News

On May 7, 2022, a historic moment in comedy unfolded at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. LGBTQ+ comedians from around the world gathered for an unprecedented performance celebrating diverse voices and groundbreaking achievements in Netflix's stand-up special Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. While audiences may have viewed it as an epic comedy night, for filmmaker Page Hurwitz, it became much more: the backbone of her documentary, Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution.

“The truth is that the documentary came first,” Hurwitz tells Gold Derby. “When I envisioned the documentary, I envisioned having this big LGBTQ historic comedy show that would serve as sort of this energetic spine and envelope for a documentary. When I pitched the concept to Netflix, they loved it. What I wanted to do is create a documentary that felt as dynamic as our community. By combining these disparate elements of having original performances with sit down interviews, with their taped footage,...

Michelle Buteau will be ringing in the New Year with Netflix.

The streamer will release her Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall on Dec. 31. In shooting the hour, which she did in early June, Buteau became the first female comic to record a special at the iconic Manhattan locale. From the stage, she reflects on subjects including motherhood and marriage, all while sipping rosé … through a straw.

This marks Buteau’s second stand-up special for Netflix, for whom she’s also readying a second season of her A24 comedy Survival of the Thickest. Her first hour, 2020’s Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia, won a Critics Choice Award for best comedy special. Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwitz accompany Buteau as executive producers on the new hour, which is being produced through their Push It Productions. Hurwitz also co-directs alongside Sandra Restrepo.

In mid-October, Buteau spoke to THR...

Exclusive: Popular comic and voice actor James Adomian announced on Wednesday that his debut stand-up special, Path of Most Resistance, will premiere on YouTube on Thursday, September 19.

Recorded at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles, the hour-long special is described as a kinetic ride packed with absurd characters, razor-sharp impressions, boiling wit, and a few wild stories from his lively, queer life. Check out a first-look clip below.

In addition to writing and performing the special, produced by 800 Pound Gorilla, Adomian exec produced alongside Jennie Church-Cooper, Ian Adkins, Ryan Bitzer, Damion Greiman and Anthony Leo, with Matt Schuler producing.

While Path of Resistance marks Adomian’s first filmed hour of stand-up, he’s previously put out an improvised Trump vs. Bernie character debate special with Anthony Atamanuik, as well as the 2012 stand-up Low Hangin Fruit. Currently guest starring regularly on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, his many on-camera appearances include History of the World: Part II,...

Page Hurwitz knows funny. The longtime director and producer has spent her two-decade career in Hollywood working on some of the biggest and boldest comedy productions and stand up sets from comics like Wanda Sykes, Tiffany Haddish, and Michelle Buteau. But over the years, she noticed a history playing out in front of her eyes — one she wasn’t sure the average person was aware of.

“While comedians don’t set out to be activists or cultural leaders — their goal is just to make people laugh — queer comedians happen to...

In the making since 2019, Page Hurwitz’s new Netflix documentary, Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, taps a throng of queer notables — from Wanda Sykes, Rosie O’Donnell and Lily Tomlin to Joel Kim Booster, Fortune Feimster and Bob the Drag Queen — to show how LGBTQ funny people have left their mark and challenged others’ perceptions for more than a century.

“None of these comedians set out to change the world. They set out to make people laugh,” Hurwitz said at the film’s Tribeca Festival premiere ahead of its June 18 streaming debut. “And along the way, they did change the culture and, I think, they changed the world.”

Featuring an intergenerational and diverse cast, the documentary — set against the backdrop of the Netflix Is a Joke Fest’s Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration show in 2022 — unpacks what has fueled the cycle of progress and regression that has surrounded the queer comedy community for decades.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Lily Tomlin, Bob the Drag Queen, Billy Eichner, and 19 other comedy trailblazers walk into a room. The punchline? It’s the largest known gathering of queer comics on one stage ever recorded in history. Filmed live in Los Angeles as part of the Netflix is a Joke Festival and released in 2022 as its own special, Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration became the new epicenter of the queer comedy boom.

But who helped these comics get here? This is the question at the heart of director Page Hurwitz’s film Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, a first-of-its-kind documentary framing LGBTQ+ comedy as an irrepressible art form of resistance. Consider the stand-up special, which she co-directed, as the “energetic spine running through” the film, which arrives on Netflix on June 18. The documentary interlaces moments from the 2022 event with archival footage and testimonials from...

In the opening section of Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, you might be forgiven for thinking this is an extended Pride Month promo to breathe new life into Netflix’s 2022 special, Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. But in a Q&a following the rousingly received opening-night screening at the Provincetown Film Festival, director Page Hurwitz clarified the chicken-and-the-egg situation, explaining that she produced the event at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, which assembled 22 prominent queer comics on the same bill, as a foundational building block for this documentary surveying the rich history of LGBTQ+ comedians.

At a time when a new generation of queer comics from across the sexual and gender identity spectrum has emerged into what appears to be a thriving scene, this is an invaluable primer on the many performers who kicked down resistant doors to make today’s greater representation possible.

Even if it only served as...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, Tribeca and Pride.

Despicable Me 4 premiere

Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Joey King, Chloe Fineman and Miranda Cosgrove walked the red carpet at the New York premiere of the latest Despicable Me movie on Sunday.

Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and Steve Carell Joey King Inside Out 2 premiere

Stars of the voice cast, including Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale and Lewis Black, celebrated the Pixar sequel in Los Angeles on Monday.

Liza Lapira, June Squibb, Yvette Nicole Brown, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Amy Poehler, Ayo Edebiri, Tony Hale and Lewis Black Amy Poehler A Family Affair premiere

Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and Joey King debuted their new Netflix rom-com in Los Angeles on Thursday,...

It's the end of the road for The Upshaws, as the series now has an endgame in mind. Ahead of the arrival of Part 6 in early 2025, it's been announced that Netflix has renewed the series for an additional, final season.

Part 7 of The Upshaws, which will consist of 12 episodes, will serve as the final season of the show. The series first premiered on Netflix in 2021, and the second and third seasons will broken up into "parts," with five of them released up to this point. Part 6 is in the works for an early 2025 release, and now fans will head into it knowing it's the penultimate batch of episodes. The show's co-creators and co-showrunners, Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes, have addressed how grateful they are that Netflix gave them one more renewal to allow them to properly end the story.

3:12

Related 'I Tried Very Hard': Mike Flanagan's Comments on...

Exclusive: The Upshaws will be coming to an end. Netflix has picked up a 12-episode final installment of the blue-collar multi-camera comedy starring Mike Epps, Kim Fields and Wanda Sykes.

The streamer has been releasing (and renewing) multi-cam comedy series in parts, so the pickup is for Part 7 of The Upshaws, which Netflix calls a final season.

The six-episode Part 5 of The Upshaws premiered in Apil, with the 10-episode Part 6, the sitcom’s penultimate run, slated to debut in early 2025.

After the 10-episode first season, seasons 2 and 3 of The Upshaws were released in two parts each, consisting of eight and six episodes, respectively. They were followed by a 10-episode Part 6 and now 12-episode Part 7.

The Upshaws will wrap with respectable 60 episodes, the third longest run for a Netflix original multi-cam comedy behind The Ranch (80) and Fuller House (75).

Cracking the traditional sitcom format has been tough for streamers, and for a...

"Things have got to change, things have got to evolve." Yes they definitely do – then and now. Netflix has debuted the full official trailer for an enlivening new stand up comedy documentary called Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, directed by acclaimed filmmaker / producer Page Hurwitz. This will be premiering at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival this month in their Spotlight section, before arriving on Netflix right after. The compelling feature-length documentary explores the history of LGBTQ+ stand up comedy, examining & defining its vital importance as an instrument for social change over the past five decades. Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution combines interviews, memorable stand up performances, archival materials, and verité footage featuring top LGBTQ+ comics including Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O'Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen, and Trixie Mattel, with others. Glad to see this doc dipping into the past to talk about...

The history of queer stand-up comedy is at the center of the first trailer for Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, the first feature-length documentary on the subject. The documentary, out via Netflix on June 18, was written and directed by Page Hurwitz.

The clip showcases the vibe of the film, which combines interviews, memorable stand-up performances, archival materials, and verité footage featuring top LGBTQ+ comedians like Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Fortune Feimster, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen, and Trixie Mattel.

“All...

"Enough already. Things have got to change, things have got to evolve." Netflix has revealed a first look teaser trailer for a documentary film titled Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, directed by acclaimed filmmaker / producer Page Hurwitz. This was just announced to premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival this summer in their Spotlight section, before it debuts on Netflix streaming in June. The film is a feature documentary that explores the history of LGBTQ+ stand up comedy, examining & defining its importance as an instrument for social change over the past five decades. Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution combines interviews, memorable stand up performances, archival materials, and verité footage featuring top LGBTQ+ comics including Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O'Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen, and Trixie Mattel, among others. The first look below. // Continue Reading ›...

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...

Another season of “The Upshaws” is coming to Netflix, Variety has confirmed. Production on the 10-episode season is scheduled to start in 2024.

As with Season 2, Season 3 was also split into two parts with the first eight episodes arriving on streamer on Aug. 17. The six episode Part 5 is slated to premiere in Spring 2024.

Starring Mike Epps, the series follows Bennie Upshaw (Epps), “the head of a Black working class family in Indianapolis, is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family — wife Regina (Kim Fields), their two young daughters and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together. In this upcoming part,...

Exclusive: Netflix has picked up another installment of its popular multi-camera comedy series The Upshaws. The blue-collar sitcom created by Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes has been renewed for a 10-episode fourth season.

After the 10-episode first season, Seasons 2 and 3 of The Upshaws have been released in two parts — of eight and six episodes each, respectively — so the renewal is for Part 6 of the series, as officially referred to by Netflix.

Production on the 10-episode new season, which will be released in one batch, will begin next year. The six-episode Part 5 of The Upshaws (second half of Season 3), is slated to premiere in spring 2024.

Somewhat flying under the radar, The Upshaws has been a sturdy performer for Netflix in a genre — multi-camera sitcom — that has been challenging for streamers. With the renewal, The Upshaws is tying The Ranch as the second-longest-running original multi-camera comedy on Netflix in number of seasons,...

Netflix has released the trailer for Season 4 of The Upshaws ahead of its August 17 premiere.

The trailer introduces us to two new faces, Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish) and Marsha Warfield (Night Court), who will join as guest stars in the upcoming season. Lewis will portray Dr. Pearl Edmunds, Regina’s (Kim Fields) new no-nonsense therapist helping her strike a balance between the prioritization of herself, her mental health and her countless family obligations. Warfield will appear in an as-yet undisclosed role.

Related: 2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

Created by Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes, who also stars, The Upshaws revolves around Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), the head of a Black working class family in Indianapolis, He is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family — wife Regina (Fields), their two young daughters and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together.

Journey Christine also stars as Maya Upshaw.

In the upcoming Part 4, the Upshaws continue to ride life’s ups and downs, including new jobs, bigger dreams, health struggles and some major life surprises but still hanging on with the love that comes with family.

Epps, Sykes, Hicks, Page Hurwitz , Niles Kirchner, Annie Levine Emerson and Jonathan Emerson executive produce.

Wanda Sykes is getting into business with Warner Bros. TV.

Push It Productions, the company founded by Sykes and Page Hurwitz, has signed a first-look deal with the studio. Push It has also hired former Wbtv executive Rachel Davis as vp development. Under the two-year deal, the trio will develop both scripted and unscripted projects for Warner Bros.; sitcom and variety projects are already in development.

“Wbtv makes some of the best comedy shows out there today and we can’t wait to create their next great series,” Sykes and Hurwitz said in a statement. “We are excited about this partnership.”

Push It Productions is behind The Upshaws, the Netflix comedy series that stars Sykes, Mike Epps and Kim Fields and has been renewed for a third season. The company also produced Stand Out, a comedy special that features LGBTQ+ comics conceived, co-written and co-directed by Hurwitz, and an accompanying documentary.

Award-winning comedian Wanda Sykes will return to Netflix with a new hourlong comedy special premiering globally May 23.

The special, titled “I’m an Entertainer,” is directed by Linda Mendoza and was filmed in early February at the Miller Theater in Philadelphia.

“From the challenges of raising Gen Z teens to the dilemmas of being a liberal in a hyper charged political climate, Sykes, renowned for her social commentary, delivers her insightful and ferocious wit and candor audiences have come to know and love,” the official logline states.

Also Read:

‘The Daily Show': Wanda Sykes Wonders How Cops Find ‘Time to Shoot People’ After Learning How Many Speeding Tickets Are Given (Video)

The upcoming special comes after Sykes’ “Not Normal” in 2019, which was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Sykes and Page Hurwitz will serve as executive producers on “I’m an Entertainer” under their Push It Productions banner

Push...

Netflix has announced Wanda Sykes’ upcoming hour-long standup special, “I’m An Entertainer” will arrive on the streaming service on May 23. The episode will premiere globally.

Set at the Miller Theater in Philadelphia, the comedian, actress and producer Wanda Sykes returns for her second hour-long Netflix comedy special. According to the streamer, the comedian tackles a host of topics from the challenges of raising Gen Z teens to the dilemmas of being a liberal in a hyper charged political climate. Known for her social commentary, Sykes delivers “her insightful and ferocious wit and candor audiences have come to know and love,” reads the official description. The special was filmed in early February 2023.

The forthcoming special serves as a followup to the comedian’s 2019 Netflix comedy special, “Not Normal,” which was nominated for two Primetime Emmy awards. In the previous special, Sykes took on politics, reality TV, racism and the secret...

Hulu’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” will return for its third and final season with three episodes Feb. 15, the streamer announced Wednesday. New episodes will follow every Wednesday, with the finale set for on April 5.

In the final season, the group is fresh off the release of their debut album and their continued rise to fame, with each of the members beginning to go on separate journeys to figure out where they fit in the music world. RZA struggles to stay on top of things in order to fulfill the promise he made to his Wu brothers to cement their legacy.

Ashton Sanders returns as Bobby Diggs, later known as the RZA, Shameik Moore plays Raekwon, Siddiq Saunderson portrays Ghostface Killah with additional cast including Julian Elijah Martinez, Marcus Callender, Zolee Griggs, T.J. Atoms, Dave East, Johnell Young, Uyoata Udi and Damani Sease. Alex Tse, the RZA, Method Man and...

Exclusive: The Upshaws star Jermelle Simon has been upped to series regular for the Netflix series’ recently announced third season.

Simon brings to life the character of Bernard Upshaw, Jr., Regina (Kim Fields) and Bennie’s (Mike Epps) eldest son, who learned he was a father in the show’s freshman season. In Season 2, viewers got an inside look at the Ups worker’s busy life juggling dating and being a new dad.

Related Story ‘The Upshaws’ Renewed For Season 3 At Netflix Related Story Netflix Shows To Be Preserved In BFI Archive; Lucy Holden Memoir Adapted As Drama; Africa In Motion Film Festival; Canal+ Docs Deal — Global Briefs Related Story 'Dahmer' Creator Ryan Murphy: "We Were Always Thinking About The Victims"

The Upshaws is a multi-camera comedy following a working-class African American family in Indiana struggling to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it.

The Upshaws will be back for a third go-round. Netflix has renewed the comedy series from Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes for a third season.

Starring Sykes, Mike Epps and Kim Fields, the multi-camera comedy centers on a working-class African American family in Indiana struggling to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it.

In The Upshaws, Bennie Upshaw (Epps), the head of a Black working class family in Indianapolis, is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family — wife Regina (Fields), their two young daughters and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level,...

For decades, there was a standard path to sitcom stardom: Start out in standup, get spotted by a network or studio scout, land a development deal and then hopefully star in a hit comedy based on your routine. That pipeline peaked in the 90s, when comedians like Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr, Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano and others were examples of how that pattern worked. Until it didn’t. Ensemble comedies (often single-camera) like “The Office” and “Modern Family” began to overshadow those comic-driven laffers.

But as streamers entered the scene over the last decade, standup specials became a quick way to build a library of content featuring established, top-tier talent. Now, with standup once again in the forefront, a new kind of comedy ecosystem is forming — with Netflix, in particular, eager to lead the charge.

“I think talent wants their stories to be seen and heard and there are a...

Exclusive: Former ICM Partners agent Justin Ongert has joined APA as SVP, Alternative & Factual Programming. He will be the department’s key liaison with the talent, comedy, and music departments, reporting to Kyle Loftus, Head of Content Development and Hayden Meyer head of Alternative and Factual Programming at APA.

Ongert is the 10th agent/executive and 8th SVP to join APA from ICM Partners amid and following the agency’s acquisition by CAA. That is more than ICM hires by other agencies combined as APA has been the most aggressive pursuing ICM agents and executives who became available because of the acquisition.

At ICM, Justin represented Wanda Sykes and her production company Push It with his longtime producer/director client and Push It co-founder Page Hurwitz, as well as talent including Laverne Cox, Kristin Chenoweth, Bobby Berk, Keltie Knight, Soleil Moon Frye and Elizabeth Chambers, along with production companies and...

Click here to read the full article.

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.

Also Read:

9 Essential LGBTQ Romantic Comedies to Watch and Where to Stream Them (Photos)

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...

The Upshaws are back in June for an eight-episode second season on Netflix, as audiences take yet another visit with a working-class African American family in Indiana struggling to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it.

The premiere date is set for June 29 for the show, created by: Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes

For the uninitiated, Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps) is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family. Wife Regina (Kim Fields), their two young daughters and first-born son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) and sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes) are all back aboard.

Executive producers include Epps, Sykes, Hicks, Page Hurwitz, and Niles Kirchner.

“The Upshaws” is a funny and relatable show about an American family trying to navigate life and complex relationships. Though it’s set in modern times, the show harkens back to the good old days of ‘90s sitcom TV. The first season was popular among Netflix viewers in 2021, and many people are looking forward to new episodes this year.

Here’s all the latest news and information we have about “The Upshaws,” its cast members, and season two details.

What Is “The Upshaws” About?

“The Upshaws” is a Netflix original series about a working-class Black family in Indiana. Regina and Bennie Upshaw are the heads of the family and have three children: Bernard Jr., Aaliyah, and Maya. Bennie also has a son, Kelvin Upshaw, with another woman, Tasha Lewis. Wanda Sykes and Regina Y. Hicks created the sitcom to show a modern family dealing with everyday struggles as they work...

Cristela Alonzo is returning to Netflix for her second comedy special. Middle Classy, a follow-up to her 2016 comedy special, Lower Classy, will premiere globally on Netflix on June 28.

The special is produced by Page Hurwitz and Wanda Sykes for Push It Productions, and Hurwitz also directs.

In Middle Classy, with more money and a smile big enough to show off her hard earned new teeth, Cristela is living the American Dream. She hilariously shares the joys of aging in her forties, her first ever experience with a gyno, and the importance of family.

Alonzo also executive produces, along with Hurwitz and Sykes.

Alonzo became the first Latina to create, produce and star in her own network sitcom, ABC’s Cristela, in 2014. She simultaneously guest hosted on the network’s popular talk show series The View. Alonzo made history again by becoming the first Latina to lead a Disney Pixar film...

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...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Tuesday, August 31.

Hulu's Olga Dies Dreaming, the Hulu pilot based on Xóchitl Gonzalez’s forthcoming novel, has added another cast member.

Williams is set to play Matteo Jones, who’s described "as a collector of music, objects, trivia and, mainly, opinions," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"A passionate Brooklynite, he would come across as a know it all if, in fact, he wasn’t so genuinely curious about everything."

"Matteo is keenly aware of people’s inclination to put everyone and everything into neat little boxes and he firmly refuses to conform."

Williams will star opposite Aubrey Plaza and Ramón Rodriguez on the series, which has landed a pilot order.

Williams exited Grey's Anatomy after a decade in the role of Jackson Avery earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Power Book III: Raising Kanan is adding a string...

Comedian, author and actor Patricia Williams aka Ms. Pat has booked her first hourlong stand-up comedy special at Netflix, Variety has learned exclusively.

The special, which is still to be titled, will be shot at the Atlanta Comedy Theater on Sept. 25. While this is Ms. Pat’s first hourlong special, she previously appeared in the second season of the streamer’s “The Degenerates” stand-up series, delivering a half-hour set.

Ms. Pat’s unique voice comes from always being honest and personal to her own life, rather than reaching for a hot topic or headline of the moment. That’s why she says you shouldn’t expect Covid jokes in her new special. But you also shouldn’t expect to hear about the same people or pockets of her life she included in “The Degenerates”; her 2017 memoir, “Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat”; or her BET Plus sitcom, “The Ms. Pat Show.

“The Upshaws” has been renewed for Season 2 at Netflix.

The first season of the multi-cam comedy debuted on the streamer in May. The new season will feature 16 half-hour episodes, an increase from 10 in the first season.

“We are so excited we get to bring this amazing show back for a second season,” said Regina Hicks, the show’s co-creator and co-showrunner. “And thankful that Netflix saw and felt all the love we got for this wonderful family. Looking forward to bringing more Upshaws’ joy to all who fell in love with them.”

In the series, Bennie Upshaw, their two young daughters and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together.

Hicks co-created “The Upshaws” with Sykes,...

Exclusive: Netflix has renewed multi-camera comedy series The Upshaws, from co-creators, executive producers and co-showrunners Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes, for a second season. In a vote of confidence to the blue-collar sitcom, starring Mike Epps, Sykes and Kim Fields, is has been picked up for a 16 half-hour episodes, expected to run in two batches of 8, an increase from the 10-episode first season.

“Wanda and Regina have created a fresh entry in the tradition of Black sitcoms that’s real, relatable, full of heart and incredibly funny,” said Tracey Pakosta, Netflix’s Head of Comedy. “We’re thrilled to see where they, along with their talented cast, take the Upshaws in the second season.”

The Upshaws, which premiered on May 12, 2021, has been attracting awards attention. It has been a rare breakout for Netflix, which has struggled to get traction with multi-camera sitcoms as its development model does not include pilots...

“Comedy has the power to unite very disparate audience s in a matter of seconds,” explains Page Hurwitz in our recent webchat. She adds, “It’s a unique artform. Within one punchline you can bring together people from all walks of life. It can remind us of our shared humanity. The more diverse voices that are on that stage, telling those jokes, and uniting those audiences the better. It gives us an understanding of each other and insight into each other’s experiences. You might not know someone like Michelle Buteau, you can get to know someone like Michelle Buteau.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.

Hurwitz is an Emmy nominated producer who began her career as a stand-up comedian. This past year she has produced and directed the stand-up special “Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia” and the stand-up series “Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready” (both available on Netflix). The...

Tracey Ashley is developing a comedy series inspired by her life and stand up at Fox with Wanda Sykes and Tiffany Haddish onboard as executive producers, Variety has learned exclusively.

Title “Tracey’s Life Matters,” the single-camera show follows Tracey, a savvy, independent black woman, who moves with her white husband to his hometown in rural Indiana. There she must deal with a challenging career in sales and a mother-in-law who has “Karen-like” tendencies. The project has received a script commitment with a penalty attached.

Ashely will write and executive produce the project. Haddish is executive producing under her She Ready Productions banner, with Sykes and Page Hurwitz executive producing via Push It Productions. Fox Entertainment and CBS Studios will produce.

Ashley previously collaborated with Haddish and Push It Productions on the Netflix series “Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready” a series of curated stand up specials hosted by Haddish, with...

In a new trailer for Netflix’s The Upshaws, family members Bennie, Regina and Lucretia insult each other like only relatives can.

Premiering Wednesday, May 12, on the streaming service, The Upshaws stars Mike Epps (Survivor’s Remorse) as Bennie, the head of a Black working-class family in Indianapolis. He’s a charming, well-intentioned mechanic — and lifelong mess — who’s just trying to step up and care for his family, including wife Regina (The Facts of Life‘s Kim Fields), their two young daughters and firstborn son, and the teenage son he fathered with another woman.

More from TVLineGinny & Georgia Renewed for...

HBO released a trailer for the upcoming two-part documentary “The Crime of the Century,” which premieres on May 10.

Written and directed by Alex Gibney, the film exposes the billions of dollars gained and thousands of lives lost due to the opioid crisis. It reveals the secrets behind Big Pharma, political operatives and government regulations that enabled over-production, reckless distribution and abuse of synthetic opiates.

Gibney served as a producer alongside Sarah Dowland and Svetlana Zill. Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, Todd Hoffman, and Aaron Fishman, senior Tina Nguyen, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller served as executive producers.

Also in today’s TV news roundup…

First Looks

Netflix released a trailer for “The Upshaws,” which premieres on May 12. Created by Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes, the series follows the head of a Black working-class family in Indianapolis struggling to step up and take care of his family without a blueprint for success.

In today’s TV news roundup, HBO Max ordered a new streetwear competition series, and Variety has an exclusive first look at Carey Mulligan in “My Grandparents’ War.”

Casting

Angela Bassett will narrate Fox’s “Malika the Lion Queen,” a two-hour wildlife documentary that will air April 4 and be available on Tubi beginning April 18. Bassett will guide viewers through an educational exploration of the true queens and leaders in the lion kingdom. The special tells the untold story of the lioness experience through the exhilarating and harrowing life of Malika. It is produced by Plimsoll Productions and executive produced by Tom Hugh-Jones, Martha Holmes and Grant Mansfield. Watch a teaser below.

Dates

“Birdgirl” will debut on Adult Swim at midnight on April 4. The “Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law” spinoff sees 30-something Judy Ken Sebben inherit her father’s socially irresponsible company. To set things right, She assembles the ragtag Birdteam...

Who’s down to meet The Upshaws?

Netflix’s new comedy starring Wanda Sykes (black-ish) and Mike Epps (Survivor’s Remorse) will begin streaming on Wednesday, May 12, the site announced Tuesday.

More from TVLineNetflix Launches Test to Crack Down on Shared/'Borrowed' LoginsSpecial to End With Season 2 at NetflixAnnie Murphy Joins Russian Doll as Production on Season 2 Begins

The series, whose first season consists of 10 half-hour episodes, follows a Black, working-class family in Indiana as they struggle to “make it work and make it to the next level,” without the blueprints to do it.

In addition to Sykes and Epps, the...

Gabrielle Dennis (Rosewood) Page Kennedy (The Meg), Diamond Lyons, Khali Daniya-Renee Spraggins (Empire), Jermelle Simon (Animal Kingdom) and Journey Christine round out the cast of Netflix’s multi-camera family comedy series The Upshaws. The join previously announced leads Wanda Sykes, Mike Epps and Kim Fields.

The series centers on a working-class African American family in Indiana struggling to make it work and make it right without any blueprints.

Dennis plays Tasha Lewis, the “say what she feels” neighborhood hairstylist and around-the-way girl. She had a baby with Bennie (Epps) while he was on a break. She’s a good mother and wants Bennie to step up and be a better Dad to their son, Kelvin.

Kennedy plays the affable “Duck,” Bennie’s (Epps) childhood friend and biggest cheerleader. Duck served a 7 year stint in prison after being involved in a heist gone bad — where Bennie got away. Now fresh out of prison,...

Tiffany Haddish’s Netflix stand-up series, featuring six comedians personally chosen by her, is returning for a second season and is set to film with an audience this weekend.

The streamer has renewed Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready and Deadline understands that it is shooting in Long Beach, California. It will air in 2021.

Deadline understands that audience members will be tested for Covid-19 before they are cleared to attend the event with testing provided by production. They will subsequently have their temperatures tested upon arrival, after a negative Covid result, and will be required to wear masks and adhere to social distancing.

Comedians involved this time include Godfrey, who voices President Obama on Showtime’s Our Cartoon President, Tony Woods, one of Dave Chappelle’s main influences, Barbara Carlyle, who has appeared on Apollo Comedy Hour and Def Jam, Erin Jackson, who has appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers and Conan,...

TheGrill is pleased to welcome award-winning filmmakers Brad Bird and Antoine Fuqua, former IMAX Entertainment CEO Greg Foster, Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor, Skydance president and COO Jesse Sisgold and Warner Bros. Pictures president of international theatrical distribution Andrew Cripps for a powerhouse conversation on “The Future of Theatrical Film” at the three-day Grill conference September 22-24.

Across the world movie theaters have closed, festivals have been cancelled or postponed, film releases have moved to future dates or delayed indefinitely and film production has largely halted. While Hollywood is bracing itself for more changes due to coronavirus, industry leaders are finding new ways to adapt and think outside the box. This high-level panel of executives, experts and filmmakers will address what the future holds for the theatrical experience, and movies in general.

For over a decade, TheWrap’s Grill event series has led conversations on the convergence between entertainment, media and technology,...

TheGrill welcomes “Kajillionaire” writer and director Miranda July for the prestigious Spotlight Conversation on Wednesday at TheGrill, TheWrap’s signature business conference held virtually from September 22-24.

July, an author and artist along with being a writer-director, will discuss her career and her latest film “Kajillionaire” starring Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Richard Jenkins and Gina Rodriguez in a one-hour conversation with Wrap editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman.

“Kajillionaire” had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Focus Features on September 25. The film is about two con artists (Jenkins and Winger) who have spent 26 years training their only daughter to swindle, scam and steal at every turn, a unique fable told in July’s singular voice. The film won early laudatory reviews such as Antony Lane’s remark in The New Yorker: “July uses ‘Kajillionaire’ to present her credentials as a transcendentalist of the humdrum.”

“Kajillionaire” (Focus Features)

Previously July wrote,...

TheGrill is thrilled to welcome “The Social Dilemma” writer and director Jeff Orlowski for an in-depth conversation about his new documentary exploring the human impact of technology companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter.

In addition, “Green Book” producer John Sloss, “The Irishman” producer Jane Rosenthal, WarnerMedia senior vice president of enterprise inclusion MyKhanh Shelton,”Broad City” and “Russian Doll” producer Lilly Burns, “Charm City Kings” star William Catlett,”Peanut Butter Falcon” producer Tim Zajaros and activist and producer JLove Calderón will also join the three day all virtual event September 22-24.

“The Social Dilemma” is a hybrid documentary-drama that explores the dangerous human impact of intensive social networking that is changing societies across the globe. It features tech experts who sound the alarm about the products they helped create. Orlowski will show clips from the film and discuss the implications of its themes on September 24, Day Three of TheGrill.

For over a decade,...

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix has announced the premiere date for “Social Distance,” and Showtime has revealed the premiere date for “Moonbase 8.”

Renewals

Shaftesbury announced “Departure” has been renewed for a second season and started production in Toronto, ahead of the first season launching on Peacock in the U.S. Archie Panjabi and Christopher Plummer will return to lead the show, joined by Kris Holden-Ried, Mark Rendall, Jason O’Mara, Karen Leblanc, Kelly McCormack, Wendy Crewson, Dion Johnstone and Donal Logue. The show is co-produced by Shaftesbury and Deadpan Pictures in association with Corus Entertainment, Starlings Television and Red Arrow Studios International.

Dates

Showtime announced “Moonbase 8,” starring Tim Heidecker and John C. Reilly, will premiere Nov. 8 at 11 p.m. The sci-fi comedy follows astronauts who train to qualify for their first lunar mission. But their plans change when a series of events forces the astronauts to question their mental sanity.