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The documentary “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is set to premiere globally on June 18 on Netflix. The feature-length documentary, the first of its kind to address this topic, examines the history of queer stand-up comedy as — according to its logline — “an instrument for social change over the past five decades, actively reflecting and challenging cultural norms and values.”

The film combines stand-up performances and talking head interviews, as well as archival materials featuring LGBTQ+ comedians, and includes Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Suzy Izzard, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen and Trixie Mattel.

Historians interviewed for the documentary include Dave Holmes, Roger Mason, Shar Jossell, Susan Stryker and Kate Aurthur, Variety‘s Editor-at-Large.

“Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is written and directed by Page Hurwitz. “I’m excited for the film to premiere, particularly at this time, because comedy has the power to unite, and...

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Page Hurwitz had a plan to tell the story of LGBTQ+ comedians with the help of one big historic show — and then the pandemic hit.

But as the global shuttering put a pause on her original plans, it opened the door for an invitation to the Netflix Is a Joke festival, where the director, writer, producer and comedian’s planned show — a featured part of Stand Out: The Documentary, which will debut on Netflix later this year — was able to be part of the streamer’s first major live comedy festival.

Hosted by Billy Eichner and headlined by Eddie Izzard, Margaret Cho, Sandra Bernhard, Tig Notaro, Wanda Sykes and Rosie O’Donnell, the show is the largest known amassing of LGBTQ+ comedic talent on one stage. The sold-out three-hour set, held at the 5,900-capacity outdoor Greek Theatre, featured Billy Porter, Lena Waithe, Sarah Paulson,...

Netflix is celebrating Pride Month, revealing its greenlit “Stand Out: The Documentary.”

The documentary film will examine the history of LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy. While exact details of who will be featured in the doc were not available, Netflix did note that many of the comedians in “Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration” are in both projects.

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The feature-length documentary will include original performances, interviews, archival materials and backstage vérité-style footage. It will explore themes including comedy as activism, diversity in stand-up, new queer culture and mainstreaming the alternative.

Page Hurwitz is writer and director. Hurwitz executive produces alongside Wanda Sykes for Push It Productions, and Brian Graden, Dave Mace and Lb Horschler for Brian Graden Media.

Read original story Netflix Greenlights ‘Stand Out: The Documentary’ About LGBTQ Comedy History At TheWrap...

Billy Eichner and Mae Martin have called out Netflix’s support of Dave Chappelle’s jokes about queer and trans people — in a comedy special released by Netflix itself.

Both comedians appear in “Stand Out: An LGBTQ Celebration,” which debuted on June 9 after being taped at Netflix Is a Joke Fest in May. The event, hosted by Eichner, was the largest-ever gathering of LGBTQ+ comics in one stand-up special, according to Netflix.

“We all know how backwards and dangerous the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws are,” Eichner says in the special. “Queer people, and especially trans people, are under legislative attack in this country. Trans people are being demeaned. They’re trying to dehumanize trans people. They’re trying to erase trans people. And I’m not even talking about Florida. I’m talking about Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix special!”

“Oh, come at me! I don’t have Jamie Foxx to defend me,...

Netflix has given a green light to Stand Out: The Documentary, a feature-length documentary that examines the history of LGBTQ stand-up comedy, for premiere this year.

Intended to complement Netflix’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration special, the documentary will combine original performances, interviews, archival materials, and backstage vérité footage to explore themes such as comedy as activism, diversity in stand-up, new queer culture, and mainstreaming the alternative. The film considers the importance of LGBTQ stand-up as an instrument for social progress over the past five decades, changing the world one joke at a time.

The film is written and directed by Page Hurwitz, who executive produces with Wanda Sykes for Push It Productions; and Brian Graden, Dave Mace and Lb Horschler for Brian Graden Media.

Netflix has greenlit “Stand Out: The Documentary,” which examines the history of LGBTQ stand-up comedy and will debut in 2022.

The film is written, directed and executive produced by Page Hurwitz, who was recently named one of Variety‘s 55 Queer Artists and Decision-Makers to Know in 2022.

Intended to complement Netflix’s recent comedy special “Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration,” “Stand Out: The Documentary” will combine original performances, interviews, archival materials and backstage vérité footage to explore themes like comedy as activism, diversity in stand-up, new queer culture and mainstreaming the alternative. The film focuses on the importance of LGBTQ stand-up as an instrument for social progress over the past five decades, changing the world one joke at a time.

“Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration” premiered on June 9 after being taped at the inaugural Netflix is a Joke Fest in Los Angeles in May with Billy Eichner as host. Several of the...

With less than four weeks until the festival begins, Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival has added new shows to its lineup, including top stand-up performances, Netflix series cast events, as well as a free outdoor fan experience. The festival, which now boasts over 250 live shows across over 30 venues covering Los Angeles, is produced by Netflix in association with Live Nation.

One of the added highlights of the event is the Billy Eichner-hosted Stand Out: An LGBTQ + Celebration. The celebration is happening in 2022, (although postponed from 2020) in the wake of the October 2021 Netflix controversy that saw LGBTQ employees stage an office walkout due to what they considered to be transphobic content during Dave Chappelle’s Netflix comedy special, The Closer. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos received backlash due to two internal emails — sent out on the same day and leaked days apart — in which he defended Chappelle and argued that...

Exclusive: Brian Graden Media has upped EVP of Development Dave Mace to President. Meanwhile, Lb Horschler, who had been Executive in Charge of Production at the company for seven years before leaving for Citizen last spring, is returning in a new, larger role, as EVP of Production.

Veteran executive and producer Mace is taking over full day-to-day running of the company, with all development and production reporting into him. The company’s CEO Graden will still be heavily involved but will focus more on creative as well as expanding initiatives in the documentary arena.

Since joining Brian Graden Media in 2016, Mace has developed and produced a number of series, including Emmy-winning Create Together starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Escape the Night, Band Together with Logic and the Instant Influencer franchise for YouTube Originals; Mrs. T’s Music Factory for Lifetime, Logo Network’s Finding Prince Charming; Oxygen’s highest-rated true crime documentary series,...

Just call them the Golden Girls for a new generation.

TikTok stars Robert Reeves, Mick Peterson, Bill Lyons and Jessay Martin — known collectively as the “Old Gays” — have signed with Brian Graden Media (Bgm) to develop a docuseries about their personal and professional social media lives, all while living together in Cathedral City, Calif.

The “Old Gays” have more than 3.2 million followers and 320 million views across their social media platforms.

“We are thrilled to be working with the hilarious and very talented ‘Old Gays,’” Bgm CEO Brian Graden tells me exclusively. “Their videos resonate with audiences young and old alike and viewers have shown extreme interest in seeing their lives on a more personal level which we intend to deliver upon.”

In addition to their viral videos, the “Old Gays,” who range in age from mid-60s to late 70s, have appeared on the “Drew Barrymore Show” and “Today” show.

Exclusive: Emmy-winning production company Brian Graden Media is expanding its development team, tapping John Magennis as Senior Vice President of Development and Bri Reed as Manager of Development. They join longtime Bgm development executives Dave Mace EVP, Development, Ben Jehoshua SVP, Development, and Catherine Keithley Lawson SVP, Development and Current.

Producer-development exec Magennis moves to Brian Graden Media from Lionsgate’s unscripted pod Wallin Chambers Entertainment where he developed numerous series including HBO Max’s House of Ho, Pantaya and Amazon’s Derbez Family Vacation (De Viaje Con Los Derbez) and AwesomenessTV’s Going Garcia. Additionally, Magennis sold a number of presentations and pilots to networks including Bravo, E!, OWN, Lifetime, YouTube, and TBS. Prior to his time at Wallin Chambers, Magenis was the Executive Producer of Development for NBCUniversal’s Peacock Productions, where he developed non-fiction series and specials in science and technology, music, pop culture, and true crime...

Zach “Zhc” Hsieh, a popular YouTube creator and artist, has been tapped as the host for Season 2 of YouTube’s “Instant Influencer” competition series, which promises one up-and-coming artist a $100,000 cash prize.

Last month YouTube confirmed that James Charles, the beauty vlogger who hosted the first season of “Instant Influencer,” would not return to host Season 2. That came after Charles had been accused of “grooming” a 16-year-old online; Charles called the accusation “completely false.”

The “Instant Influencer” Season 2 with Zhc will run for eight episodes, up from four in Season 1, and is slated to debut later in 2021.

In Season 2, a group of 10 contestants — artists selected by Zhc and his producing partners — will compete for the title of “Instant Influencer” and the $100,000 prize. Casting kicks off Thursday (April 15) and aspiring contestants can apply to be on the show (at this link) during the next two weeks; applicants must be 18 and older and live in the U.

When James Brolin was first approached by producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan to play Ronald Reagan in their 2003 miniseries “The Reagans,” he said he wasn’t interested.

“Neil and Craig are old friends and I immediately said to them, ‘I guess everybody else turned it down,” Brolin recalls. “But they said, ‘No, we think you’re the guy.’ I wouldn’t even read it. I thought me playing Reagan was absurd.”

Zadan, who passed away in 2018, and Meron eventually convinced Brolin to read the first 20 pages of the script. “It just tickled me,” Brolin says. “I went, ‘Wow, this isn’t just saying some lines. There’s something more to this.’”

There certainly was. What Brolin nor anyone involved with the project could have predicted at the time was the political storm that “The Reagans” would create. The CBS series was still filming Reagan loyalists and GOP pundits attacked...

Exclusive: The last 30 years of reality television is to be the subject of a documentary series for Quibi. How’s that for meta?

The short-form platform, launched by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, is developing Get Real from Queer Eye producer Scout Productions and Brian Graden Media, the company behind YouTube’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt-fronted Create Together.

The doc series will highlight the good, the bad, the ugly, and the infamous across the 30-year history of reality television.

Get Real will explore the many ways reality television has impacted our real life, and vice versa, while hearing from culture critics, the producers, and the participants who brought it to the screen in the first place.

Graden knows a thing or two about reality television, having worked at MTV during the days of The Osbournes, Punk’d and Jersey Shore.

Sarah Girgis, who has worked on Catfish and Leavenworth, is showrunner. It...

Exclusive: Nxivm has been making headlines the past few weeks with the high-profile arrests of founder Keith Raniere and one of his top lieutenants, Smallville actress Allison Mack, on charges of sex trafficking as the so called self-help organization has been called by prosecutors a sex cult that has been keeping women as “slaves,” and branding them with Raniere’s initials.

One of those branded women is Canadian actress Sarah Edmondson who last fall became the first to speak out about the alleged abuse after a decade inside Nxivm along with her husband, Anthony Ames, a fellow actor and former Ivy-League Quarterback.

Edmondson and Ames are now slated to headline a documentary TV series. Set against the ongoing legal drama involving the leaders of Nxivm, the series will follow the duo as they, under the guidance of renowned cult expert and deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross, head of the Cult Education Institute,...

Below, watch a first look video, check out photos, and meet some of the suitors from the Finding Prince Charming TV show, premiering on Logo, Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 9:00pm Et/Pt. Lance Bass hosts the new dating reality show -- the first featuring an all-male gay cast.Robert Sepulveda Jr. is the first season's "Prince Charming," who is searching for one of his own. Finding Prince Charming is executive produced by Brian Graden and Dave Mace for Brian Graden Media. Fred Birckhead and Nick Murray also executive produce. Pamela Post and Stevenson Greene executive produce for Logo. Jen Passovoy serves as producer.Read More…...

Logo is looking for love. The cabler has given the greenlight to the new Finding Prince Charming TV show. Hosted by Lance Bass, the new dating competition series is the first to feature a cast of all gay men. Bass was a contributor on The Meredith Vieira Show, which was cancelled in January, after two seasons, by NBC-Universal Domestic Television.The Finding Prince Charming TV series is produced by Brian Graden Media and executive produced by Brian Graden and Dave Mace, with Fred Birckhead and Nick Murray. Chris McCarthy, Pamela Post and Stevenson Greene executive produce for Logo. Jen Passovoy serves as producer. Finding Prince Charming is in production and will debut on Logo in fall, 2016.Read More…...

Veteran television executive and producer Dave Mace has been hired as Executive Vice President of Development at Brian Graden Media. In his new role, Mace will oversee the development of television and digital content for the company. This is a new position, as BMG is expanding. This is a reunion for Mace and Graden, whose relationship dates back to 2005, when Graden was President of MTV Networks & Logo Group, and hired Mace as Head of Development for the soon-to-launch…...

A&E is beefing up its executive ranks. Coming off of its highest-rated year ever, the network has added Gabriel Marano and Dave Mace to its programming department. Marano will join the West Coast-based scripted department as vp drama programming, while Mace will be situated on the East Coast as the network's vp nonfiction and alternative programming. “The additions of these two execs will serve to bolster what is already one of the best programming teams in the business. Dave and Gabriel come to A&E with a wealth of experience and success in the industry,” said executive vp programming David McKillop.

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A&E Network has added two programming execs to its ranks. Former Fox TV Studios Scripted Programming VP Gabriel Marano is joining the network’s West Coast-based scripted department as VP Drama Programming, and Dave Mace is coming aboard the East Coast-based non-fiction department as VP Non-fiction & Alternative Programming. At FtvS, Marano oversaw the development and production of the studio’s scripted cable series including The Americans, The Killing, Burn Notice and the upcoming Maron. At A&E he will report to Svp Drama Programming Tana Nugent Jamieson and help shepherd new pilots as well as the network’s slate of original scripted dramas including The Glades, Longmire and Bates Hotel. Mace, previously at MTV Networks as Svp VH1 Creative Lab and before that VP Original Programming at Logo, will report to A&E Svp Non-fiction & Alternative Programming Elaine Frontain Bryant and be tasked with developing new original non-fiction series ideas for the network.

Every year, when watching the Emmys, is there a point where you find yourself overwhelmed by feelings of déjà vu? It’s understandable if you do. After all, since 2007, the Outstanding Reality Competition Program has nominated the same five series — The Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Project Runway, and Top Chef – each and every year.

After hearing the names of the five nominated shows, you may find yourself overcome with a different feeling: frustration. Where’s the love for So You Think You Can Dance? Shark Tank? The Next Food Network Star? How is it that one...

Lady GaGa is to receive a special award at next month's Logo NewNowNext ceremony. The 'Born This Way' singer will accept the 'Always Next, Forever Now' award via satellite when the gala is held on April 7 in Hollywood. The 'Always Next, Forever Now' honour is given annually to stars who have proven to be timelessly relevant. Previous recipients include Janet Jackson and Britney Spears. Logo's Senior vice president of original programming Dave Mace said in an official statement that he knew GaGa was destined for greatness when she appeared on the awards telecast in 2008. (more)...

Pamela Post has been upped to VP of original programming for cable nicher Logo and she will continue to report to Svp Dave Mace. Post has been an integral part of Logo's development team throughout her five-year tenure at Logo, most recently serving as senior director of original programming.

Post is an executive on "RuPaul's Drag Race," which is Logo's highest rated series ever. Based in Los Angeles, Pamela will continue to develop programming for the network, including "RuPaul's Drag U," premiering on July 19 and "The Arrangement," debuting this fall.

Additional programming of note delivered under Pamela's lead include Logo's first scripted series "Noah's Arc," another scripted series called "Sordid Lives" and the doc "The Ride: Seven Days to End AIDS."

"Pamela's outstanding relationships in the industry and a keen eye for developing and producing shows that are on brand for Logo have been a great asset...

HollywoodNews.com: Paula Abdul is making her way back into the media. Not only has the former “American Idol” judge just landed a role on CBS’ new show, “Got to Dance,” but now she’s going to be honored at Logo’s Third Annual “NewNowNews Awards” on June 17th.

The singer will be receiving the Always Next, Forever Now Icon Award, which pays homage to a pop icon. Logo’s Senior Vice President of Original Programming, Dave Mace, stated, “Throughout her career, Paula Abdul has dazzled, inspired and entertained her fans in ways befitting of an icon. Her game-changing choreography, music videos, dance tunes and record-breaking television success have paved the way for today’s pop divas. What can we say other than, ‘She’s forever our girl’. ”

Past recipients of the award have included Britney Spears and Janet Jackson.

Image by PR Photos.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" became the Logo network's highest-rated and most-watched telecast ever. Logo is also announcing that both "RuPaul's Drag Race" and its sister show "Untucked" are all revving up for another season.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" earned an average .8 rating in the 18-49 demo, while "Untucked" earned a .7 rating. Over 633,000 tuned in to see who was named "America's Next Drag Superstar," and even more will catch the replays on VH1.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" is Logo's most watch series and also the network's most streamed on its website. The show also earned no less than 9.8 million streams over at LogoTV.com, where viewers can catch full episodes and more.

"'RuPaul's Drag Race' has consistently shown that even underdogs can be champions," said Dave Mace, Senior Vice President, Original, Programming, Logo. "And today, this 'little-show-that-could' has become a national and GLAAD Media Award-winning phenomenon."...

MTV mastermind Brian Graden will depart the cable network at year's end when his contract expires.

Graden, who took over programming at MTV 12 years ago, has served as president of entertainment at the MTV Networks Music Channels and president of Logo since 2004.

The over-reaching creative position will not be filled, with the individual heads of programming -- MTV's Tony Disanto, VH1's Jeff Olde, Cmt's Bob Kusbit and Logo's Dave Mace -- managing each channel's development efforts, according to MTV Networks Music and Logo Group president Van Toffler, to whom Graden has reported.

Graden, who is in talks to stay in the Viacom fold with a producing deal, is credited with guiding MTV from the era of music videos to the world of reality programming, supervising the creation and launch of such series as "Trl," "The Osbournes," "The Hills," "Jackass" and "Laguna Beach." He also was instrumental in getting...

The head of programming at MTV Networks' Logo is stepping down to take on a development deal with the gay-themed cable channel.

Eileen Opatut, senior vp original programming and one of the architects of Logo since its creation in 2004, is leaving with a first-look deal to produce programming for MTV Networks. In her stint at Logo, she introduced a full slate of programing ranging from drama series Noah's Arc to a sketch comedy show produced by Rosie O'Donnell, The Big Gay Sketch Show.

Opatut will segue into roles as executive producer of upcoming Logo programming, including the special 2007 GLAAD Media Awards, the reality series Be Real, Rick and Steve and the comedy series Exes and Ohs.

"Eileen made her mark by connecting with the soul of our audience," said Brian Graden, president of entertainment at MTV Networks Music Group and president of Logo. "Eileen is a uniquely talented development and production executive and we look forward to continuing to work with her and sharing her talents with the rest of the MTV Networks family."

Opatut is being replaced by Dave Mace, vp original programming at Logo.

Royce Bergman has been tapped as head of TV development and production for Craig Zadan and Neil Meron's Storyline Entertainment. In his new position, Bergman will spearhead Storyline's plan to ramp up series development next season and will oversee the company's successful longform TV business. Bergman replaces Dave Mace, who recently joined the new gay-themed cable channel Logo as vp original programming (HR 3/15). Bergman most recently served as an associate producer on HBO's comedy series project The Comeback, starring Lisa Kudrow. He also worked in production on the final two seasons of HBO's Sex and the City. "Royce brings us very special and unique skills, coming from a background of having worked on 'Sex and the City, ' " Zadan said. "We really feel like he's bringing fresh eyes to the table, and that's what we need in an ever-changing world where (buyers) are open to developing shows very differently than they have in the past." Royce began his career in the Endeavor Agency's television department under partner Ari Emanuel and Ari Greenburg.