TV Comedies

5 Awesome Album Covers Inspired By Arrested Development

The dishy media blitz for the new, fourth season of Arrested Development has begun, kicking off with Bateman's recent interview on Jimmy Kimmel. He said the timing will be unconventional, playing out in divided unison. Each episode will follow a different character through the same segment of time, ... More >>

Here Are Five Banned Beavis and Butthead Episodes

Last month marked 20 years since Beavis and Butthead debuted on MTV. But with that anniversary came the news that the show won't be seen there anymore. Fans have been petitioning for Comedy Central to pick the show up. But if they do so they might want to keep in mind the show's controversial hist ... More >>

The Evolution of Melissa McCarthy

See also: *More L.A. Weekly Film Coverage *12 Comedy Acts to Watch in 2013 To watch Melissa McCarthy as lovable chef Sookie St. James on seven seasons of the Gilmore Girls was to see an actress perfect the art of playing a sidekick. As best friend of the show's protagonist, Lorelai Gilmore (Laur ... More >>

Make Us Laugh, Funny Boy!

Jay Mohr

The Big Bang Theory of Product Advertising: In the Cereal Aisle, Dudes Rule

Last week the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory offered a spot-on observation about something funky in the world of cereal. As the brainiac crew of scientists settled into breakfast, astrophysicist Raj (played by Kunal Nayyar) began to rattle off the names of cereal mascots like Tony the Tiger, Toucan ... More >>

Maria Bamford on DIY Comedy Specials and the Times She Acts Like a Jerk

Maria Bamford's star is rising (again). After elevating a string of Target commercials to comic fine art, she's now all over the place with a recent primo guest spot on Louie, an upcoming role on Arrested Development, a new CD Ask Me About My New God coming out in January, plus a direct-to-fans spec ... More >>

MAKE US LAUGH, FUNNY GIRL" MARIA BAMFORD

Director Genndy Tartakovsky Chats About Hotel Transylvania, His Feature Debut

Found Footage

5 Signs Tom Cruise Is Gay

Folks are buzzing once again about Tom Cruise's sexuality following his reported divorce from Katie Holmes, which he's on the record saying she initiated. We're not saying Tom Cruise is gay. In fact, we're saying he's not. That's official. He's been married three times -- to some of Hollywood's sex ... More >>

Ted Review: Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy Debuts as a Film Director

Matt Groening Pulls Plug on 'Life in Hell,' Comic That Helped Inspire The Simpsons

Matt Groening pulled the plug on the iconic comic strip, "Life in Hell," that helped give birth to The Simpsons on Fox. USA Today reports that the last of the syndicated comics was published June 15, but that reruns will be provided through July 13. The characters Binky and Sheba gave life to the " ... More >>

Lauren Faust on Her Favorite Childhood Toy and Pitching Animated Shows for Girls

See also: *"Lauren Faust: Let's Hear It for the Girls" *"Top 5 Lessons for Adults From My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" For this year's L.A. Weekly People Issue, I interviewed Lauren Faust, the fabulously talented artist and writer who has worked on top-notch shows like The Powerpuff Girls and ... More >>

The Simpsons is Really Set in Portlandia

If you thought The Simpsons was Portlandia-like in its satiric outlook, what with the nuclear-hi-jinx backstory, psychedlic romps by Homer and pot-smoking school bus driver, you were right. Show creator Matt Groening revealed this week that the location of the show that got its start via his "Life ... More >>

Natasha Leggero on Ugly Americans Voice Acting and What It's Like Being 'Cast as Domineering Bitches'

In Ugly Americans, which began debuting new episodes last week on Comedy Central, wizards, demons, zombies, humans and more live together, and often clash, in New York City. At the center is Social Services trying to ease the riffs between the varied members of the community. Callie Maggotbone wor ... More >>

John Hodgman

Shepard Fairey Guests on 'The Simpsons' For Episode on Bart's Graffiti-Art Obsession

Fox / obeygiant.comShepard Fairey and Bart Simpson.​Forget Law & Order. It's The Simpsons that's ripped from the headlines. The show will ride the Art in the Streets zeitgeist that has hipsters popping into galleries and cops popping graffiti creators. The March 4 episode mocks the Banksy doc ... More >>

Laughter Auditions: How I Learned How to be a Professional Laugher

The author practicing for his big laughter audition​ It's 7 a.m., I'm struggling with jetlag from the red eye I took into LAX the night before and I'm in the wilds of the Valley, about to audition for the world's only team of professional laughers. None of it makes sense, but then again, not m ... More >>

Frank Gehry Insists He Didn't Design L.A. Disney Hall By Crumpling a Piece of Paper

It's perfect.​We thought it was just general, irrefutable knowledge by now that bigtime L.A. architect Frank Gehry designed downtown's Disney Hall by crumpling up a piece of paper and setting the welders to work. But, as Gehry revealed in a CNN interview on Sunday, it turns out that was proba ... More >>

Everybody Loves Lucy: Hollywood Museum/CBS Celebrate Lucille Ball at 100, I Love Lucy at 60

A. D'Alessandro'Hey Lucy, you sunk my battleship': Lucille Ball memorabilia goes wild with board games​ Within the fandom annals, before Gleeks and Trekkies roamed convention halls, there were -- and still are -- Lucy fans; a fervent bunch that communes frequently to pay homage to TV's greate ... More >>

Learn How to be a Drug Dealer Via Facebook's 'Weeds Social Club' Game

​So you want to be a weed dealer? You could try to open a shop in L.A. (good luck, following the city's crackdown). And there's always the sidewalk on Alvarado Street in MacArthur Park (if you don't get shot by rivals first). But maybe the most trouble-free way to become a homegrown slanger o ... More >>

Harmontown

Duff Beer from The Simpsons is Real

Duff beer is real! Homer Simpson's favorite libation is actually available for purchase, but only in South America -- and nobody will talk about it. According to the Miami Herald: The makers of Duff in South America say they aren't allowed to talk to the U.S. media. Duff Mexico... would not resp ... More >>

Submarine: Directed by Richard Ayoade, English Sitcom Star

Community Gathering

The Simpsons Writers Do an Evening of Beer and Doh!-nuts: Best. Panel Discussion. Ever.

Charlie Sheen Invents 2-Week Rehab Program, Says He's Ready For Work On 'Two and a Half Men'

Slam rehab for Sheen.​Sorry Dr. Drew, but Charlie Sheen has discovered the secret to condensed rehabilitation. You might say it's not possible, but just listen to the actor talk: "They said get your act together and I did. ... Check it, it's like I heal really quickly. But I unravel pretty qu ... More >>

Is This the Best Description of the Black Eyed Peas Ever?

​ [Originally published 2/4/11] Veteran rock writer Marc Spitz just published a fairly nonsensical essay on the Vanity Fair blog about how watching the Black Eyed Peas at the Super Bowl (an event that hasn't happened yet) is gonna change his life and how they are as punk rock as the Village P ... More >>

Daily Show Mocks Missile Mystery

The Daily Show -- which watches cable news so you don't have to -- takes a crack at the overreaction to the "mystery missile" story. For those who didn't get the memo, it turned out to be a plane. Enjoy. The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cMissile: Impossiblewww.thedailyshow.comDail ... More >>

Top 10 Women With Fruit Names

We've brought you the Top 10 Men With Meat Names and the Top 10 Men With Salad Names. But what about women? And what about fruit? Well, now is the moment for both, as pomiculture and nomenclature come together for the debut female-themed edition of our "People with Food Names" series. Of course, the ... More >>

WHERE'S THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A NEW WACKY COMEDY

Did An Episode Of 'South Park' Inspire New York Car Bomb?

South Park Studios​Authorities are looking into the possibility that a recent episode of Los Angeles-based animated comedy series South Park that was deemed insensitive to Islam by some Muslims could have inspired the failed car bomb in New York's Times Square over the weekend. "This vehicle ... More >>

Diane Keaton as Nikki Finke

​HitFix.com is reporting that Diane Keaton has been cast in the titular role in Tilda, an HBO comedy pilot reportedly based on much-feared Deadline Hollywood columnist-turned-blogger/ Nikki Finke. Very few details about the show are currently available--HBO hasn't even formally announced the p ... More >>

Pro-Lifers Target 'Family Guy' Over Terri Schiavo Skit

Fox​The pro-life American Life League on Thursday criticized L.A.-based animated comedy show Family Guy for its recent portrayal of a school play about the late Terri Shiavo, a perpetually vegetative woman who was kept on life support for more than 10 years as courts debated her fate. (See the ... More >>

Fox Headed For A Pull-Out From Time-Warner Cable

FoxTan Stewie from an episode of Fox's 'Family Guy.'​It looks like Los Angeles Time-Warner subscribers will usher in the New Year with the subtraction of a major network from their cable boxes. Yesterday we told you how the Fox network was threatening to pull its programming from Time-Warner b ... More >>

Moving Up

Live From East Hollywood!

Over the Weekend: Flight of the Conchords, Gary Busey at Point Break Live!, Dazed and Confused at Hollywood Forever Cemetery and more

There's nothing more depressing than the end of a long holiday weekend (except the hangover, of course, which is why you should try this remedy). In addition to the WTFBBQs and beach parties, we caught Flight of the Conchords at the Greek, hung out with Gary Busey at Point Break Live!, and inhaled s ... More >>

Last Night: Flight of the Conchords at the Greek Theater

Timothy NorrisFlight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords at the Greek Theater, May 24 Comedy greats come in two's. Abbott and Costello. Rowan and Martin. Wayland and Madame. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords are not only a twosome, but they're also the "fourth most ... More >>

SO, IT'S THE LAUGHTER ...

The State of Comedy? Idaho. Alaska.

Seth MacFarlane YouTube: Master of Parody Launches Cavalcade Web Series

Los Angeles premiere parties are full of perks like free cocktails, irreverent celebrity commentary and, if you're lucky, a few laughs and plenty of photo opportunities. Wednesday September 10 marked the debut of Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's new Web series, Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Car ... More >>

Nobody’s Baby

Tina Fey’s stillborn surrogate- mommy comedy

The Kids of 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights Are All Right

These season premieres don't disappoint

Mothers, Gangsters and the Usual Boobs at the Emmys

Shout outs and murmurs

Who's That Girl? Lauren Weedman’s Search for Home

Alternative Comedy 2007

Right Hook, Weak Punch

Fox News' 1/2 Hour News Hour isn't even half-funny

TV 2004

Monkeys and Marionettes

Stewart vs. Crossfire and other comic battles