The Sundance Channel, once the home to cool movies and docs is expanding its roster to scripted police dramas and style shows. "When you hear 'Sundance you think the best in new movies and the future of cinema," stated one executive, "but we plan to take that brand, stomp on it, set it on fire, find the ashes and shit on them."
With a full plate of police dramas and style shows the goal is set to be gayer than "Bravo, Logo and La Cienega and Santa Monica at 1 AM on a Thursdy night combined."
Last night at 1 AM a new record was broken. The one millionth comedian made the joke "I slept like a baby last night. I cried and took a shit on myself." "I honestly thought I wrote that joke," Matt Wilde told this reporter, "I was more shocked to find out I wasn't the only person who wrote this joke, let alone the 1 millionth."Although he's only been doing stand up comedy for 7 weeks - he's made a name for himself.
Last week, he got the honors of being the 2 millionth person to think he wrote the crowd work line, "What town are you from? Do you know Bob?"
Not everyone loves Mr. Wilde's sudden notoriety. The other open mic comics are jealous and have even shunned the celebrated joke teller.
"Just two weeks ago I told that baby joke," said Teddie Spaghetti from his job at bakery. "But I honestly wrote it. I didn't steal it. I lived the joke. I don't have any kids, but I cry and shit myself in my sleep. Now I can't do that joke anymore. What a waste."
(Phil Schwarzmann has nothing to do with this article. We just used his photo. Go check him out on his website.)
One of LA LA Land's newest mandates has been a huge success!
In order to cut the number of A-list actors who have to do jury duty and distracting court cases, the county installed the "Jury Duty or Gary Marshall" initiative is working.
Since the court does not want to be have security issues or distractions when a huge star like Jamie Foxx walks into a jury pool, the city counsel found another place for them. A-list actors were given a choice between serving on a jury or acting in a romcom directed by Gary Marshal who was working off a traffic ticket. A trial run was done last year with the movie "He's Just Not That into You." Movie stars were sent a notice to appear at the Downtown LA court house along with a script based on the best selling book. Some actors did not take part in either program because they either thought it was joke or their Q rating dropped. "Once Luke Wilson started doing phone commercials," one city official said, "He guaranteed himself to a life of jury duty."
What was supposed to be a gag for an up coming episode of "30 Rock" has turned into an accidental movie release. Following past plot lines that Jenna was to star in such junk as "Rural Juror," Tracy Morgan's character was to follow up his fictional blockbuster "Honky Grandma be Trippin'," and "Who Dat Ninja" with "Cop Out." The idea was that Tracy Jordan was going to star in a by the numbers buddy cop film. "I thought people knew we were making fun of bad 80's cop buddy films when we 'cast' Bruce Willis," one writer told us in private for a free coffee and scone. "When I suggested that we put Kevin Smith as the director, we all thought everyone would get the joke."
But America fell for the irony and thought the movie posters and the trailers that told absolutely no story and made no sense were real. The studio is rushing to have something for theaters to show on the faux/now real release date.
The "30 Rock" writers promise to be more careful next time.
Wanna have lunch and not see people you know from business? Ran to Toast or Doughboy's and ran into a publicist and an agent? Tired of explaining what you've been up to? THen Eat at Jan's Restaurant. A diner without agents, managers or even an intern. Show biz types won't even eat there ironically. Enjoy a pretty good meal without hearing someone make a deal. Jan's!
This week, Jon attacked his own show for being petty and repetitive. "Making a face and going 'Wha?' is not political discourse," the host said about his own show and then showed a clip of himself doing just that over and over again.
"We just ran out of people to put down," admitted the show's producer. After Bush left office, the host had no one to attack. The administration was one that he supported. He was a political comment show with no one to comment on.
So he went after FOX News. Then Jim Cramer was fell victim to Stewart's scorn. It got so bad that in a wimpy move Cramer went on The Daily Show and admitted to being a dummy.
Once Cramer apologized for not being as cool as Stewart, the TDS team needed another whipping boy.
The show went on a rampage and attached fellow TV personalities and shows from cable and network.
Then, last week the TV well ran dry and Stewart attacked the young children of the internet - bloggers!
Now they have nothing left to put down. So like a hungry snake - Stewart went after himself.
This all started when he went on another cable news show, called them hacks and asked them to stop producing the show. CNN canceled the show right away and jobs were lost.
The staff of The Daily Show understands the irony of their show getting canceled because of attacks from their show. "Yes we understand the irony," the show's producer said, "It's irony. That's what we do."
For the new season of Venture Brothers - the show takes a page out of the "Scrubs" playbook ---
Venture Brothers has changed formats and networks. Now the show that's a take off on "Johnny Quest" type cartoons from the past has changed names and format. Instead of being a low-key adult cartoon that subtly lampoons kid's adventures shows it's a low-key adult cartoon that subtly lampoons the spy genre. This change happened when the show moved from Adult Swim to FX. They also kept the cool opening credits.
For the ninth season of "Scrubs" the creators changes the show up to keep it fresh and accommodate the changing cast members. No longer did the show take place in a hospital, but now it's a medical school that for some reason is attached to a hospital. (I won't even get my hair cut a barber college let alone have my appendix taken out by a second year freshman.) Bill Lawrence, "Scrubs" creator wanted to change the name of the show not to confuse the two formats. "Srubs: 2.0" as he called it in the press. But the network that airs and owns the show wanted to hedge their bets and and keep the name just in case the show failed and they can fold episodes into the "Scrubs" syndication.
Unlike the medical sitcom and future inspiration for "Grey's Anatomy," "Venture Brothers" changed it's name to "Archer."
The "Luke Wilson Welcome to TV" party was a hoot. Everyone was there from the world of TV to help celebrate Wilson's transition from Romcom movie star to cell phone pitchman and HBO series regular.
Roth, Glenn Close, Gary Sinise, Joe Montagnia, Holly Hunter were just a few of the well wishers and party goers.
Filmweek. Every Friday at 11 Larry Mantle and film reviewers talk about the latest movies. A lot of the reviews are negative, but they are always very interesting to listen to. Also there will be an occasional interview. The show moves along and there isn't any awkward banter.
A transplant New Yorker admits that the bagel at La Brea bagel was "pretty good." "It's a ton of bread with raisins in it. What about the water? The hard water? Who gives a shit?"
Although it stinks the the funny show "Better Off Ted" is being burned off in the dark winter months and most likely not returning - we must give credit to the network for putting the show on in the first place. It's not a conventional show - not a family sitcom, not about young singles, not based around a slumming star. But it's a show that's just very funny and entertaining.
The network gave the show two seasons and unfortunately it did not catch on. Thanks for trying something different. Hopefully you'll try again soon.
Studios are very excited by Bradley Cooper's break out role in "The Hangover." Hollywood found a new leading man. "Now we don't have to deal with Ryan Rynolds," said one studio executive, "That guy can now get his own chicken breast." For a brief time, Hollywood thought Dane Cook would save them from the double R - unfortunately that did not turn out.
"Now if we can just hand over all of David Cross' parts to that Zach guy," continued the candid exec, "we'd all be a bit happier."
It seems that the LA comedy podcasts all fish from the same pond. They all seem to have comedy regulars like Paul F. Tompkins and Chris Hardwick. Also Weird "Al" has become hip appearing on "CDR" and Doug Benson's movie show.
All these people are funny, but it makes the podcasts as limiting as the comedy shows. The hip comedy shows will have the same pool of comedians in LA. I guess it's about calling your friends and getting it done.
If Benson's show or CDR are the main stage of podcasts, then shows like "The Paul Goebel Show" are the open mic of podcasts. his shows feature new up and coming comedians he meets at the open mic. Some are funny and some are just fine. But it's nice to hear a different white male voice on the air once in a while.
This week a Todd Glass-less podcast of "Comedy & Everything Else" welcomes the Bud Light Golden Wheat of comedy (slightly less bitter than before) Marc Maron. On Marc's Podcast last week he welcomed hilarious comedian Andy Kindler. Just a Marc and Andy were guests on Doug "not now I'm talking up this chick" Benson on his funny podcast "I Love Movies." A week before that, Doug was on JImmy Dore's "Comedy & Everything Else."
The Sundance Channel, once the home to cool movies and docs is expanding its roster to scripted police dramas and style shows. "When you hear 'Sundance you think the best in new movies and the future of cinema," stated one executive, "but we plan to take that brand, stomp on it, set it on fire, find the ashes and shit on them."
Although he's only been doing stand up comedy for 7 weeks - he's made a name for himself. 
A trial run was done last year with the movie "He's Just Not That into You." Movie stars were sent a notice to appear at the Downtown LA court house along with a script based on the best selling book. Some actors did not take part in either program because they either thought it was joke or their Q rating dropped. 
What was supposed to be a gag for an up coming episode of "30 Rock" has turned into an accidental movie release. Following past plot lines that Jenna was to star in such junk as "Rural Juror," Tracy Morgan's character was to follow up his fictional blockbuster "Honky Grandma be Trippin'," and "Who Dat Ninja" with "Cop Out." The idea was that Tracy Jordan was going to star in a by the numbers buddy cop film. "I thought people knew we were making fun of bad 80's cop buddy films when we 'cast' Bruce Willis," one writer told us in private for a free coffee and scone. "When I suggested that we put Kevin Smith as the director, we all thought everyone would get the joke."
Wanna have lunch and not see people you know from business? Ran to Toast or Doughboy's and ran into a publicist and an agent? Tired of explaining what you've been up to? THen Eat at Jan's Restaurant. A diner without agents, managers or even an intern. Show biz types won't even eat there ironically. Enjoy a pretty good meal without hearing someone make a deal. Jan's!
For the new season of Venture Brothers - the show takes a page out of the "Scrubs" playbook ---
cartoon that subtly lampoons the spy genre. This change happened when the show moved from Adult Swim to FX. They also kept the cool opening credits. 
Filmweek. Every Friday at 11 Larry Mantle and film reviewers talk about the latest movies. A lot of the reviews are negative, but they are always very interesting to listen to. Also there will be an occasional interview. The show moves along and there isn't any awkward banter.
Studios are very excited by Bradley Cooper's break out role in "The Hangover." Hollywood found a new leading man. "Now we don't have to deal with Ryan Rynolds," said one studio executive, "That guy can now get his own chicken breast." 
