Stand-up comedy has been undergoing somewhat of a renaissance on the Internet lately. As distribution methods for content have changed and people have been able to stream or download sets from their favorite comics instead of going to see them at clubs or waiting for their next stand-up special on Comedy Central, the variety of comedy available has expanded beyond a handful of high-profile performers.
HBO was really the first TV station to bring stand-up comedy into the home, typically with hour-long specials from a single comic. Then Comedy Central arrived and offered more bite-sized portions of stand-up comedy (going so far as to have a show called Short Attention Span Theater, which pretty much sums up the demographic they were going for). But even with channels like HBO and Comedy Central, comedians still had to rely on a handful of gatekeepers to decide whether or not their content would be distributed.
HBO was really the first TV station to bring stand-up comedy into the home, typically with hour-long specials from a single comic. Then Comedy Central arrived and offered more bite-sized portions of stand-up comedy (going so far as to have a show called Short Attention Span Theater, which pretty much sums up the demographic they were going for). But even with channels like HBO and Comedy Central, comedians still had to rely on a handful of gatekeepers to decide whether or not their content would be distributed.
- 4/2/2014
- by Jeremy Clymer
- We Got This Covered
The face of television is changing. Cable and internet shows are pushing boundaries that mainstream network channels are afraid to touch. Reality shows are starting to lose their grip on an increasingly jaded public, and the audience is starting to want a more active role in the shows they’re watching. Sitcoms seem to be struggling to gain traction and dramas are becoming more elaborate and intricately plotted to keep viewers. The serialized story line seems to be getting more popular.
Plotted shows with a steady cast are more expensive to produce and with DVR services, On Demand, and other alternative ways to view content, ad space is becoming more limited and less relevant. Does making cheaper TV mean that the quality has to suffer? Not necessarily. It does mean, however, that viewers are going to need to be more open-minded about what they’re watching.
Subscriber-driven content on the...
Plotted shows with a steady cast are more expensive to produce and with DVR services, On Demand, and other alternative ways to view content, ad space is becoming more limited and less relevant. Does making cheaper TV mean that the quality has to suffer? Not necessarily. It does mean, however, that viewers are going to need to be more open-minded about what they’re watching.
Subscriber-driven content on the...
- 3/3/2014
- by dragonwomant
- Boomtron
Editor's Note: This is part five of a series of five articles exploring the rise of radical honesty in comedy, film and TV. In partnership with IFC and its new original comedy Maron, Indiewire has put together a list of our 25 favorite oversharers working today. Maron starts Friday, May 3rd 10/9c on IFC. Marc Maron has made oversharing into an art form. The comedian, whose stand-up career has been punctuated with stints hosting Air America shows and "Short Attention Span Theater," found an ideal online platform in podcasting. His semiweekly "Wtf with Marc Maron" begins with Maron opening up about his life in intense, neurotic and very funny detail, discussing his professional insecurities, his relationship, his pets, his past addictions and more. There's a vulnerability to these confessions that fuels the in-depth, candid interviews that follow, conversations with the likes of Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Dave Foley, Mel Brooks and more.
- 5/7/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Editor's Note: This is part four of a series of five articles exploring the rise of radical honesty in comedy, film and TV. In partnership with IFC and its new original comedy Maron, Indiewire has put together a list of our 25 favorite oversharers working today. Maron starts Friday, May 3rd 10/9c on IFC. Marc Maron has made oversharing into an art form. The comedian, whose stand-up career has been punctuated with stints hosting Air America shows and "Short Attention Span Theater," found an ideal online platform in podcasting. His semiweekly "Wtf with Marc Maron" begins with Maron opening up about his life in intense, neurotic and very funny detail, discussing his professional insecurities, his relationship, his pets, his past addictions and more. There's a vulnerability to these confessions that fuels the in-depth, candid interviews that follow, conversations with the likes of Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Dave Foley, Mel Brooks and more.
- 5/6/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Editor's Note: This is part three of a series of five articles exploring the rise of radical honesty in comedy, film and TV. In partnership with IFC and its new original comedy Maron, Indiewire has put together a list of our 25 favorite oversharers working today. Maron starts Friday, May 3rd 10/9c on IFC. Marc Maron has made oversharing into an art form. The comedian, whose stand-up career has been punctuated with stints hosting Air America shows and "Short Attention Span Theater," found an ideal online platform in podcasting. His semiweekly "Wtf with Marc Maron" begins with Maron opening up about his life in intense, neurotic and very funny detail, discussing his professional insecurities, his relationship, his pets, his past addictions and more. There's a vulnerability to these confessions that fuels the in-depth, candid interviews that follow, conversations with the likes of Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Dave Foley, Mel Brooks and more.
- 5/3/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Editor's Note: This is part two of a series of five articles exploring the rise of radical honesty in comedy, film and TV. In partnership with IFC and its new original comedy Maron, Indiewire has put together a list of our 25 favorite oversharers working today. Maron starts Friday, May 3rd 10/9c on IFC. Marc Maron has made oversharing into an art form. The comedian, whose stand-up career has been punctuated with stints hosting Air America shows and "Short Attention Span Theater," found an ideal online platform in podcasting. His semiweekly "Wtf with Marc Maron" begins with Maron opening up about his life in intense, neurotic and often very funny detail, discussing his professional insecurities, his relationship, his pets, his past addictions and more. There's a vulnerability to these confessions that fuels the in-depth, candid interviews that follow, conversations with the likes of Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Dave Foley, Mel Brooks and more.
- 5/2/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Editor's Note: This is part one of a series of five articles exploring the rise of radical honesty in comedy, film and TV. In partnership with IFC and its new original comedy Maron, Indiewire has put together a list of our 25 favorite oversharers working today. Maron starts Friday, May 3rd 10/9c on IFC. Marc Maron has made oversharing into an art form. The comedian, whose stand-up career has been punctuated with stints hosting Air America shows and "Short Attention Span Theater," found an ideal online platform in podcasting. His semiweekly "Wtf with Marc Maron" begins with Maron opening up about his life in intense, neurotic and often very funny detail, discussing his professional insecurities, his relationship, his pets, his past addictions and more. There's a vulnerability to these confessions that fuels the in-depth, candid interviews that follow, conversations with the likes of Sarah Silverman, Louis C.K., Dave Foley, Mel Brooks and more.
- 5/1/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
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