COMEDY CENTRAL® EXPANDS SNAPCHAT DISCOVER CONTENT OFFERINGS WITH ORIGINAL SERIES DEVELOPED EXCLUSIVELY FOR COMEDY CENTRAL CHANNEL

  • “Swag-A-Saurus” Snapchat Series Starring James Davis to Premiere Tuesday, September 8
  • #1 Brand in Comedy to Premiere Additional Snapchat Series From Comedians Nikki Glaser, Liza Treyger, Yassir Lester and Michelle Wolf Throughout Fall

Comedy Central is expanding its popular Discover channel on Snapchat with original series developed exclusively for the platform, it was announced today by Michele Ganeless, President, Comedy Central. The first original series to premiere on Comedy Central on Snapchat Discover, “Swag-A-Saurus,” starring comedian James Davis, will premiere on Tuesday, September 8. Additional Comedy Central series from comedians Nikki Glaser, Liza Treyger, Yassir Lester and Michelle Wolf will premiere on Snapchat Discover throughout the fall.

“Snapchat Discover has been an incredible partner for the Comedy Central brand, and our fans love the platform,” said Ganeless. “Creating original series specifically for Snapchat is the perfect next step in the evolution of our content.”

“Bye Felicia,” “Trap Queen,” “Looking Friday” – WTF do these sayings really mean? The #1 brand in comedy is putting the power of slang right in viewers’ hands (and smartphones) with the launch of its first Snapchat series “Swag-A-Saurus.” This series, starring “hood adjacent” comedian James Davis, gives viewers a weekly lesson about some of today’s hottest slang. Each week, Davis breaks down a term from the slang lexicon in hilarious fashion, enlightening fans to what they’ve been pretending to know all along. Snapchatters will also be able to make suggestions for slang they need defined by Davis in upcoming episodes. “Swag-A-Saurus” premieres on Tuesday, September 8 with additional episodes planned to post every Monday throughout its season.

Following the launch of “Swag-A-Saurus,” Comedy Central will roll out original Snapchat series from comedians Nikki Glaser, Liza Treyger, Yassir Lester and Michelle Wolf that will be topical and cover a range of themes including pop culture, news, sex and relationships, and consumption. Premiere dates are TBA.

  • “Quickie with Nikki” – this weekly series hosted by Nikki Glaser will be a playful and unapologetic look into sex. Glaser’s Comedy Central series “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser” will premiere in 2016.
  • “Never Wrong with Yassir Lester” (working title) – this weekly series will feature Yassir Lester destroying the news as he takes on one news story each episode calling out all parties and eviscerating all points of view except his own, of course…because he’s always right
  • “Like it with Liza: Trust me I’m Right” – Liza Treyger is addicted to consumption. In this weekly series, she pays homage to her addiction letting viewers know what they should consume and why – from what to buy, who to follow on Instagram, what to watch on TV, and what to check out on YouTube after getting high.
  • “Now Hiring” – A sketch series featuring Michelle Wolf as the world’s most inappropriate recruiter. To work at a major tech company, candidates must show excellent cognitive ability, leadership skills, expertise in their field and be a good “fit.” As a recruiter, those are the things Michelle is looking for. As a person, those are the things Michelle doesn’t have.

Comedy Central was an inaugural launch partner for Snapchat Discover. Since its launch in January, the Comedy Central channel on Snapchat Discover has become one of the most popular platforms for the brand’s fans to view and share content.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go via the Comedy Central App, Comedy Central (www.cc.com)

“@MIDNIGHT WITH CHRIS HARDWICK” MAKES A (TEMPORARY) MOVE! SERIES MOVES TO 11:00 P.M. ET/PT SEP 8-17

It’s a time warp! On Tuesday, September 8, Comedy Central’s Emmy®-nominated “@midnight with Chris Hardwick” moves to 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, followed by all-new episodes of “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.” The series returns to its regular slot of Midnight ET/PT on Monday, September 21, following “The Nightly Show.”

Recently nominated for an Emmy® for “Outstanding Interactive Program” for the second year in a row, “@midnight with Chris Hardwick,” produced by Funny Or Die, leads viewers down the ultimate internet wormhole with a rotating lineup of today’s top comedians battling nightly to determine who has the funniest take on the day’s social media and pop culture. Using social media as the catalyst and a fake game show as the setting, “@midnight” challenges comedians to win the Internet by slashing the craziest, most absurd news and posts that social media has to offer: from the latest celebrity Instagram shots to the creepiest Craigslist posting to Buzzspeed lists and infamous #HashtagWars.

Guest panelists that have appeared on the show include Judd Apatow, Doug Benson, Jason Biggs, Neal Brennan, Hannibal Buress, LeVar Burton, Ice Cube, Andy Daly, Will Ferrell, James Franco, Ilana Glazer, Seth Green, Jon Hamm, Jonah Hill, Abbi Jacobson, Kyle Kinane, David Koechner, Natasha Leggero, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Marc Maron, Kumail Nanjiani,Patton Oswalt, Jonah Ray, Rob Riggle, Seth Rogen, R2-D2, Kristen Schaal, David Spade, Ben Stiller, Amber Tamblyn, Channing Tatum, Aisha Tyler, David Wain, Wil Wheaton, and Weird Al Yankovic along with the casts of “RENO 911!,” and “The Walking Dead.”

“@midnight with Chris Hardwick” is executive produced by Hardwick, Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant; Mike Farah and Joe Farrell for Funny Or Die; Alex Blagg, Jason Nadler and Jon Zimelis of Serious Business; showrunner Jack Martin; and Alex Murray of Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Gary Mann and Tara Schuster are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, Comedy Central (www.cc.com)

New Animated Series "Moonbeam City" Premieres Wednesday, September 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GLITTER,
GLAMOUR AND SEXUAL DEPRAVITY IN THE
NEW ANIMATED SERIES "MOONBEAM CITY"
PREMIERING ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 AT 10:30 P.M. ET/PT

***THREE EPISODES OF MOONBEAM CITY
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE COMEDY CENTRAL SCREENING ROOM***

  • Series Premiere and Two Additional Episodes Now Available in the Comedy Central Screening Room
  • Rob Lowe Serves as Producer and Voice Talent (Dazzle Novak) with Elizabeth Banks (Pizzaz Miller), Will Forte (Rad Cunningham) and Kate Mara (Chrysalis Tate)
  • Guest Star Voice Talent Includes Powers Boothe, Kate McKinnon, Catherine O’Hara, Andy Richter, Susan Sarandon, Molly Shannon, Paul F. Tompkins, Patrick Warburton and Adam West
  • Fans Can Visit cc.com/moonbeam for Episode Previews and Highlights

“Moonbeam City” is Comedy Central’s arresting new animated series that delves into the sex, violence and pastels of another time. Walking a very thin neon line, with its absurdist take on the gritty, sex-drenched crime dramas from the 1980s, this retro-futuristic cop extravaganza dares to go to the mean streets of mystery and criminal excess. What will it take for this dysfunctional police force to protect their beloved, neon-soaked metropolis? Tune in to the ten-episode debut season of “Moonbeam City” which kicks off on Wednesday, September 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT following the 19th season premiere of “South Park.”

The “Moonbeam City” series voice talent includes Rob Lowe (“Parks and Recreation”) as Dazzle Novak, the handsome, idiotic detective who commits more crimes than most criminals, Will Forte (“The Last Man on Earth”) as Rad Cunningham, the obnoxious rival to Dazzle who will stop at nothing to destroy him, Elizabeth Banks (“Wet Hot American Summer”) as Pizzaz Miller, the sexy, tyrannical chief of police, and Kate Mara (“House of Cards”) as Chrysalis Tate, the city’s only competent police officer.

Guest voice talent featured throughout the season include: Powers Boothe, Kate McKinnon, Catherine O’Hara, Andy Richter, Susan Sarandon, Molly Shannon, Paul F. Tompkins, Patrick Warburton and Adam West.

In the premiere episode, “Mall Hath No Fury,” a new crime lord terrorizes Moonbeam City, but Dazzle Novak is more concerned with losing his “#1 Cop” mug to annoying rival Rad Cunningham. Gold chains, shoulder pads and 80s music fill the air as they try to keep order and the city safe from evil.

Viewers can also go to the “Moonbeam City” Facebook page which will feature an in depth look at the design work behind each episode, including character and costume designs, sight gags, background character spotlights and more. The Comedy Central Soundcloud page will feature selections of the show’s original music after each episode airs. Fans can also find weekly preview and highlight clips on the official Moonbeam City website and Comedy Central Snapchat Discover account.

Episodes of “Moonbeam City” will be available the day after air on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Vudu, Verizon Flexview and Google Play, as well as in the Comedy Central App to fans that authenticate via their cable or satellite provider. The Comedy Central App is available for iPad and iPhone on the App Store, Android on Google Play, Roku, Xbox One and Chromecast.

“Moonbeam City” is created and executive produced by Scott Gairdner (“Conan,” Funny Or Die). Also serving as Executive Producers are Tommy Blacha (“Metalocalypse”) and Olive Bridge Entertainment’s Will Gluck and Richie Schwartz. Lowe serves as producer along with providing voiceover. Mark Brooks serves as Supervising Director, with animation by Titmouse. Ian Friedman and Tara Schuster are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

***Available on-air, online and on-the-go, Comedy Central (www.cc.com).

BREAKING THE INTERNET ON A REGULAR BASIS “TOSH.0” RETURNS WITH NEW EPISODES BEGINNING TUESDAY, AUGUST 25 AT 10:00 P.M. ET/PT

Host Daniel Tosh is back culling the vast web and social media landscape as new episodes of “Tosh.0” kick off on Tuesday, August 25 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

This season also marks the return of the “Tosh.0 Memorabilia Dump.” After Daniel lost all the earnings from his last memorabilia dump, $24,199 on a single hand of black jack in 2012, he is ready to get his money back. The show will be cleaning house again and auctioning off its favorite items via eBay from selected episodes of the show. For fans who missed it the first time, they have another chance to own a piece of “Tosh.0” and television history.

The “Web Redemption” segment in the premiere episode features Angelo, a former Menudo member and cosplay fan, who discusses life’s ups and downs with Daniel before starring in his very own musical.

Future “Web Redemptions” and “CeWEBrity Profiles” include:

·        Samurai Nose: After his buddy chopped off his nose with a Samurai sword, Ethan gets help from Daniel to get his revenge.

·        Welven Da Great: Daniel helps Welven go mainstream with his internet fame.

·        Catfish Cooley: Daniel gives down-home internet star Catfish a shot at reality television and Kardashian-level celebrity.

·        Vegan: Passionate vegan John shares his opinions on animal cruelty with Daniel and then serenades him with a song about it.

Currently in its seventh season, “Tosh.0” premiered on June 4, 2009 and features razor-sharp humor and biting commentary from comedian Daniel Tosh. The weekly, topical series delves into all aspects of the Internet from the absolutely absurd to the incredibly ingenious. Each episode includes a “CeWEBrity Profile” or Tosh giving subjects of notorious viral videos a second chance to redeem themselves from the embarrassment with which they have become synonymous with their very own “Web Redemption.”

“Tosh.0” is executive produced by Tosh, Charlie Siskel, Christie Smith and Scott Zabielski who also serves as director. Gary Mann is the Executive in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

Fans can also get their “Tosh.0” fix in numerous ways including via the Comedy Central App which offers full episodes of the series. The Tosh.0” blog is continually updated daily with posts, exclusive behind-the-scenes content and interactive features, making the “Tosh.0” website one of Comedy Central’s most-visited properties. In addition, video clips of “Tosh.0” are available on Discover Comedy Central on Snapchat. Socially speaking, viewers can follow Tosh on Twitter(currently with 18 million followers) as he live tweets during the show and also by becoming a fan of “Tosh.0” on Facebook (currently at 10 million fans).

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, Comedy Central (www.cc.com)

The Television Industry Advocacy Awards names additional honorees

The Creative Coalition, TV Guide Magazine, and TVInsider.com has announce four additional honorees for the inaugural Television Industry Advocacy Awards, set to take place in Los Angeles on September 18th. Added to the impressive list of recipients are: Emmy Award-nominee Laverne Cox (Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black) for her work with LGBTQ awareness; actor Tim Robbins (HBO’s The Brink) for The Actors’ Gang Prison Project; actress Eva Longoria (NBC’s Hot and Bothered, Lifetime’s Devious Maids) for founding the Eva Longoria Foundation; and 2015 Emmy Award-nominee Anthony Anderson (ABC’sBlack-ish) for his efforts on behalf of diabetes awareness. Previously announced honorees include: actressConstance Zimmer (Lifetime’s UnREAL) for supporting the efficacy of the arts and promoting environmental awareness; 2015 Emmy Award-nominee Alan Cumming (CBS’s The Good Wife) for shining a spotlight on LGBTQ issues; actress Beth Behrs (CBS’s 2 Broke Girls) for her involvement with The Rape Foundation; 2015 Emmy Award-nominee Jeffrey Tambor (Amazon’s Transparent) for his work with youth empowerment; Emmy Award-winner Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave, NBC’s State of Affairs) for her leadership in the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities’ Turnaround Arts Program; and executive producer Neal Baer (CBS’sUnder the Dome) for his leadership with The Global Media Center for Social Impact.  

The Television Industry Advocacy Awards salutes those leaders in the television industry who use their power of celebrity to advocate for charitable and social causes. The Awards will be held on Friday evening, September 18th at Sunset Tower Hotel, West Hollywood, CA at 5:30 pm.  This invitation-only event will honor television’s most significant actors, showrunners, and executives for commitment to their respective causes. 

“The Creative Coalition was galvanized to encourage leaders in the entertainment industry to use their mighty voices and unique platforms to influence positive change in the world.  The Advocacy Awards celebrate those leaders in the television industry who use their influence to advocate for the common good,” said The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk. 

“TV Guide and TV Insider are proud to present this evening with The Creative Coalition.  We are committed to supporting this initiative and the honorees with an exciting special feature that shines a spotlight on their efforts in the September 21st issue of TV Guide Magazine and additional coverage on TV Insider,” said TVGM CEO David J. Fishman.

For more information, please visit:

***THIS IS AN INVITATION-ONLY, TICKETED EVENT. SPACE IS LIMITED***

The World Premiere of "Natasha Leggero: Live at Bimbo's" Debuts on August 22 at 11 p.m. ET/PT

IT’S NATTY LEGGS, BITCH!
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF “NATASHA LEGGERO: LIVE AT BIMBO’S” DEBUTS ON COMEDY CENTRAL® ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 11:00 P.M. ET/PT

  • Extended and Uncensored Version Available August 17 on CC: Stand-Up Direct
  • In the Comedy Central App on August 23
  • Extended and Uncensored Version Available August 22 on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Sony Entertainment Network, Vudu and Google Play 

Natasha Leggero shines bright like a diamond in the world premiere of her first one-hour stand-up special, “Natasha Leggero: Live at Bimbo’s,” airing on Comedy Central on Saturday, August 22 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. For fans that can’t wait for Leggero’s new material, the special will be available on August 17 on CC: Stand-Up Direct.

Filmed at the historic Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco, Leggero elegantly examines the many reasons why having kids is problematic, the absurdities of Burning Man, Mormons, Hipsters and more. From conservative Republicans to her very own diamond p***y, Leggero’s special proves that no one and nothing is off limits. Even J-Lo.

Leading up to the on-air premiere, Comedy Central Stand-Up will feature preview clips from the special including a sneak peek at an exclusive music video from the special, titled “Diamond P***y,” in which ‘Natty Leggs’ raps about her pre-show prep. Fans can follow Leggero on Twitter at @natashaleggero.

“Natasha Leggero: Live at Bimbo’s” will be available on August 23 on the Comedy Central App to fans that sign in via their cable or satellite provider. The Comedy Central App is available for iPad and iPhone on the App Store, Android on Google Play, Roku, Xbox One and Chromecast. The special will also be available for download on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Sony Entertainment Network, Vudu and Google Play on August 22. The digital album also will be available on that date on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Google Play, Spotify and all streaming services.

Leggero is an accomplished actress, writer, and stand-up comedian who has garnered attention across film, television and the web. Leggero created, wrote, produced and stars in the new Comedy Central series “Another Period,” currently airing Tuesday nights at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. In addition to her breakout appearance on the “Comedy Central Roast of James Franco,” Leggero was recently on the “Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber.” She has also recently appeared in episodes of NBC’s “Marry Me” and ABC’s “Modern Family.” Leggero will be in the season two finale episode of Comedy Central’s “The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail” on Tuesday, August 18 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT. She is also a frequent guest on Comedy Central’s “@midnight with Chris Hardwick” and will be on again on Thursday, August 20.

Leggero has had numerous roles on prominent television series including NBC’s “Community,” FX’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Arrested Development,” Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!” “Drunk History” and “Key & Peele,” ABC’s “Suburgatory,” “Comedy Bang! Bang!” “Chelsea Lately,” and “The Tonight Show,” among others. In addition, Leggero voices characters on animated series such as Comedy Central’s “Ugly Americans” and “Brickleberry,” “The Life and Times of Tim” on HBO, as well as “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “China, IL” for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.

On the big screen, Leggero recently starred in two comedy films: “Neighbors” alongside Seth Rogen, as well as “Let’s Be Cops” opposite Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans, Jr. She also had a role in the 2009 romantic comedy “He’s Just Not That Into You.” In 2012, Leggero was featured in the Emmy®-nominated web series “Burning Love.”

“Natasha Leggero: Live at Bimbo’s” is executive produced by Leggero, Troy Miller and Geoff Cheddy. Anne Harris is the Executive in Charge for Comedy Central.

Comedy Central, the #1 brand in comedy, is the home for the biggest names in stand-up including recent one-hour specials from Daniel Tosh, Kevin Hart, Gabriel Iglesias, Amy Schumer, Anthony Jeselnik, Aziz Ansari, Chris Hardwick, Hannibal Buress, John Mulaney, Pete Holmes, Nick Kroll, Patton Oswalt, Jim Gaffigan, David Spade, Tracy Morgan, and more.

Comedy Central stand-up series include “Adam Devine’s House Party,” “The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail,” “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-Up Revolution,” “The Half Hour,” “Comedy Underground with Dave Attell“ and “This is Not Happening.”

"Drunk History" Season 3 Premieres Tuesday, September 1 at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central

“History is written by the victors!” …Or sometimes by the drunk narrators. The Emmy®-nominated Comedy Central series “Drunk History” returns for a 13-episode third season on Tuesday, September 1 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, following an all-new “Tosh.0.” Catch up on seasons one and two on the Comedy Central App and at cc.com/drunk beginning August 24.

In the season premiere, host and director Derek Waters takes viewers on a historical journey to New Jersey, presenting inebriated accounts of The Bone Wars, The Balloon Corps and The Big Bang. Mark Proksch narrates the rivalry of fossil-hunters Othniel Marsh (Christopher Meloni) and Edward Cope (Tony Hale); Tess Lynch recounts Thaddeus Lowe’s (Greg Kinnear) contributions to America’s first air force, founded by President Lincoln (Stephen Merchant); and Jenny Slate explains how scientists Arno Penzias (Justin Long) and Robert Wilson (Jason Ritter) found an exciting new use for an abandoned supersensitive antenna.

Other A-list guest stars featured this season include:

Jason Alexander, Blake Anderson,
Matt Besser, Jack Black, Michael Cera, Gaius Charles, Kat Dennings, Adam Devine, Giancarlo Esposito, Donald Faison, Will Ferrell, Nathan Fillion, Ron Funches, Mark Gagliardi, Topher Grace, Colin Hanks, Josh Hartnett, Rob Huebel, Echo Kellum, Ellie Kemper, Johnny Knoxville, David Koechner,
Natasha Leggero, Thomas Lennon, Samm Levine, Joe Lo Truglio, Jason Mantzoukas, Jack McBrayer, Jason Momoa, Haley Joel Osment, Patton Oswalt, Chris Parnell, Chelsea Peretti, Parker Posey, Dennis Quaid, Sam Rockwell, Andre Royo, Maya Rudolph, Horatio Sanz, Paul Scheer, Ben Schwartz, Alia Shawkat, Octavia Spencer, Martin Starr, George Wallace, Jaleel White, Henry Winkler, Zach Woods and Noah Wyle.

This season’s brave and passionate narrators guiding viewers through history include Paget Brewster, Cameron Esposito, Fortune Feimster, Rich Fulcher, Mark Gagliardi, Matt Gourley, Dan Harmon, Kyle Kinane, Jen Kirkman, Lauren Lapkus, Paul F. Tompkins, Duncan Trussell, David Wain, Brendon Walsh and even co-creator and director Jeremy Konner. They and others will cover the histories of everything from the invention of motion pictures to the rise and fall of the Cocaine Godmother and the truth behind Roswell, among many other incredibly true stories.

The Comedy Central App will offer fans who authenticate via their cable or satellite provider episodes of “Drunk History” season three the day after air. The Comedy Central App is available for free for iOS on the App Store, for Android on the Google Play store, and on Chromecast and Xbox One. Episodes of “Drunk History” will also be available the day after air on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Sony Playstation, Vudu, Verizon Flexview, and Google Play.

Between seasons, “Drunk History’s” Facebook page hosted the Stumble Into History: Walk on Role Contest which will be brought to fruition this season, as the contest winner will be featured in an upcoming episode. Leading up to the season premiere, show clips will be available on Dubsmash for fans to create and share videos across social media. Throughout the season “Drunk History” will host weekly trivia games on Facebook and Kik, and additional extras including deleted scenes and outtakes will be available on the Web site.

Created for television by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner, “Drunk History” is produced by Gary Sanchez Productions and executive produced by Waters and Konner, along with Gary Sanchez Productions’ Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Owen Burke. Ian Friedman is the Executive in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, Comedy Central (www.cc.com)

Mr. Robot: (4/4) | Mr. Robot is turning into Breaking Bad & House of Cards

When I say Mr. Robot is turning into Breaking Bad & House Of Cards, I mean it's turning into this amazingly awesome TV show, which is filled with amazing storyline, amazing plot twists, amazing character development, amazing performances, and amazing everything. Yesterday's "episode eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v" was a clear proof of that. It's like the Red wedding of Game Of Thrones, it just blows your mind. Not once, not twice, but many times over. And the biggest shocker for the end of course.

***spilers***

You thought Tyrell murdering Sharon was BIG surprise? Welcome to this episode. Angela and Darlene know each other, like old friends. Yeah, kinda surprising. Maybe due to Elliot's incident with Sheyla? Giddion has been suspicious of Elliot all along. He boobytrapped Evil Corp's network by putting a honeypot. That's why Dark Army backed out. YEAH. And their entire game with Ollie was just to get a meeting with Elliot. And they did, when the mysterious White Rose, a transwoman obsessed with time, meets Elliot and gives him 50 hrs 23 mins to take care of the honeypot. And Elliot does it with Darlene and the team's help. Tyrell seems to know of Mr Robot's plan and kinda approves ofit too. He seems to be part of it somehow too. Not clear, but WHAT? And his pregnant wife Joanna stabs herfself to fake going into labor, to buy him some time and save him from police. But it's not over yet. Elliot plan seems to be working. He's celebrating with Darlene to the most surprising reveal. He seems to have "forgotten again" that Darlene is his sister. REALLY? HE rushes home to search for himself, what else he has forgotten. Of course there's nothing online or anywhere, he's a"ghost". But a blank CD in his storage Reveals Mr. Robot is his father. WTF?

***spoiler ends*** 

Sam Esmail is taking this show to a new level. Camera work and cinematography is just brilliant. Elliot not just breaks 3rd wall as usual, he shakes the camera. Audience becomes part of the show, or even more. Esmail is braking all rules of filmmaking and TV, and showing us something we have probably never seen. And it seems good. I'm already waiting for more. What about you?

Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" Executive Team to Remain with Late-Night Flagship Franchise

Steve Bodow, Jen Flanz, Tim Greenberg, Jill Katz and Adam Lowitt will continue as Executive Producers of the Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning “The Daily Show” when it launches with host Trevor Noah on September 28, it was announced today by Michele Ganeless, President, Comedy Central.

“Steve, Jen, Tim, Jill and Adam have been key architects of ‘The Daily Show’s’ success, and we are excited that they will continue at the core of the creative team working with Trevor Noah as the show evolves,” said Ganeless. “They remain committed to delivering the smart, insightful comedy that has become the hallmark of ‘The Daily Show.”

The stalwart executive team behind the critically-acclaimed series all hold lengthy posts. Bodow joined the show in 2002 and held positions as a Writer (2002-2006), Head Writer (2007-2010), Supervising Producer (2008-2010), Co-Executive Producer (2011-2013) and Executive Producer (2013-present).

Flanz started in 1998 as a Production Assistant (1998-1999) and moved on to roles as an Assistant Production Coordinator (1999-2000), Production Coordinator, (2000-2001), Production Manager (2001-2003), Coordinating Producer (2003-2007), Supervising Producer (2007-2010), Co-Executive Producer (2011-2013) and Executive Producer (2013-present).

Greenberg started in 2006 as a Field Producer (2006-2012) and then went on to roles as Supervising Producer (2012-2013), Co-Executive Producer (2014) and Executive Producer (2014-present).

Katz started in 2006 as Line Producer and then became Executive in Charge of Production (2007-2008), Executive in Charge of Production and Producer (2009-2014) and Executive Producer (2014-present).

Lowitt joined in 2002 as a Post-Production Assistant (2002-2003) and then moved on to Tape Coordinator (2003-2004), Footage Supervisor (2004-2007), Segment Producer (2007-2008), Senior Segment Producer (2008-2010), Senior Producer (2010-2012), Supervising Producer (2012-2013) and Executive Producer (2013-present).

“The Daily Show” is a 20-time Emmy® winner (including a record ten consecutive wins for program) with a grand total of 60 Primetime Emmy nominations. The series is also a two-time winner of the prestigious Peabody® Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.

“The Daily Show” airs Monday-Thursday at 11:00 p.m. and repeats at 1:00 a.m. the same night (all times ET/PT). Full episodes and clips are posted for viewing the following day at thedailyshow.cc.com

The Television Industry Advocacy Awards to Kick Off Awards Weekend

The Creative Coalition, TV Guide Magazine, and TVInsider.com announced the first round of honorees at this year’s inaugural Television Industry Advocacy Awards to be held in Los Angeles on September 18th. Award recipients include 2015 Emmy Award nominee Jeffrey Tambor (Amazon’s Transparent) for his work with youth empowerment; 2015 Emmy Award nominee Alan Cumming (CBS’s The Good Wife) for shining a spotlight on LGBTQ issues; Emmy Award winner Alfre Woodard (TNT’s The Last Ship) for her leadership in the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities’ Turnaround Arts Program; actor Beth Behrs (CBS’s 2 Broke Girls) for her involvement with The Rape Foundation; actor Constance Zimmer (Lifetime’s UnREAL) for supporting the efficacy of the arts in education; and executive producer Neal Baer (CBS’s Under the Dome) for his leadership with The Global Media Center for Social Impact. Additional recipients will be announced shortly.

The Television Industry Advocacy Awards salutes those leaders in the television industry who use their power of celebrity to advocate for charitable and social causes. The Awards will be held on Friday evening, September 18th at Sunset Tower Hotel, West Hollywood, CA at 5:30 pm.  This invitation-only event will honor television’s most significant actors, show runners, and executives for commitment to their respective causes. 
 
“The Creative Coalition was galvanized to encourage leaders in the entertainment industry to use their mighty voices and unique platforms to influence positive change in the world.  The Advocacy Awards celebrate those leaders in the television industry who use their influence to advocate for the common good,” said The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk. 

“TV Guide and TV Insider are proud to present this evening with The Creative Coalition.  We are committed to supporting this initiative and the honorees with an exciting special feature that shines a spotlight on their efforts in the September 21st issue of TV Guide Magazine and additional coverage onTV Insider,” said TVGM CEO David J. Fishman. 

***THIS IS AN INVITATION-ONLY, TICKETED EVENT.

For more information, please visit:

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TO APPEAR AS A GUEST ON "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART"

President Barack Obama will make his seventh and final appearance as a guest on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” on Tuesday, July 21 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, leading up to Jon’s last show as host on Thursday, August 6.

This marks President Obama’s third appearance since taking office as President of the United States of America. He has also previously appeared on October 18, 2012, October 27, 2010,October 29, 2008, April 21, 2008, August 22, 2007 and November 7, 2005.

Jon Stewart, Steve Bodow, Jen Flanz, Tim Greenberg, Jill Katz and Adam Lowitt are the Executive Producers of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” with Hillary Kun as Co-Executive Producer. Pam DePace, Justin Melkmann and Stuart Miller are Supervising Producers. The series’ Head Writer is Elliott Kalan and it is directed by Chuck O’Neil.

“The Daily Show” airs Monday-Thursday at 11:00 p.m. and repeats at 1:00 a.m. the same night (all times ET/PT). Full episodes and clips are posted for viewing the following day at thedailyshow.cc.com with URL and embed links. Also, the Comedy Central App offers “Daily Show” fans, who sign in via their cable or satellite provider, full episodes of the series including additional content and extended interviews the day after air. The Comedy Central App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is available for free on the App Store or at AppStore.com/cc. Follow or like @TheDailyShow on social media platforms Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

COMEDY CENTRAL® GREENLIGHTS ANIMATED SERIES “JEFF AND SOME ALIENS”

  • Created and Executive Produced by Sean Donnelly and Alessandro Minoli; Executive Produced by ShadowMachine’s Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico

  • “TripTank” Spin-Off Picked Up for Ten Episodes and Slated to Premiere in 2016

Aliens are invading Comedy Central as the #1 brand in comedy is expanding its animation offerings by ordering “Jeff and Some Aliens” to series, it was announced today by Kent Alterman, President, Original Programming, Comedy Central.

“Jeff and Some Aliens” is executive produced and created by Sean Donnelly and Alessandro Minoli and executive produced by ShadowMachine’s Corey Campodonico and Alex Bulkley. A spin-off of the animated incubator series “TripTank,” the series’ ten-episode season will premiere in 2016.

“It would be so weird if this show wasn’t animated,” said Alterman.

“We’d like to beat the trolls to the punch and be the first to say: ‘They cancelled Futurama for THIS?!,'” said Donnelly and Minoli.

Based on the recurring “TripTank” sketches, “Jeff and Some Aliens” follows Jeff, the world’s most average guy, and the three aliens sent to study him to determine whether or not humanity should be destroyed. Jeff’s mundane life is constantly thrown into chaos by his extraterrestrial guests – it isn’t always easy having roommates who force you to participate in grueling intergalatic decathalons or perform Azurian honor killings to restore interstellar balance. The animation is produced by ShadowMachine. Monika Zielinska and Ian Friedman are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

For more information, please visit:

Comedy Central (www.cc.com)

Comedy Central Gives "Workaholics" Multi-Season Renewal

  • Hit Series Stars Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, and Anders Holm and is Directed by Mail Order Comedy’s Kyle Newacheck
  • Fourth Season is #1 Show in All of Television in Its Timeslot among Men 18-24 and Men 18-34 

Comedy Central has doubled down on the hit series “Workaholics“ as the all-comedy network locks in a sixth and a seventh season, it was announced today by Kent Alterman, President, Original Programming, Comedy Central. Ten episodes have been ordered for each season and new episodes of the hit series from Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm and Kyle Newacheck begin in January.

“I remember when the title of this show was ironic,” said Alterman.

A favorite among young men, the fourth season of “Workaholics” was the highest-rated series in its timeslot across all of television among Men 18-34 and Men 18-24. The series also consistently ranked in the Top Five of the Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings for comedies on Wednesdays and has over two million fans on Facebook.

“Workaholics” is a single-camera comedy featuring three friends who work together from 9 to 5, live together from 5 to 9 and party together 24/7. Dress codes, deadlines and waking up before noon are not things these guys are used to. They do their jobs and sometimes they even do them well, but they show up late, leave drunk and always live for the day…even if they don’t know what day it is.

“Workaholics” was co-created by Mail Order Comedy’s Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm and Kyle Newacheck. The series stars Anderson, Devine and Holm and is directed by Newacheck. Executive Producers include Mail Order Comedy, Kevin Etten, Avalon Television’s Richard Allen-Turner, David Martin, Jon Thoday and Isaac Horne. Jim Sharp and Rachel Olson are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

For more information, visit: Comedy Central (www.cc.com)

“SOUTH PARK” RENEWED THROUGH A HISTORIC 23RD SEASON, MAKES NEW DEAL WITH CC

  • Agreement Extends Cable’s Longest-Running Primetime Scripted Series By Three Seasons and 30 Episodes and Will Take “South Park” Through Its Milestone 300th Episode
  • Hulu to Maintain Rights to New Seasons and Episodes and Remain Only SVOD Home for Current 254-Episode “South Park” Library
  • 19th Season Premieres Wednesday, September 16

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have reached a new deal with Comedy Central® to extend “South Park” by three seasons and 30 episodes, taking the longest-running prime time scripted series in cable though an unprecedented 23rd season and 304 episodes. The deal for three additional seasons, announced today by Michele Ganeless, President, Comedy Central, ensures the Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning series will continue to produce new, original episodes through 2019. Parker and Stone will continue to write, direct and edit every episode of “South Park,” as they have since the premiere of the series in 1997. The 19thseason of “South Park” premieres on Wednesday, September 16.

In a separate deal, South Park Digital Studios, a joint venture between Parker, Stone and Viacom, has extended its record-breaking deal with Hulu to cover all additional seasons and new episodes. Hulu is the exclusive streaming home of the entire “South Park” library of 18 seasons and 254 episodes and will also remain the SVOD home to all episodes from upcoming seasons.

“Nearly two decades later, ‘South Park’ today remains as important and influential as any series on any platform and has become one of the most recognizable brands to ever come out of television,” said Doug Herzog, President, Viacom Music & Entertainment Group. “Through South Park Digital Studios we will continue to aggressively expand the reach of the ‘South Park’ brand by pursuing additional extensions and licensing opportunities worldwide.”

“‘South Park’ remains the bedrock of Comedy Central and we are thrilled that new episodes will continue to entertain audiences for years to come,” said Ganeless. “The series remains as urgent and relevant now as the day it premiered and at nearly 20 seasons in it continues to draw generations of new fans.”

Said Parker and Stone: “We love working for Doug and with everyone at Comedy Central. They’ve given us an insane level of artistic and creative freedom for almost 20 years. They walk the walk.”

Named “One of the All-Time Greatest TV Shows” by Entertainment Weekly and one of the “All-TIME 100 TV Shows” by TIME, “South Park,” which premieres its 19th season on September 16, was the top-rated comedy series on cable in 2014 among Adults 18-49 and Men 18-34 and was the #1-rated series in primetime across all of television on Wednesdays during its 18th season with Men 18-34 and Men 18-24.

The incredible popularity of “South Park” extends off the television screen with over 46 million fans on Facebook, making it the most-popular cable comedy series on Facebook and one of the Top 10 series in all of television. With over 1.7 million followers, “South Park” is one of the top scripted television series on Twitter and it has ranked #1 or #2 for Comedy Series by Nielsen Social Guide on its premiere nights during the course of its past season. In addition, the series’ award-winning game, “South Park: The Stick of Truth,” which was released last year, received numerous industry awards and a Metacritic rating of 85. A sequel, “South Park: The Fractured but Whole,” was announced earlier this month by Ubisoft® and South Park Digital Studios.

Co-created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, “South Park” premiered on August 13, 1997. Parker, Stone, Anne Garefino and Frank C. Agnone II are the Executive Producers of the Emmy® and Peabody® Award-winning series. Eric Stough, Adrien Beard, Bruce Howell and Vernon Chatman are Producers. Past episodes can be streamed at “South Park’s” website (southpark.cc.com) as well as the Comedy Central App. The complete, 18-season, 254-episode library is available only on Hulu (subscription required).

The agreement with Comedy Central was negotiated for Parker and Stone by their attorney Kevin Morris.

Netflix in June : A review

In this post, I will review (some) added shows and movies on Netflix for the month of June. What you should watch and what you can avoid.

MOVIES:

  • CAKE:

I was really excited to see this movie because of the many appraisal it received concerning Jennifer Aniston’s performance. Of course I loved her in Friends, and then she sort of disappointed me with a lot of not so good, dumb movies, with a few exceptions. She became mostly known for roles in what I call heavy comedies, that are hard to digest, where most of the humor revolves around poop, falling, farts, burps and so on..

Cake is not a great movie. The premise is pretty interesting though: A woman, Claire, played by Jennifer Aniston, becomes obsessed with a young woman ( Anna Kendrick)  from her chronic pain support group that has recently committed suicide as she has to overcome her own difficulties.

***Spoiler alert

Claire, we learn, has had a horrible car accident that has left her in constant pain and handicapped, but most horribly, that killed her young son. Her refusal to deal with the pain eventually also led to her separation from her husband. And that’s where we are.  She is mean, angry, in pain, addicted to painkillers and incapable of dealing with her emotions. She is trying to shut everyone out of her life, and has successfully done so, apart from Silvana, her maid, that is trying to help and protect her, even taking a lot of risks doing so.

Claire becomes obsessed with this young woman, Nina, from her support group that committed suicide and has many visions involving her (although stopping the mix wine/ pain killers might be a good idea for it to stop). Claire decides to know more about her life and a strange relationship blossoms between her and Nina’s late husband. They are both desperately hanging on to life but he is doing so in a much more grounded way, he has not given up on life, mainly due to his young son. He tries to help Claire as much as he can and both give each other hope of a better tomorrow. Of course the parallel is obvious between the two women. One killed herself and left her son and husband grieving for her. The other had her son killed in a car accident and was left by her husband. What are Claire’s reasons to wake up every morning? What has she left to live for?

The story deals with grief, hope and love but in such a way that we are not sure what the film is trying to convey. There is no clear direction in the movie and we are left wondering where this is headed.

There are a lot (too many) shots of Claire in her bed, hallucinating and in pain. The shots involving Nina are a bit cliché, she is dressed perfectly, talks with a smooth voice. Some of the narratives are not subtle, like the whole metaphor of the cake with the introduction of a runaway teenager that does not add anything to the story.

Sure the acting is pretty solid from Jennifer Anniston, but I would not say it is mind blowing. Why is it that every time a story involves some kind of tragic past and/or physical alterations from glamour criteria ( loss of weight, gain of weight, shaving head, scars etc..) people judge it as great acting and expect an Oscar nomination? The movie has to be great, the character has to be deep and complex. In that case the characters are a bit too cliché and are not very well established.  Their complexity is not understood. The movie does not work very well.

Rating : 2/4

  • Beyond the lights

This movie as everything a good romantic Drama should have : beautiful people, true love, obstacles, and drama.

The movie is about a pop star, Noni, with a controlling manager/mother, who is on the verge of becoming a huge star. She meets Kaz, a boy with a good heart and strong principles that is about to enter politics. Their world could not be further apart and their relationship would hurt both of their careers.

This movie is about the star system, about what sells and what does not. It is about a lot of today’s singers in a way, how they are manipulated, marketed, sexualized to sell, sell, sell. It does not matter if they feel comfortable in that persona labels create for them, or if they are happy. People have to believe they are, they have to sell the American dream, the illusion.

Noni meets Kaz, someone that truly cares about her for the first time and her principles evolve, which, no surprise here, does not please the many investors in her career.

Kaz also represents the hypocrisy of the political system. It is not good for his campaign to be seen with a pop star, it would show him as someone looking for fame, someone that enjoys drama when in fact he is a grounded, good hearted person, in love and trying to help the person he loves. People are labeled and both words despise each other.

Sure there are moments that are a bit soapy but I thought this would be a bad romantic drama and  it proved out to be a really entertaining movie, touching on a lot of subjects and allowing a (brief) look in the backstage of fame and politics, with the final message being to accept yourself for who you are ( which is always a nice message to convey).

Rating : 3/4 

  • THE BEST OF ME

I was not expecting much when I started this movie but I still was shocked by how bad this was. It is horribly bad. It is basically about two persons that haven’t moved on since they were 17 after what seems like 3 months of romance.

 They are so stuck in the past, which would be fine if the movie showed the pathetic aspect of it but no, it is somehow seen like a really good thing. Everything about it is really dull.

They admit they still love each other after having talked for 10 minutes total, about 20 years after their teenage fling.

Using very subtle flashbacks to their teenage years (where the guy actor looks nothing like the older one, apparently people shrink with age) It tries to involve drama. The main guy (I don’t even remember his name, let’s call him lover boy) has a horrible family he tries to escape from but they really want him bad and are ready to kill for that (for whatever reasons..). There is a semi- violent scene and his best friend is killed after a fight. Lover boy goes to prison (along with his father) and of course, teenage girl is in love and says she will wait for him. But he breaks it off (duh) because, obviously, she is not going to wait like 8 years for him to get out.

But apparently, even though she has “moved on” in the meantime, and has had 3 kids (not out of love is an understatement), she is still pissed at him for breaking it off 20 years later because « she would have waited for him ». This is just ridiculous.

The bad guys are still there, and still pissed at lover boy, who is truly too nice to be trusted. And guess what? The bad guys are bad like really really bad, they’re the scar of the Lion King, even though their end game is never really clear (guess they are really dumb too).

So in the end, SPOILER ALERT, Guess what? They kill lover boy at the same time lover girl’s son has an accident and I kid you not, lover boy’s heart saves lover girl’s son. So basically, her lover’s heart now is inside her son, creepy right?

I mean this movie is so bad, the characters are such cliché; it feels like it was made by a 10 year old because life is simple and true love is eternal. I understand why they kill him off in the end because should they have started really being together, I wonder how long it could have lasted given the fact that they barely know each other and that all they talk about, and have in common is their 3 month romance when they were kids. But seriously, dialogues are bad, characters are bad, just stay away.

Rating : 1 /4

  • NIGHTCRAWLER :

This movie is very hard to review for me. I admit it is an exceptionally well-filmed movie, every shot is just pure and jaw droopingly beautiful. The character Lou Bloom, played by Jake Gyllenhaal is mesmerizing and the dialogues are poignant. The music is just right.

However, this is not my kind of movie. It reminded me of Drive in its amazing direction but I just do not really fall in love with those kind of movies. I think, after a little soul searching, that I am just too much a fan of dialogues, of knowing he complexity and self awareness of characters.

This movie is about a « reporter », or more precisely a man, with a camera that films local news but is not afraid to go further than anyone else. He will trespass scene crimes, break the law and even create drama himself, in order to get the best ( aka the goriest, most violent) shots.

This film is definitely a critic of today’s voyeurism, especially in the news, with more and more crude and disturbing images being broadcasted. It is a critic of our society that likes it, that always ask for more of it. People are so curious about death, about violence; think about how many people tried to see the corpses or the injured when an accident took place near you, and even you wanted to see as well. I do not know if it is part of our nature, because we wonder about death, or something that has been reinforced due to us being accustomed of seeing those images on the news. Anyways, today, these are the « money shots ».

But the movie is not only about that, it is most and foremost about Lou Bloom, someone that appears to everyone like a great worker, even sympathetic, reaching for the stars, making his own luck ( an American dream embodiment) that is ultimately a manipulative, vicious person, devoid of any empathy.

The camera follows him without making us empathize with his character, and we are able to condemn his actions and judge him very easily, distancing ourselves from such a horrible person. But the truth is, how horrible is he? and how horrible are we if we condemn the means but not the finality, if we watch his images and ask for more?

This emphasizes the paradox we are in concerning most things in the world today, we condemn child labor and exploitation but still buy 5 dollars shirt. We condemn global warming but still do not take our own bags to the grocery store and so on.

The movie is truly a piece of art so I would recommend it, even though, as I stated before, this is not a movie that really touched my sensitivity. Characters that are too distant, storylines that are too distant, and therefore when I have a hard time identifying in the story tends to just affect me less. But that’s just me.

Rating: 4/4

***

TV SHOWS:

  • Orange Is The New Black

Yes! Orange Is The New Black is back and it is so so good!!

The second season had disappointed me a little but this season was really great. It incorporated much more background on the characters and they became way more complex.

The first episode really sets the tone; the show had previously been criticized for not showing enough the reality of female imprisonment and the strain on family that prison results in, especially for the mothers imprisoned, not being able to have their children visit due to different constraints. This season treated much more about motherhood, being afraid for one’s child’s development, being afraid to be a bad mother or a bad example. It deals with a lot of different aspects of motherhood: Dayanara and her concerns for her unborn child, Gloria and Sophia that are facing their rebellious teenagers, Jessica that has a forced separation with her child or even Pennsatucky dealing with her abortions. All of this added so much humanity to their characters and we really understood how powerless those women are in situations that directly affect them. The gang war is more or less over, leaving them with more time to actually think about the outside world and what awaits them.

The flashbacks were amazing, giving us so much more insights as to who the characters are- especially the one about Pennsatucky that was heart breaking.

There is also more solidarity within the prison, old hatches have been buried and all seem very eager to look forward, to be better and do better. All, except for Piper who becomes more and more attached to the prison. She feels like she has finally found herself, and she is not a nice girl anymore. Shocker, Alex is actually the one trying to stay out of trouble and that ultimately leads to a feud between them.

Prisoners are looking for hope and a cult starts, under the presidency of Morna.

There is also a lot of backstory into the guards, the prison system, with Caputo doing everything he can to keep the prison afloat, without ever being thanked for it.

This season depicted much more all the weaknesses, faults and contradictions of the whole prison system. It showed us the limits of the system, a system that is a capitalistic system after all, lead by money, lead by people with their own ego ( like when the one counselor that actually manages to create trust with the prisoners is fired over Healy’s ego), lead by unqualified people. A lot of the episodes directly demonstrated the numerous pitfalls in the prison system, inability to deal with addiction, inability to counsel adequately and to listen, inability to treat the prisoners like human being even.

This season was really a lot more about empathizing with the characters; it was about showing them as human, complex people and created much more occasions to relate to them. This season was about change, redemption and hope. Not to say that there was not drama and humor, it is still hilarious and a dangerous trigger to binge watching behaviors.

If all of that isn’t enough, watch it at least to get the whole buzz about the latest addition to the cast, Ruby Rose.

Rating 4 /4

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.

#ComedyCentralCon | COMEDY CENTRAL® IS COMING TO SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON!

Comedy Central Panels on Thursday, July 9 at the Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom Featuring “Moonbeam City” from 4:00-5:00 p.m. and Back-to-Back Panels with “Drunk History” and “Another Period” from 6:00-7:30 p.m.

***

#ComedyCentralCon Free and Open to the Public Fan Event Featuring 9-Hole Mini-Golf, “Drunk History” 360 Photo Booth Experience, GIF Booth, Talent Signings, Giveaways and More! Friday, July 9 and Saturday, July 10 from 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. at The San Diego Wine & Culinary Center

***

Courtesy of “Another Period,” Comedy Central’s New Turn-Of-The-Century Franchise, Fans Can Get Free Rides in Old Tyme Cars Thursday, July 9 - Sunday, July 12 from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Be Carried Away by Butlers in Plush Chaise Lounge Chairs thanks to “Another Period's” Original Lift From Thursday, July 9 - Saturday, July 11 from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

***

“The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail” To Hold a Free Show with Special Guests On Friday, July 10 at American Comedy Co at 7:30 p.m.

***

Comedy Central is heading to Comic-Con with a plethora of events. It kicks off with panels in the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront on Thursday, July 9 starting with the upcoming animated series “Moonbeam City” (moderator Scott Aukerman, star and Producer Rob Lowe, series creator and Executive Producer Scott Gairdner, Executive Producer Tommy Blacha, Executive Producer Richie Schwartz) from 4:00-5:00 p.m. The evening continues with back-to-back panels from 6:00-7:30 p.m. featuring “Drunk History” (moderator Paul F. Tompkins; co-creator, host, Director Derek Waters; co-creator, Director Jeremy Konner; series recurring guest stars Taran Killam and Paget Brewster) followed by new series “Another Period” (stars and Executive Producers Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, series co-stars Armen Weitzman, Michael Ian Black, Paget Brewster; and Executive Producer, Director Jeremy Konner).

Comedy Central’s no-badge-required, free and open to the public event, #ComedyCentralCon will take place from 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11 at The San Diego Wine & Culinary Center (200 Harbor Dr. #120) directly across from the Convention Center. #ComedyCentralCon will feature the following: a 9-Hole Mini Golf course featuring a variety of the brand’s series including “Broad City,” “Review,” “Key & Peele,” “@Midnight with Chris Hardwick,” “Workaholics,” “Inside Amy Schumer” – and a first look at some new and never-before-seen franchises such as “Another Period,” “Why? With Hannibal Buress” and “Moonbeam City”.

Also, fans at #ComedyCentralCon can snap a virtual pic in the Comedy Central GIF photo booth with the stars of “Workaholics,” “Key & Peele,” “Broad City,” “Why? With Hannibal Buress,” “Another Period,” and “Moonbeam City;” get dizzy with “Drunk History” in a 360 photo booth experience; and spin a prize wheel to win limited edition Comedy Central collectibles. And to top it all off, some of the stars will be stopping by #ComedyCentralCon to meet fans and sign autographs.

For Comedy Central’s new turn-of-the-century franchise “Another Period” Comedy Central is kicking it old school and giving Comic-Con go-ers free rides in Old Tyme vehicles from Thursday, July 9 – Sunday, July 12 from 11:00 a.m.-5:00p.m. . Fans can flag down the vintage cars and enjoy a free ride to their destination while living like the original ballers did and bumping to some hip-hop jams along the way. Wait. Can’t catch a car? No worries! Comic-Con fans will also have the opportunity to get carried away with “Another Period’s” Original Lift from Thursday, July 9 – Saturday, July 11 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Butlers will be carrying participants for free around downtown San Diego and pampering them in swanky chaise lounge chairs. Walking is so overrated anyway.

On Friday, July 10, “The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail,” hosted as always by Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani, will be taking their uber popular Los Angeles stand-up show to Comic-Con with a free performance at The American Comedy Co. on 818 6th Ave at 7:30 p.m. “The Meltdown” is in its second season on Comedy Central with new episodes airing on Tuesdays at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT. Based on the live show which takes place in the back of Meltdown Comics in LA, Ray and Nanjiani welcome the biggest names in comedy as they experiment with new bits onstage and hang out backstage.

  • Thursday, July 9: “Moonbeam City” panel (Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel)

4:00-5:00 p.m. “Moonbeam City” is an absurdist, retro-futuristic 80s cop extravaganza. Comedy Central’s new animated series follows Dazzle Novak (voiced by Rob Lowe), a handsome, idiotic detective who commits more crimes than most criminals. His sexy, tyrannical chief Pizzaz Miller (Elizabeth Banks) won’t get off his back. His obnoxious rival Rad Cunningham (Will Forte) will stop at nothing to destroy him. Dazzle must team up with the city’s only competent police officer, Chrysalis Tate (Kate Mara), to protect their beloved, neon-soaked metropolis. “Moonbeam City” premieres on Wednesday, September 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT following the 19th season premiere of “South Park.” The panel will be moderated by Scott Aukerman and include series star and Producer Rob Lowe, series creator and Executive Producer Scott Gairdner, Executive Producer Tommy Blacha and Executive Producer Richie Schwartz.

  • Thursday, July 9: Comedy Central Presents “Drunk History” and “Another Period” panel

(Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel)
6:00-6:45 p.m. Come learn about the history of “Drunk History!” Derek Waters (co-creator, host, Director) and Jeremy Konner (co-creator, Director) will walk fans through how this historically accurate, yet slightly slurred show, works to portray little-known events and figures in history from the perspective of an intoxicated narrator. From humble beginnings as a digital series to two seasons on Comedy Central, with the third season set to premiere on September 1 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, Derek and Jeremy have plenty of stories to tell about the making of the show. The panel includes an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming new season, a Q&A and plenty more fun and debauchery as only “Drunk History” can create! The panel is moderated by Paul F. Tompkins and includes Derek Waters, Jeremy Konner, SNL’s Taran Killam (who has guest starred on all three seasons of the show) and series recurring guest star Paget Brewster.

  • 6:45-7:30 p.m. The party continues with “Another Period,” the original out of touch reality family in this turn-of-the-century historical and satirical scripted series that follows the insanely ridiculous and debaucherous life of the Bellacourts, who have more servants than relatives and whose days are filled with money, sex, drugs and more money. “Another Period” is co-created by Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, executive produced by Ben Stiller’s Red Hour and airs Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The panel will include stars and Executive Producers Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome, series co-stars Armen Weitzman, Michael Ian Black, Paget Brewster and Executive Producer and Director Jeremy Konner.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go on Comedy Central.

For more information, please visit:

BECAUSE... “WHY? WITH HANNIBAL BURESS” PREMIERES WEDNESDAY, JULY 8

Life’s most pressing questions will be answered when “Why? With Hannibal Buress” premieres Wednesday, July 8 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on Comedy Central, after an all-new “Key & Peele.”

The weekly, half-hour topical series will celebrate Buress’ hilariously brilliant off-beat voice and point-of-view. If it’s in the zeitgeist, Buress will address it, providing his unique perspective each week, answering the burning questions on his mind through stand-up, filmed segments, man-on-the-street interviews and special, in-studio guests. Through the eight-episode season, “Why? With Hannibal Buress” will be shot in front of a studio audience and each episode will tape the same week it airs.

The expanded world of “Why? With Hannibal Buress” goes beyond the television.

For more discussion of “life’s biggish questions” fans can enjoy original video, shareable clips and go behind the scenes on various social platforms including Instagram, Snapchat Discover, Twitter and Facebook, for 24/7 access to the show. Fans can also follow @hannibalburess on Twitter for more interaction.

Episodes of “Why? With Hannibal Buress” will be available the day after air on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Sony Entertainment Network, Vudu, Verizon Flexview and Google Play, as well as in the Comedy Central App to fans that authenticate via their cable or satellite provider. The Comedy Central App is available for free for iOS on the App Store, for Android on the Google Play store, and on Chromecast and Xbox One.

A wildly popular Emmy® and WGA Award-nominated comedian, writer and actor, Buress has been praised by The New York Times as having an “irresistible” comedic presence that lands squarely between “cerebral and swagger.” He is a series regular on the hit Comedy Central series “Broad City” (watch clip) and is the co-host of Adult Swim’s “The Eric Andre Show,” currently in its third season.  Buress also appeared in the 2014 blockbuster feature “Neighbors,” starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, and he just shot the film “Daddy’s Home” alongside Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. He was recently one of the featured “Roasters” on the “Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber” on March 30.

Buress’ highly-rated, one-hour stand-up special “Hannibal Buress Live from Chicago” premiered on Comedy Central on March 29, 2014 (watch clip), with GQ declaring “He makes us ugly laugh. Hard.” His first one-hour special, “Animal Furnace” (watch clip) premiered on the network in May 2012, and he has also been featured on several comedy-fan favorite TV shows including FX’s “Louie,” Fox’s “Bob’s Burgers” and “The Mindy Project,” Comedy Central’s “Kroll Show,” and Adult Swim’s “China, IL.” He has written for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” as well as “30 Rock,” where he also appeared on camera. He is a favorite on the late-night TV circuit with appearances on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (watch), “The Late Show with David Letterman” (watch), “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (watch) and “Conan” (watch).

Buress is represented by WME.

“Why? With Hannibal Buress” is executive produced by Buress, Jeff Stilson (“The Chris Rock Show,” “Da Ali G Show”) and Dave Becky of 3 Arts Entertainment. Adam Londy and Jim Sharp are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, Comedy Central (www.cc.com) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB and VIA).

Mr. Robot | Pilot (4/4)

The Official Trailer for 'Mr. Robot' on USA. New Episodes Wednesdays at 10/9c. " Subscribe to Mr. Robot: http://po.st/PAiNAW " Watch Full Episodes here: http://po.st/kCDlYE About: MR. ROBOT is a psychological thriller that follows Elliot (Rami Malek, "24"), a young programmer, who works as a cyber security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night.

I have to say it again, TV in US is doing really good. The variety and quality of shows available is just amazing. Seems we may have to add another one on the list, coming from USA - Mr. Robot. 

The name does not give you much, except that it should be a sci-fi show about a humanoid or robotic creature, who's probably the lead protagonist/antagonist, either saving or destroying the world. Most probably saving, and struggling with his new found emotions towards humanity... HOLD ON. The show has nothing to do with any of that. At least not so far. It's actually a show about the digital world that we lead in, how computers and internet affect every aspect of our lives. And a lowly and ordinary software hacker, who's also kinda crazy, is just doing his best to survive.

***spoilers***

The series follows Elliot (Rami Malek), a young cyber security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. He hates his job and hates even more the company he's supporting in his job, called E Corp aka Evil Corp (Apple? Google? Microsoft? Doubt it can be Microsoft anymore) suffers from a severe case of social anxiety disorder but connects to people by hacking them. That includes his co-worker and childhood friend Angela Moss, whose boyfriend he hates for being a cheater and retarded. The scene between him and the boyfriend is hilarious, specially when Elliot says "i'm okay with thing being weird between us". That also includes his therapist Krista Gordon, who's recently divorced and into dating losers, which Elliot has a problem with, and wants to protect her. The scenes between them are also quite intriguing, specially his inner monologues. 

Elliot finds himself at a crossroads when a mysterious anarchist Mr. Robot (Christian Slater), who's hobo by the night and hacker by the day, recruits Elliot. The show follows his attempts to recruit him to destroy the E Corp, which he is paid to protect. Compelled by his personal beliefs, Elliot struggles to resist the chance to take down the multinational CEOs he believes are running (and ruining) the world. He does end up following his belief and helping to destroy the CTO of E Corp, although Mr. Robot and his group seems to be disappeared. But right at the end of the pilot, he's escorted into a room of suited folks, being lead by one of the VPs of E Corp, he met earlier. Are these the folks he's been worried about? Who actually is Mr. Robot? Is this all real or just Elliot's imagination?

***spoiler ends***

The show has some great performances but Sami Malek takes the limelight. From his inner monologues, to anxieties, to people interaction, everything is either hilarious or pretty serious. And he does great job of it too. Christian Slater did not have a lot of screen presence, but was pretty good and has an interesting role, it seems. The focus has been on Elliot's character so far, which is obvious, but show can take some good turns. Gloria Reuben as the therapist has quite an interesting role. One of my friends Smarat Chakrabarty was also in as Ron, and had a great performance in a short role.

There's some great writing and amazing monologues and dialogues on the show. Makes it more fun to watch. As far as cinematography is concerned, it's great. Scenes in Manhattan, Subway and Cony Island look very NYC. The hacking aspect seems pretty realistic for an average audience, not sure if true hackers will agree though. It does bring some real concerns about cyber security and how the internet and social media impacts our every day lives. The show also has some pretty strong and clear opinions about people, things and events, like George Bush, Neil Armstrong, Bill Cosby, Transformers-2, facebook etc.

Anyways, it seems an interesting and great start to possibly a great show. I'm looking forward for more.

Note: These ratings and review are personal opinion of the author.

"KEY & PEELE" RETURNS WITH NEW EPISODES PREMIERING ON COMEDY CENTRAL®

  • Guest Stars Include: Tatyana Ali, Bo Burnham, Kate Burton, Jessica St. Clair, Rob Corddry, Regina Hall, Tricia Helfer, Melanie Lynskey, Adam Pally, Mekhi Phifer, Rob Riggle, Rebecca Romijn, Will Sasso, and Nick Searcy
  • Sketches Include: Obama and Luther Meet Hillary Clinton, Valets Discuss Val Kilmer, Trigger Happy Cops and Big Boi Runs in to Andre 3000
  • Custom “Key & Peele” Keyboard for iOS and Android Available July 8

 Comedy Central’s beloved sketch-comedy series “Key & Peele” is back with all-new episodes. The Peabody® Award-winning and five-time Emmy® Award-nominated series featuring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele returns with the first of eleven all-new episodes on Wednesday, July 8 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. “Key & Peele” once again displays compelling characters, crazy adventures and political satire, offering up a hilarious look at the world utilizing the stars’ lively chemistry and keen observations.

Viewers can expect new personalities as well as the return of their favorites, Obama and his anger translator, Luther, along with Meegan and Andre, to leave them laughing week to week. An array of guest stars will include: Tatyana Ali, Bo Burnham, Kate Burton, Jessica St. Clair, Rob Corddry, Regina Hall, Tricia Helfer, Melanie Lynskey, Adam Pally, Mekhi Phifer, Rob Riggle, Rebecca Romijn, Will Sasso and Nick Searcy in the all new episodes.

“Key & Peele” features Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who are best known for their impressive ability for improv, celebrity impressions and conjuring up original characters. The show utilizes filmed sketches to examine life in a provocative and irreverent way, from two men used to being on the outside looking in. Whether it’s satirizing the President, black Republicans, or taking on religion, “Key & Peele” showcases their chemistry, camaraderie and unique point of view, born from their shared background and experiences growing up biracial in a not quite post-racial world.

Leading up to the premiere, Comedy Central will provide viewers with new sketches and online exclusives weekly on cc.com and on July 8 will release a custom “Key & Peele” keyboard for iOS and Android, allowing users to share custom emojis and GIFs for the show.

Episodes of “Key & Peele” will be available the day after air on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Xbox Video, Google Play, Vudu and Sony Entertainment Network, as well as in the Comedy Central App to fans that sign in via their cable or satellite provider. The Comedy Central App is available for free for iOS on the App Store, for Android on the Google Play store, and on Chromecast and Xbox One.

Credits for the series include: Key, Peele, Jay Martel, Ian Roberts, Peter Principato and Joel Zadak as Executive Producers. The series is directed by Peter Atencio who also co-executive produces. Gary Mann and Tara Schuster are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, only on Comedy Central (www.cc.com).