the comic's comic

Successful Alcoholics, the short film starring TJ Miller and Lizzy Caplan

I certainly wouldn't consider myself a successful alcoholic. But who could, really? And yet, that's the title of the 25-minute short film written by TJ Miller and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2010. It's finally online in its entirety for you to enjoy. Certainly Not Safe For Work. Miller and Lizzy Caplan star in Successful Alcoholics, with featured roles for Nick Thune, Matt Braunger, Nick Kroll and Whitney Cummings.

Roll it!

 

Nick Thune performs stand-up and panel on Conan, and issues a post-show warning to a heckler

At least a couple of times already, the new Conan on TBS has brought back a staple of the old Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, allowing some of the stand-up comedians to head over to the panel to chat with Conan O'Brien after performing.

We're not seeing O'Brien give the comedians a thumb's up first as Carson used to do on-camera -- these post-set panels appear to be pre-arranged. But still. It's nice to see stand-ups get to do both, and not have to settle for either performance or panel (in which the performance is weaved into the dialogue with the host).

Last night, Nick Thune started off with a couple of quick, subtle numbers that seemed to sail past the studio audience. They caught onto Thune's act soon thereafter, however, and increasingly approved of his wordplay and one-liners accompanied by what O'Brien called a really nice guitar. During the panel portion, Thune told O'Brien about a very naughty audience member at one of his shows -- and I don't naughty in the way you pervs are clearly interpreting it. Rather, naughty as in, someone's going to have to call his mother!

Roll the clip.

 

Tell Your Friends! Lorne Michaels eyed Nick Thune before casting him in NBC sitcom pilot Beach Lane

You may have wondered over the weekend what exactly happened with the NBC sitcom pilot Beach Lane. You knew it starred Matthew Broderick as a celebrity author who gets hired by an eccentric and irresponsible millionaire to run his newspaper in the Hamptons, and last week, you thought that millionaire would be played by Patton Oswalt. But what to make of rumors that Oswalt got pushed aside after the table read? And then within hours, three other actors who, ahem, all of whom looked alike, yet stood several inches taller and much skinner than Oswalt, were reading for the role? That sounded weird to you, right?

Well, it made perfect sense to me.

Because just a month or two ago, Lorne Michaels spent part of his Monday night at Tell Your Friends, the weekly stand-up showcase produced by Liam McEneaney and Jessica Flores in the basement of Lolita bar in the Lower East Side. Why was Michaels there? To scout Nick Thune. The guy who is now co-starring with Broderick and Kristen Johnston in Beach Lane. When I heard Michaels was looking at Thune, I first thought, that's weird, because while I agree that Thune is funny and multi-talented, I didn't exactly see him as an SNL type. Seeing that Michaels was executive-producing Beach Lane, well...that's another matter entirely. Now it all comes together. The sold-out taping has been pushed back a day from Thursday to Friday in New York City, presumably because of the recasting. I'll be able to tell you more later. Michaels is exec-producing the show with Marci Klein (30 Rock, SNL) and Paul Simms (Newsradio), who also is the creator/writer. Which is probably why you and I are paying more attention to this than other pilots. Because NBC probably is paying more attention to this pilot.

I wish Thune good luck on this week's taping, and hope everything comes together.

I know why NBC couldn't snag Thune earlier -- he was in Australia performing at the Melbourne comedy festival. Here is a clip of him and Kate Micucci doing a live version of Dreams, which appears on Thune's new CD/DVD combo, Thick Noon. Roll the clip.

If you'd like to hear/see more of Nick Thune, then you can order his CD/DVD Thick Noon here:

Amy Schumer asks comics at the Cellar to promote her Comedy Central 1/2-hour: What happens next

Amy Schumer made it pretty far on Last Comic Standing a few years ago, and in a few weeks, she'll have her first Comedy Central Presents on the TV. So she decided to hit up her fellow stand-up comedians at the Comedy Cellar in NYC for some testimonials. Should be great, right? Of course, it quickly becomes a sequel to Seinfeld's Comedian, with Colin Quinn, Jim Norton, Darrell Hammond and Jessica Kirson talking smack about her. "Doesn't every comedian have a special now?" Indeed. Schumer gets some outside help from Nick Thune (who already has a Comedy Central Presents and more to his credit), and if you're on the sidewalk in front of the Cellar, of course, there will be a moment with Ardie Fuqua. Of course. Don't worry, none of these are really spoiler alerts. Roll it!

Nick Thune releases "Thick Noon" without hick tunes!

Nick Thune has a new comedy CD/DVD out this week. So let's celebrate. Here are a couple of behind-the-scenes videos that tell you everything you need to know if you're uncertain about liking this gent. Roll them!

Nick Thune's campaign for Daylight Spending Time

It's that time of year again, people. What time is it? Miller Time? Stop. Hammertime?! Nope. Almost time to fall back from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. Comedian Nick Thune has something to say -- nay, to sing -- about that, and sing he did on last night's episode of The Jay Leno Show.

If you visit the site mentioned in Thune's song, Daylight Spending Time, you'll find he has more to the campaign with a few PSAs and a petition for you to sign. Will you "Just Say No" when everyone else in America (outside of Arizona) moves the clocks back an hour early Sunday morning on Nov. 1, 2009?

Meet Jay Leno's comedy correspondents and what they'll bring to NBC primetime

Perhaps you have seen the incessant NBC promotions for The Jay Leno Show, promising unprecedented comedy in the 10 o'clock hour for American TV viewers? (If you have a TV, then of course you have, and I wonder if the people in the Central and Mountain time zones get their own ads that say 9 p.m., or if they're just confused? That last part may be rhetorical) Leno has done a lot of press to promote it this summer, from the official TCA "tour," to traveling to various NBC affiliates for promos and interviews, to a conference call earlier this week. We've gotten the message. And the conventional wisdom has been NBC is willing to bet on five hours of comedy as a cheaper option without the promise of big ratings. But. Wait. Just. One. Second.

Five hours of comedy. Much of it stand-up, or taped segments produced and starring stand-up comedians. In primetime! This is a much bigger deal. Jerry Seinfeld, tapped to be Leno's first guest on Monday's debut, has been taking it seriously enough that he has rehearsed his stand-up material several times this week in New York City comedy clubs.

After all, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s only aired once a week. So was Sid Caesar's Caesar's Hour; Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In; The Milton Berle Show; even The Jack Paar Program that some have compared Leno's move most closely to, only aired one night a week. Which means Leno will need to fill a lot of airtime, and he has enlisted a cadre of comedians to help him do so. NBC so far has announced that Leno will be airing contributions from D.L. Hughley, Jim Norton, Rachael Harris, Mikey Day, Dan Finnerty and the Dan Band, Liz Feldman, Brian Unger, Nick Thune, Owen Benjamin, Marina Franklin, Sebastian Maniscalco and former Leno intern Ross Matthews. UPDATED: Also Dwayne Perkins, who wasn't listed on the NBC press release, but was showing up on the TV ads for Leno during Thursday night's NFL coverage. And here is video of Time magazine photographing Leno on the new set.

In some interviews, Leno has said he's not looking to do what The Daily Show does, (except for the fact that he'll have NBC's own news anchor, Brian Williams presenting funny news) which is true only in that he already had been sending out comedians into the world to file their own takes on the news -- as this NBC clip package shows:

From what I have learned talking to the comedians who are participating on the show, as well as looking at what these people were bringing to the table already, I think I'm safe in telling you what we can expect from the part of Leno's hour that does not include celebrity car races, Headlines, Jaywalking or Jay's monologue.

Nick Thune quits comedy for "Nick's Big Show"

That's the premise of Nick Thune's five-episode online series for Comedy Central's Atom.com, which means you better be buckling up for a bumpy ride, because Nick's Big Show is an anti-comedy comedy show. Nick Thune plays himself as a comedian who gets his hands on $10,000 and pays a camera crew to follow him around as he makes the leap from comedian to performance artist, putting on a show to beat all shows. Kate Micucci plays Thune's biggest fan, hired to be his personal assistant. Nick Kroll, as Thune's manager, has no idea what to make of all of this. Will you be able to see the big picture? New episodes are released on Fridays.

Nick's Big Show, Episode 1: The Pitch

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Atom Originals | Nick's Big Show

In episode two, out today, we see Thune go to a costume shop for design tips from "Markie" (TJ Miller) and seek out a choreographer.

Nick's Big Show, Episode 2: Assembling the Crew

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Atom Originals | Nick's Big Show

The series runs through April 17.

Bumbershoot 2008 highlights changes in Seattle comedy scene

Labor Day weekend in Seattle means the biggest music and arts fest of the year there, aka Bumbershoot. A decade ago, the weekend attracted names both big and small in music to come together in celebration of culture and all things good and fun, with one show or maybe two devoted on the side to comedy. Well, one look at the 2008 Bumbershoot comedy schedule shows how far we've come, with three full days and nights of funny in multiple venues this weekend. Human Giant will be there. So, too, will Janeane Garofalo, Marc Maron, Tom Rhodes, Doug Benson, Hannibal Buress, Jessi Klein, TJ Miller, Nick Thune, Michelle Buteau, the People's Republic of Komedy, Vince Averill, Tig Notaro, Greg Behrendt, The Sound of Young America Live!, UCB-LA's MySpace show, and many more.

It's also a time for sad and glad news. Sad? Final weekend for the Mainstage Comedy crew on Queen Anne (as reported by the Seattle Comedy Blog). Waiting for the full story on that development. On the other hand: Glad? The Comedy Underground finally gets to reopen in its new location a couple of blocks over in Pioneer Square at 109 S. Washington St., with a grand reopening debut UPDATED: The Comedy Underground's people report they're moving the Sept. 9 for the Mitch Hedberg CD release/tribute show over to Laughs in Kirkland because it's possible the new Underground won't be ready in time and they don't want to miss the chance to celebrate the CD release in "Mitch's comedy home."

Video: Lincoln Navigator

Two Nicks. One Lincoln. Many funnys. Thanks, Funny or Die!

Behind the CCP: Nick Thune

Two things to remember when you watch the debut tonight of Nick Thune's half-hour Comedy Central Presents. 1) See that "bird" that flaps around in the camping background? That bird prompted three, count 'em, three reshoots just so they could get it on camera. Was it worth it? 2) Thune's closer had a little help, if you know what I mean. And if you don't know what I mean, that's fine by me. I don't mind being vague today.

Interviews with Thune after the jump!