The Greatest Event in Television

The Greatest Event in Television aired last night. It's such an auspicious moment in television history, Adult Swim pre-empted Childrens' Hospital.

Hey Simon & Simon fans, hold onto your underwear. This is going to blow them right off your butt.

Enjoy Your New Paul Rudd Screensaver

Perfect for your home office or at work! (Well, with the sound off. It's verbally NTSF.)

And sorry. The preceding commercial is not part of the screensaver. Disappointing, I know.

Paul Rudd Screensaver from Paul Rudd     

Anchorman Teaser: They're Back for More

Vote For Leslie Knope!

Last night on Parks and Recreation, the very dishy and funny Mr. Paul Rudd premiered as Bobby Newport, Leslie Knope's opponent for City Council of Pawnee. He's an empty headed rich boy, who, on the silver platter of life, had the world handed to him while sucking on a silver spoon. Leslie, on the other hand, has worked her heart out for her beloved town, and now has to handle low popularity numbers to try and outshine the dashing and dumb Bobby. It makes a lovely combination. Especially when Leslie's camp tries to grapple over using negative ads to thwart him. But, being true to herself, she takes the high road with a very smart advertising spot.



As per Executive Producer Michael Schur, Rudd's role will be a three episode arc with the hope of having him on when his schedule allows.

GQ's Comedy Issue

Image via Gawker.com

Tracy Morgan graces one of the multiple available covers of GQ's Comedy Issue. Meanwhile, I want to take the collage above and tattoo it on my brain. Paul Rudd and Zach Galifianakis will be in the upcoming film Dinner For Schmucks - out on July 30th. The GQ Comedy Issue is out now.

NYTimes Spoof for 92Y Tribeca

Brilliance. Sheer brilliance. This has been online for a while, but Webby McSpeedyson over here finally got around to seeing it today. Here's a hilarious bit of comedy from David Wain, Ken Marino, Paul Rudd, Todd Barry plus a butt load of very funny comedians.

What to Watch...On The Internet

Jason Sudeikis in Crackle.com's "The Line"

Yes, there is good comedy on the internet. Fresh baked, ready for the clicking kind of sketch comedy/talks shows, slickly produced and cast with the funny and the famous who've by passed the fundamental television path and did a Sarah Palin by going rogue. Thanks to the advent of Funnyordie, Crackle and MyDamnChannel, familiar comedy talent is cranking out ideas and baking up new comedy for the taking. Whether you're taking a break from work, or need a diversion from network television, which is eroding due to distractions that include viewers turning more to the internet for entertainment, you will always find something hilarious to hang your hat on.

Here are my top favorite online comedy selections found in recent weeks:

TheWB.com's "Children's Hospital" on thewb.com

"Children's Hospital" TheWB.com, already reviewed in a previous entry (just below) here at TVblogster, is a hilarious hospital parody written, directed and co-produced by Rob Corddry, with the help of David Wain and Jonathan Stein. A parade of familiar faces from comedy abound: Megan Mullally, SNL's Jason Sudeikis, The Office's Ed Helms, Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria-Parker partake in the satire. It's raunchy fun, and worth viewing all ten episodes, now available at thewb.com.

Joe Lo Truglio and Bill Hader in "The Line" on Crackle.com

"The Line", Produced by Broadway Video and directed by Seth Meyers, was originally filmed and released on Crackle.com last summer. Bill Hader (another SNL-er) and The State's Joe Lo Tuglio play die hard SciFi geeks who camp out two weeks before a long awaited movie release, only to be met with the trials and tribulations of sidewalk treachery. See our heroes as they swelter in the heat, don't shower, tackle a trio of shape shifting creepy guys, placate a pissed off theater manager, and out smart an annoying party crasher called "The Spoiler" (played by Paul Scheer) who threatens to spill the movie's highly secretive twist. But most of all, see them try to keep their place in line. Catch it on crackle.com.

Paul Rudd in "Wainy Days: The Pickup" on mydamnchannel.com

My Damn Channel harbors one of my favorite series of comedies from one of eccentric talents of The State - David Wain. Wainy Days is the ongoing saga of Wain trying to get a date. The episode near and dear to my heart is The Pickup. It co-stars Paul Rudd as the master of picking up chicks. He is too beautiful and funny to be real. Watch it on mydamnchannel.com.

Jon Hamm guests on "Between Two Ferns" on FunnyorDie.com

The masterminds behind FunnyorDie have created a goldmine of original, funny and highly silly comedy shorts online. Of course, The Landlord starring the two year old Pearl and Will Farrell is now infamous. There is so much to explore on this site; however, my personal favorite lately is Between Two Ferns, a three part chat show starring host Zack Galifianakis who interviews Mad Men's Jon Hamm (who appears to be a true comedian at heart), Jimmy Kimmell and Michael Cera. Galifianakis is a frightening interviewer whose questions are uncomfortable and insanely funny. Find all three parts at FunnyorDie. Click on following links: (Michael Cera), (Jon Hamm), (Jimmy Kimmel).

The spectrum of good quality comedy that is comparable to television fare is out there for the plucking. Not all online comedy content is pitch perfect, but if one searches enough, there is plenty to enjoy.

SNL: Ben Affleck and John McCain - Votes are In

(Photo Courtesy of NBC Universal Media)

Two days to go after two years of campaigning, stump speeches, negative ads, change, hope, mavericky mavericks, views of Russia and various Joe's of many vocational distinction. Saturday Night Live has taken advantage of their incredible luck in having the comedic platform to make political commentary through satire, while allowing the candidates to join in on a little self deprecation.

John McCain, who hosted SNL in 2002, returned to the show last night to do some fun lovin' good time humor. America did not have to wait. He was in the cold open, joined by Tina Fey doing her Sarah Palin duties. It was pretty funny to see him sell off his campaign themed knick knacks on QVC, while Palin went all rouge with "Palin in 2012" teeshirts for sale on the side. There was actually an amiable vibe on set. The studio audience seemed quite supportive, considering one would expect an east coast Obama supportive contingency. Yet a supportive crowd out cheered what could have been mistaken for boo's. McCain returned during Weekend Update, again to positive applause, this time with definite boo's laced in the applause, good naturally acknowledged by the candidate, before he went on to satirizing his own campaign tactics.

Guest Host Ben Affleck came back as guest. The monologue felt a bit wasted, shortened, and was not a particularly great kick off for the evening's show. Affleck, making note of being a staunch Democrat, commented that he was supporting McCain tonight since all the Democratic presidents he supported in the past lost. Who better than to deal with superstitious reverse karma than a Red Sox fan? This Mets fan totally understood the strategy.

Affleck stretched his impressionist muscles by doing an very angry and out of character Keith Olberman. I know Olberman can be passionate about his convictions, but Affleck seemed to have missed the twinkle firmly planted in Keith's eye - making the Olberman sketch a little more macabre, and perhaps not as pitch perfect as it could have been. Also, the stab at "The View" was a hit and miss. Affleck continued wearing the skin of someone else - this time Alec Baldwin - with deep voice and squinty eye. The problem with the sketch was the lack of finesse in sending up the ladies. In reality, they are louder, talk over each other, and suffer through right wing discourse from Elizabeth Hasselbeck, thus amplifying her to screeching annoyance. The sketch didn't hit the center of what makes right wingnut Bits and her liberal co-hosts so inflammatory.

Personal favorite of the night was the Target lady sketch and Ben as the man that wanted to sex her up. Ben aced the wigger persona, making guy look like a slightly disgusting, but entertaining ass, while Wigg freaked out customers with her overzealous cheer.

Perhaps the fabulous SNL with Jon Hamm last week made it tough for Ben to outdo my expections. This show was fine, but not as top notch. However, he's always great on this show, even if the writing doesn't hold up all the time.

Cold Open:


Weekend Update:


SNL is on a break next week, but returns on Saturday, November 15th with Guest Host Paul Rudd, whom I love so much, that I have married him in my head. He has been my imaginary husband for a few years now, so it will be a treat. Maybe he can get me pretend tickets to his show?