comedy Central Tonight

Don't forget to watch Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education at 9pm on Comedy Central tonight. Taped at the Beacon Theater in New York City earlier this month, there will be a live Los Angeles broadcast with a star studded telephone crew taking donations.

Conan's First Guests Announced

Conan's first guests have been announced. Seth Rogan, Tom Hanks, Jack McBrayer and Jon Hamm to name only a few. It's all getting pretty exciting up around here.

Source: Hollywood Reporter. See full lists of guests here.

Red Hour Films to Produce Two Web Series for Paramount

Thanks to the Twitterverse, I just caught this feed in the middle of wrapping up the work day: Paramount Digital Entertainment announced today that Ben Stiller's Red Hour Films has signed on to do two digital shorts for the four year old venture. One web series will be an animated version of the 2001 movie Zoolander, where Stiller will reprise the character of the fashion model, and the other will be Billy Glimmer: Entertainer of the Century, starring himself and Human Giant's Rob Huebel.

Nobody provides this source better than Dave Itzoff, who interviewed Stiller on this new venture over at NYTimes.com.

Conan O'Brien Countdown: Vivino New Band Leader

As the countdown to Conan's new show ticks away day by day, the news keeps coming. The biggest non-surprise of the year was made official last week when it was confirmed that Andy Ritcher would join O'Brien as co-host. Today brings another bit of news in the music area. Jimmy Vivino, music associate for Conan's previous show, has been made band leader of 'The Basic Cable Band', formerly the 'Max Weinberg Seven', replacing Weinberg who looked like he took a hike from the Conan bandwagon back in January.

Conan premieres on TBS on November 8th at 11pm.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Mad Men Season 4 Finale Tonight

Season four of Mad Men is coming to a close tonight. What a topsy turvy season it's been. Don Draper struggled to rise from the ashes of disappointment in career, personal life, morality and mortality. Roger Sterling woke up to the reality that his suave, smooth, boozy devil-may-care attitude on life ran its course somewhere in 1960. Betty Draper found a decent man in Henry Francis, but she's still the Westchester housewife with a brood of children cramping her style. Peggy Olsen is blossoming as a strong, open minded woman of her generation, not only struggling to break down barriers in the boys club, but managing to fall in love, have lots of beach bunny sex and enjoy the revolution ahead of her. It was a heady feast of character growth and toil, satisfying with every episode.

As all fans of Mad Men know, Executive Producer Matthew Weiner puts on a pretty damn incredible and unforgettable finale. Although this season flew by in a flurry of fantastic storyline and performance, tonight's show will have high expectations on my part. I'm sure it won't disappoint.

Mad Men season finale tonight on AMC. (10pm ET/7pm PT)

Childrens Hospital: Best End Credits....EVER!

If you saw last Sunday's Childrens Hospital, you were treated to a hot, sticky episode filled with high tension in the middle of a steamy summer afternoon. Think Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing. Hell broke loose and rose to a pounding climax ending with the best closing titles ever.

Live From New York...It's 30 Rock!

It's a super exciting night for 30 Rock fans. Tina Fey and her crew will be taking the show live tonight. The episode will broadcast from 30 Rockefeller Plaza's SNL studio (Studio 8H), and will offer up a cast of very nervous but capable funny people who will not only be doing the show as live as can be at 8:30pm New York time, but will be doing it all over again for the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

Check out an interview with Executive Producer Robert Carlock at NYTimes.com to get the full behind the scenes vibe on this cool feat. (NYTimes.com)

Nick Swardson's 'Pretend Time'

Nick Swardson's Pretend Time	Tuesdays 10pm / 9c
This Is Nick Swardson
www.comedycentral.com
Nick Swardson on Jokes.com

Nick Swardson has been everywhere in comedy. He's appeared on Reno 911 and Human Giant. He's been in films like Blades of Glory and You Don't Mess with the Zohan (I know...). He now has his own sketch show. Nick Swardson's Pretend Time premieres tonight on Comedy Central with Robot Cats and comedy spewed through the brain of Swardson. Gird your loins for this - or else Nick will do it for you. Seriously. Nick will actually come to your house and gird your loins.

Mike and Molly

If there was one thing I was concerned about CBS' Mike and Molly, is that the fat jokes were going to fly at the expense of the two lead characters. In fact, there was a moment during the pilot that annoyed me: When Molly's skinny mom (played by Swoozie Kurtz) and her voluptuous sister (played by Katy Mixon) eat up a freshly baked chocolate cake while Molly is sweating it up on an elliptical machine beside them. Here we go, I thought. Skinny people indulging in something the key character of the show cannot have - dessert. But as the pilot continued, and as the past few weeks of Mike and Molly evolved with character development, I've grown to love this show.

Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy play Mike and Molly respectively - and respectfully. They both bring an honesty to their characters, are very likable, and you root for them. The writing is funny and the ensemble cast really gels. It's also refreshing to see two key romantic characters look like real people - not impossibly gorgeous, cookie cutter blonds with muscle and perfection to which most people cannot relate.

Watch Mike and Molly on Monday nights 9:30 pm et/8:30pm ct.

The Mothers In-Law

It's retro-TV time. Desi Arnaz produced The Mothers In-Laws back in 1967. Syndicated in the 1970's, a generation may remember this show during sick days home from school (like me). It starred Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as, well, mother in-laws who sometimes love each other, but also love to get on each other's nerves. It's sort of like a different version of I Love Lucy, if Ethel was an hilarious Italian and Lucy was a blond. The show is the usual 60's version of farce, but it's super fun. Ballard is a scream as Kaye Buell, filled with Italian curses and gestures, her timing is incredible, and Arden is crisp and funny.

The Mothers In-Laws complete series is now on DVD, available at Amazon and available for rent on Netflix.

New York Comic Con

So, I move to LA to for dry weather, temperate climes and the entertainment industry, and so far I've dodged torrential rains, been hit with a massive heat wave, and am now missing New York Comic Con. Fine. Be that way, Universe.

I'm not complaining. There is always San Diego next year. But listen up New York comedy fans. I love me some Childrens Hospital, as you know. If you're on this blog, it's likely you love the show too. As of the writing of this post, you have about 40 minutes to get down to the Javits Center and meet the cast of Adult Swims latest hit about sexy doctors. The panel starts at 4:30pm in room 1A06, and autographs are at 5:45pm in "Autograph Alley", whatever that is. But you'll find it.

Then check out the makers of Robot Chicken at 6:45pm in the Special Events Hall - room 1C02. Maybe Seth Green will sign your girlfriend's boob.

You don't need me to tell you what to do. Here's a list of exhibits for the weekend. There are comic book panels and talks galore, not to mention screenings. Have fun New York!

Conan's Coming.

I can't resist posting more Conan. Here's a promo.

Eastbound and Down

Kenny Powers is probably the most intriguing figure in baseball today - even if he is ficitional. He's a coke filled, philandering, filthy disgusting hard partying former Major League pitcher spending season two of Eastbound and Down as an American in Mexico running away from his horrible and hilarious self. After losing out on the high flying world of cock fighting, he's returned to the pitchers mound on a local Mexican league team to start back on his road to stardom, and to try and win back the love of his life. But...she's moved on. (True. Katy Mixon who played his ex Rachel Buchanon is now on CBS' Mike and Molly). Kenny is one sad ass, but he's pretty bad ass. If you haven't been watching him on HBO after Bored to Death on Sunday nights - you should start. It took me a while to get into his speed, but Danny McBride is pretty spot on funny as Powers.

Eastbound and Down airs Sunday nights at 10:30pm on HBO. Also catch him on the nearest billboard and bus stop bench near you.

Mad Men: Chinese Wall

"In business, a Chinese wall or firewall is an information barrier implemented within a firm to separate and isolate persons who make investment decisions from persons who are privy to undisclosed material information which may influence those decisions. This is a way of avoiding conflict of interest problems." Wikipedia

"This has nothing to do with the office" says sexy Megan, the wanting secretary who jumps like a puppy when Draper struts down the hall, carrying a billion thoughts on his mind. Her seducing him was a disappointment - as if Don, trying to stay on the straight and narrow, fighting clients who are dropping like flies, succumbed to his old rascal ways. There he goes again, cheating on another blond with a brunette. One can speculate that this "conflict" will create havoc down the road. From Roger and his embarrassing failure to not only lose the Lucky Strike account, but keep it a secret from his partners, to Pete being lured by his own father in law to jump from his "folly" of an ad agency and join a more solid firm, to Don using his dreamy bedroom eyes to get Faye to fess up on confidential client reviews, shows why code of conduct is beaten into the brains of corporate America. This lose way of handling affairs will burn them. Or at least I hope it does - not because I want them to fail, but imagine the drama. Will Megan's aggressive tactics to shag Don bring his trouble? Will Faye hate herself for facilitating a meeting with Heinz, like a roasted pig on a platter for a hungry SCDP? Will Roger jump off the Brooklyn Bridge? We'll see. I just hope Sally did get to see the Beatles at Shea last week with her dad, rather sit there alone while Don boinked an Usherette behind the beer stands in the Upper Mezzanine of that old place.

Conan Countdown

November can't come soon enough. Billboard in Times Square posted by Brian Stelter of NYTimes.com.

I Wish It Were The 70's Again...

...just for a day.

Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Event for Austism Education

Last night, New York's Beacon Theatre was filled to the gills with so many famous funny people raising money for Autism education that it's amazing the whole country didn't hear the walls shake from the rumble of laughter. Hosted by Jon Stewart, a Night of Too Many Stars was chock full of comedy, with the likes of Sarah Silverman, Stephen Colbert, Chris Rock, Joel McHale, Steve Carell, Ricky Gervais and Tiny Fey (to name only the tip of the iceberg) helping to raise money for families and individuals touched by Autism in need of assistance and educational outlets. For those lucky to nab tickets for the sold out show, many a sides were sore today, but it's all for a good cause.

Special shout out to Upright Citizens Brigade folk Anthony King, Andrew Secunda and Craig Rowan for being part of the writing team.

Night of Too Many Stars An Overbooked Even for Austism Education will air on Comedy Central October 21st at 9pm ET/8pm CT.

For more information and donations, please go to New York Center for Autism site.

For a look into the show, go over to Comedy Central's site.

Adult Swim renews Childrens Hospital

Has it really been almost a month since I last posted? So much has happened. Season premieres such as $hi! My Dad Says, Blue Bloods, My Generation...wait that last one was already canceled. So what's the opposite of canceled? Renewed. Childrens Hospital has just been picked up for 14 more episodes of hospital fun. Production begins in December for season 3 (or season 2, depending how you're counting them.)

Updated: Forgot to add that the season finale will be aired live on November 7th - just like in olden days.

Yay!