News

Peacock’s forthcoming Office-world comedy series is continuing to build out its cast.

Seven actors — Duane Shepard Sr. (The People vs. O.J. Simpson), Allan Havey (Billions, Mad Men), Nate Jackson (Young Rock), comedian Mo Welch, Nancy Lenehan (The Boys, Veep), Molly Ephraim (A League of Their Own, Last Man Standing) and Tracy Letts (Saturday Night, Divorce) — will have guest roles on the series from creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. Welch is also a writer on the series.

Details on their parts are being kept under wraps for now. They join a cast led by Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore and which also includes Melvin Gregg, Chelsea Frei, Ramona Young, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Tim Key and Eric Rahill.

The untitled series is set in the same world as The Office but will follow a new set of characters. The show’s logline reads, “The documentary crew that immortalized...

Peacock’s new spinoff series of “The Office” has recruited seven new guest stars across series like “The Conners,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Loot.”

The guest stars for the series from Greg Daniels and Michael Koman include Duane Shepard Sr. (“The Conners,” “Loot”), Allan Havey (“Loot,” “Glow”), Nate Jackson (“Young Rock,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Mo Welch (“Kwaczala, Corporate”), Nancy Lenehan (“The Boys,” “Extended Family”), Molly Ephraim (“A League of Their Own,” “Pretty Smart”) and Tracy Letts (“Saturday Night,” “Mr. Throwback.”) Welch also serves as a writer on the series.

The guest stars join previously announced ensemble cast, which includes Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young and Tim Key as series regulars. Eric Rahill was also previously announced as a guest star.

Set in the same universe as NBC’s series “The Office,” the new mockumentary series will turn its attention to a dying newspaper.

Greg Daniels and Michael Koman’s untitled upcoming Peacock series set in the same universe as “The Office” has set its guest cast.

Joining the series as guest stars are Tracy Letts, Molly Ephraim, Mo Welch, Allan Harvey, Duane Shepard Sr., Nate Jackson and Nancy Lenehan. Character details are yet to be announced.

Welch is also a writer on the series.

The series has been billed as not being a reboot or spinoff of “The Office”; rather, it has an all-new cast and maintains the original’s mockumentary style. The official logline reads, “The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.”

Previously announced cast members include Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key and Eric Rahill.

Peacock’s The Office follow-up series from creators and executive producers Greg Daniels and Michael Koman has added 7 to its recurring cast including Duane Shepard Sr. (The Conners), Allan Havey (Billions), Nate Jackson (Young Rock), Mo Welch (Kwaczala), Nancy Lenehan (The Boys), Molly Ephraim (A League of Their Own), and Tracy Letts (Saturday Night Live).

They join the previously announced ensemble cast of Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus), Chelsea Frei (Poker Face), Melvin Gregg (American Vandal), Gbemisola Ikumelo (Black Ops), Alex Edelman (Just For Us), Ramona Young (Never Have I Ever), Tim Key (The Witchfinder) and Eric Rahill (Friendship).

In the new comedy series, the documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is searching for a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.

Deadline exclusively revealed the secret project was in...

Exclusive: Immersive virtual reality stand-up series Surrounded is to return for a second season next month with Jack Whitehall, Marlon Wayans, Lil Rel Howery and Mae Martin among the comics lined up.

The six-part series will debut via the Meta Horizon Worlds VR online video game platform, with episodes starting from December 29, including a festival holiday special that drops at 10am Pt.

The comedians’ sets were filmed at the 2023 Just For Laughs Montréal Comedy Festival. The format sees the audience inspiring the jokes, with everyone fair game. It originated as a stand-up comedy show created by Mike Falzone before being adapted for the Metaverse.

Hosted by The Carmichael Show star Howery, the episodes will feature Whitehall, Wayans, Martin, Fortune Feimster, Mark Normand, Chris Redd, Dan Soder, Jay Pharaoh, Meg Statler, Felipe Esparza, Rosebud Baker, Sam Morril, Joel Kim Booster, Hannah Berner, Nate Jackson, Brad Williams, Preacher Lawson, Sasheer Zamata, Brian Simpson,...

Conan O’Brien will bring his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend to this year’s New York Comedy Festival, with a taping of the live episode later airing on Team Coco’s SiriusXM Channel.

O’Brien joins a festival line-up that includes Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Nicole Byer, Jimmy Carr, Margaret Cho, Tim Dillon, Giggly Squad, Ilana Glazer, Brett Goldstein, Nate Jackson, Anthony Jeselnik, Matteo Lane, Sam Morril, Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland, Atsuko Okatsuka, Pod Meets World, Donnell Rawlings, Jeff Ross, Robyn Schall, Daniel Sloss, and Michelle Wolf.

The festival runs Nov. 3-12 and includes more than 100 shows at such New York venues as the Apollo Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Msg, Town Hall, and more.

The taping of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend live podcast will take place at Brooklyn Academy of Music (Bam) on Tuesday,...

The New York Comedy Festival has announced its 2023 headliners, this year welcoming Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Nicole Byer, Jimmy Carr, Margaret Cho, Tim Dillon, Giggly Squad, Ilana Glazer, Brett Goldstein, Nate Jackson, Anthony Jeselnik, Matteo Lane, Sam Morril, Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland, Conan O’Brien, Atsuko Okatsuka, Pod Meets World, Donnell Rawlings, Jeff Ross, Robyn Schall, Daniel Sloss and Michelle Wolf to the 10-day event.

The largest comedy festival in the U.S., the New York Comedy Festival is now in its 19th year and will run from Nov. 3 to Nov. 12. The event, founded by Caroline Hirsch and produced by Carolines, brings together over 200 of the country’s top comedians who perform in more than 100 shows at some of the most prestigious venues in the five boroughs, including the Apollo Theatre, Bam, the Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Msg and Town Hall.

Burr returns to...

The New York Comedy Festival, considered the largest comedy festival in the U.S., is about to get larger: In its 19th year, the 2023 Nycf will expand from seven to ten days, running Friday, Nov. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 12.

Headliners are set to include Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Nicole Byer, Jimmy Carr, Margaret Cho, Tim Dillon, Giggly Squad, Ilana Glazer, Brett Goldstein, Nate Jackson, Anthony Jeselnik, Matteo Lane, Sam Morril, Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland, Atsuko Okatsuka, Pod Meets World, Donnell Rawlings, Jeff Ross, Robyn Schall, Daniel Sloss and Michelle Wolf.

“We’re very excited to bring the best comedians – from emerging talent to established headliners – from across the country and throughout the world to perform at this year’s festival,” said Caroline Hirsch, founder and owner of the New York Comedy Festival. “We’ve curated an amazing line-up of shows, with many more to be announced in the coming months.

Exclusive: Rising comedian, actor, writer and digital creator Nate Jackson has signed with CAA for representation.

Jackson burst onto the scene through his viral content and engagement on TikTok, where he has drawn over 2.5 million followers and more than 437 million views globally. His stand-up comedy tours sell out comedy clubs and theaters nationwide.

As an actor, he can be seen in the upcoming feature Good Fortune, directed by Aziz Ansari. His past credits include a recurring role as The Junkyard Dog on the NBC series Young Rock. He has also appeared in Spirited for Apple TV+, in which he starred alongside Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Jackson is an alum of Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘N Out and has appeared on HBO’s hit series Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Jackson is managed by Zack Waxenberg at 3 Arts.

"I feel like everybody knew him except me." HBO has unveiled an official trailer for an indie film titled My Dead Dad, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Fabio Frey. It's co-written and produced by Pedro Correa, who also stars in it as the main character. It premiered at the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival last year, and screened at numerous other fests including Austin, Mill Valley, and Filmocracy Fest where it won the Audience Award. A burnout discovers his estranged father has died, leaving him the responsibility of managing an apartment complex. With hopes of cutting ties, he's forced to grow up, learning about the dad he never knew through the eclectic tenants. Starring Pedro Correa with Raymond Cruz, Courtney Dietz, Simon Rex, Booboo Stewart, Steven Bauer, Chris Pontius, Nicholas Duvernay, and Nate Jackson. This would probably be a bit better if it had more humor in it, as this trailer seems so depressing.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s autobiographical NBC comedy “Young Rock” has found its Vince McMahon in comedian Adam Ray, TheWrap has learned. Additionally, the role of “Macho Man” Randy Savage is being played by Kevin Makely, we’re told.

Ray, who voiced Slimer in 2016’s “Ghostbusters,” will play the future WWE Chairman as he worked his way up the ladder in his father’s pro-wrestling promotional business. Makely, who starred in 2019 western “Badland,” is a spot-on casting as one of the WWF’s most colorful characters.

Below are character descriptions for McMahon, Savage and the rest of the main wrestlers this side of Dwayne’s own dad Rocky Johnson (played by Joseph Lee Anderson). Find our first-look photos of Ray as McMahon and Makely as Savage at the bottom of the post.

Vince McMahon (Ray)

Bold, ambitious and quickly rising through the ranks of his father’s company, the future...

Dwayne Johnson is gearing up for his upcoming TV series 'Young Rock'.

The NBC TV series explores The Rock's journey from wrestling superstar to Hollywood stardom and highlights the periods of his life the show will focus on.

On Thursday, the former wrestler treated fans with the first official look at actor Joseph Lee Anderson who will play the role of his late father Rocky Johnson.

Johnson took a trip back in time and shared how he never got a chance to say goodbye to his father, who passed away earlier this year.

The 48-year-old actor took to Instagram, where he shared a behind-the-scenes photo of Anderson on the NBC show set.

"Seeing this image of actor, @officialjosephleeanderson playing my dad, Rocky Johnson (Rip Soulman) really sat me down," Dwayne Johnson wrote.

"On set of our new @nbc TV series, Young Rock - a show that explores my...

Featuring Lawrie Sanchez's green and white army, Nate Jackson on drugs, Rush, Wayne Rooney philosophising, Spain v Brazil, Nigel Clough and a former basketballer's love for his wife

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions on our last blog.

The article of the week

1) Lawrie Sanchez: Northern Ireland's unlikely saviour

The rise and fall of Lawrie Sanchez and the men from Northern Ireland is one of those beautifully understated underdog stories. To the outsiders, Northern Ireland remained the same under Sanchez; they were still a lowly international team that couldn't qualify for a major championship. But, to the insiders, these were heady days indeed.

Ask any Northern Ireland fan for memories of the past decade and three moments will stand out: England, Spain and Sweden. Qualifying for Euro 2008 would have been incredible, but these nights will be savoured for generations.

To support Northern Ireland is to expect nothing...

Russell Brand got angry with Graham Norton for bringing up his divorce from Katy Perry when he was on the show. “My mom is here. She got upset when you dragged up my marriage. I saw her cry, Graham. That’s the reality because it’s real people, Graham, that’s my real mom. I have come here to promote a film and you made my mom cry. I don’t see you as that sort of person, Graham.”

When Brave premieres this week at the newly christened Dolby Theater, it will have Dolby's new Atmos audio technology behind it, with something like 64.2 discrete channels. But it's not going to be confined to just the premiere, because Doby has outfitted 14 theaters across the country with the new technology. Check the link to see if one is in your hometown, and to watch a video about why it's such a game changer.

We're going to be taking our sweet time wrapping up this year's SXSW Film Festival, looking over one section at a time and allowing for digressions and occasional notes on films that screened in Berlin and Sundance as well, focusing on what's interesting, skimming over what's not. Before we begin, a few pointers to overviews of the festival in general: IndieWIRE and the Playlist have indexed their extensive coverage and Eric Kohn's had an end-of-the-fest chat with Ben Kenigsberg and Matt Singer; James Francis Flynn posted a diary at Cinespect; and, in his podcasts for the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Kut.org, Eugene Hernandez has interviewed a slew of filmmakers and touched on broader issues with a wide range of critics: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

On to the Narrative Feature Competition, eight films in all, of which I saw none; it was only after the festival was over that I realized...

One of the most anticipated urban comedy events of the year, The Bay Area Black Comedy Festival announced their finalists this past weekend in Oakland.

This selected comedians to move on to the finals on April 17th at the Paramount Theater in Oakland; Henry Coleman, Kirk McHenry, Marcu Combs, Key Louis, Marc Howard, Rion Evans, Nate Jackson, Willie Lynch Jr., and BT Kingsley.

The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival was established in 1986 to provide a Bay Area-based showcase for Black comedians and comedians of color from all over the United States, and eventually expanded across the world. For over two decades the Competition has been at the vanguard of the Black/urban comedy movement, greatly contributing to the career development of many of its stars and the construction of many of its brick and mortar and 'clicks and mortar' venues.

The past participants and winners of The Bay Area...