Exclusive: MSNBC Films has unveiled its spring and summer slate including a Dave Eggers documentary about book-banning.
The news network is launching four feature and short documentaries in its Sunday night slot between April and July.
This includes a number of films for its The Turning Point series, which kicked off in 2022 with a Trevor Noah-produced series.
Eggers’ To Be Destroyed, which will launch on July 21, follows the A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius author as he embarks on a journey to Rapid City, South Dakota in the aftermath of his book’s controversial ban by the local school board. As Eggers navigates this landscape of censorship and resistance, viewers will learn how these ideas resonate far beyond the borders of Rapid City.
The film is directed by Arthur Bradford and will be the ninth installment of The Turning Point documentary series.
The seventh installment of the series is...
The news network is launching four feature and short documentaries in its Sunday night slot between April and July.
This includes a number of films for its The Turning Point series, which kicked off in 2022 with a Trevor Noah-produced series.
Eggers’ To Be Destroyed, which will launch on July 21, follows the A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius author as he embarks on a journey to Rapid City, South Dakota in the aftermath of his book’s controversial ban by the local school board. As Eggers navigates this landscape of censorship and resistance, viewers will learn how these ideas resonate far beyond the borders of Rapid City.
The film is directed by Arthur Bradford and will be the ninth installment of The Turning Point documentary series.
The seventh installment of the series is...
- 3/21/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
When comedian Stavros Halkias’s first Netflix special Fat Rascal debuted on the service on Tuesday, it marked the culmination of 15 years of work, the last two of which have been particularly “wild.” It’s the first bit of mainstream exposure for the 34-year-old Baltimore native, bearing one of the most singular visages and voices of his generation, who set out to build his career in stand-up at age 19.
Unlike some comics, who rose up on the back of a late-night set or a Comedy Central half hour, he’s among the young talents who have leveraged the digital space as a means of building both a powerhouse brand and a loyal following. Such has been his permeation of pop culture of late, he says, that he’s begun noticing a difference in those attending his shows. Instead of “internet freaks” alone, he jokes, he now sees “nice older couples” out in the crowd,...
Unlike some comics, who rose up on the back of a late-night set or a Comedy Central half hour, he’s among the young talents who have leveraged the digital space as a means of building both a powerhouse brand and a loyal following. Such has been his permeation of pop culture of late, he says, that he’s begun noticing a difference in those attending his shows. Instead of “internet freaks” alone, he jokes, he now sees “nice older couples” out in the crowd,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix on Monday morning unveiled Verified Stand-Up, a new series featuring short sets from 10 comedians that’s set to premiere globally on November 28. Rising comedians that perform in the two-parter, filmed at Webster Hall in New York City, include Asif Ali, Dulcé Sloan, Gianmarco Soresi, Isiah Kelly, Leslie Liao, Nimesh Patel, Robby Hoffman, Rosebud Baker, Sabrina Wu, and Vanessa Gonzalez.
News of Netflix’s new stand-up series comes following its announcement of Improv: 60 And Still Standing, a comedy special celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Improv comedy clubs, which is set to premiere November 7th. Top comics dropping in for short sets as part of that project included Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Bert Kreischer, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, Jeff Dunham, Kevin Nealon, Mark Normand, Jo Koy, and Whitney Cummings.
Linda Mendoza directed Verified Stand-Up, with Anne Harris serving as executive producer.
Previously seen on Disney+’s WandaVision and The Mandalorian,...
News of Netflix’s new stand-up series comes following its announcement of Improv: 60 And Still Standing, a comedy special celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Improv comedy clubs, which is set to premiere November 7th. Top comics dropping in for short sets as part of that project included Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Bert Kreischer, Craig Robinson, Deon Cole, Fortune Feimster, Jeff Dunham, Kevin Nealon, Mark Normand, Jo Koy, and Whitney Cummings.
Linda Mendoza directed Verified Stand-Up, with Anne Harris serving as executive producer.
Previously seen on Disney+’s WandaVision and The Mandalorian,...
- 10/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Hannah Berner grew up dreaming of being a professional tennis player before becoming a viral sensation with comedy bits like “Han on the Street.” Nimesh Patel turned his experience with being diagnosed with testicular cancer into a heralded comedy special, “Lucky Lefty.” And Kurtis Conner was working at Starbucks when a frequent customer encouraged him to get into comedy.
These were among the hilarious, surprising and touching revelations that emerged when Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2023 were celebrated with a panel discussion and cocktail reception sponsored by Cohen Gardner Llp at last week’s Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival. The comedians also performed in a packed showcase at the festival. Variety has been presenting the 10 Comics at Just for Laughs since 2000 and over the years the list has included such luminaries as Tiffany Haddish, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Taylor Tomlinson and Quinta Brunson.
Nine of the 10 selected comics...
These were among the hilarious, surprising and touching revelations that emerged when Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2023 were celebrated with a panel discussion and cocktail reception sponsored by Cohen Gardner Llp at last week’s Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival. The comedians also performed in a packed showcase at the festival. Variety has been presenting the 10 Comics at Just for Laughs since 2000 and over the years the list has included such luminaries as Tiffany Haddish, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Taylor Tomlinson and Quinta Brunson.
Nine of the 10 selected comics...
- 8/4/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Variety has named its 10 Comics to Watch for 2023. This year’s honorees will be profiled in a special comedy issue of Variety on July 19. They will then be honored at this year’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, held in Montreal July 14-29. There will be a panel and cocktail reception held on July 28, followed by a performance showcase July 29.
Variety has been presenting the 10 Comics to Watch list since 2000 and has included such names as Tiffany Haddish, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt and Quinta Brunson.
The list comprises stand-up comedians, writers and content creators selected by a panel that includes Variety editors and those in the comedy community that scout, book, cast and represent comics.
“That sound you hear is laughter — mixed with sighs of relief — as the live comedy scene has finally returned to something approaching pre-pandemic full- throttle funny,” says Steven Gaydos, senior VP global content/executive editor of Variety.
Variety has been presenting the 10 Comics to Watch list since 2000 and has included such names as Tiffany Haddish, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt and Quinta Brunson.
The list comprises stand-up comedians, writers and content creators selected by a panel that includes Variety editors and those in the comedy community that scout, book, cast and represent comics.
“That sound you hear is laughter — mixed with sighs of relief — as the live comedy scene has finally returned to something approaching pre-pandemic full- throttle funny,” says Steven Gaydos, senior VP global content/executive editor of Variety.
- 6/8/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Leading audio-first media company Salt and Bipoc-focused podcast company SomeFriends, today unveiled a new slate of podcasts with the goal of entertaining broad audiences while tackling the lack of diversity in podcasting and entertainment. The initial slate includes five new original podcasts covering narrative, fiction and unscripted genres with writers James Kim and Abdullah Saeed (High Maintenance) and features guests Sydnee Washington and Marie Faustin (The Unofficial Expert), Ramy Youssef (Hulu’s Ramy), Nimesh Patel (Saturday Night Live) and Martin Urbano (Hulu’s This Fool).
The slate announcement comes on the heels of Lemonada Media partnering with Salt and SomeFriends to launch First, an unscripted, comedy podcast premiering November 1st. Creator and host Kareem Rahma sits down with a fellow comedian to share the story of a groundbreaking ‘first,’ a trailblazing person who was the first to break down a racial barrier in their respective field. With ‘firsts’ across business,...
The slate announcement comes on the heels of Lemonada Media partnering with Salt and SomeFriends to launch First, an unscripted, comedy podcast premiering November 1st. Creator and host Kareem Rahma sits down with a fellow comedian to share the story of a groundbreaking ‘first,’ a trailblazing person who was the first to break down a racial barrier in their respective field. With ‘firsts’ across business,...
- 9/13/2022
- Podnews.net
Exclusive: Comedy biz veteran Reg Tigerman and Mike Jezusko are joining Silver Lining Entertainment as managers.
A fixture of the comedy business for over a decade, Tigerman comes to Silver Lining from Levity Live to head up the company’s comedy department, building on the dynamic and deep roster of writers and actors who are currently represented.
Tigerman was a manager and producer at Levity Live for the past 13 years where he worked with such as clients as Bert Kreisher and Whitney Cummings among others. He brings with him a roster of established and emerging comedians, writers, and actors including Vir Das, Ms. Pat (upcoming BET+ sitcom The Ms. Pat Show), Dulcé Sloan, Emma Willmann (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Jon Reep, Nimesh Patel, Allan Rice (Call Your Mother...
A fixture of the comedy business for over a decade, Tigerman comes to Silver Lining from Levity Live to head up the company’s comedy department, building on the dynamic and deep roster of writers and actors who are currently represented.
Tigerman was a manager and producer at Levity Live for the past 13 years where he worked with such as clients as Bert Kreisher and Whitney Cummings among others. He brings with him a roster of established and emerging comedians, writers, and actors including Vir Das, Ms. Pat (upcoming BET+ sitcom The Ms. Pat Show), Dulcé Sloan, Emma Willmann (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Jon Reep, Nimesh Patel, Allan Rice (Call Your Mother...
- 6/9/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The diversity of late-night writers rooms is not a new topic of conversation.
For years, these shows have been accused of being too white and too male, and while that still might be the case, there has been improvement across the board both in terms of gender and ethnicity. Progress is being made, slowly, in the right direction.
So, it was nice to see, earlier this week, that the new team behind the scenes at NBC’s A Little Late with Lilly Singh was incredibly inclusive.
Chelsea Davison, taking over from Sean O’Connor, leads a gender-balanced and diverse writing team of Vannessa Jackson, a former writing apprentice on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; Sabeeh Jameel, who was a researcher on The Opposition with Jordan Klepper; Romen Borsellino, co-creator of Freeform’s Kal Penn Approves This Message; Nimesh Patel, a former writer for Saturday Night Live who was discovered by Chris Rock; Nelu Handa,...
For years, these shows have been accused of being too white and too male, and while that still might be the case, there has been improvement across the board both in terms of gender and ethnicity. Progress is being made, slowly, in the right direction.
So, it was nice to see, earlier this week, that the new team behind the scenes at NBC’s A Little Late with Lilly Singh was incredibly inclusive.
Chelsea Davison, taking over from Sean O’Connor, leads a gender-balanced and diverse writing team of Vannessa Jackson, a former writing apprentice on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; Sabeeh Jameel, who was a researcher on The Opposition with Jordan Klepper; Romen Borsellino, co-creator of Freeform’s Kal Penn Approves This Message; Nimesh Patel, a former writer for Saturday Night Live who was discovered by Chris Rock; Nelu Handa,...
- 12/4/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
A Little Late with Lilly Singh will look a little different when it returns in January with a new set and a whole team behind the scenes.
Neil Punsalan, who was recently showrunner of Comedy Central series Doing the Most with Phoebe Robinson, is taking over showrunning duties from Aliyah Silverstein. John Irwin, who was also an exec producer on Season 1, also has exited.
Chelsea Davison, who has written for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Lights Out with David Spade as well as the first season of A Little Late, becomes head writer, replacing Sean O’Connor.
She is the only remaining writer from Season 1, other than Singh herself, with a new writing staff including Vannessa Jackson, Sabeeh Jameel, Romen Borsellino, Nimesh Patel, Neuli Handa and Natasha Vaynblat.
Polly Auritt, who works with Singh at her production company Unicorn Island Productions, also will exec produce with Singh, and Davison is co-exec producer.
Neil Punsalan, who was recently showrunner of Comedy Central series Doing the Most with Phoebe Robinson, is taking over showrunning duties from Aliyah Silverstein. John Irwin, who was also an exec producer on Season 1, also has exited.
Chelsea Davison, who has written for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Lights Out with David Spade as well as the first season of A Little Late, becomes head writer, replacing Sean O’Connor.
She is the only remaining writer from Season 1, other than Singh herself, with a new writing staff including Vannessa Jackson, Sabeeh Jameel, Romen Borsellino, Nimesh Patel, Neuli Handa and Natasha Vaynblat.
Polly Auritt, who works with Singh at her production company Unicorn Island Productions, also will exec produce with Singh, and Davison is co-exec producer.
- 12/1/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“A Little Late With Lilly Singh” will have a whole new look for Season 2 — and a new writing staff, including Chelsea Davison as head writer. She replaces Sean O’Connor.
Staff writers for Season 2 are Vannessa Jackson, Sabeeh Jameel, Romen Borsellino, Nimesh Patel, Neuli Handa and Natasha Vaynblat. Neil Punsalan is showrunner.
They’re all new — the only carryover writers from Season 1 to Season 2 are Singh and Davison.
The second season of the (very) late-night show will be relocated to “a Los Angeles-based house,” NBC said on Tuesday.
We checked — it’s not Lilly’s home.
“Swapping out a traditional stage for a Los Angeles-based house as the show’s location will give Lilly more space to break the rules and embrace imperfection,” the show’s press release reads.
In addition to sketches, interviews and Singh’s take on current events, Season 2 will also “go behind the scenes,” letting “audiences into...
Staff writers for Season 2 are Vannessa Jackson, Sabeeh Jameel, Romen Borsellino, Nimesh Patel, Neuli Handa and Natasha Vaynblat. Neil Punsalan is showrunner.
They’re all new — the only carryover writers from Season 1 to Season 2 are Singh and Davison.
The second season of the (very) late-night show will be relocated to “a Los Angeles-based house,” NBC said on Tuesday.
We checked — it’s not Lilly’s home.
“Swapping out a traditional stage for a Los Angeles-based house as the show’s location will give Lilly more space to break the rules and embrace imperfection,” the show’s press release reads.
In addition to sketches, interviews and Singh’s take on current events, Season 2 will also “go behind the scenes,” letting “audiences into...
- 12/1/2020
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Mere days before its Season 43 premiere, Saturday Night Live has added a trio of fresh faces to its cast. (Hope they can memorize lines quickly!)
The long-running NBC sketch show has tapped Chris Redd (Disjointed), Heidi Gardner (SuperMansion) and Chicago improv comedian Luke Null to join the cast as featured players, the network announced on Tuesday. They’ll officially make their debut in this Saturday’s season premiere, hosted by Ryan Gosling with musical guest Jay-z.
RelatedSNL Adds Wonder Woman‘s Gal Gadot, The Big Sick‘s Kumail Nanjiani as Hosts
Redd is the most recognizable of the three rookies,...
The long-running NBC sketch show has tapped Chris Redd (Disjointed), Heidi Gardner (SuperMansion) and Chicago improv comedian Luke Null to join the cast as featured players, the network announced on Tuesday. They’ll officially make their debut in this Saturday’s season premiere, hosted by Ryan Gosling with musical guest Jay-z.
RelatedSNL Adds Wonder Woman‘s Gal Gadot, The Big Sick‘s Kumail Nanjiani as Hosts
Redd is the most recognizable of the three rookies,...
- 9/26/2017
- TVLine.com
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