the comic's comic

Watch Eric Price on Last Call with Carson Daly

When I went to grab the video of Kevin Hart's interview the other day, I stumbled across this find from another recent episode of Last Call with Carson Daly.

Several curious thoughts while watching this: 1) Carson Daly did an entire "series" on up-and-coming young comedians, and we missed it? 2) How can you introduce a piece about Eric Price and not mention he is on MADtv? 3) On top of that, how can Daly say this is his television debut? 4) Why would you film a stand-up show in what appears to be a hole in a wall? 5) Why would Price be recording this set, if it's already being recorded...for television? 6) Is that the best the NBC.com folks could do with that tease on the video: "Watch comedian Eric Price do some standup!"? 7) At the end of his set, does Price really perform all of the voices on Family Guy?

MADtv #14.3

We haven't forgotten about MADtv, which also aired its third new episode of the season on Saturday night, and really put a focus on new cast members Eric Price and Matt Braunger, having them open the show as guys wanting to live like Mad Men, which was fun and would have been more meta-fun if Crista Flanagan had reprised her actual Mad Men secretarial character!

Coincidentally, on the same night SNL made repeated jokes about Facebook, MADtv had the social networking site in its sights, with Braunger playing an assistant to John McCain (Bobby Lee) trying to help him learn Facebook in a recurring sketch. Braunger also got his own segment portraying John Mayer, while Price got additional face time in a recurring sketch as a reporter covering the launch of a new iPhone, a shot at Tim Gunn, and played host of "Albania's Got Talent." Also of note: Nicole Parker turned in more than passable interpretations of Dina Lohan, Kathy Griffin, Sharon Osbourne and Sarah Palin, in the latter character taking questions from the audience. Though it seems as though this show arrived late to the Palin parody sweepstakes. And oddly, at the end of the show, only six cast members were on hand to wave goodbyes?! Hmmm. The episode is not yet up on Hulu. Further hmmmm.

Meet the new cast members of MADtv

Time for the new fall season of TV sketch comedy, and while you may have heard that swimmer Michael Phelps is hosting Saturday Night Live, let me also remind you that MADtv continues to operate over on the FOX television network. They have three new cast members this fall, and help you get to know these folks -- Matt Braunger, Erica Ash and Eric Price -- with video vignettes.

MADtv hires Matt Braunger, Eric Price

Want to know how MADtv continues to thrive and survive for a 14th season, coming this fall on FOX? They keep shuffling the cast deck. That's one way they do it. Sure, Michael McDonald has been on for 10 years, and Bobby Lee for seven, but many more are in and out in less than three seasons. Anjelah Johnson lasted only a few months last season before heading back to the club circuit. The year before, Lisa Donovan was the big story as she got cast straight from YouTube, only to disappear (from TV, at least) by season's end. She's still a hit on YouTube. Her new thing is offering sexy "collab-characters" to pump up your own YouTube video stats.

So there's always fresh young talent to tune in and see. We already know (thanks to The Bastion) that MADtv has hired stand-up comedian Matt Braunger -- just a year ago, he was a New Face in Montreal! -- as well as actor/comedian Eric Price to suit up this summer. Who else is joining the show?