News

On the eve of their standup comedy takeover of the 2025 South By Southwest festival in Austin, TX, The Stand Group, Inc. announce a partnership with leading independent entertainment studio, Cineverse and their fast-growing podcast arm to maximize distribution platforms, sponsorships, programmatic demand and additional avenues. The partnership also includes the creation of a development slate for the companies to build new IP together through podcasts and live entertainment.

After successfully launching the Witz Comedy-tv Fast channel and digital content library in 2022 with partners Best Ever Channels (Bec), The Stand Group is now expanding its reach through podcast creation and distribution. Through the launch of the Witz Podcast Network – a new comedy label operated through the Cineverse Podcast Network – Bec partners Barry Gordon and Jonathon Barbato matched The Stand/Witz sensibilities with Cineverse’s ability to support and build brands.

“Together we will maximize marketing, promotional and sales initiatives for shows...

Nikki Glaser called out beauty standards and joked about having to wake up at the crack of dawn to open The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment gala, presented by Lifetime, on Wednesday at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

“When I was told I had been chosen as one of the Power 100 Women in Hollywood I was so incredibly honored,” the comedian said. “And then I said, ‘Which number am I?’ And they said it doesn’t work that way; you’re all equal. And I said, ‘Ok if that’s the case, then can I sit at Nicole Kidman’s table?’ and that’s when the correspondence ended.” (Kidman is also featured on this week’s THR cover.)

“A breakfast gala? For women in Hollywood. We don’t even eat that meal,” Glaser joked, before adding, “But truly, what better time to honor women than at 8 a.m., before the industry is awake,...

Cineflix Productions has confirmed it is in development with comedian Bonnie McFarlane on a scripted comedy series based on her 2016 memoir, “You’re Better Than Me.”

The project is inspired by McFarlane’s time as a high schooler in Cold Lake, Alberta, in the mid-1980s.

McFarlane serves as the creator and writer for the half-hour series, which takes place on a farm “294 kilometres outside the nearest pizza delivery zone.” There, a 16-year-old Bonnie flexes her smart mouth, hangs out with her Bff bovine, and recognizes that she’s not the easiest person to get along with.

“Neither she nor her cow are part of the ‘in’ crowd,” reads a show description. “Bonnie is desperate to escape her farm and see the world. There’s just one thing stopping her: herself…And a bunch of other stuff.”

McFarlane, whose credits include radio and television gigs, has an HBO special, two Comedy Central specials,...

Apple announced the premiere date and shared a first look (pictured above) of “Echo 3,” the 10-episode action-thriller from Mark Boal and starring Luke Evans and Michiel Huisman, alongside Jessica Ann Collins. The show will premiere with the first three episodes on Wednesday, November 23, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday through January 13, 2023.

The action series, filmed in Colombia with English and Spanish dialogue, follows Amber Chesborough (Collins), a young scientist who is the emotional heart of a small American family. When she goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother, Bambi (Evans), and her husband, Prince (Huisman) – two men with deep military experience and complicated pasts – struggle to find her against the backdrop of a secret war.

Additional cast includes Martina Gusman as Violetta, a prominent political columnist, James Udom, Maria Del Rosario, Alejandro Furth, Juan Pablo Raba and special guest star Bradley Whitford. The show’s narrative is...

FX is stepping into the standup comedy ring, with comedy specials from Kate Berlant and Byron Bowers to premiere exclusively on Hulu on Sept. 15, the network announced.

“Kate Berlant: Cinnamon in the Wind” serves as the comedian’s first live solo standup special. Set in an intimate space, the “A League of Their Own” star takes on not only the audience, but also a mirrored reflection of herself in her absurdist show. As she challenges the crowd’s expectations of her comedy, Berlant analyzes her own need to perform, as well as her connection to the room.

Bo Burnham directed the special, which was filmed in 2019. He’s also attached as an executive producer alongside recent Emmy winner Jerrod Carmichael (“Rothaniel”), Chris Storer (“The Bear”) and Jeff Tomsic. “Kate Berlant: Cinnamon in the Wind” is produced by Rotten Science.

In his first standup special, Bowers examines his own identity following...

In today’s TV news roundup, Fox announces the premiere dates of “Housebroken” and “Duncanville,” and FX released a trailer for its upcoming documentary “Hysterical.”

Dates

Fox announced Season 2 of animated comedy “Duncanville” will premiere with two back-to-back episodes on May 23 at 8 p.m., and its new animated comedy “Housebroken” will premiere on May 31 at 9 p.m. “Duncanville’s” return will feature an unofficial “Parks and Recreation” reunion when Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, Retta and Nick Offerman make guest voice appearances alongside series regulars Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones. “Duncanville” centers on 15-year-old Duncan Harris (Poehler) who survives the trivial nature of teenage-hood through his wild imagination. Its cast also features Ty Burrell, Riki Lindhome, Wiz Khalifa, Joy Omanski, Betsy Sodaro, Yassir Lester and Zach Cherry. “Housebroken,” meanwhile, follows a group of neighborhood pets and stray animals as they work through their issues inside and outside their therapy group. The cast includes Tony Hale,...

FX has released the trailer for Hysterical, a new documentary feature that offers an honest, funny, and poignant portrayal of what it’s like to be a woman in stand-up comedy. The documentary will premiere April 2nd on FX at 9:00 p.m. Et/Pt and will be available for streaming via FX on Hulu the next day.

Directed by Andrea Nevins (The Other F Word), Hysterical takes a behind-the-scenes look at the accomplishments — as well as the trials and tribulations — of women comedians. From weird, casually misogynistic introductions onstage...

In today’s TV news roundup, FX announced premiere dates its spring slate, and Netflix announced additional cast members for “Pieces of Her.”

Casting

Gil Birmingham, Terry O’Quinn and Calum Worthy have been cast in Netflix’s thriller series “Pieces of Her.” They join previously announced cast members Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, Jessica Barden, David Wenham, Joe Dempsie, Jacob Scipio and Omari Hardwick. “Pieces of Her,” based on Karin Slaughter‘s New York Times bestseller, follows 30-year-old Andy Oliver (Heathcote) and her mother Laura (Collette) whose lives are turned upside-down following a random act of violence in their quiet Georgia town. Looking for answers, Andy journeys across the country to uncover the mysteries of her family. Executive producers are showrunner Charlotte Stoudt, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Janice Williams, Slaughter, Minkie Spiro, Lesli Linka Glatter and Casey Haver.

Dates

FX announced that the fourth season of “Cake” will premiere March 11 at 10 p.

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix shared a release date for “Kevin Hart: No F**ks Given,” and CBS announced the premiere date for new seasons of “MacGyver,” “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods.”

Dates

Netflix revealed that “Kevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given,” a comedy special by titular comedian Kevin Hart, will premiere on the streaming site on Nov. 17. The stand-up set was recorded in Los Angeles this September. It will be his sixth stand-up performance offered on Netflix, including “Kevin Hart: Irresponsible,” which is only available on the platform. The comedian also released “Kevin Hart: Don’t F**k This Up,” a Netflix original docuseries about the turmoil and recovery of his personal life, and “Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History” in 2019. Watch the teaser for his upcoming special below.

CBS announced a Dec. 4 return for “MacGyver,” “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods.” Season 5 of “MacGyver” launches at 8 p.m. with...

Despite the laughter they might elicit from viewers with their material, the life of a stand-up comic can be incredibly difficult and painful - perhaps much more so than most realize. From director Jorgy Cruz, the documentary Funny Pains delves directly into this unseen part of the comedy business, following the rise of comedian Wendi Starling. The movie will make you laugh at times with its jokes from Starling and other featured comics, but it's not exactly a picnic either, as Starling also touches on her difficult personal traumas.

Wendi Starling has been navigating her career as a comic during one of the most interesting times for a comedian, rising in the business during the peak of "cancel culture" and the #MeToo movement. Stand-up comedy in particular has seen many changes in recent years due to social media backlash, and comics have since been expected to keep all of their material politically correct.

In today’s film news roundup, Participant has expanded its social impact campaign on behalf of domestic workers, Concordia Media bulks up and documentary “Funny Pains” gets distribution.

Participant Campaign

Building on its social impact campaign for “Roma,” Participant Media has launched the Care For The People Who Care For You campaign in partnership with the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

The digital initiative aims to galvanize support for domestic workers amid the coronavirus crisis. It features a video, produced by Participant’s digital content studio, SoulPancake, to highlight the impact the Covid-19 crisis has had on domestic workers, of whom 7 out of 10 have lost 100% of their income because of the pandemic. Told from the perspective of a domestic worker navigating health and financial concerns, the goal of the video is to educate and encourage employers to support those employees who care for them every day.

“During this uncertain time, it...

There’s more to South by Southwest than just the movies, whether it be ultra-rare appearances by media-shy filmmakers or live versions of soon-to-premiere game shows. In the case of the latter, SXSW Comedy presented “Talk Show the Game Show” last night with host Guy Branum, who was joined by Wanda Sykes, Casey Schreiner, Nick Thune, Bonnie McFarlane and Scott Thompson. Watch the entire “episode” below.

Read More: Terrence Malick Makes a Rare Appearance at SXSW 2017 and Digs Deep On His Process

Formerly of “Awkward” and “Chelsea Lately,” the writer/comedian/actor played ringleader during the proceedings, which introduced the show’s concept. Utilizing a point-based system — two points for a name drop, three points for flirting with the host — it’s likely the first talk show to require a scorekeeper and actively pit its host against his or her guests. (And everything is scored, including Branum’s monologue.)

Read...

SXSW has diversified its interests over recent years, and the world of television is no exception to that. This year’s most exciting moments include exclusive world premieres, panel conversations, escape rooms and a pop-up chicken restaurant. If you’re not going, there’s plenty to envy — and if you will be in attendance, you owe it to the world to share as much as you can on social media.

Read More: All of IndieWire’s SXSW 2017 coverage

Screenings

Here is the schedule for the official Episodics line-up, which features six new TV series in competition alongside other SXSW selections:

“American Gods” (Starz)

Vimeo Theatre

March 11, 2017

11:00am —11:59am

“The Son” (AMC)

Zach Theatre

March 12, 2017

7:00pm —8:32pm

“Dear White People” (Netflix)

Zach Theatre

March 13, 2017

1:15pm —2:17pm

“Nobodies” (TV Land)

Zach Theatre

March 13, 2017

3:45pm —4:28pm

“I Love Bekka and Lucy” (Stage 13)

Alamo Ritz 1

March...

It's happening, all right. Ahead of tonight's season three premiere, the This Is Not Happening TV show has been renewed for a fourth season on Comedy Central. Ari Shaffir hosts the show from Cheetahs in Hollywood. It features Shaffir and his comedian friends relating true stories "of humiliation, degradation and supreme embarrassment." Watch a sneak peek, after the jump.Comedians slated to appear the third season of This Is Not Happening include: Gastor Almonte, Louie Anderson, Maria Bamford, Greg Behrendt, Lavell Crawford, Joey Diaz, Greg Fitzsimmons, Sean Flannery, Al Jackson, Bert Kreischer, Bobby Lee, Julian McCullough, Bonnie McFarlane, Big Jay Oakerson, Tom Papa, Russell Peters, Steve Rannazzisi, Brian Regan, Rory Scovel, Ali Siddiq, Steve Simeone, Doug Stanhope, Nick Thune, Liza Treyger, Sal...

[caption id="attachment_49341" align="aligncenter" width="590"] This Is Not Happening TV show on Comedy Central. Pictured: Ari Shaffir, season 2. Photo Credit: Greg Gayne./caption]

Comedy Central has announced talent slated for the third season of the This Is Not Happening TV show, hosted by Ari Shaffir. This Is Not Happening season three will feature stories from: Sofiya Alexandra, Gastor Almonte, Louie Anderson, Maria Bamford, Greg Behrendt, Lavell Crawford, Joey Diaz, Greg Fitzsimmons, and Sean Flannery.

Also coming in the third season are stories from: Al Jackson, Pete Johansson, Andy Kindler, Bert Kreischer, Joe List, Julian McCullough, Bonnie McFarlane, Big Jay Oakerson, Russell Peters, Brian Regan, Dave Ross, Rory Scovel, Scruncho, Ryan Sickler, Steve Simeone, Doug Stanhope, Dan St. Germain, Nick Thune, Liza Treyger, Sal Vulcano, Andrew W.K. and more!

Read More…...

If comedy has a Dorothy Parker, it’s Caroline Hirsch. The nightclub that bears her name on Broadway at the north end of Times Square is her salon, and for more than 30 years now, Carolines has been hosting the funniest and most famous stand-up comedians. From Jerry Seinfeld to Dave Chappelle to Louis Ck and Tracy Morgan, Carolines has been more than a prime showcase for the most hilarious people alive — it’s a room every comic has to conquer in order make his or her bones in the business.

Hirsch will be the first to admit that she herself isn’t funny.

Bonnie McFarlane is committed to gay rights. So much so in fact, that the comedian and director of the new documentary Women Aren't Funny is making one of the boldest vows in solidarity with the marriage equality movement we've heard. Take a look at her gay rights PSA above and let us know if you, too, have the conviction to stand with her.

Anthony Bourdain was roasted by his fellow TV food personalities at the New York City Wine and Food Festival. Eric Ripert, Mario Batali, Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri all took the stage to roast Bourdain. However, the man himself says comedian Bonnie McFarlane stole the show. 

"I've always felt that if you're a public figure and I'm making fun of you and your work on television, at all times it is perfectly appropriate for you to give it back to me," Bourdain said. "Well, we've set an official appointment for that." 

Bourdain stopped by the Today show last week to talk about what it was like being publicly roasted. Check out the clip below! 

 ...

Last night at the New York City Wine and Food Festival, celebrity chef and globe-trotting bad boy Anthony Bourdain got roasted. And no, it didn’t involve an open flame and a spit — it was a comedy roast, in which his friends and peers swapped jokes at his expense for charity. Guests included other celebrity chefs — Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri — as well as comedians and television personalities, like The Today Show’s Willie Geist.

Bourdain shot to fame with his 2000 memoir, Kitchen Confidential, which detailed his raunchy and drug-addled years in the food industry. He now hosts the popular Travel Channel...

In response to this morning.s firing of Eddie Brill from the Late Show with David Letterman, comedian Bonnie McFarlane, the director of the forthcoming movie .Women Aren.t Funny. defends Brill's comments in a recent article for the New York Times. McFarlane has worked professionally as a comedian for over 15 years. Among her credits include specials on HBO, Comedy Central and the CBC. She was a finalist on season 2 of NBC.s Last Comic Standing and has appeared on both the Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Her forthcoming documentary .Women Aren.t Funny. is scheduled to release later this year. "People need to stop taking exception every time someone makes a slight towards...

Cringe Humor Entertainment announces that it is teaming up with comedian Bonnie McFarlane for a new web series covering the Who, What, When, Where, & Why of the comedy works. The W5 is a unique look into Bonnie's world of stand up comedy, shot from her own perspective. Each episode will include video footage shot by Bonnie at various comedy related events. From interviewing other comedians she works with, to covering special events she is a part of, Bonnie shares her vision of being a stand up comedian in each edition. "If you are looking for in depth analysis on all things comedy than this isn't it, but it's still kinda funny," Bonnie said. Patrick Milligan, CEO, Cringe...

Good Game is a weekly column about the latest news in video games and casual gaming.

New Releases

Halo: Reach (Xbox) — The much-anticipated Fps racked up a whopping $210 million in sales on its first day. I'm not a big Halo fan myself, but the game has received almost universal praise from reviewers and gamers — including my 15-year-old niece, who stood in line for 3 hours at a local Gamestop with hundreds of other people to purchase the game at midnight on its release date. (She was one of the few girls in line, and the only one smart enough to have pizza delivered.)

If you're a Halo fan, check out this video debunking the top myths about the game.

Sid Meier's Civilization V (PC) — Another big hit with gamers and reviewers, this turn-based strategy game is just plain awesome.

Blade Kitten (Xbla/Psn/PC) — I'm not usually a fan of platform arcade games,...

Short Version: Red Dead Redemption delivers an eye-popping visual experience with great character dynamics. Every aspect of this game fits like a well-made puzzle.

Game Rant’s Alex Sanderson reviews Red Dead Redemption

In February of last year, Rockstar Games announced Red Dead Redemption, the spiritual sequel to the 2004 hit Red Dead Revolver. Over the past year and a half, we have been teased with screenshots and videos of the latest open world western. We’ve taken a quick look and shared our first impressions of Red Dead Redemption already, and now we’ve finished the full game. Does it live up to all the hype? In short – Yes.

Story

The game takes place in New Austin, a savage and unforgiving land on the border of Mexico, that is torn between the old ways of the West and the new political methods of the civilized world. It’s 1911, and John Marston...

More than any other game developers working today, Rockstar Games mines the cinema for their inspirations. The heavy hand of Scorcese (and I'd argue Michael Mann, too) hovers over the Grand Theft Auto series. The Houser Bros. don't talk much to the media, but when they do, it becomes clear that their sensibilities are more filmic than gamer.

Some years ago they took a big risk and turned Walter Hill's cult gang drama "The Warriors" into a big budget video game, which further attests to their film-love. When "Red Dead Redemption" was announced a few years back, it seemed that players would be getting a highly, stylized playable version of Sergio Leone's spaghetti gunfighter oeuvre.

But, with Rdr, Rockstar's doing more than reconstituting the DNA of their favorite cinematic influences in playable form. "Red Dead Redemption" reconfigures expectations as to what an open-world game -- which generally have...