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Comedy Central's Stand-Up app puts comics on your iPhone
Comedy Central on Thursday released a brand-new iOS app that's sure to leave you laughing. The app is called CC:Stand-up, and as the name implies, it enables users to watch a plethora of great stand-up comics. The CC:Stand-Up app is finally here, giving you free access to Comedy Central's massive library of stand-up from your favorite comedians. Enjoy the best bits from the likes of Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Gabriel Iglesias, Daniel Tosh, Amy Schumer, John Mulaney, Pete Holmes, Aziz Ansari and hundreds more. The best part? No cover charge, no two-drink minimum. Those are some big-name comedians there, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I was personally excited to see hilarious clips from Hannibal Burres, a Chicago-based comedian who formerly wrote for 30 Rock and now for SNL, and Neal Brennan who you might know as the co-creator of the classic Chappelle's Show. Again, given that the app is free, there's no reason not to check it out if you're partial to stand-up comedy. What's particularly clever is that the app, if you want it to, handles most of the work if you're not quite sure what you're interested in seeing. For example, there's a "Featured" mode that will create a stand-up playlist for you based on a particular topic, or if you want, a selection of "best of" clips from the station's archives. What's more, there's also a "Discover" mode where users can find comedians similar to ones they already like based on varying criteria. Most impressive, however, is the sheer breadth of content the app makes available to users. Finally the app gives you the ability to SEARCH our stockpile of over 700 comedians and 6,000 videos -- just type in a comic's name or the title of a specific clip. Our library has everything you're looking for, except a librarian. (We are working on this for future builds.) Note that users must be at least 17 years old to download the app.
DirecTV and Viacom disagree on their disagreements, standoff continues
Seeing that DirecTV and Viacom can't even agree on the number of channels that have gone off the air (one says 17, the other 26) as a result of their deal expiring last week, it's no surprise that the two are continuing to challenge each other's statements on every element of the negotiations. The latest tiff? DirecTV claims it has "accepted all material terms...including an increase that was more than fair" for the channels that were pulled, but accuses Viacom of trying to force an addition of the Epix channel package at a cost of around half a billion dollars. Viacom, for its part, calls the statement a "complete work of fiction" and accuses DirecTV of creating more obstacles in the way of a compromise. Both point of views are linked below, we figure DirecTV customers will have plenty of time to read them while they're busy not watching the new episodes of Workaholics and Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta until this is resolved.
Viacom channels disappear from DirecTV after the two companies can't reach a deal
As we feared, DirecTV and Viacom didn't work things out and before the clock struck midnight ET, all of the network's feeds went dark for the satellite company's customers. Of course, both sides are throwing barbs with Viacom saying DirecTV was not interested in engaging in "meaningful conversation" and that their last contact was at 11AM. On DirecTV's side, it's claiming it sent proposals but never heard anything back and as such was forced to pull the channels. Viacom has been running ads and notices all day to make sure kids big and little call DirecTV to apply pressure about missing their television shows. DirecTV is firing back with the Kids Mix channel (shown above) that replaces the pulled children's programming and points out content on other stations, and even suggests customers check out sources like Amazon Prime or Netflix to keep watching their shows in the meantime. There's no telling who may blink first, or when, but you can look at each company's statement and hear the sabres rattling for yourself after the break. Any bets as to who will work out a deal first between these two and Dish Network / AMC?
DirecTV vs. Viacom squabble could see MTV, Comedy Central and 16 others go dark at midnight
The latest participants in the carriage dispute dance are DirecTV and Viacom, with the two companies attempting to reach a new agreement before their existing one expires tonight. If they don't, the network's 26 channels (MTV, BET, VH1, Spike TV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon etc.) could be cut off at midnight. As usual, each has its own side of the argument with Viacom claiming DirecTV has been underpaying for years, while DirecTV accuses Viacom of seeking an increase that will add up to a billion dollars in a year and is responsible for pulling the channels while negotiations continue. We're not particularly sympathetic to the plight of either corporate behemoth (or optimistic that any savings will ever reach customer's pockets) but if you must support one over the other then there's plenty of propaganda to be found at the links below. This may not be as crucial as Dish Network's (potentially) Breaking Bad-interrupting tiff with AMC, but if we have to miss an episode of Workaholics or Awkward it's going to be bad for everyone. Update: We've revised the total channel count from 26 as Viacom stated to 18 -- as much as we like HD feeds, we don't usually count them twice. [Thanks, AJ]
Viacom and Time Warner Cable call truce, TWC TV mobile apps will stream Colbert after all
Good news ahoy if you've liked Time Warner Cable's TWC TV streaming app but were frustrated with content providers pulling channels over licensing rights: the cable giant and Viacom have reached a settlement that will see Viacom's channels return to your Android or iOS gear. Comedy Central, CMT, MTV and other channels will be back in the next several weeks, and the two sides even managed to bury the hatched over "unrelated business matters," according to a joint statement. Just what led to the about-face is being kept secret, although Viacom's tendency to sue over retransmission rights in the digital realm raises the possibility that TWC had to fork over an extra amount. At least now you can watch The Daily Show on your iPad knowing your cable provider and the studio are singing "Kumbaya."
South Park: Tenorman's Revenge drops on XBLA March 30
Comedy Central has announced the next downloadable title in the series, South Park: Tenorman's Revenge, will launch exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade on March 30.South Park: Tenorman's Revenge is a side-scroller with drop-in co-op, both locally and online. Tenorman's Revenge pits Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny against Scott Tenorman and his army of Ginger robots as the boys pursue their stolen Xbox 360 hard drive.%Gallery-151481%
South Park: Tenorman's Revenge trailer is full of half-brotherly hate
The first full trailer for South Park: Tenorman's Revenge -- which you can view above -- shows off the death-defying stunts Cartman and co. will get into this spring. Tenorman's Revenge is the second XBLA-exclusive title from the South Park universe, following South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!, which debuted in 2009. Tenorman's Revenge is the final XBLA exclusive from South Park Studios under its initial agreement with Microsoft.Show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are hard at work on South Park: The Game -- perhaps doubly so now that a few of the Obsidian team members were "affected" by layoffs.
Amazon, Viacom deal brings more TV shows to Prime Instant Video service
Just as rumors indicated yesterday, Amazon has announced a new licensing deal with Viacom that will add TV shows from its networks -- MTV, Comedy Central, BET, VH1, Spike, Nickelodeon and the rest -- to the Prime Instant Video service. There's still no word on any potential spinning off of the all-you-can-eat video portion from the rest of Amazon's Prime membership program, but it does bring the count of movies and TV shows available to around 15,000, up from the 13,000 cited recently. The details are in the press release after the break, but it appears Amazon will have many of the same selections Netflix obtained in its earlier deals, from MTV favorites like RJ Berger and The Hills to kids shows like Yo Gabba Gabba and iCarly.
Which game development studio head was the top Colbert Super PAC supporter?
There's one man in the northeastern United States who is way, way into making America a better tomorrow, tomorrow, and that man is Harmonix Music Systems co-founder and CEO Alex Rigopulos. He's so into it, in fact, that he donated just shy of $10,000 ($9,600) to Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert's Super PAC in 2011, making his the largest financial contribution that the political action committee has received.Colbert's camp disclosed Rigopulos' name and info along with many others to the FCC this week in a required move for Super PACs with contributors who donate more than $200. Of the $1,023,121 raised since Colbert launched his Super PAC, Rigopulos' donation makes up just under 1 percentage point -- not much in the context of the larger sum, but far larger than the average contributor (under $200).Harmonix confirmed the Rigopulos news with Joystiq, but declined to offer comment, presumably choosing to wait for that better tomorrow (which we're told may arrive tomorrow-ish).
Jon Stewart interviews Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson recently appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to promote his biography of Steve Jobs. In the seven-minute interview (embedded below), Stewart and Isaacson discuss the the process of writing the biography while trying to stay objective about its subject -- a task Isaacson admits was difficult, especially in the face of Jobs's long illness. The two men discuss something I also found fascinating about Jobs when I read the book: his extremely emotional nature. Stewart: The really interesting thing in the book is how often Steve Jobs cries. Isaacson: He's a very emotional person. That was the biggest surprise to me. Stewart: He is a weeper. They go on a bit of a tangent after that, but eventually Isaacson gets to the core of both Jobs himself and public opinion of him. "He connected emotion to technology. This is why the outpouring of grief at his death was beyond what most may have expected," Isaacson says. "I think that emotionalism came from a deep passion for artistic things." The real gem of the interview comes at the end, when Isaacson describes the difference between Jobs and Bill Gates. "In the end, [Bill Gates] makes the Zune and Steve makes the iPod." Stewart busts out laughing, along with the audience, and responds, "That is the best eulogy I have ever heard in my life." The full video's embedded below (sorry iOS users, Comedy Central doesn't offer a non-Flash version and there's nothing we can do about it), and it's definitely worth watching. If you're looking for a more comprehensive review of the biography itself, we just happen to have one right here at TUAW. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
See South Park: Tenorman's Revenge in motion
Comedy Central posted the brief gameplay clip above from South Park: Tenorman's Revenge, which gives us a peek at two different areas in the game. Watch out for those robot gingers, children!
'South Park: Tenorman's Revenge' is the second South Park XBLA exclusive, arriving spring 2012
Cartman's long-standing feud with half-brother Scott Tenorman is about to come to a platforming-based turning point, as South Park: Tenorman's Revenge launches next spring exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade. This marks the second and final game under Microsoft's exclusivity agreement with South Park Digital Studios, as we revealed earlier this year. South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense Play!, the first game in the deal, debuted at NY Comic Con two years ago (nearly to the day!). For Tenorman's Revenge, South Park Digital Studios and Comedy Central are teaming up with quirky developer Other Ocean Interactive to put together a downloadable platformer where players will control Cartman, Stan, Kenny and Kyle against a red-hued army of "gingers," controlled by none other than Scott Tenorman. Beyond the main campaign of (presumably) hopping over gingers and avoiding their evil tricks, the game also features a multiplayer co-op mode (online and off), though it's unclear if that's a separate mode or a co-op version of the campaign. We'll know more very soon, though, as Tenorman's Revenge will be making a more thorough debut at this weekend's New York Comic Con, where developers and South Park producers alike will present the game and take questions from the crowd. That debut takes place tomorrow at 6:15PM ET. So, uh, if you're not in New York yet, it's probably a good idea to start planning. Head past the break for an exclusive look at the first image, featuring everyone's favorite three animal combo (besides the turducken, of course), ManBearPig.
'Colbert Quest,' and The Colbert Report games that could be
I don't know about you folks, but I'd love to see a Tek Jansen video game. Thankfully, so would Prithvi Virasinghe, creative director at Comedy Central's internal game studio, the newly minted 345 Games. Virasinghe told me during an interview earlier this week that Tek Jansen, and the show "Colbert Report" from which it originates, are prime among his choices for a future game. But only if Mr. Colbert is into it, of course. "I've honestly tried to do this many, many times," he said of concepts for a Colbert-themed game. "One of the ideas we had for Colbert was we wanted to do 'Colbert Quest,' which was kinda like an homage to the Police Quest or Space Quest games." Apparently his team at 345 even went as far as to put together a "design treatment" for "Colbert Quest," which he detailed by saying, "You're sort of in this world that's humor-based, that's kind of situational and quest-based, and it would have Colbert as some sort of overlord of this domain." Unfortunately, "Colbert Quest" only made it so far before it was shot down by Comedy Central higher-ups. But while that specific concept may be out, Virasinghe isn't giving up so easily on a Colbert game. "He does have this other character, Tek Jansen, which would really make sense. There's so much stuff we could do with Tek -- if I got my hands on Tek, I'd have a ball." Of course, all of this is dependent on how well 345 Games does with its current project, a game adaptation of monster-themed sitcom "Ugly Americans" set to launch later this summer. "Hopefully this game does well, it creates some breathing room for us to think a little bigger, and maybe even attract the Colberts into wanting to do something," Virasinghe explained. So, what about it Stephen? You're on notice!
South Park lampoons EA Sports, Peter Moore, athletic royalties and everything else
The latest episode of South Park is ... well, one of the stranger recent episodes of South Park, an observation you probably made after reading its title: "Crack Baby Athletic Association." In the show's typical fashion, the episode is a hyperbolic, metaphorical critique of the treatment of professional and collegiate athletes, and their complaints of being denied royalties for media which feature their likeness. One target of the show's scathing barbs was EA Sports, headed up by one "Mr. Peters," a mock-up (pictured above!) of real-life studio president Peter Moore. You can watch the full episode for free online over at South Park Studios. We've contacted EA Sports to see if it has any comment on the show -- considering it's South Park's second send-up of the developer, we imagine its hackles might be a little raised.
Netflix adds more Viacom videos for streaming including stuff for kids and bigger kids
There was a notable update to the Netflix Watch Instantly streaming catalog today, and it consisted almost entirely of content from the various Viacom networks (MTV, BET, VH1, Spike, Logo, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon). According to a post on the official blog, you can now view new shows like Yo Gabba Gabba, The Buried Life and The City as well as additional episodes of shows like iCarly, True Jackson VP and Dora the Explorer. Unfortunately quite a bit of the content maxes out in SD resolution simply because it was made that way, but it was interesting to note that the second season of Jersey Shore made is among the growing segment of shows with optional English subtitles.
New Deadliest Warrior and Ugly Americans titles coming to XBLA and PSN under 345 Games
Emboldened by the success of last year's anachronistic fighter Deadliest Warrior: The Game (which has sold over 400,000 downloads to date across XBLA and PSN), MTV Networks Entertainment has announced the opening of a new development studio called 345 Games. We spoke with Dan Yang and Prithvi Virasinghe from the newly incorporated studio about its plans to create game adaptations of Spike TV and Comedy Central programming. They revealed that they're starting with one distinct project from each network: Deadliest Warrior: Legends and Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon. The first, a follow-up to last year's Deadliest title, will feature all new fighters pulled from across the fullness of time, and more than twice as many arenas as the series' first installment. Each warrior type will be represented by titular legends such as William Wallace or Shaka Zulu, who can lead their armies in the new "Generals" campaign mode. Skirmishes between factions in this mode are carried out using the same battle simulator used in the show, and players can affect their troops with certain "X-Factors," such as training exercises, or unique General strategies.
iOS MMO commercials draw attention
As our own Beau Hindman knows well, mobile MMOs are on the verge of taking off in a big way, and now they have the commercials to prove it. Pocket Legends, the hit iOS and Android MMO from last year, may be the first mobile online RPG to release a nation-wide commercial. The ad, which features a high-schooler with a not-so-embarrassing secret in his pocket, will air on G4, Cartoon Network and Comedy Central, to name just a few venues. As Pocket Legends is often described as "World of Warcraft in your hand," it's kind of ironic that developer Gameloft is also making pretty much that. Gameloft is renowned for releasing thinly disguised copies of hit games, so it stands to reason that it would take a crack at the reigning champion. The studio just released an online teaser for Order & Chaos Online on its Facebook page, and it's hard not to see the inspiration-slash-knockoff. You can check out both commercials after the jump!
Viacom drops the ban hammer on Google TV devices, blocks streaming episodes
We have high hopes that Google TV will evolve into something magical and wondrous over the next year or so as its namesake adds apps and features to flesh out the platform's somewhat underwhelming current state. Today, though, it just got a little less attractive thanks to a move by Viacom to block full episodes from streaming on your Logitech Revues and your Sony Internet TVs and the like. We've confirmed with our own Revue that attempting to stream episodes from network sites like MTV, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central show messages like "this content is not available for your device," which is an unfortunate and frustrating change. Yes, the user agent tweak still works, but wouldn't it be nice if we could all just get along? Surely Google is still working on its content partnership agreements and hopefully things will improve in the future, but given how friendly the company's past dealings with Viacom have been we're not optimistic about this particular front.
Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear app now available
MTV Networks has released the official Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear app for this Saturday's Jon Stewart rally and Stephen Colbert march. The app features a map of the rally site, Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare integration, a portal to upload photos to the official rally photostream, news updates, and an exclusive message from the master satirists themselves. The app also features a complete FAQ about the rally including directions on how to get there, accessibility for the disabled, the average weather forecast, and what you are and are not allowed to bring to rallies in the National Mall. The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear takes place on Saturday, October 30 at the National Mall in Washington D.C. from noon to 3pm. The app is available now as a free download. [via Obamapacman]
Comedy Central mutes "eyePhone" Futurama parody
If you saw Thursday night's new episode of Matt Groening's Futurama on Comedy Central (and let's take a moment to relish those beautiful words, 'new episode of Futurama' -- mmm, yes), you got an earful of biting satire focused on the enthusiasm of a certain company's customers and their appetite for new, shiny things. As Engadget reported, the episode was unsparing in its portrayal of a world where underpaid laborers dealt with the toxic leavings of other planets' consumerist tendencies. Ouch. Apparently, not everyone found it amusing. As Mac|Life's Roberto Baldwin noted, one of the clips from the show on the Comedy Central website has been selectively muted; when the Mom character says "Introducing the all-new eyePhone 2.0" in the original episode, now there is silence. Wouldn't you have liked to have been an eavesdropper on that phone call. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
