Knoxville “I’m a little pissed” off.
In an interview published Thursday, Johnny Knoxville spoke to Vulture about Reboot the comedy from series creator Steven Levitan that was cancelled after its eight-episode first season premiered last September.
“Of course I would’ve liked it to end differently, but I realize I’m a very lucky human being. We made a great show, and it’ll be there for people to watch forever. That’s a pretty great thing,” Knoxville said. “Hopefully I’m not coming off as angry or sad. I’m so appreciative of all that has happened, but of course I’m a little pissed at the way it ended.”
The Jackass standout continued, “I have a lot of feelings about it. I’m so grateful and thankful it happened. I’m stunned and shocked it’s over. Of course there’s anger, but you try not to give into that. I’m still trying to process it.”
Chris O’Dowd’s Big Door Prize debuts in March
Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name, “The Big Door Prize” tells the story of a small town that is forever changed when a mysterious machine appears in the general store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential. Dusty Hubbard (O’Dowd), a seemingly content, cheerful family man and high school teacher, watches everyone around him reevaluate their life choices and ambitions — based on the machine’s printouts — and is forced to question whether he is truly as happy as he once thought.
“The Big Door Prize,” the AppleTV+, character-driven comedy created by Emmy Award winner David West Read (“Schitt’s Creek”) is set to make its global debut on Wednesday, March 29. The new 10-episode half-hour comedy starring an ensemble cast led by Chris O’Dowd and includes Gabrielle Dennis, Ally Maki, Josh Segarra, Damon Gupton, Crystal Fox, Djouliet Amara and Sammy Fourlas, will debut with the first three episodes on Wednesday, March 29, followed by one new episode weekly every Wednesday through May 17.
Blackadder is NOT being Rebooted
Comedy News: Fans of Blackadder need not get overheated, there are no cunning plans to reboot the show after 20 years. The announcement by co-creator Richard Curtis that the show was being reprieved for a Comic Relief feature is simply a short one-off for Red Nose Day on March 17th. It won’t even be starring Blackadder himself, Rowan Atkinson. We will however welcome the return, albeit brief, of turnip loving Baldrick himself, the time travelling Tony Robinson.
Great News!
Here We Go to return for 2nd and 3rd series
BBC Studios Comedy Productions’ critically acclaimed series Here We Go has been commissioned for a further two series, each comprising 7×30’, for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Created by and starring Tom Basden (After Life), series two will see the return of an all-star cast including Jim Howick(Ghosts), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) and Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey) alongside Freya Parks, Jude Collie, Mica Ricketts and Tori Allen-Martin (London Kills).
The series will continue to follow the Jessops’ successes and failures as they try and navigate life’s many challenges. Each episode offers an intimate, heart-warming slice of a modern British family doing its best, albeit winding others up in the process.
All previous episodes of Here We Go are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer and series two will premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.
Alan Carr is to host Picture Slam a new quiz/game show on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Picture Slam will see three teams face a series of pictures and each picture is worth cash. The more they can name the more they win, but for the big money they need to name them ALL, and if they do that, they’ve got a Picture Slam!
This game show asks do you know your Eiffel Tower from your Blackpool Tower? Your Victoria Beckham from your Victoria Sponge and your Buckingham Palace from your Crystal Palace? Across four thrilling rounds, contestants will need to know something about everything to try and win up to £10,000!
Alan Carr says: “Who doesn’t love a good quiz? When I found out the BBC wanted little old me to present Picture Slam I jumped at the chance! I don’t know if I would be any good at the quiz, but luckily I don’t have to play it!”
Comedy News 16.02.22
Bob Odenkirk’s Lucky Hank will debut across BBC AMERICA, IFC and SundanceTV joining AMC and AMC+ for a multi-network premiere event on Sunday, March 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
“Lucky Hank” First Full Length Trailer Released
Lucky Hank is a mid-life crisis comedy drama set at Railton College, told in the first person by William Henry “Hank” Devereaux, Jr. (Odenkirk, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad), the unlikely chairman of the English department in a badly underfunded college in a working-class American town. Hank’s discontent is rooted in unresolved issues with his father, a mediocre and entitled student body, and in the fact that his department is more savagely divided than the Balkans. Mireille Enos (Hanna, The Killing) also stars as Lily Devereaux, the emotionally grounded, unflappable wife of Hank and the Vice Principal of the local high school in rural Pennsylvania where they live. As Hank’s life starts to unravel, Lily begins to question the path she’s on and the choices she’s made.
Apple TV+ sets, March 15 for S3 premiere of “Ted Lasso”
Apple TV+ today revealed that season three of “Ted Lasso,” premieres Wednesday, March 15, followed by new episodes weekly, every Wednesday. Moving to its new weekly Wednesday premiere, “Ted Lasso” marks the first Apple TV+ series to launch midweek.
It’s a dogs life.
Walking In LA
A comedy series pilot adaptation of Laura Vorreyer’s popular book The Pet Sitter’s Tale is in the pipeline with Tara Reid (Ghosts) set to star and produce according to Deadline.
The logline: “Walking in LA follows the feel-good redemption story of magical-thinking protagonist Lucy who, fired from her dream job and dumped by her fiancé, moves on a whim to the City of Angels in search of something better. Upon landing in LA, Lucy discovers she’ll need “connections” to do just about anything, and that self-discovery and reinvention will take more than just hope and determination. Luck finds Lucy when a chance encounter with famous talk show host Angela Noble, played by Reid, sets off a comic and uplifting journey from fish-out-of-water dreamer to successful pet-walking entrepreneur extraordinaire.
Just 4 Weeks To Watch Arrested Development on Netflix
Jessica Walter, Jeffrey Tambor, Lauren Weedman, Will Arnett, David Cross and Jason Bateman in ‘Arrested Development’ SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIXFans will have until March 14 to watch Arrested Development on Netflix before all seasons and episodes, including the two co-produced by Netflix, are removed from the platform.
Amber Ruffin is a Non Evil Twin
Amber Ruffin will star in, write and executive produce a comedy pilot called Non-Evil Twin for NBC.
Non-Evil Twin follows a woman (Ruffin) who is forced to step in to her sister’s role as the leader of a Fortune 500 company — despite knowing little about business and even less about the way her sister has been running the corporation.
Article From Deadline
How The UK Government $600M Film & TV Covid Restart Scheme Has Left Some Producers In The Lurch
American Auto Season 2 Airs on NBC/Hulu
Shaking things up is the new CEO, whose leadership, experience and savvy is only slightly offset by her complete lack of knowledge about cars. Luckily, her team has some of the best minds in the business – when they aren’t fighting or trying to outwit each other. From the corporate office to the factory floor, the crew of Payne Motors is driving home the laughs.
Disney+ Says White Men Can’t Jump
20th Century Studios released a first-look image from “White Men Can’t Jump” today, which begins streaming on 19th May, 2023, exclusively on Disney+.
The all-new comedy “White Men Can’t Jump” is a modern remix of the iconic 1992 film that celebrates the streetball hustling culture of Los Angeles. Multi-platinum rap superstar Jack Harlow makes his movie debut as Jeremy, a former star of the game whose injuries stalled his career, and Sinqua Walls stars as Kamal, once a promising player who derailed his own future in the sport. Juggling tenuous relationships, financial pressures and serious internal struggles, the two ballers—opposites who are seemingly miles apart—find they might have more in common than they imagined possible.
Tim Renkow – what a Jerk!
From left: Mysie, Rob Madin, Sharon Rooney, Tim Renkow, Lorraine Bracco and Saida Ahmed (image: Roughcut TV)BBC Three’s critically acclaimed comedy series Jerk, produced by Roughcut TV and Primal Media, returns this Spring for a third series following the life of Tim, a man who knows that having cerebral palsy means that he can get away with almost anything.
Tim Renkow says: “It was great to be back with the old crew and some new faces, they were all unbelievably excellent and so much fun to work with”
The series will also star James Norton (Happy Valley, Rogue Agent, Little Women) and Lee Ridley (Christmas Comedy Club With Lost Voice Guy, The Royal Variety Performance, Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions), plus Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) also joins the cast alongside Lydia Fleming (In from the Cold) and Gary Beadle (Andor).
Comedy News 10.02.22
Avenue 5 Cancelled. Uncoupled Re-homed.
HBO has cancelled Avenue 5, the comedy from Armando Iannucci, after two seasons. In its final episode the spacecraft was saved from a disaster but the series hasn’t been saved from being abandoned with the passengers still in space.
HBO said in a statement. “Going to space with Armando Iannucci has been an incredible journey. While we will not be moving forward with a third season of Avenue 5, we look forward to many more adventures together.”
In another move Uncoupled, the cancelled Netflix comedy series starring Neil Patrick Harris, has found a new home at Showtime for a second-season. Uncoupled is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, which, like Showtime, is part of Paramount Global.
Beyond Paradise launch date
Beyond Paradise follows DI Humphrey Goodman and his fiancée Martha Lloyd after their nail-biting will-they-won’t-they romance reached its emotional finale in Saint Marie in 2017. Viewers were delighted when Humphrey took control of his destiny and followed Martha back to London to declare his undying love for her.
Coming to BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 24 February
A new adventure awaits as we find them arriving in Shipton Abbott, Martha’s hometown near the beautiful Devonshire coast, having left London. As they embark on their new life whilst temporarily living with Martha’s mum Anne Lloyd (Barbara Flynn), the couple are quickly thrown in at the deep end as Martha sets out to pursue her dream of running her own restaurant and Humphrey joins the local police force. Quickly making an impression on the somewhat eclectic team; DS Esther Williams, PC Kelby Hartford and Margo Martins, Humphrey sets out to help crack a host of baffling cases, with the Shipton Abbott squad witnessing a whole new approach to police work…
Each week the team will face a new crime with a unique puzzle at its heart. The not-so-sleepy town of Shipton Abbott will be rocked by an entire family disappearing without a trace, a woman claiming she was attacked by a suspect from the seventeenth century, the robbery of a highly prized painting, a body bizarrely discovered in a crop circle and a serial arsonist with a seeming distaste for local businesses.
As Humphrey gets stuck into his new job, he and Martha must also navigate life’s ups and downs, as faces from the past, the decisions they make and challenges of setting up life in a new town put their relationship to the ultimate test.
Created by Robert Thorogood and Tony Jordan, Beyond Paradise is a co-commission between the BBC and BritBox International and is produced by Red Planet Pictures, part of the Asacha Media Group.
Joe Lycett To Host Channel 4 Live Show
The comedian will host The Joe Lycett Live Show during which he will broadcast from his Birmingham hometown with a live audience, and celebrity guests.
Hulu Original "History of the World, Part II"
Watch the official trailer for Hulu’s upcoming sketch comedy variety series “History of the World, Part II,” which premieres Monday, March 6 with two episodes.
Two new episodes drop daily, with our finale on Thursday, March 9.
SYNOPSIS: After waiting over 40 years there is finally a sequel to the seminal Mel Brooks film, “History of the World, Part I,” with each episode featuring a variety of sketches that take us through different periods of human history.
When was the last time you were avingagiraffe out loud?
In new research released today by Sky, 42 percent of Brits admitted that they cannot remember the last time they laughed out loud, as well as 32 percent of those surveyed believing they haven’t as much as giggled in the last month.
Sadly, according to the findings by Sky, the average Brit laughs just three times a week, nearly one in five (17 percent) think it’s been at least a couple of months and 89 percent of us say that we wished we chortled more often. In fact, one in twenty (5 percent) genuinely can’t remember getting the giggles in the past twelve months. But there is hope for the nation – 95 percent of Brits believe that avingagiraffe is great for your mental health.
The research found that many are turning to their TV to cheer themselves up, with 31 percent watching bloopers from their favourite shows or watching reruns of the likes of Only Fools and Horses (24 percent). Looking at the genres that keep us laughing, comedy movies (45 percent) and comedy TV series (44 percent) are top, followed by sitcoms (42 percent), comedy drama (38 percent) and stand-up (38 percent).
To help get the nation laughing again, Sky has unveiled its collection of new content coming to screens in 2023, bolstering the array of outstanding comedies already available, from Katherine Ryan: Missus and The Conners to Young Rock. The latest additions in this year’s line-up include:
- Smothered – a not-so-typical rom-com, which sees two worlds colliding, where romance blossoms but the pressures of modern dating linger. Starring Danielle Vitalis and Jon Pointing
- Mr Bigstuff – exploring broken families, fragile masculinity, and carpet sales. It tells the story of two estranged brothers; Glen (Sampson) a nervy perfectionist striving to live the suburban ideal and Lee (Dyer) an alpha male with a prescription drug addiction and a biscuit tin full of his Dad’s ashes.
- Dreamland – Set in the sun-drenched British seaside town of Margate, this comedy-drama is all about secrets, lies, loves and aspirations within a family of four sisters.,
- Brassic (S5) – Reeling from the dramatic events of the series 4 finale, Vinnie, and the gang face big repercussions from their entanglements with the dangerous McDonagh brothers and powerful drug buyer Manolito.
- Gary Neville’s The Overlap on Tour – Follow footballing legends Gary Neville, Roy Keane, and Jamie Carragher on a road trip like no other as they travel to different cities in the British Isles as part of The Overlap Live Arena Tour
The research also found that avingagiraffe is contagious too, with 60 percent agreeing and 80 percent admitting to laughing if everyone else is, even if they have no idea what they are laughing about. Over half (55 percent) of Brits also admit to avingagiraffe at a joke, even if they don’t understand the punchline!
And when it comes to what we use to make other people laugh, sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit but it’s also the most common with 58 percent of Brits saying they wield it as a joke. Banter was second with 46 percent and dark humour (36 percent) was in third.
Kiri Pritchard-McClean looks back at some of Wales’ most weird and wonderful clips from over 50 years of television history.
Friday 10th 7.30pm on BBC 1 Wales.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer
Que? Fawlty Towers to be rebooted.
John Cleese is set to revive his classic 1970s comedy Fawlty Towers which ran for just 12 episodes.
Cleese is too much of a comic innovator to simply re-run the scripts, much of which would not pass in the current climate. Cleese will write and star in the show alongside his daughter Camilla Cleese.
Little is known about the plot but it is understood that the series will explore the relationship between Basil and a daughter he has just discovered he had, as the two get together in a new venture to run a boutique hotel.
Perhaps in this version the set will be somewhat more substantial than the rickety walls and doors in the original; but that was part of the charm. Who can forget Manuel’s ‘hamster’ as it poked it’s head out of the biscuit tin, Sooty style.
Matthew George (Wind River, A Private War), Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner and Derrick Rossi are executive producing the series for Castle Rock Television, which is developing the project.
Adele Roberts, Broadcaster and radio presenter, AJ OduduTV presenter, Coleen Nolan,Author, singer and TV personality, David Morrissey, Actor and filmmaker, David Schwimmer, Actor, comedian, director and producer, Deborah Meaden, Businesswoman and Dragons’ Den investor, Ellie Taylor, Actor, comedian and presenter, Gemma Collins, Businesswoman and media personality, Jay Blades MBE, TV presenter, Jessica Hynes, Actress, Jesy Nelson, Singer and songwriter, Joe Thomas, Actor and comedian, Judi Love, Stand-up comedian, Lucy Beaumont, Comedy actress, stand-up comedian and writer, Mike Wozniak, Actor, comedian and writer, Paddy McGuinness, TV presenter, Rose Matafeo, Actor, comedian, and writer. Tim Key, Actor, comedian, poet, screenwriter, and radio personality, Tom Daley OBE, Olympic gold medallist, Tom Davis, Actor and comedian.
Lowes become Dragons
Rob Lowe and son, John Owen Lowe, are taking their relationship from reality to the small screen in the upcoming Netflix comedy series Unstable.
The scripted comedy was co-created by the Lowes and Victor Fresco. It follows flamboyant biotech entrepreneur Ellis Dragon, who is a on the edge of emotional collapse following the death of his wife. While the company’s employees worry and try to steady the ship, Ellis’ son Jackson appears to be the only one who can save his father and the company.
That dynamic in their real life father/son relationship can be seen in the video as Rob jokes, “Working with Johnny’s painful,” to which John counters, “There’s not a whole lot of acting. … We say, ‘I love you’ a lot on the show.” Rob said to the latter, “That’s acting.”
The Netflix original comedy, also stars Sian Clifford, Rachel Marsh, Emma Ferreira and Aaron Branch, and is scheduled for release on March 30.
Night Court – verdict a success
NIGHT COURT – Melissa Rauch as Abby Stone JORDIN ALTHAUS/NBC/WARNER BROS. TELEVISIONNBC has picked up a second season of Night Court, a sequel to the 1984-92 series that stars The Big Bang Theory’s Melissa Rauch alongside John Larroquette. The show’s premiere delivered 7.55m viewers when it premiered on Jan 17, NBC’s biggest comedy audience in more than five years, and subsequent episodes have continued to achieve excellent ratings.
Streamers Enter Bidding War for The Mole Agent
Ted Danson and Mike Schur are adapting The Mole Agent into a comedy series.
Strange subject for a comedy considering the film was about an 83-year-old man who poses as a resident in a Chilean nursing home to see if he can find signs of abuse.
Extraordinary 2 Filming
Filming is underway for the second season of Disney+ original comedy series, “Extraordinary” from creator and writer Emma Moran and Sid Gentle Films. All episodes of “Extraordinary” season 1 are available to stream on Disney+ now.
Season two picks up where season one spectacularly left off. Ten years ago, everyone over the age of 18 got their superpower. Season one sees Jen, a painfully self-aware 25-year-old woman, still waiting to get hers. She’d take anything at this point. Adrift in a big, confusing world and armed with nothing but a bit of hope, a lot of desperation and her flatmates, Jen begins her journey to find her maybe-superpower.
Production Underway For The Glove
The pair announced last year that their comedy partnership will come to an end when the film, for which they have written the script, is released.
The read through for the Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer feature film The Glove is underway says the production company Studio POW. “With production for this year’s highly anticipated comedy looming, a few of the stars and studio collaborators gathered in Soho for a pre-read through and script tweak.”
Blindspotting Returns
Starz announced its half-hour comedy series “Blindspotting” returns with a special two-episode premiere on Friday, April 14. The series is co-created by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, with Casal also starring in the series alongside Emmy® winner Jasmine Cephas Jones and Academy Award®- winner Helen Hunt.
The season two premiere of “Blindspotting” will air linearly on STARZ in the U.S. and Canada at 9:00 pm ET/PT on Friday, April 14, immediately followed by episode two at** 9:30 pm ET/PT.
Comedy on Sky is bouncing into 2023 like Farmer Jim on a pogo stick.
As Brassic is back for a fifth season, and Intelligence confirms for a one-off special, our favourite returners are joined by four brand-new Sky Originals launching across the year with more to be announced.
We start with romantic comedy from Roughcut TV, Smothered (w/t), written by Monica Heisey (Schitt’s Creek), starring British talent Danielle Vitalis (I May Destroy You) and Jon Pointing (Big Boys) as two sex starved strangers who agree to some no strings fun. Until the strings begin to appear.
Ryan Sampson (Brassic, Plebs), authors Mr Bigstuff in which estranged brothers Glen (Sampson) and Lee, played by Danny Dyer (Eastenders) in his TV comedy debut, try to patch up a sibling rivalry that may well be beyond repair. Or beyond Spare.
An exciting year for new and returning original comedies
on Sky
Also hitting Sky screens in 2023 is the recently announced, Dreamland starring Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who) and Lily Allen (How to Build a Girl) following a family of four sisters, their mum and their nan in the seaside town of Margate.
And we wrap up the year with the Christmas special, Joy To The World (w/t), starring BAFTA winner Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner) and James Nesbitt (The Missing) as two Santa’s with very different agendas.
As part of today’s commissioning announcements, Sky released the first look trailer for Dreamland, a series about secrets, lies, loves and aspirations within a family of four sisters. Set in the sun-drenched British seaside town of Margate, it is a dark comedic exploration of multi-generational female relationships, and their (somewhat dysfunctional) family dynamics.
Jerrod Carmichael to Star in HBO Docuseries
The comedian and Golden Globes host, Jerrod Carmichael, will star in and executive produce a “comedy documentary series” following his personal life. The show’s description brings to mind the low-key vibe of HBO’s How To With John Wilson: It will follow Carmichael “through encounters with friends, family, and strangers, all in his quest for love, sex, and connection.”
Clive Myrie will be putting some of the nation’s favourite faces through their paces in the current series of Celebrity Mastermind.
Those representing the world of comedy in the renowned black chair to raise money for their chosen charities this series are:
Suzi Ruffell on The Films of Sandra Bullock, Shaparak Khorsandi on The Adventures of Asterix, Matt Richardson on Concord, Neil Delamere on The Vikings, Harriet Kemsley on Sloth, impressionist Alistair McGowan on Claude Debussy, Laura Lexx on The History of Alternative Comedy, Dane Baptiste on Scarface and actress and comedian Arabella Weir on Sophie Tucker.
“King of the Hill” Revival on its way to Hulu
Hulu announced a series order for a revival of iconic animated hit “King of the Hill,” from 20th Television Animation. The Emmy(R)-winning series, which Time named one of “The Greatest TV Shows of All Time,” ran for 13 seasons on Fox and now streams on Hulu.
Set in the fictional Arlen, Texas, followed the life of Hank Hill (Mike Judge), an enthusiastic seller of propane and propane accessories; his wife, Peggy (Kathy Najimy), local Boggle champ and substitute teacher; and their 13-year-old son, Bobby (Pamela Adlon), who defies any expectation his father had for a son. Hank’s friends – conspiracy theorist Dale (Johnny Hardwick), military barber Bill (Stephen Root) and cool but inarticulate Boomhauer (Judge), along with Peggy’s friends Minh (Lauren Tom) and meteorologist Nancy (Ashley Gardner), and Bobby’s friend Connie (Tom) help the Hills navigate a changing world.
