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Movie and Entertainment News >> Television >> Comedy
Comedy News
The Internet has been abuzz lately with a couple of sitcom-related stories that are clearly never, ever going to happen. First, the New York Post recently picked up on some fairly old Twitter speculation by former Frasier star Kelsey Grammer about the possibility of a Frasier spin-off. Clearly desperate for some publicity after the failure of his last two sitcoms (Back to You and Hank), Grammer started riffing on the possibility of a new comedy starring Frasier and Niles' kids, with cameos from former Frasier and Cheers cast members. There's no indication that anyone other than Grammer is involved in developing these ideas, which for some reason include centering storylines around social networking. Nothing will come of this.
Also in the land of make believe: The Office executive producer and co-star Paul Lieberstein told E! that he was interested in hiring actor Harvey Keitel (known for his menacing, dark roles in movies like Pulp Fiction and Bad Lieutenant) to replace Steve Carell as the boss of Dunder Mifflin Scranton when Carell leaves the show after the upcoming season. Apparently Lieberstein observed some comedic potential in Keitel's recent role on the ABC time-travel cop drama Life on Mars, and suggests casting him as a veteran salesman stuck coming back to work thanks to the bad economy. Lieberstein hasn't actually approached Keitel about the role, which makes the casting even more unlikely. Expect more likely candidates like Danny McBride or Rhys Darby to actually be in the running.
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Ridiculous Rumors: 'Frasier' Spin-Off, Harvey Keitel on 'The Office' originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Friday, September 3rd, 2010 at 10:55:55.
It may not get the kind of Emmy attention that other premium-cable dramedies get, and it may not even have much critical acclaim, but HBO clearly thinks that Hung has something, because it's just picked up the show for a third season. The second season, which has been a little unfocused, concludes on September 12, and the 10-episode third season will air next year. Maybe by then the show will finally live up to its mostly unrealized potential (or just continue to be mildly entertaining).
Photo courtesy of HBO
'Hung' Gets a Third Season originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 07:52:57.
On ABC's Wednesday-night comedy lineup, Modern Family gets all the critical acclaim and awards, and Cougar Town has a pretty devoted core following (including me). Often forgotten in the shadow of those two, though, is The Middle, which is also about to head into its second season, and which has neither great reviews nor a vocal fanbase. And honestly, I can't exactly say I'm a fan of The Middle, either. I found its first episode strained and shrill, and I've never cared for Patricia Heaton. I haven't paid much attention to the show since then, but maybe I should give it another look, and fans of ABC's other Wednesday comedies might want to try it again as well. The first season is out on DVD today, and that's a great chance to re-evaluate this under-the-radar show.
TV Comedies DVD Releases for August 31, 2010:
- The Middle: Season 1 (Compare Prices)
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TV Comedies DVD of the Week: 'The Middle' Season 1 originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 at 09:57:07.
Well, it's a good thing I don't put much stock in the Emmys, because tonight's awards ceremony didn't honor any TV comedy shows that I actually like. Still, Modern Family fans (there are plenty of them) should be pleased, as that show (pictured) took the top comedy award, as well as awards for writing and for supporting actor Eric Stonestreet. Fans of Fox's Glee (there are even more of those) should also be pleased, as that show took home awards for directing and for supporting actress (Jane Lynch, whom I think is deserving, even if the show is not). Other awards went to Edie Falco for her glum performance on Nurse Jackie and Jim Parsons for playing an annoying nerd on The Big Bang Theory. For an idea of what shows I actually do like, check out my preliminary list of the best TV comedies of 2010, which will be filled out as the year progresses.
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Emmys Go to 'Modern Family,' 'Glee' originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 23:45:23.
After eight seasons, Will Forte has decided to leave the cast of Saturday Night Live, announcing on Thursday that he would be moving on to pursue other opportunities. Presumably those opportunities won't include a sequel to MacGruber, the SNL-based movie that Forte starred in over the summer, which joined a long tradition of SNL sketches-turned-films to bomb at the box office. Forte can be a funny performer, but he doesn't really seem like movie-star material, and he'll probably end up starring on a sitcom or taking supporting roles in Hollywood movies.
The day after Forte's announcement, blog The Comic's Comic reported on three new cast members for the upcoming SNL season, which starts September 25 on NBC. The blog cites multiple sources confirming that comedians and improv performers Paul Brittain, Vanessa Bayer and Taran Killam will be joining the cast. Killam has the most TV experience, having appeared as a cast member on Mad TV and the MTV improv show Wild N' Out. He's also engaged to How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders. SNL producer Lorne Michaels tends to be relatively secretive, so we probably won't get official confirmation on these hires or any others until just before the season starts, but the Comic's Comic blog has been pretty reliable for SNL casting news in the past.
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Will Forte Leaves 'SNL,' Three Possible Replacements Emerge originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 07:33:07.
Hey, what's this? New TV comedies from people who are actually creative, smart and funny? Amazing. Three upcoming pilots from talented creators give me a little hope for the future, although of course there's no guarantee that any of them will make it to the air. Most promising (and most likely to end up as an actual show) is Temps, from Party Down creators Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Jon Enbom. NBC beat out stiff competition for the show, and has given it a put-pilot order, which involves financial penalties for the network if the show doesn't make it to series, and shows extra confidence. The concept sounds very similar to Party Down, following a group of recent college grads as they drift through a variety of strange jobs. With the right cast and enough leeway from the network, this could bring the sensibility of Party Down to a wider audience.
Former Arrested Development star Michael Cera is also involved with a new pilot, although just behind the camera. He'll be a producer on 13th Grade, a series about an aimless high school grad from Derek Waters, creator of the web series Drunk History. Cera will also co-write the pilot, which is set up at FX. And fellow Judd Apatow associate Nicholas Stoller, director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox TV to write a pilot that will then be shopped around to various networks. Let's hope it's more Sarah Marshall than Get Him to the Greek.
[via Movieline]
Photo courtesy of Starz
New Pilots From 'Party Down' Creators, Michael Cera, Nicholas Stoller originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at 01:21:23.
With the Emmys just a few days away, Johnny Avello of the Wynn hotel-casino in Las Vegas has released his odds for winners in some of the major categories. I may live in Las Vegas, but I know pretty much nothing about gambling or odds, so I pass along this info purely "for entertainment purposes only," as the Wynn spokesperson helpfully notes. Avello has Modern Family as the favorite to win in the comedy series category, at 6 to 5 odds. Glee follows close (?) behind with 3 to 1 odds; Curb Your Enthusiasm is at the bottom with 24 to 1 odds (even I know that isn't good).
In the acting categories, Avello has Tony Shalhoub of Monk as the favorite for comedy lead actor, with 3 to 1 odds, while Edie Falco of Nurse Jackie is his top pick for comedy lead actress, with even odds. Tina Fey of 30 Rock is close behind at 4 to 1, and given her Golden Globe wins she seems like the more likely pick to me (also I kind of can't stand Nurse Jackie). Then again, I'm not a professional oddsmaker. You can find out if Avello was right when the Emmys air this Sunday, August 29, at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on NBC.
Photo courtesy of ABC
Las Vegas Emmy Odds Favor 'Modern Family,' Shalhoub, Falco originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 10:13:48.
Both seasons of the entertaining HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords have already been released on DVD, but if you're a hardcore Flight of the Conchords fan, you may want to check out the new Complete Collection, which includes all 22 episodes and bonus material featured on the original DVD releases, plus the 2005 HBO comedy special that launched Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie in the U.S. And if you've never watched the show before, then you should definitely buy or rent this set, because you need to check out the absurd, deadpan comedy of Clement and McKenzie as apathetic New Zealand folk musicians trying to make it in New York City. The duo has nixed the possibility of any future seasons of the show, so these episodes deserve to be savored.
TV Comedies DVD Releases for August 24, 2010:
- Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Collection (Compare Prices)
- The Patty Duke Show: The Complete Third Season (Compare Prices)
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TV Comedies DVD of the Week: 'Flight of the Conchords' Complete Collection originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 14:18:42.
A few bits of recent TV comedy news:
- After a fan Facebook campaign and criticism from Glee creator Ryan Murphy, Modern Family's gay couple Cameron and Mitchell will finally get an onscreen kiss, according to the actors who play them. It will come early in the forthcoming second season and won't be treated as a big deal, which to me seems like the right way to go.
- In other ABC Wednesday-night comedy news, Jennifer Aniston will join her former Friends co-star Courteney Cox by guest-starring on the season premiere of Cox's Cougar Town. According to Entertainment Weekly, Aniston will play Cox's character's therapist, and the door is open for her to return in the future.
- After just three weeks and six episodes, The CW has canceled the Canadian sitcom 18 to Life. This doesn't bode well for the potential future of comedy on The CW, although Life was a pretty lame show anyway. It marches on with its second season in Canada, but U.S. fans will now probably have to wait for DVD.
Photo courtesy of ABC
News Bites: 'Modern Family,' 'Cougar Town,' '18 to Life' originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 04:19:54.
The main Emmy Awards ceremony doesn't happen until this Sunday, August 29, but over the weekend the lesser awards, dubbed the Creative Arts Emmys, were handed out, and Betty White and Neil Patrick Harris were the top winners in the Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and Guest Actor in a Comedy Series categories, respectively. White was awarded for her Facebook-enabled stint as host of Saturday Night Live, while Harris was honored for his guest-starring role on Fox's Glee, which he may reprise next season.
The main Emmy ceremony airs August 29 at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST, on NBC. The Creative Arts ceremony will be broadcast on Friday, August 27, at 1 p.m. EST on E!
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Betty White, Neil Patrick Harris Score Guest Acting Emmys originally appeared on About.com TV Comedies on Monday, August 23rd, 2010 at 06:10:55.