the comic's comic

Briefly reviewed: "Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying!" at the UCB Theatre

You know how they tell you to write a spec script if you want to get into the TV business? Chris Kelly, a staff writer at The Onion News Network who also has written for Matt Besser's Comedy Central pilot, has written a situation that would get great ratings in any contemporary sitcom with "Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying!"

The show, currently playing at the UCB Theatre in New York City, finds the family, friends, co-workers and neighbors of Earl (played by a plastic dummy lying in a hospital bed) coming to grips with his impending death. What do you say to a dying man? What. Do. You. Say. It's one of those situations you don't think about until it's happening, which often leads to awkwardly humorous results. Darkly humorous, but funny nevertheless. Leslie Meisel, D'Arcy Erokan, Michael Hartney, Marcy Jarreau, Morgan Jarrett, Brandon Scott Jones and Chris Kelly play the various people whose lives have intersected with Earl's. Meisel plays the loving wife, while Jones is the son who just wants to go to the bathroom in peace. But Lennon Parham, accidentally or on purpose, pretty much steals the show without even taking the stage as Aunt Debra, who delivers her hilarious final messages and revelations via Skype.

OMG, indeed.

See "Oh My God, I Heard You're Dying!" at the UCB Theatre.

Brett Gelman and Paul Scheer breakdown this year's Oscar hopefuls. Hey, That's Awesome!

Take that, Avatar. Stop feeling so Precious and keep an eye out before you get attacked from The Blind Side and end up feeling all Hurt Locker. Or something like that. Here are film critics "Ryan O'Neal" and "Tatum O'Neal" (comedians Brett Gelman and Paul Scheer) laying down the smack on this year's Oscar hopefuls in advance of Sunday's Academy Awards. Roll this clip.

Meanwhile, critics Stinson (Rob Lathan) and Ms. Marjory Maycomb (Lennon Parham, as seen currently on Accidentally on Purpose) had some awesome and wholesome things to say about several of these same movies. Hey, that's awesome!