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Kristin Chenowith To Star In Disney+ Comedy

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Comedy specials are starting to be announced for Disney+, the new streaming service that debuted in November from the entertainment mogul.

One of the first to be announced is a new comedy starring Kristin Chenowith. She will be both starring in and executive producing the new series entitled The Biggest Star in Appleton. Currently the show is in the early stages of production without a release date; however, details are starting to surface.

The new show will be shot using a single camera and is a concept that was originally vetted by 20th Century Fox, now a part of the Walt Disney Company with the recent acquisition. Paul Rudnick from popular hits, In & Out and Addams Family Values, is the new show’s creator.

So far, the premise of the show chronicles Carol Dannhauser (played by Chenowith) who is a mother, wife and, waitress in the small town of Appleton, Wisconsin, who gets her deepest satisfaction from local stardom as she performs at the community theater. This sense of bliss becomes threatened when a down-on-her-luck chorus girl from New York comes to town.

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Best Holiday Comedies

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To get you in the holiday mood, we have complied a list of the best holiday comedies of recent years to help put you in the spirit of the season and fill you with laughter.

In an article in Esquire, they list the top 50 best Christmas movies. On this list, there are multiple comedies including Last Holiday, Elf, and Love Actually. To check out the full list, click HERE.

Holiday comedies are a staple for the season, with new ones coming out each year. Below is a list of our favorites picks for this year along with a short synopsis of each.

A Bad Moms Christmas – While this is a sequel, it follows three moms through the holiday season in their efforts to create the perfect Christmas for their families while each of their moms come to town for a surprise visit. Can they deliver on their vow for larger-than-life celebrations? Click HERE to watch this laugh-out-loud trailer.

Elf – As a toddler Buddy, accidentally grows up at the North Pole and then returns to New York City as an adult to discover the harsh realities of adulthood by searching for his real father. Buddy has to adjust to his new life but also helps restore the Christmas spirit to those who need it. Click HERE to watch the trailer.

Bad Santa – This raunchy comedy follows two con-men as they try to pull off their annual holiday robbery; however, one of the partners isn’t into it this year. Click HERE to check out the trailer for a preview of the hilarity that ensues.

Some honorable mentions include Eight Crazy Nights, Home Alone, The Night Before, and A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas. For some other funny movie suggestions, check out the list compiled by Harpers Bazaar HERE.

Season’s Greetings!

Premieres

Tiffany Haddish New Netflix Special

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To add to the amazing list of talented comedians releasing new specials this year, Tiffany Haddish has released her new Netflix special, Black Mitzvah. The name of the special came to Haddish after she took an ancestry DNA test that revealed she was of part Jewish descent on her father’s side. The special is now available for streaming and is quickly gaining both traction and notoriety.

Haddish describes the special as a celebration of her own bat mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony that traditionally occurs when one is around thirteen. She adds, “I want to do something that represents growth and maturity.” Haddish’s late father was a Jewish refugee from Eritrea, which she discovered as a teenager. She even had some experience working as an entertainer and dancer at various bar/bat mitzvahs as she started her career.

Early reviews of Black Mitzvah have been favorable and have praised Haddish for her comedic chops. An article by FastCompany claims that it is a “comedy special as PR and it works.” The special highlights her humorous commentary on life, including the moment she discovered she was part Jewish. Check out the trailer HERE. To prepare for the special, she spent time reading the Torah and learning the Jewish language to prepare for her actual upcoming bat mitzvah ceremony she is having to celebrate her heritage as well as her 40th birthday.

Haddish has come on to the comic scene from film roles in Night School, Girls Trip, and Like A Boss. In addition to those credits, she also was part of NBC’s show, The Carmichaels, that aired from 2015-2017 and TBS’ The Last O.G. with Tracy Morgan. Black Mitzvah is her second Netflix special, the first one being They Ready, which premiered earlier this year in August.

Be sure to stream it on Netflix now!

Industry Buzz

John Mayer: Current Mood

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Most know John Mayer for his musical abilities; however, Mayer has been self-producing Instagram Live “episodes” of a talk show he is calling Current Mood.

Using the social media platform, Mayer hosts the show and has a variety of guests join him. The show is very informal and shot using an iPhone camera in his living room. To add a little more comedic flare, the set includes a homemade backdrop of stuffed animals that Mayer has hot-glued to a poster board. Past guests include Andy Cohen, Shawn Mendes, Comedy Work alum David Spade, and Halsey. On a recent show, Mayer and Mendes played a silly game with a catchy intro called ” Camila Camendes Camendes Cabello Cabello Cabelas Mendes ” where they tried to guess random facts about celebrities that have a combination of those names listed in the song. Watch the clip within the episode HERE.

The first episode of the show surfaced back in September 2018 and is a recurring Sunday night event, barring any musical performance commitments. It showcases Mayer’s wit and dry sense of humor where he contemplates very important issues like the reboot of Sonic the Hedgehog. He creates comedic segments complete with note cards, interviews guests, and typically rounds out the show with a musical performance by a guest, tying it back to his musical roots. While it initially started out as something Mayer wanted to do in order to combat loneliness, it has turned into much more. It is streamed live and can be found on Instagram for the first 24 hours after the show on Mayer’s personal page. Afterwards, the new shows can be found most of the time on YouTube after fans have uploaded them there. Click HERE to read why fans are interested in the show.

Mayer is known as a talented musician, releasing solo hit such as No Such Thing and Heartbreak Warfare. In more recent years, he has been touring worldwide with Dead & Company.

Be sure to catch the show live or watch it on YouTube if you are looking for some laughs!

National Comics

Comedian Jenny Slate Releases Book

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Looking for a good, funny read as we head into the winter months? Comedy Works veteran, Jenny Slate, has just released a brand-new book, Little Weirds.

The book is a collection of essays that explore a wide variety of topics – from thoughts on a haunted house to more serious topics such as divorce. Slate weaves in self-reflection and personal insights as she goes through each subject. The essays range in length and are easy to read. Slate herself describes the work as 48 different pieces where the reader can open up to any one theme and just start reading in any order of his or her choosing, but she recommends starting from the first page and reading in consecutive order as she designed the book that way.

Reviews for the book have been very positive since the release with an average four out of five stars. Mindy Kaling calls the book “magical”, and John Mulaney described it as “funny, poignant, and beautiful.” To read other reviews, click HERE. Little Weirds is Slate’s first solo print publication, but she has previously co-authored three other works: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things About Me, Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I’ve Ever Been, and About the House. Marcel is a popular children’s book series that has also been made into a stop-animation short film, teaching the importance of finding something good in each day.

Slate started her career as part of the comedic duo, Gabe & Jenny, and quickly rose to fame after initial recognition by Time Out New York in 2008. Television and film credits include: Saturday Night Live, Zootopia, Gifted, and Comedy Central’s Drunk History. You can also currently catch her as the voice of Missy Foreman-Greenwald on the animated Netflix series Big Mouth. In addition, Slate has a comedy special on the streaming service, Stage Fright, that has received a lot of industry buzz and hype.

To read an excerpt of the book, click HERE.

Industry Buzz, Premieres

Seth Meyers: Lobby Baby

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Late Night with Seth Meyers host, Seth Meyers, has announced a new Netflix special that premiered on November 5th. The new special is called Lobby Baby, poking fun at Meyers’ own experience of having his second child born in the lobby of his New York apartment building in April 2018. You can watch Meyers tell the original story HERE. The teaser trailer for the special shows Meyers with a toy stage and figurine of himself after having a funny conversation with some small children playing with toys of their own.

The special was filmed in Minneapolis at the Pantages Theatre. Topics for the special include family and fatherhood as well as drawing on Meyers’ Saturday Night Live and stand-up background. It shows what a family man Meyers is and displays his affection for both his wife and two sons.

Having spent 13 seasons on the show, there is a plethora of material from which he can draw from. He is most known for his time on the news parody, Weekend Update. Additionally, he took over the 12:35/11:35pm time slot on NBC for Late Night in 2014 when Jimmy Fallon went to host The Tonight Show. Staple segments of his main show include Emmy-nominated “A Closer Look”, poking fun of the latest current events nightly.

This Netflix special features a “skip politics” button, for those who are just tired of Trump jokes as well, making it appealing to those who are tired of some of the political satire circulating the television and Internet circuits. Vulture, a subsidiary of New York Magazine describes the special as a “sweet, endearing wash of cuteness that is also good but a touch naughty”. Click HERE to read the full review.

This is definitely a special we have on our “must-watch-soon” list, and it should be on yours too!

Industry Buzz, National Comics, Premieres

New Jim Jefferies show on NBC

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If any comedy nerds out there miss Jim Jefferies’ FX show Legit, you should get excited about the new NBC show. NBC has committed to a new untitled Jim Jefferies-Suzanne Martin comedy pilot. The comedy will feature a fictional version of Jefferies. He will be starring in the show as himself offering commentary on modern life issues and the complexity of relationships. Currently there is not a premiere date that has been announced but look for one soon! In the meantime, check out Jefferies on his comedy show, The Jim Jefferies Show, on Comedy Central!

Industry Buzz, National Comics, Premieres

Michael Kosta gets his first Comedy Central Special

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Michael Kosta, currently seen on The Daily Show, is going to headline his first stand-up special on Comedy Central, the same network that produces The Daily Show. The special is going to be recorded from Detroit’s Gem Theatre in November and then air on TV sometime in Summer 2020. Kosta has appeared on popular shows such as The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Conan prior to joining the Comedy Central team. He is on our “must-see” up-and-coming comedian list making this special definitely one to check out!

Premieres

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis THE MOVIE

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The new must-see movie of the fall, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, is captivating the Internet. The new Netflix movie special with Zach Galifianakis started back in 2008 as a web series and has featured guests such as President Obama, Brad Pitt, and Jennifer Aniston. The film premiered this year in September and has been gaining traction as well as rave reviews. The interviewees of the 2019 edition include Benedict Cumberbatch, Brie Larson, and Gal Gadot. Check out this gut-busting comedy now through Netflix and for film information, click HERE.

Industry Buzz, National Comics

CHELSEA HANDLER VISITS THE RED TABLE

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Chelsea Handler recently visited the famous red table for an episode of Facebook Live’s Red Table Talk, hosted by Jada Pinkett-Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Jones (Jada’s mother). While Handler was there, she promoted her new Netflix documentary, Hello Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea along with discussing her comedic past and personal viewpoints. In addition to the new special, she also just completed a podcast series based on her latest memoir, Life Will Be the Death of Me. The podcast shares the same name, and there are 20 episodes available. You can check out the podcast episode listing on iHeartRadio HERE and information about the documentary HERE.