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Robert De Niro and Steve Buscemi were among the Hollywood stars who took part in Sunday’s “Paisans for Kamala,” a livestream featuring prominent Italian Americans hoping to drum up support and donations for the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.

De Niro kicked off the event — hosted by comedian Paul Mecurio, former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor Joseph Paolino Jr. — by saying he’s hopeful that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will win the 2024 presidential election but warned that their supporters should not get complacent.

“I’m very optimistic about it all,” he said. “I’m very excited, but to me, it ain’t over till it’s over. So we can’t for one second think that we’re ahead of this thing. We just have to be on it all the time until the very end because they’re going to try everything when the election day comes.

Sporting mutton chops and a guitar slung over his shoulder, actor and comedian Nick Offerman delivered his own original song to Monday night’s Comics for Kamala fundraiser. The event raised funds to support Kamala Harris‘ presidential campaign, and it was organized by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-ca), Dani Zoldan (owner of Stand Up New York), producer Jamie Patricof, and David Rosenberg.

Introduced by host Paul Mecurio, Offerman began by saying he was “grateful to vote for a presidential candidate in Kamala Harris, who didn’t just prosecute rapists, but also is not one herself.

Get ready to laugh until it hurts with “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen,” airing on CBS at 1:37 Am on Friday, February 23, 2024. Hosted by the hilarious Byron Allen, this late-night comedy show brings together a stellar lineup of stand-up comedians for a night of non-stop laughter.

In this episode, viewers will be treated to the comedic talents of Jason Andors, Paul Mecurio, Roy Wood Jr., and Tammy Pescatelli. Each comedian brings their own unique style and perspective to the stage, promising a diverse range of jokes and punchlines that will have audiences rolling in the aisles.

From witty observations about everyday life to side-splitting anecdotes about the absurdities of the world, these comedians leave no stone unturned in their quest to entertain. Whether you’re a seasoned comedy fan or just looking for a good laugh, “Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen” is sure to deliver.

So grab your popcorn and...

Stephen Colbert’s election-night Showtime special, “Who’s Going To Clean Up This Sh*t?”, provided an unwieldy subtitle for a humorless situation. It was a bewildering attempt at comedy, and even more depressing for those in the studio. Sitting with my partner in the audience at the Ed Sullivan Theater, the wannabe fun ride felt more like being trapped in an escape room without the proper key.

Liberated from the censorship constraints of his late-night CBS show, Colbert could swear as much as he wanted, but no language was extreme enough to convey the audience’s despair. In his Comedy Central days, Colbert excelled at transforming the inane means by which fear and anger mangle logic by coining the term truthiness, the tendency for something to seem right even if it fell short of the truth. At the Showtime taping, the prevailing mood was funereal uncertainty that felt wrong — and yet,...

Stephen Colbert was ready to deliver a good laugh. The Colbert Report host was preparing to work around Daft Punk's difficult demands as guests on the show—they reportedly wouldn't speak or perform—but regardless of his agreement to take that challenge, the appearance never happened. And he had the perfect joke to tell them, too. However, despite the scheduled appearance falling through, Colbert was still able to deliver the zinger during a candid interview on Paul Mercurio's podcast. "They said, 'Do you want to cancel?' I said, 'No, this is an interesting challenge,'" Colbert first explained, noting that he originally intended to perform a six-minute...

Assuming you’ve got two ears and a heart, chances are you loved The Colbert Report’s star-studded “Get Lucky” dance party video — which Stephen Colbert debuted after explaining that Daft Punk’s skittish Frenchmen had abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance on his show.

But will you still appreciate the video after learning conclusively that it wasn’t cobbled together in just two days?

If the answer’s “no,” you might want to close this tab right about now. If “yes,” read on.

Almost immediately after Colbert’s exuberant clip premiered Aug. 6, Internet naysayers began speculating that Daft Punk’s...

Before Daft Punk famously canceled on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report over a conflicting gig on MTV's Video Music Awards, the electro-pop duo already had proven to be an incredibly difficult act to nail down. In an interview on Paul Mercurio's podcast, Stephen Colbert talks candidly about the month leading up to Daft Punk's scheduled performance, revealing that he and his writers were forced to write around the artists' refusal to talk or perform during their appearance on the show. Photos: Backstage at the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert Rally "They said, 'Do you want to cancel?' I said, 'No, this

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The Sopranos was named the best-written show in television history by the Writers Guild of America, edging out an eclectic collection of some of the most beloved and admired series. Members of the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) voted online for the 101 Best Written TV Series, with David Chase’s iconic “family” drama topping Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone, All in the Family, and M*A*S*H*.

“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...

New York — Comedian Dave Attell told a packed house at the Comedy Cellar that New York after Superstorm Sandy had a familiar feel. "It was dark. Toilets were backing up. ... It was pretty much like it always was."

Another comic, Paul Mecurio, told the same crowd that he got so many calls from worried family members that he started making things up about how bad it was.

"I'm drinking my own urine to survive," he joked.

New York's comedy clubs, some of which had to shut down or go on generator power in the aftermath of the storm, dealt with a bad situation like they always have – by turning Sandy into a running punchline.

"If they're going to do jokes on Sept. 12 about Sept. 11, then this thing isn't going to slow us down," said Vic Henley, the emcee of a show Oct. 28 at Gotham Comedy Club.

Sean Flynn, Gotham's operating manager,...

Red Eye is one of the funniest programs on television, though usually intentionally. Last night they let us in on a fantastically funny clip of their unintentional comedy, and the subsequent explanations of why this extended technical difficulty kept happening. The problem? Guest ombudsman Paul Mercurio doesn't seem to like wearing a microphone very much, so he took it off while he wasn't on air. Somehow, Mercurio managed to get the microphone tangled up in the wheels of his chair and spent a good two minutes of the Postgame Wrapup trying to salvage the microphone and shouting things at a chair.

G’day Zoners! I don’t know about you, but I am still stuck in a post Ben & Jerry’s brain freeze of joy. Only Stephen could make chocolate coated potato chips and salty caramel swirl sound tasty. But I digress. In this week’s Six Degrees round-up; “Earth (The Audio Book)” receives more award nominations, Kristen Schaal features in a new “The National’s” film clip, Jimmy Fallon appears at The Paley Center, Allison Silverman appears on “This American Life”, and Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart and Lewis Black are to be featured in Comedy Central’s tribute to the late Greg Giraldo.

The Daily Show

The Daily Show

“Earth (The AudioBook)” has been nominated for an Audie Award in the “Humour” Category.

John Oliver (Correspondant/Writer)

The second season of “John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show” premiere’s on Thursday, March 24th.John talks to the Houtson...

G’day Zoners!! and welcome to the latest Six Degrees round up. This week we have some exciting new projects from the Tcr writers, interviews with Amy and David Sedaris and Jon Stewart joins the 9/11 Memorial Board.

The Colbert Report

Jay Katsir and Rob Dubbin (Writers)

The popular children’s educational program “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego”, written by Jay, Rob and gaming/music journalist Chris Dahlen will be released as a Facebook game on February 9th.

Max Werner (Writer)

Max’s script “Fun Size” has been picked up by Paramount Pictures, and will make the directorial debute of “Chuck” creator Josh Schwartz.The Daily Show

Jon Stewart (Host/Writer)

Jon has been appointed to the board of National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

Aasif Mandvi (Correspondant)

Aasif talks to Al Jazerea about diversity in Hollywood and cultural stereotypes in the Us film industry.

Elliott Kalan (Writer)

As part...

Series three of Who Do You Think You Are? features Magda Szubanski, Tina Arena, Shane Bourne, Rodney Marsh, Georgie Parker and

Paul Mercurio.

These Australian celebrities go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past and taking us to all corners of Australia and the globe.

To win, email encoregiveaways@gmail.com and tell us, how far back can you trace your family history?...

Though he's better known for films like "Moulin Rouge!" and "Australia" in the U.S., the film that truly defines writer/director Baz Luhrmann as an artist is "Strictly Ballroom." Released in 1992 to great acclaim, the film -- which stars Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice as a pair of mismatched competitive ballroom dancers -- was born out of a stage show that Luhrmann originally conceived of as a student at Sydney's National Institute of Drama.

Starring: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Gia Carides

Director: Baz Luhrmann

The Scoop: (1992) Luhrmann’s theater trilogy (with “Romeo + Juliet” and “Moulin Rouge”) kicked off with this ode to ballroom dancing. Scott wants to win a big competition but struggles until he meets Spanish gypsy Fran, who teaches him the secrets of the paso doble. Major dance-themed drama ensues, climaxing in an ambiguous ending that will make you tap your feet even as you furrow your brow.

Special Features: Commentary, deleted scenes, dance featurette, documentary

Rated PG, 94 min. | Watch the trailer...

Dogs everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief. Now that he is out of jail Michael Vick has something to occupy his dog-torturing time -- football. Many are outraged that the Philadelphia Eagles signed him. What do you expect? Teams want talent. I think at one point the Bengals were looking at Charles Manson as a backup Qb because he's good at coordinating people under stressful situations. Vick better be careful though, if the team loses one game while he is starting, he will be put down or at least chained to a fence for 3 days in the scorching sun. Bottom line, Vick's paid his debt to society. Yes, he practiced killing and torture and violated the code of conduct he was sworn to uphold. That doesn't make him a monster. That makes him Dick Cheney. Paul Mecurio...

I had an exclusive interview with boxing's premier analyst, Jim Lampley, before the Pacquiao vs. Hatton World Light Welterweight Championship fight in Las Vegas. A candid conversation, Jim revealed some of the boxing world's secrets, shared his impersonations of Larry Merchant and Harold Lederman and we even got him to call our own bout. Here I am with Lampley gearing up for the roast beef sandwich showdown. Watch the episode of Got No Game with Paul Mecurio below to see who won in the epic battle, Paul Mecurio vs. The Sandwich. Enjoy! New episodes of HBO's Got No Game with Paul Mecurio will post each Friday through September 4 on www.hbo.com/gotnogame. Check out www.paulmecurio.com for behind the scenes photos and more. ...

Paul Mecurio has landed with HBO for an insightful, hilarious behind-the-scenes look at sports and the stars in their varied environments. HBO has inked Emmy and Peabody Award-winning comedian Paul Mecurio for a series of web segments entitled, "Got No Game" for HBO.s Digital Platforms, including HBO.com, YouTube and iTunes. His original segments can be viewed by logging on to hbo.com/gotnogame. Segments will begin running Friday, July 31 and launch together across all digital platforms. The webbies features three boxing segments, including Mecurio.s interviews with baritone ring announcer Michael Buffer, HBO boxing host Jim Lampley and several behind-the-scenes individuals who do everything from stitching up the fighters between rounds to forming a band to entertain the crowd.