The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season Two Is Over

Forget all the drama of Danielle and the housewives of Franklin Lakes. I'm happy to see this show take a breather just because of these costume monstrosities Teresa had tailor made for all her tiny kin. Goodbye hideous fashion for kids and hair bows crapped out of the brain of Teresa "My House Is Not In Foreclosha!" Guidice. But I love that crazy lady. Hope Chapter 7 works out for you and Joe, Tee.

Some 'SNL' To Look Forward To

The crew of Saturday Night Live is back in action on the 17th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, prepping for a new season. Sadly, gone are Will Forte and Jenny Slate. Happily, Paul Brittan, Vanessa Bayer, Jay Pharoah and Taran Killam join the show.

Nice news in the hosting duties. Former SNL cast member and Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler will be hosting the season premiere on September 25th with musical guest Katy Perry. Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston will be hosting on October 2nd and as previously mentioned, Jane Lynch will take over on October 9th.
Photo by Hilary Walsh

They're The Slipnutz!

(via azizisbored by way of paulscheer)

Emmy Opener

I'm a bit late, I know. But Sunday night's Emmy Awards opener was one for the books. Probably the best opening number to any awards show ever. Well, at least in my book.

The Chris Gethard Show Turns into 'The Telethon of Shame' This Saturday!

If you're in New York City on Saturday, August 28th and have nowhere to go for a midnight comedy romp, stop by the UCB Theatre on 26th and 8th for 'The Telethon of Shame'. It's hosted by Big Lake's Chris Gethard. Proceeds from the event will go to the March of Dimes. Reservations are currently sold out, but if you wait on the stand by line early (well before 11pm), you might get in. Bring your dollars and an iron clad stomach. Some weird shit is going to happen to raise the dough. If you can't come that night but are in the neighborhood, please make a donation at the UCB box office any time! Thanks, comedy nerds!

Out Fishing

It's not that there haven't been any funny television news on the charts. Will Forte will not be returning to SNL - that's one. The Life and Times of Tim has been renewed on HBO, Bored to Death will be returning in September, and the Emmy Awards will occur on Sunday on NBC with Jimmy Fallon hosting. It's just that summer has taken over my brain, and seems to be pushing me to the west coast. Transitions. Decisions. Changes. So, I haven't been focusing on this blog the way I'd like to - especially since I feel it needs some changes, upgrades, and a new focus. More to come on that...

So, in the interim, I'd like to post a very funny video UCBComedy.com put up from a show called Death By Roo Roo'. It runs at the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York every Saturday night at 9pm. (Friday nights at 9:30pm at UCB Los Angeles). Two members of the audience are selected to talk about their weird families (one for each half of the show), and the cast improvises scenes. Here are the very funny Adam Pally and John Gemberling whose scene work is unbelievably hilarious.

Death by Roo Roo - Picking up Chicks	UCBcomedy.com
Watch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com

Double Whammy Viewing on 'Adult Swim' Tonight

Jon Glaser stars in the second season of Delocated, tonight at 10:00pm. Join his family as they weave their lives within the Witness Protection Program, move to New York City and film a reality show. If you love Jon Glaser, ski masks and voice modulators, and admit it - you do, watch this show!



New episodes of Childrens Hospital air tonight at 10:30pm following Jon Glaser and his balaklava hidden face. New to the lineup is the terrific Henry Winkler. I love The Fonz and funny sexually overcharged doctors who take the piss out of the hospital shows I hate so much. Take a hike, McDreamy.

Conan Teams Up with Jack White's 'Third Man'

Interesting and strange news afoot. Conan O'Brien and Jack White have teamed up to release two albums "And They Call Me Mad?" and "Conan O'Brien Live at Third Man". The former will be spoken word that includes an interview with the deposed Tonight Show host conducted by White, and the latter will be a collection of rockabilly songs recorded with Conan's band. Jack White will also appear on these tracks. Both albums will be released on White's Third Man label.

I'm taken by the cover photo above. What is this exposure trying to say? Conan looks depleted. He needs a bag of plasma and a sandwich. This past year must be taking a physical toll, as he evolves from network good boy into cable's newly welcomed rock star hero.

"And They Call Me Mad" will be released on August 24th. Both albums will be available on iTunes.

Sources: LA Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter

New Episodes of Childrens Hospital This Weekend

The original webisodes of Childrens Hospital have beamed from Adult Swim the past several Sundays, but brand new made for TV episodes of the Rob Corddry comedy will begin this Sunday, August 22nd at 10:30pm.

Take a break from sexy ad men on Mad Men and watch Childrens Hospital for the horny doctors. Henry Winkler will be starring in the new installments, which makes it even better than fantastic.

Watch 'Big Lake'

I know what I'm doing tonight: Watching Big Lake on Comedy Central at 10pm and again at 10:30pm. It stars Chris Gethard and Horatio Sanz. Seriously, the casting is an underdog dream come true with Gethard being selected in the eleventh hour to replace Jon Hader, the original choice for the starring role.

Big Lake	Tuesday August 17, 2010
Big Lake: Extended Trailer
www.comedycentral.com
Big Lake A New Comedy from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Johnny Carson on the Web

The Carson Entertainment Group will announce today a two-fold revitalization of the JohnnyCarson.com website that will, 1) allow users to view clips from over 30 years of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and 2) provide public access to an archive of 3,500 hours of full episodes of the late night program, once only available to industry professionals. The new online projects are being driven by Carson Entertainment's Jeff Sotzing, Carson's nephew.

After almost twenty years of Jay Leno at the reign of The Tonight Show, access to an abundance of Carson material will remind us what we're missing in the late night forum. This isn't a dig on Leno, but he turned the show into something very different - ratings success or not.

David Itzkoff of NYTimes.com wrote a piece announcing this new venture.

Conan on TBS

How Chris Gethard Was Captured From the Wild and Made Into A Sitcom Star

When Executive Producers Adam McKay and Chris Henchy first captured Chris Gethard from the wild, they knew this wild child Ron Howard look-a-like could be made into a star. So, they booked him a role on their Comedy Central series Big Lake, premiering August 17th at 10pm ET/9pm CT.

Take a look into this amazing documentary short about the evolution of the Chris Gethard, New Jersey's nature boy.

Discovering A TV Star from Comedy Central's Big Lake

Jane Lynch to Host 'SNL'

To all Glee-ites and fans of comedy in general. Great news is afoot. The amazing Jane Lynch will be hosting Saturday Night Live on October 9th. All is right with the world because that's going to be some rocking sketches performed by one of the funniest ladies around. It's time she got the recognition she deserves. And it's refreshing that Lorne Michaels isn't handing out repeat hosting duties to the stars of Twilight so early in the upcoming season. At least, not yet.

Check Out NTSF:SD:SUV Extended Version

Filled with lots of kick ass, Adult Swim and Funny or Die bring you an extended trailer of NTSF:SD:SUV. Watch it until your face explodes.

NTSF:SD:SUV:: w/ Paul Scheer, Rob Riggle, June Raphael and Brandon Johnson from Paul Scheer

'Office' Rumors on Carell's Replacement

Here's an interesting turn up for the books. As per OfficeTally.com, NBC's The Office may be interested in bringing back a familiar face from the original British series. Showrunners Paul Lieberstein and Greg Daniels have been considering Ricky Gervais as a replacement for Steve Carell when he leaves the role of Michael Scott at the end of next season. Although Lieberstein mentioned to Vulture magazine Gervais not a top choice, the concept is "not a dead idea".

Sources: OfficeTally.com and New York Magazine

A 'Daily Show' Surprise

August is upon us, and it's week number two on Jon Stewart's dastardly handsome goatee. New episodes of Childrens Hospital is on the horizon, a new season of Mad Men is currently airing and summer movies are being released into the sea of sweaty humanity. The latest Adam McKay flick, The Other Guys, starring Will Farrell, Mark Wahlberg (and what? Rob Riggle?) is opening this Friday. This movie was filming all over the New York area last year, so I'm pretty stoked to see it.

Farrell has been doing the PR rounds and landed on The Daily Show last night, bringing with him a surprise guest. Spoiler: It's former Daily Show correspondent Rob Riggle!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Will Ferrell
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

The Office UK and US: Comparing Two Scenes

I've been feeling a little nostalgic over The Office lately. Having been a fan of the original British series when it first debuted in the U.S. in 2002 on BBC America, and consequentially becoming an obsessed viewer of the American version on NBC in 2005, I always looked for similarities in story line structure between the BBC show and NBC's adaptation. Especially in the heart of each series - the love story between Jim/Pam and Tim/Dawn.


The British and American versions both went in different directions scene-wise to get their favorite love interests together. In the BBC's series finale, Tim gives a beautiful, heartfelt monologue about how he's come to terms with letting Dawn go, how she was a temporary ray of sunshine in his life, and he'll be fine as he walks on in life without her. In the NBC version, we see Pam beaming with confidence days after admitting to Jim at a beach party that she left Roy because of him, and that Halpert's friendship meant more to her than she let on. In the episode "The Job", Pam came to terms with Jim's possible departure for New York, admitting that she'll move on and that they'll always be friends.


Below is the final heart wrenching and wonderful ten minutes of the British Office series finale. It's fascinating to see how the U.S and U.K versions went down different paths to reach the same conclusion on the Tim/Dawn and Jim/Pam romance. Despite the British series finale being much longer than the US's season three finale, there are parallels in the devices used to change the minds of the object of one's affection before they walked out of our lives. With Dawn, it was the paint kit and letter from Tim. With Jim, it was the phone message and yogurt lid from Pam.

Since the British Office was wrapping up their series here, we see loose ends tied up and more exposition to draw things to a nice end. You might even find about ten different US Office episodes embedded in these ten minutes. (Christmas parties, Michael dating...)



This is the last two minutes of the U.S. Office episode "The Job". The bones of Tim's confession, the edits and voice overs are adapted beautiful and briefly in Pam's talking head. The flashback at the beach is not really comparable to the British version, but it lends nicely to the build up of the conclusion and provides some background on where Jim and Pam left off after what is known in fan circles as Beesly's "Beach Speech".



As the U.S. version of The Office continued year after year, the blueprint of its U.K. predecessor faded. Yet, one hopes that when Steve Carell leaves, show runner Paul Leiberstein and his writers will go back to the original for inspiration and revisit David Brent's departure from Wernham Hogg. It was a painful moment that revealed the heart of a man who lived for his job and found loneliness beyond the company walls. It may be a nice homage to the original if the US Office followed suit. Considering Michael is only a shadow of David Brent, re-writing his departure will undoubtedly be different.

FX Renews 'Louie', 'Reno 911!' Team's Pilot is Picked Up

It's an alternative comedy Christmas over at the FX room at TCA. Word is out that Louie CK's Louie, currently airing its first season on FX, has been signed on for 13 more episodes.



Meanwhile...


Reno 911! creators and stars Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant have just been given the go by the powers that be at FX for their pilot U.S.S. Alabama.

Nice to see FX ramping up their comedy block.




Source: Deadline Hollywood