News

Audible and Broadway Video Enterprises are launching two new, original comedy podcasts this fall, with a lineup of castmembers including Glen Powell, Nicholas Braun, Taraji P. Henson and Tracee Ellis Ross.

The Best Man’s Ghostwriter follows Nate (voiced by Powell) as a speechwriter hired to help write best man speeches and one of his client’s, Dan (voiced by Braun), in a podcast exploring the “often idiotic world of male friendship.” The podcast, written and directed by comedian Matthew Star, a former real-life best man’s ghostwriter, debuts Sept. 12.

The cast for The Best Man’s Ghostwriter also includes Ashley Park, D’Arcy Carden, Lance Bass, Zach Braff, Lukas Gage, Alex Wolff, Debra Messing, George Takei, Jack McBrayer, Nicole Byer, Zach Cherry, Lennon Parham, Neil Flynn, Jason Mantzoukas, Ben Marshall, John Higgins, Martin Herlihy, Jonathan Van Ness and Sherri Shepherd.

“Bringing The Best Man’s Ghostwriter to life was a blast,...

Exclusive: Paul Rudd, Jack McBrayer, Amber Ruffin and Paula Pell will lead the cast of Escape from Virtual Island, a new scripted Audible Original comedy series from SNL vet John Lutz and Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video. Scott Adsit, Jane Krakowski, Seth Meyers, Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson, Olivia Wilde and Henry Winkler round out the ensemble cast. Escape From Virtual Island is set to premiere April 2 on the Amazon-owned audio platform.

Written by Lutz, in Escape from Virtual Island, Derek Ambrose (Rudd) runs an island resort in 2038 where the wealthy come to live out their wildest fantasies in virtual reality. With the help of his assistant Beasley (McBrayer), lead computer scientist Faith (Ruffin), and head of security Ramona (Pell), the island has been running smoothly since Derek inherited it from his mother. When a high-profile guest suddenly goes missing inside a computer simulation,...

The ratings for Our Cartoon President have never been very good but it seems like this animated satirical series is pretty inexpensive to produce for Showtime. Will the numbers rise in this big election year? Will Our Cartoon President be cancelled or renewed for season four? Stay tuned.

A Showtime animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies President Trump, his family, and the power players of Washington, DC. The voice cast includes Tim Robinson, Jack McBrayer, William Sadler, James Adomian, Griffin Newman, Matt Rogers, Zach Cherry, Ziwe Fumudoh, Emily Lynne, Gabriel Gundacker, Jeff Bergman, Jon Glaser, Kate Berlant, Ed Begley Jr., Matt Lucas, Joe Mande, James Downey, and Anna Drezen. In season three, the momentous election year and the critical question of who could be the next Cartoon President are explored. From the Iowa caucuses and the Democratic...

Vulture Watch

Will this show trump others in the ratings? Has the Our Cartoon President TV show been cancelled or renewed for a fourth season on Showtime? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Our Cartoon President, season four. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Airing on the Showtime cable channel, Our Cartoon President parodies President Trump, his family, and the power players of Washington, DC. The voice cast includes Tim Robinson, Jack McBrayer, William Sadler, James Adomian, Griffin Newman, Matt Rogers, Zach Cherry, Ziwe Fumudoh, Emily Lynne, Gabriel Gundacker, Jeff Bergman, Jon Glaser, Kate Berlant, Ed Begley Jr., Matt Lucas, Joe Mande, James Downey, and Anna Drezen. In...

Who will win the election in the third season of the Our Cartoon President TV show on Showtime? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Our Cartoon President is cancelled or renewed for season four. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the third season episodes of Our Cartoon President here.

A Showtime animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies President Trump, his family, and the power players of Washington, DC. The voice cast includes Tim Robinson, Jack McBrayer, William Sadler, James Adomian, Griffin Newman, Matt Rogers, Zach Cherry, Ziwe Fumudoh, Emily Lynne, Gabriel Gundacker, Jeff Bergman, Jon Glaser, Kate Berlant, Ed Begley Jr., Matt Lucas, Joe Mande,...

Vulture Watch

Is America great enought? Has the Our Cartoon President TV show been cancelled or renewed for a third season on Showtime? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Our Cartoon President, season three. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

A Showtime animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies the Trump presidency. The voice cast includes Jeff Bergman, Stephen Colbert, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Paul Davis, Zach Cherry, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Allie Levitan, Emily Lynne, Katie Rich, Dean Edwards, Mike Macrae, Iman Crosson, Griffin Newman, John Viener, Amanda Philipson, Matthew Piazzi, Jim Santangeli, Zach Smilovitz, Thomas Whittington, Ziwe Fumudoh, Alise Morales,...

While last year's ratings would have seen it cancelled on a broadcast network, the inaugural season of the Our Cartoon President TV show did pretty well by Showtime standards. It even bested some live-action programming (none of which are returning). Now that it's back for a second season, can it continue to build its audience, or has the novelty worn off? Will Our Cartoon President be cancelled or renewed for season three? Stay tuned. *Status update below.

An animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies the Donald Trump presidency. The Showtime voice cast includes Jeff Bergman, Stephen Colbert, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Paul Davis, Zach Cherry, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Allie Levitan, Emily Lynne, Katie Rich, Dean Edwards, Mike Macrae, Iman Crosson, Griffin Newman, John Viener, Amanda Philipson, Matthew Piazzi, Jim Santangeli, Zach Smilovitz,...

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix debuted the trailer for Season 2 of “Sex Education” and Showtime announced the premiere date for Season 3 of “Our Cartoon President.”

Dates

AMC announced it will be the home of the television premiere of “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” on Feb. 16. Leading up to that special event is a five week “Breaking Bad” marathon that kicks off Jan. 19 with the first season of Vince Gilligan‘s critically acclaimed and Emmy Award-winning drama. The following four seasons will air through the next five consecutive Sundays.

Showtime’s animated series “Our Cartoon President” will return for its third season on Jan. 26. Season 3 aims to take a satirical look at the campaign trail to explore the critical question of who could be the next cartoon president. From the Iowa caucuses and the democratic campaigns to the impeachment inquiry, the cartoon universe will expand to include more political heavyweights,...

Hobnobbing with the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Kate McKinnon and Yara Shahidi isn’t typically the gloss applied to the cerebral audiobook set, but Audible is putting the humble audio story through its own movie-makeover montage, inking high-profile development deals with entertainment names like “The Walking Dead” comics creator Skybound Entertainment, Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video Enterprises.

“We’re definitely interested in working with more Hollywood talent, knowing that there’s a lot of amazing creative talent there,” says Rachel Ghiazza, Audible’s new senior vice president of content acquisition and development. “We’re really eager to see what they can do in the format. It’s definitely an area we’re investing more in.”

Under the auspices of behemoth parent Amazon, Audible has become the nation’s dominant retailer of audiobooks. Now, amid an ongoing podcast and long-form audio renaissance, it is assertively looking to...

Does the second season of the Our Cartoon President TV show on Showtime make America laugh again? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Our Cartoon President is cancelled or renewed for season three. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we'd like to offer you the chance to rate all of the season two episodes of Our Cartoon President here.

A Showtime animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies the Trump presidency. The voice cast includes Jeff Bergman, Stephen Colbert, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Paul Davis, Zach Cherry, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Allie Levitan, Emily Lynne, Katie Rich, Dean Edwards, Mike Macrae, Iman Crosson, Griffin...

“Saturday Night Live” fans will scan the next episodes of the show for all the usual stuff: the surprise guests in the cold open and the kooky characters who pop up during “Weekend Update.” But they may want to focus on something else.

Kate McKinnon, the popular “SNL” cast member who has won plaudits for her impressions of everyone from Hilary Clinton to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, is nearing the end of her contract with the show, according to two people familiar with the matter. And while her representatives and “SNL” producers are working to find a way to keep her appearing on the program, it’s entirely possible McKinnon’s sketches over the next few weeks could be her last as a full-time member of the “SNL” cast.

A spokeswoman for “Saturday Night Live” declined to comment. “SNL” has three original broadcasts left in its 44th season.

Audible and Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video announced in February a deal for the “Saturday Night Live” creator’s company to produce original series for the Amazon-owned audio platform. The first show to come out of the deal is “Heads Will Roll,” a fantasy-comedy created by and starring “Saturday Night Live” mainstay Kate McKinnon and her sister, stand-up comic Emily Lynne. The series debuts on Audible May 2.

Had you and Emily worked together on anything like this before?

We’ve been making videos and stuff together our whole lives. In terms of doing a project as adults, we definitely did a web series for Broadway Video, Lorne Michaels’ company, a few years ago called “Notary Publix,” about notaries. A hard-hitting drama. But this was definitely the first audio show that we have attempted.

How did you come up with the idea for “Heads Will Roll”?

Broadway Video was partnering with Audible,...

He's baaaack! Showtime just revealed season two of Our Cartoon President will debut in May.

From Stephen Colbert, the animated comedy series parodies the Trump presidency and features a voice cast including Jeff Bergman, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Paul Davis, Zach Cherry, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Emily Lynne, and Griffin Newman.

Read More…...

Audible has released the cover art for “Heads Will Roll,” an original scripted comedy and the first project to emerge from the company’s new deal Broadway Video.

Set to launch May 2nd, the absurdist 10-episode medieval series comes from the minds of “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kate McKinnon and her sister Emily Lynne, who both star.

McKinnon plays the evil Queen Mortuana of the Night Realm, while Lynne will voice her ditsy raven minion JoJo. After they receive a prophecy about an imminent peasant uprising, the pair must journey to find the “Shard of Acquiescence,” which will put down the rebellion and save the throne. Listeners will find out if their friendship will survive the perils of politics, which entails sensitive generals, chatty sex slaves, whiny behemoths, princes with bird fetishes, and the notion of democracy.

The raunchy satire also includes the talents of Andrea Martin, Carol Kane,...

“Saturday Night Live” boss Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video has signed a deal with Amazon’s Audible to produce several “audio-only” comedy programs for subscribers.

The first project is “Heads Will Roll,” an absurdist medieval series created by “Saturday Night Live” star Kate McKinnon and her sister, comedian Emily Lynne. “Heads Will Roll” is a workplace comedy about an evil queen who just wants some peace and quiet. When a peasant uprising threatens her reign, it’s off with her free time (and a few heads). Queen Mortuana and her ditsy raven sidekick JoJo must find the prophesied Shard of Acquiescence to put down the rebellion and save her throne.

McKinnon leads the voice cast, which includes fellow “SNL” cast members Aidy Bryant, Alex Moffat, Heidi Gardner and Chris Redd, along with Meryl Streep, Tim Gunn, Peter Dinklage, Andrea Martin, Carol Kane, Audra McDonald, Steve Higgins, Bob the Drag Queen, Esther Perel...

Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video and Amazon’s Audible have struck a deal to create multiple audio-only original comedy programs for Audible listeners, Variety has learned, starting with an absurdist medieval series created by “Saturday Night Live” star Kate McKinnon and her sister Emily Lynne.

“Heads Will Roll” is the first of Audible and Broadway Video’s joint endeavors. Described as a “workplace comedy that takes place in a medieval castle,” the 10-episode audio show started out as a passion project of McKinnon and Lynne’s, Broadway Video head Britta von Schoeler told Variety.

McKinnon plays Queen Mortuana, an evil queen who must contend with a peasant uprising. Lynne stars alongside her as JoJo, the queen’s raven sidekick. The series features about 90 characters in all, including some very famous voices.

Think Tim Gunn as the queen’s army general, Meryl Streep as an outspoken actress aiding the peasant rebellion, Audra McDonald...

Does the first season of the Our Cartoon President TV show on Showtime deserve a second term or impeachment? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Our Cartoon President is cancelled or renewed for season two. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we'd like to offer you the chance to rate all of the Our Cartoon President season one episodes below.

A Showtime animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies the Trump presidency. The voice cast includes Jeff Bergman, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Paul Davis, Zach Cherry, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Emily Lynne, Griffin Newman, John Viener, Amanda Philipson, Matthew Piazzi, Jim Santangeli,...

Vulture Watch

How long will Donald Trump last in office? Has the Our Cartoon President TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on Showtime? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Our Cartoon President, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

A Showtime animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies the Trump presidency. The voice cast includes Jeff Bergman, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Paul Davis, Zach Cherry, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Emily Lynne, Griffin Newman, John Viener, Amanda Philipson, Matthew Piazzi, Jim Santangeli, Zach Smilovitz, Thomas Whittington, and William Sadler.

Whether...

Where’s Melania? What do Stephen Miller and Donald Trump discuss during pillow talk? If Trump goes to prison, will Mike Pence be Don Jr. and Eric’s new dad? These are some of the questions addressed in the new teaser for “Our Cartoon President,” which Showtime has released just in time for the 4th of July. Watch it below.

The animated series premiered in February, presumably as a means of creating something so absurd it accurately reflects the reality of our present moment, and aired 10 episodes before going on hiatus in early April. Its time at a Trump golf course now over, “Our Cartoon President” returns to remind us that yes, this is all real and no, it’s not likely to end anytime soon.

Jeff Bergman, Cody Lindquist, William Sadler, Emily Lynne, and James Adomian lead the voice cast, with several of them playing double duty. “Our Cartoon...

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for Showtime. For this season, the premium network has newcomers “The Chi” (Jason Mitchell) and “Smilf” (Frankie Shaw), returning Emmy contenders “Homeland” (Claire Danes) and “Shameless” (William H. Macy) and limited series “Patrick Melrose” (Benedict Cumberbatch) and “Twin Peaks” (Kyle MacLachlan) as part of their 2018 campaign.

Below, the list of Showtime lead, supporting and guest submissions for their comedy, drama and limited series. More names might be added by the network on the final Emmy ballot. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

See‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ Emmy Fyc event: Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern ‘don’t know the answers to David Lynch’s worlds’ [Red Carpet Interviews]

“Billions”

Drama Series

Drama Actor – Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis

Drama Supporting Actress – Malin Akerman, Condola Rashad, Maggie Siff...

“Our Cartoon President,” Showtime’s animated comedy that skewers Donald Trump‘s White House, is hoping to shake up the 2018 Emmys … bigly. Best Animated Program has seen its fair share of repeat winners over the years, with 10-time champ “The Simpsons” being the granddaddy of all. “South Park” is next at three wins, followed by “Bob’s Burgers,” “Futurama” and “Star Wars: Clone Wars” with two apiece. But “Our Cartoon President” has a secret weapon that could help it break through with Emmy voters: co-creator Stephen Colbert.

SEE2018 Emmy predictions slugfest: ‘Ozark,’ ‘Mindhunter,’ ‘The Chi’ and more hope to break into Best Drama Series [Video & Podcast]

Colbert is an Emmy favorite, winning nine trophies over the years for writing and producing both “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” As the star of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” he was tasked with hosting last year’s Emmy ceremony to great fanfare.

For some time now, CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has included cartoon shorts satirizing President Donald Trump. Now Colbert and co-creators Chris Licht, Matt Lappin, Tim Luecke, and R.J. Fried have spun off the concept into the Our Cartoon President TV show for Showtime. With wall-to-wall cable news coverage, does the viewing audience have an appetite for this TV series? Will Our Cartoon President be cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned. An animated comedy, Our Cartoon President parodies the Trump presidency. The Showtime voice cast includes Jeff Bergman, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Paul Davis, Zach Cherry, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Emily Lynne, Griffin Newman, John Viener, Amanda Philipson, Matthew Piazzi, Jim Santangeli, Zach Smilovitz, Thomas Whittington, and William Sadler. Whether Trump (Bergman) is taking...

Network: Showtime. Episodes: Ongoing (half-hour). Seasons: Ongoing. TV show dates: February 11, 2018 — present. Series status: Has not been cancelled. Performers include: Jeff Bergman, James Adomian, Paul Christie, Zach Cherry, Brett Davis, Anna Eilinsfeld, R.J. Fried, Molly Gordon, Gabe Gundacker, James Monroe Iglehart, Mike Leech, Cody Lindquist, Emily Lynne, Griffin Newman, John Viener, Amanda Philipson, Matthrew Piazzi, Jim Santangeli, Zach Smilovitz, Thomas Whittington, William Sadler, and Stephen Colbert. TV show description: From creators Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, Matt Lappin, Tim Luecke, and R.J. Fried, the Our Cartoon President TV show is a satirical animated series. The parody centers on a fictionalized version of Donald Trump (Bergman) as he goes about his days at the White House and beyond.