TV Squad

• Comedians, talking and doing stuff that's funny
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Grey's Anatomy, Celebrities, Comedy Central, Friday Night Lights

  Here's a little round-up of what some of your favorite comedic actors have been up to:

  First of all, Bob Odenkirk and a few others have provided their comedy expertise to a new book from McSweeneys titled Comedy by the Numbers. The book breaks comedy down to its bare elements (see pic on the right) so that anyone can become a funny person. Despite the book's obvious tongue-in-cheek approach, I find it somewhat appropriate since I've often considered McSweeneys approach to humor to be a little too cold...
  




• Um, who exactly was offended by the Queen's death on South Park?
  

  Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Animation, South Park, Comedy Central

  A lot of stories are popping up about the scene in the most recent episode of South Park that shows the Queen of England putting a pistol in her mouth and blowing skull fragments and brain matter all over the wall behind her. These stories, mostly coming from the UK, tell of the "controversial" scene and how it "shocked viewers."

  And yet, not a single one of these stories, from what I can tell, gives any real evidence that the scene in question stirred up any controversy whatsoever. The stories merely...
  




• The Daily Show: March 29, 2007 - VIDEO
  

  Filed under: Cable, Late Night, OpEd, The Daily Show, Comedy Central

  First up, coverage of Karl Rove being, um, super-hip at the Radio-Television Correspondents' Dinner. "Let's say Jeffrey Dahmer came to your Bar Mitzvah and turned out to be a great dancer... He's still Jeffrey Dahmer." Oh, Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie... For even participating in this event, you two have disappointed me so. I think everyone should experience the horrid sight of MC Karl Rove bustin' a move, because after seeing it, all the sad things in life don't seem so bad anymore. As service to society, I have included the video in...
  



• Talk Talk: Jeff Goldblum, Will Arnett, Rosario Dawson, Clive James
  

  Filed under: ABC, NBC, CBS, Cable, Late Night, TV Royalty, Programming, PBS, Celebrities, Comedy Central, Talk Show

  • Charlie Rose: Jessica Mathews, President of the Carnegie Endowment For International Peace, and Kanan Makiya of Brandeis University
  • The Daily Show: Philip Zimbardo
  • The Colbert Report: Clive James
  • The Late Show With David Letterman: Rosario Dawson and Bloc Party
  • Jay Leno: Will Arnett, Campbell Brown, Johnny Mathis, and Dave Koz
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kiele Sanchez and Josh Gardner
  • Tavis Smiley: Benjamin Barber and Cyrus Chestnut
  • Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Martha Stewart, Brian Poeshn,...
    
  
  
  
  • South Park: The Snuke
    

    Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Animation, South Park, Comedy Central

    (S11E04) This was a hilarious episode, and yet I couldn't help but feel it's the sort of episode that comes easy to its creators. The "snuke in Hillary's snizz" gag wasn't exactly inspired, considering the very first episode centered on a gigantic satellite in Cartman's ass and just last season another episode focused on Oprah's "minge." Then there was Cartman's fart torture and the scene toward the end where the Queen shoots herself, both of which I laughed at quite uproariously but that still seemed a bit too easy by South Park...
    

  
  
  
  • The Daily Show: March 28, 2007
    

    Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Cable, Late Night, OpEd, The Daily Show, Comedy Central

    "Furious George": George Bush and deadlines are not very good friends. Resident Expert John Hodgman stopped by to talk about "executive privilege". I felt like I haven't seen Mr. Hodgman in forever. The void in my life has finally been filled, if only for the moment. I really liked the Garfield joke and "What? Too soon?"... The secretly recorded audio was wonderfully done, as well.

    Continue reading The Daily Show: March 28, 2007

    ABC, NBC, CBS, Cable, Late Night, Programming, PBS, Comedy Central, Talk Show

    • Charlie Rose: The science of living longer
    • The Daily Show: Governor Bill Richardson
    • The Colbert Report: Jabari Asim
    • The Late Show With David Letterman: Al Franken and Isla Fisher
    • Jay Leno: Hilary Swank, Carlos Mencia, and Gym Class Heroes
    • Jimmy Kimmel Live: Heather Mills, Laura Prepon, and Young Buck
    • Tavis Smiley: Jane Arraf and Anne Lamott
    • Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Will Ferrell, Tom Everett Scott, and Death Cab For Cutie (repeat)
    • The Late, Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Sigourney Weaver, Kal...
      
    
    
    
    • Reno 911 on WGN this fall
      

      Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Syndicated, Comedy Central, Reno 911!

      I mentioned not too long ago that Reno 911! would be going into syndication, and it looks like Superstation WGN has picked up the series for its late night comedy block this fall that will also include Scrubs, Becker and Corner Gas (a Canadian sitcom). WGN has acquired the first three season of the improved series for a two-year run. The series finishes off its fourth season on Comedy Central starting April 1, and it has been picked up for a fifth season, as well.

      I think Reno 911! should translate pretty well to...
      

    
    
    
    • Is The Colbert Report hitting a creative pothole?
      

      Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Late Night, OpEd, Watercooler Talk, The Colbert Report, Comedy Central

      This is not a column that is going to say that The Colbert Report has stopped being funny. The show is still strong in that regard, delivering at least one good laugh per episode. But what I'm concerned about that it seems as if the writers of the show are going through a creative drought right now, and I'm wondering if they're going to come back from that drought.
      
      The big indicator to me that there's a bit of an ebb is that lately the producers have been booking...
      
    
    
    
    • Take part in a UCB audio commentary for season two
      

      Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, TV on DVD, Comedy Central

      Well, it only took them twenty-seven years (or however long its been), but the second season of The Upright Citizens Brigade is finally coming to DVD later this year (or so we assume, there's no official announcement yet). That's great news, but what's even cooler is that this Saturday, March 31, you can actually be in the audience for a live audio commentary recording for the episodes "Spaghetti Jesus" and "Supercool." All the information you need can be found here. The recording takes place at 8 p.m. at the UCB Theatre in Los Angeles. Be there...