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Netflix is hosting a live comedy festival in Los Angeles this spring
Netflix is obviously big on stand-up comedy, but now it's looking to present comedy IRL. Today, it announced the Netflix Is A Joke Fest, a weeklong comedy festival coming to Los Angeles this spring. It promises over 100 shows with many of the biggest names in comedy, and it will kick off on April 27th.
Netflix dominates Grammy comedy nominations
Netflix has long been establishing itself as the go-to place for stand-up comedy specials. In fact, it might lay claim to having the best ones around after dominating the Best Comedy Album category in this year's Grammy nominations.
Seth Meyers' Netflix special will have a button to skip Trump jokes
If you're a Seth Meyers fan who wants to catch the talk show host's stand-up special on Netflix, you're likely fine with whatever gags it includes about Donald Trump. Meyers doesn't exactly lay off from making jokes about the president on Late Night with Seth Meyers, after all. But if you're perhaps a little fatigued of such gags, you can skip the Trump-focused section of Lobby Baby with a dedicated button.
Netflix's fifth Dave Chappelle comedy special debuts August 26th
Dave Chappelle has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Netflix over the last few years, having released four stand-up specials on the streaming service, picking up a hefty pay packet and Grammy and Emmy awards for them. The comedy icon is about to unleash his fifth set on Netflix when Sticks & Stones drops August 26th. It announced Chappelle's latest special with a Morgan Freeman-narrated trailer.
Netflix might pay Eddie Murphy $70 million for stand-up specials
Eddie Murphy might be better known these days for his work on the screen, but it was on the stage that he got his start. His stand-up specials Delirious and Raw are often ranked among the best ever, and Murphy has been open in recent years about wanting a return to live performance. Netflix might help him make the leap, as it's reportedly in talks with him for several stand-up specials.
Ellen DeGeneres' return to stand-up arrives on Netflix December 18th
Ellen DeGeneres hinted over a year ago that she'd return to stand-up specials through Netflix, and that revival is now close at hand. Netflix has announced that DeGeneres' comedy one-off Relatable will premiere on the streaming service December 18th. The teaser clip doesn't say much about what to expect, but it does have DeGeneres engaging in some tongue-in-cheek name-dropping as she confirms the premiere over and over again.
Dave Chappelle’s third Netflix special will premiere December 31st
Dave Chappelle's third Netflix special, Dave Chappelle: Equanimity, will debut on the streaming service December 31st, Variety reports. It's the first comedy special Chappelle has made exclusively for Netflix. Last year, the service announced that three specials from the performer were on the way and the first two -- previously unreleased material from shows performed at Austin City Limits and the Hollywood Palladium -- were released in March.
Seinfeld’s first Netflix stand-up special premieres September 19th
Earlier this year, Netflix announced that Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee series would be moving to it over from Crackle and that Seinfeld would have two stand-up specials appear on the streaming service as well. The first of those specials is now slated to premiere September 19th.
Ellen coyly hints at return to standup with Netflix special
It's been over 15 years since Ellen DeGeneres took the stage for a proper stand-up special. With a smash hit daytime talk show, a record-setting Twitter account and bonafide American treasure status, DeGeneres doesn't exactly need the exposure of another special, but Netflix has been on a hot streak recently, nabbing up standup specials from comedy heavyweights and up-and-coming talent alike. So, the streaming company reached out to DeGeneres on her platform of choice to see if she'd be game for another solo show. Her response? "OK I'm in."
VR's latest victim: 'live' standup comedy
Comedy Living Room started in 2012 as a way for emerging stand-ups to try out gags in the safety of a friend's living room. Now, the event is embracing virtual reality, enabling everyone to watch a low-fi comedy gig in someone else's living room while you're sitting in your own... living room.
Seinfeld's 'Comedians in Cars' moves to Netflix this year
Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is jumping from Sony's Crackle streaming service to one that people actually watch: Netflix. Late this year, the show will debut with 24 new episodes according to Variety. What's more, 59 back episodes of the Emmy nominated show will arrive on the streaming service as well, and there are plans for another new run of episodes for next year.
On the Brink of Greatness short: Standup
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-938051{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-938051, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-938051{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-938051").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Last week, aspiring startups found out just how harsh kids can be when it comes to offering criticism. To see if his jokes were funny enough, a standup comedian put his skills to the test in front of a panel of school children. What's the worst that could happen? A cat-tastrophe, that's what.
Dave Chappelle's Chicago shows will be phone-free
When it comes to highly anticipated performances, artists are always worried that their material will end up on the Internet before the show is even over. Revered comedian Dave Chappelle is just about to embark on 13 live performances in Chicago and insists that they be phone-free. To combat any type of piracy, Chappelle has teamed up with startup Yondr. The company provides smartphone pouches that lock automatically when patrons enter the "no phone-zone," and unlock when they step out of it.
Aziz Ansari's new Netflix stand-up special debuts March 6th
If you're a big fan of comedy specials that are unique Netflix, the latest from the man behind Parks and Recreation's Tom Haverford is on the way. On March 6th, Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden will premiere at 12:01 AM PT. The title is another Netflix original from Ansari, whose first, Buried Alive, debuted back in 2013. Other stand-up specials from the comedian are available through the internet service too, including Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening and Dangerously Delicious. For those who fancy an extra dose of Ron Swanson, fellow cast member Nick Offerman has a Netflix original stand-up session of his own, offering his "10 Tips for a Prosperous Life" in American Ham. [Photo credit: Colleen Hayes/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images]
YouTube now has unreleased stand-up from Dave Chappelle, Louis CK and more
Stand-up comedians don't get to just walk onto the set of Saturday Night Live or The Daily Show and start telling jokes. Nope, like just about every other creative field, they start small and work their way up -- often for free at first. Yes, even the likes of Tracy Morgan and Sarah Silverman. The Just For Laughs (JFL) comedy festival in Montreal has filmed the countless names that've graced its stage since 1987 and has teamed with YouTube juggernaut Maker Studios to start releasing unseen footage from the fest's archives, according to Variety. Right now its channel only has a handful of clips (including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock [above] and Bill Hicks), but JFL promises three-time-per-week updates are en route. All told, there'll be some 500 hours of performances and when that well runs dry, the outfit plans to add footage from more recent shows. For now, at least, you'll have something funny to sprinkle between Woodstock clips.
Xbox brings laughter to all ages with Comedy Central and Nickelodeon apps
Xbox Live Gold customers, get ready for a chucklefest in your living room. Two new apps to tickle the funny bone have just arrived for Microsoft's console courtesy of Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. We heard rumblings about the latter being added to the roster a while ago, but it looks like that has finally come to fruition. Your kids can enjoy full episodes of their favorite Nick shows, short videos and special animated shorts. The Comedy Central app is a touch more adult-oriented of course, with a focus on the channel's stand-up offerings. Dubbed "CC: Stand-up," the app boasts more than 6,000 videos of routines from around 700 comedians. So whether you're into Aziz Ansari or Spongebob Squarepants, you'll be able to get your fix via Xbox Live starting today.
15 Minutes of Fame: A standup job of WoW
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.Last week, we went behind the scenes with Boubouille of MMO-Champion to learn more about the non-stop pace of bringing readers a never-ending stream of fresh news tips and datamined tidbits. Serious stuff – and readers expressed some serious appreciation for his efforts. This week, however, we're off on an entirely lighter tangent: a standup comedian (and WoW player, of course) who brings both his WoW sensibilities and experience as a game programmer to the stage. Jeff Reitman (aka Drelana of Azuremyst-US) is all about geek entertainment, whether it's playing games himself, working on them for others to play, or yukking it up over the whole package. Read our interview with Jeff, plus video of Jeff on stage (sending up WoW plus wives, Rock Band and more), after the break.
24 hours of Tabula Rasa: Hour 9
Hoo brother, we are already at hour 9 of our 24 hour launch day giveaway (to celebrate the release of not only Tabula Rasa, but this here blog that yer readin'), and the prizes are starting to get interesting. Yes, this hour, we'll be giving away the best part of Tabula Rasa -- that fetching redhead that shows up in the intro movie. Well, not her exactly, but a cardboard standup of her. You too can do a little TR larping, and, well... actually, we don't want to hear about what you do with this thing. Your business, not ours. If it involves dressing up and running around the room carrying it and screaming about Logos and killing the Bane, we'd just rather stay out of it, thanks.And if you don't win the standup, you might win a poster, because we're giving away one of those, too. Just live in the US, be 18 or up (official rules be here), and put a comment on this post before 5pm EST. We'll pick two lucky winners-- one gets the girl, and one gets a poster.Good luck, as always! And if you don't like the prizes (although who wouldn't? come on, it's a life-sized standup!), sit tight, because there'll be yet another contest next hour. We would say that this new blog is the gift that keeps on giving, but it's actually more like the blog that keeps on giving... away great prizes every hour!
"The only thing that would have made the original NES better is if it had worked"
Kyle Cease, a stand-up comedian who also had roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and Not Another Teen Movie, covers NES sub-culture in this clip from one of his acts. Kyle sends up everything from out-of-touch parents ("MOM! PRESS THE B BUTTON!"), the fragility of the cartridge slot and the "suspenseful" music made out of bleeps.Before you click continue to watch the video, be aware that this is definitely NSFW.
Apple employee gets fired for hilarious standup/poetry routine
I love the 'six degrees of everything' effect of the world wide web. I especially love it on a Sunday morning that is the second day of my spring break, as I have the time to check out this hilarious video of a standup/poetry routing from a talent show on the Apple Campus (thanks to TUAW commenter Mike). While the routine is a riot, what (apparently) came out of it is not: the employee says Apple's VP, who was hosting the event, fired him for it.I have embedded the video from Google Video in this post, and you'll need Flash to view it. I'd recommend actually going to the post at Google Video and downloading it while you can, before Apple legal attempts to obliterate it from the 'net.
