the comic's comic

Behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast of Adult Swim's NTSF:SD:SUV:: plus two new promo clips!

Paul Scheer's new Adult Swim parody procedural series, NTSF:SD:SUV::, premieres this week. And AOL TV (which hasn't been absorbed by The Huffington Post...yet) visited the set to interview Scheer and the rest of the cast, which includes Brandon Johnson, Rebecca Romijn, Kate Mulgrew, Martin Starr and June Diane Raphael. Also Rob Riggle! And a robot?

Roll the clip!

 

Want to see some of that action, though? New awesome trailers, full speed ahead...in 3...2...1....

FX's "The League" stars contemplate a fall without pro football in these promo clips

Remember this spring when I asked two stars of FX's The League how the series -- which revolves around a group of friends who compete in fantasy football -- would handle the NFL lockout this fall?

Well, spring is turning into summer, and that means it's time for The League's stars to address the situation officially, as they do in this new round of promotional clips.

Let's start with their demands for the NFL:

 

But the situation deteriorates from there...

Flashback: Fresh faces of comedy as seen in 1998 episode of Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade

A comedy fan named Danielle who goes by schwaggology on Tumblr was up late the other night watching the first season of the Upright Citizens Brigade's Comedy Central series from way back in 1998 when something caught her eye.

Sitting alongside UCB members Amy Poehler and Matt Besser were mostly college-aged fresh-faced kids (just as you'd see in many UCB show audiences today in NYC or Hollywood). But in the third episode of season one, "Saigon Suicide Squad," check out a few faces in particular. As Danielle points out with arrows, you can see what Paul Scheer, Rob Corddry, Nick Kroll and Rob Riggle looked like many years before they were TV famous themselves.

 
You might even recognize some other people in the crowd!

I wanted to find out more about how this episode could attract so much future talent, so I asked Paul Scheer how he got this very early TV credit. Scheer told The Comic's Comic:

"As far as Saigon -- I was in every episode of UCB season 1 sometimes twice an episode (as an extra -- I think I eventually got one line). They used all their students as extras, none of us got paid but they had great snacks. Saigon was a taping of their amazing stage show, so that was an easy one but that was a super fun night up in Harlem.

I think Nick was a freshman in Georgetown. I was still in NYU. But if you watch the 1st season everyone is there. It's fun looking back."

Fun, indeed!

This photo also works as a great advertisement for taking classes at the UCB's Theatres: From students to stars!

What will FX's "The League" do if the NFL lockout continues into fall and impacts the 2011 season?

As the NFL lockout continues into the spring, what will its impact be on the third season of FX sitcom The League, which is set to return this fall with or without football?

The whole series revolves around a group of guys and a woman who compete in fantasy football. So I asked two of The League's stars, the husband-wife team of Mark Duplass and Katie Aselton, on the red carpet for The Comedy Awards. Duplass' film, Cyrus, received four nominations for The Comedy Awards, which airs April 10, 2011 on Comedy Central and several other Viacom networks.

 

In related news, the couple's comedic co-stars from The League -- Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, Jon Lajoie and Stephen Rannazzisi -- all will be performing stand-up live at Bonnaroo this June in Manchester, Tenn.

Your support for The League's stand-up comedy tour helped convince FX to renew it for season three

FX announced tonight that it had renewed fantasy-football sitcom The League for a third season, to go into production this summer with a fall premiere, in time for, well, football season. If the NFL doesn't suffer a lockout or strike, that is.

But check out this quote from FX e.v.p. of original programming, Nick Grad:

“We’re pleased to announce the third season pickup of The League, and are fired up to continue our partnership with Jackie and Jeff Schaffer and the ensemble cast,” said Grad. “We love the show, and the reaction the cast received across the country during their recent comedy tour is a sign the show is really building momentum.”

Last fall, several members of the cast -- which includes Mark Duplass, Stephen Rannazzisi, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Katie Aselton and Jon Lajoie -- embarked on a stand-up comedy tour together. You bought tickets. You showed up at the comedy clubs. And FX noticed.

In ratings terms, The League averaged 1.4 million viewers during its second season (1.1 million in ages 18-49) in its initial airings (2.5 million over the course of its multiple-run airings each week), which was up slightly from the first season.

Paul Scheer sells Adult Swim on NTSF:SD:SUV, with 12 episodes to air in summer 2011

Congrats to Paul Scheer, who just received a 12-episode order from Adult Swim based just on his commercial that aired during another Cartoon Network/Adult Swim program, Childrens' Hospital. Deadline reports that Scheer is writing and executive producing the series, with Childrens' Hospital's Jon Stern also onboard as e.p.

On Twitter, Scheer described National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle thusly: "It'll be like Michael Bay Fisting Tony Scott. Check it out!"

Previously: Could "National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle" be too good to be TV true? (with video)

Paul Scheer will talk to you on Yowie, but you no longer have to ask him when Human Giant is reuniting

Paul Scheer is the latest to take the Yowie plunge, plugging in his headphones this evening to chat with you and answer your questions online and on camera.

Go to Paul Scheer's Yowie page to sign in at the appropriate time and date.

One thing you don't have to ask Scheer: When is Human Giant getting back together?

Answered! Scheer, Aziz Ansari and Rob Huebel, along with Jason Woliner, will all be in one place at one time to talk about and screen Human Giant footage on Nov. 14 at The Cinefamily in Los Angeles.

Next question?

Paul Scheer answers your questions and then some about watching season two of The League on FX

Until I find the path to reblog something from Tumblr into TypePad, we're going to have to rely on the ol' tried-and-true method of the cut-and-paste. Which is to say, look, people, Paul Scheer is one of the stars of FX's comedy about fantasy football called The League, which starts its second season tonight, and if you're wondering whether or not you should be watching, then Scheer can help answer those questions for you.

To wit...

Q: I hate football. I don’t like Fantasy Sports. I’m not watching this show.
A: Wait! Not a problem. This isn’t the BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW. You don’t have to know anything about Football or Fantasy to enjoy the show (although if you do you get exactly 7% more laughs per episode). The show is more in the style of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” basically it’s just about people in their mid twenties/early thirties realizing that they are adults and not really liking that responsibility. Oh and some dick jokes too.

Q: I hate the Cast. Especially you Paul Scheer.
A: Hey. Not Cool but also not a problem. If you don’t like the main cast, don’t worry we have plenty of amazing Guest Stars - This year we’ve had amazing guest stars like ROB HUEBEL, MARTIN STARR, LESLIE BIBB, MICHAEL HITCHCOCK, LINDSAY SLOANE, CRAIG BIERKO, JASON MANTZOUKAS, IKE BARINHOLTZ, COLTON DUNN, BRANDON JOHNSON, plus a slew of other hilarious people. And NFL PLAYERS - CHAD OCHO CINCO, JOSH CRIBBS & TERRELL SUGGS. But wait we even have FANTASY GURU’S - JOHN HANSEN and ADAM CAPLAN

Q: I watched the First Episode last season. I wasn’t impressed. It was nothing like my favorite show “Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.”
A: While I agree Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a killer show, that sassy black cat was comic gold, I’d argue it wasn’t at the top of it’s game until at least 10 episodes into their 1st season. Our first season was only 6 episodes long and I think each episode we did got better and better and now we’ve really found the groove of show by the last few of last season which means this season we really hit the ground running.

Read the rest on Paul Scheer's Tumblr! Then watch The League on FX.

Paul Scheer's rules for watching "Piranha 3D"

Everybody remember Snakes on a Plane? OK. Let me rephrase that: Anybody remember anything about Snakes on a Plane other than the one line you remember Samuel L. Jackson uttering about being fed up with all of the mother-loving snakes? I remember sitting in a sold-out cinema in Boston with a crowd of crazies at midnight when the film opened, and I wrote up a blow-by-blow cheat sheet viewing guide for Snakes on a Plane. Those were days.

Well, today is the day for Piranha 3D to rewrite that cinematical history book, and one of its stars, comedian Paul Scheer, was nice enough to write up a few rules to help you enjoy watching the carnage in all of its dimensions. I'll let Scheer take it from here:

I'm pretty sure he means all of this, except maybe that last eighth rule. You can skip that one. And if you're watching the movie in NYC, you also can heighten the tension by imagining that every little bite is actually from a bedbug. Because it just might be bedbugs! Ack!

Could "National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle" be too good to be TV true?

When Adult Swim began airing episodes of Childrens' Hospital last month, they aired an ad for a different kind of action show called National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle. It's an over-the-top spoof starring Paul Scheer, with contributions from Rob Riggle, June Diane Raphael and Brandon Johnson.

Funny enough, right? Well, now there's a second, longer clip for the show. But is it a show? Or just another funny trailer for something that we'll never actually see on television. Inquiring minds, join me in inquiring.

Al Yankovic gets his own flash-sideways biopic in the very funny trailer for "Weird"

Look. I have a very basic understanding of how the Internet works, and one thing I do know is that when a video debuts on an already popular site around dawn, by late afternoon, if it's funny, it gets circulated to other popular sites. And maybe you weren't like me and slept in after being out late, so you may have seen this. But it deserves to be seen!

Funny or Die's Eric Appel has written, directed and edited a trailer for what appears to be the flash-sideways version of "Weird" Al Yankovic's story. Yes, I just dropped a Lost reference. Please pick it up, and watch this funny feature, starring Aaron Paul as Weird Al, Olivia Wilde as Madonna, Patton Oswalt as Dr. Demento, Mary Steenburgen and Gary Cole as Ma and Pa Yankovic, with appearances by Leeza Gibbons, Brian Huskey, Paul Scheer, Charlie Sanders, Curtis Gwinn, Chris Kula, Jonah Ray, Matt Jones, Johnny Meeks and Andy Bloch. Oh, and Yankovic himself in a cameo! Roll the clip already!

Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts give you a reason to watch SPIKE with inspired improv in "Players" pilot

I have to admit that part of me worried that Players, the new sitcom from Upright Citizens Brigade leaders Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts, might not be very good. All of that part of me, it turns out, was worried simply because their series is airing on SPIKE.

Let's just say some of SPIKE's original programming seems like it's leftovers that got passed over from other networks. The "sitcom" that airs before Players, called Blue Mountain State, didn't appear to have any actual jokes in it -- merely college football jock premises and the hilarity of compromising sexual positions with Cloris Leachman, in the episode broadcasted immediately prior to the debut of Players. The page for BMS calls it a "new original comedy," and yet the reality is the exact opposite. More BS than BMS, am I right? I bring all of that up because for all of the effort that seemingly goes into that series, knowing how Walsh, Roberts and their funny friends are able to take something as basic as an Arizona sports bar and a plot outline, then weave some inspired improvisational punchlines and moments out of it. It's really great. Don't want to take my word for it? You can watch the premiere episode, "Krista's Mom" (no, not "Grand Reopening," despite what The Onion seemed to think), again tonight on SPIKE. Or you can watch it right here, at your convenience. New episodes air at 10:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

WATCH: "Krista's Mom," featuring a great guest-starring turn from Paul Scheer. Uncensored.

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!

What if Sarah Silverman were in charge of TV programming?

It's always amusing to see comedians get a chance to show us the inner workings of show business. How do you get a TV show on the air, anyhow? What's a pitch meeting like?

In this clip from The Sarah Silverman Program, Silverman herself depicts an executive. I believe the title is Commissioner of All Television, and her office is located in the Department of Censorship. Paul Scheer and Ben Schwartz, the Commissioner will see you now. Watch and learn, people. Watch and learn. Roll it!

Four new HBO Funny or Die teasers! Drunk Jen Kirkman; Tim & Eric & Zach; and two more!

I'm very excited about the new HBO series collaborating with Funny or Die, who in turn is unleashing lots of great comedians to do their things on cable TV. Here are four new teaser trailers for sketches from the series Funny or Die Presents, which debuts at midnight Friday, Feb. 19.

The first features the latest installment of "Drunk History," which won an award at the Sundance Film Festival and cast Will Ferrell and Don Cheadle to re-enact the drunken ramblings of Jen Kirkman. She really does look drunk, you guys! Roll it.

And the second clip shows us a reunion of sorts, as Zach Galifianakis joins Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim in a bit called "Just 3 Boyz." Looks like someone really could use a horse massage?

But wait. There's more!

Here's a clip from the short film, "Designated Driver: Office Prank," that includes Rob Riggle, Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel.

And there's a fourth clip. This is called "Hold Up," starring Ed Helms, Thomas Lennon, Malin Akerman, Rachael Harris, Huebel again, and Creed from The Office acting like Creed from The Office. "C'mon. It's open season on jive turkey." Perfect? From what I gathered from Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer, this one is his handiwork, and also includes Jerry Minor, Brandon Johnson, Ian Roberts, Rich Fulcher and Kate Walsh. Roll it and see:

Visiting NYC? Just ask the locals: The sequel!

Such a beautiful day here in New York City. Snow fell overnight. Everything looks pretty. Maybe you'd like to pay us a visit? If you do, you'll need tips. The 92YTribeca assembled a bunch of comedians to offer their best advice already, and now they've done it again.

Remember to carry your walkie-talkies when you visit the Eiffel Tower on 34th Street.

Featuring: Paul Scheer, Eliza Skinner, Todd Barry, Fred Armisen, Julie Klausner, Jenny Slate & Gabe Liedman, Rob Huebel, Janeane Garofalo. Thanks, 92YTribeca!

Nick Kroll talks sitcoms, Jon Lajoie sings his "Birthday Song" as FX debuts "The League"

FX debuted a new comedy on Thursday night called The League that's about a group of guys who take their fantasy football league much too seriously. Although if the premiere is any indication, it's also a semi-improvised romp that dives headlong into a pit of profanity and sex, and sometimes sexual profanities. In fact, most of the early reviews go out of their way to mention how they cannot mention what's said and implied in the sitcom. You cannot really judge a sitcom by its pilot (although that's exactly what network executives do), so for now, let's focus on the fact that The League stars at least three comedians in Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer and Jon Lajoie. Expect other cameos, too (Matt Walsh and Rob Huebel appear in the premiere).

Lajoie plays Taco, the stoner brother of one of the league's commissioner. He's a musical comedian in real life, and in the debut, he performs a special "birthday song" for his niece, and awkwardness ensues. You can watch the FX version of his song on YouTube (no embed). Here's the uncensored complete version of the song, as Lajoie performed it earlier this year for Sirius XM radio (if you're at work, cover your NSFW speakers!):

And here's a short promo for the series...

Too soon, prescient or both? Human Giant called in the balloon cops for their MTV sketch show!

The story of the day was the Heene family in Colorado that launched a weather balloon, with 6-year-old Falcon possibly inside (but definitely not by the time the balloon landed about 90 miles later). They posed in front of a contraption and appeared on ABC's Wife Swap, with the TV program saying they were building a "flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm," and that the episode was "destined to become a classic!" The kid's name was Falcon? And Falcon and his brothers were in a music video?! Called "Pussified"?!?! Well. Yeah. Um. Clearly a wild, odd story, no matter how it turns out. Comedians were showing all sorts of emotions and takes on the saga as it was unfolding. Shock. Awe. Snark. Cynicism. Disbelief.

Amid all of this, Aziz Ansari reminded us all that Human Giant taped a sketch for their MTV series that nailed it. Sort of. Witness the balloon cops of "Hot Air Balloon Patrol." Too soon? Prescient? Both? You tell me. Roll it:

FX adds Louis CK's "Louie" plus more TV comedy

At the TCA tour this summer, FX's TV programmers spoke highly of two of its comedy pilots but did not announce their additions to the schedule. They rectified that last night, officially ordering 13 episodes of Louis CK's Louie, plus six episodes of The League.

Louis CK said on his site that he was "very, very excited" to get going on the 12 eps to follow the pilot. "This show is insanely fun. I'm starring in it, writing, directing and editing it. The show will be shot in New York City, my home," he wrote overnight. It'll be a mix of stand-up and offstage, revolving around his own life as a stand-up comic and single dad with two daughters, with "extended vignettes" as Variety reports depicting scenes from his life. The one vignette that already has been described in the trades -- about chaperoning a field trip -- already has been a staple of his stand-up act this year. But as he pointed out when he filmed the pilot, "I do some standup on the show and some of it is in narrative film form and some of it gets weird. It's kind of hard to describe. It doesn't follow the pattern of any show I've seen. It's not like Seinfeld or Pulp Comics." We'll all get to see what it is in early 2010.

As for The League, it does have some links to Seinfeld, sort of. It's created by Jeff and Jackie Marcus Schaffer, who have ties to Curb Your Enthusiasm, which like The League, is going to be semi-scripted, and the rest improvised, revolving around a fantasy football league. The cast includes Mark Duplass, Steve Rannazzisi, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Jon Lajoie, Leslie Bibb, Katie Aselton and Nadine Velazquez. It'll arrive later this fall, not only to get on the air during football season, but also to pair up with FX's first successful sitcom, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Reading the trades (Variety, The Hollywood Reporter), however, it struck me as a little more than odd that no mention whatsoever was made of Norm MacDonald's show that he thought was sure to go on FX. The THR piece, in fact, said that FX had ordered series from all three of of its pilots. So where did that leave Norm? Did he get pranked, or was he pranking us?