the comic's comic

TV Guide Channel gives Curb Your Enthusiasm "The Marriage Ref" treatment

Larry David's seminal post-Seinfeldian semi-improvisational TV comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, begins a new life tonight on the TV Guide Channel (10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific, 9 p.m. Central/Mountain).

Each episode will be followed a post-show celebrity panel to fill out the hour, hosted by Curb's Susie Essman, called Curb: The Discussion. Tonight's first panelists will be Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Hamm and Taraji P. Henson. Future post-show panels will include Seth Green, Rob Zombie, Hill Harper, Merrill Markoe, Dr. Drew Pinsky, Adam Corolla, Rex Lee, Dave Navarro, Patti Stanger, D.L. Hughley, Jeff Ross, Patton Oswalt, Joe Scarborough and co-host Mika Brzezinski, Gloria Allred, Randy Cohen, Dr. Stan Katz, and others.

So, to be clear, celebrities will be analyzing the diabolical domestic life of Larry David's alter-ego and those of his friends, mostly for laughs?

That sounds exactly like what Seinfeld and his celebrity friends have been doing on The Marriage Ref?

I just want to make sure you comedy fans know this before you pass judgment on one or the other.

Lewis Black organizes a comedy cruise with his funny friends

Maybe all of those ads in Aruba for Aruba have convinced Lewis Black that he's ready to take his comedy to the Caribbean. Well, at least for a week. On a boat. With some of his funny stand-up comedian friends: John Pinette, Susie Essman, Dom Irrera, Kathleen Madigan, John Bowman, Larry Wilmore and Ted Alexandro.

Because that's what's happening this November. It's Lew's Cruise? Yes. Lew's Cruise. As Black himself explains on the site:

"Because this show just can't happen on dry land. A cruise offers the possibility of a week of unlimited fun. And we can all go a little crazy and just walk back to our rooms. It provided me the opportunity to spend time with my good friends, who also happen to be some of the funniest people I know. And its a week of non-stop comedy and all sorts of chances for you guys to see where the funny comes from with q and a's and all sorts of other surprises that will be revealed shortly on this site.

"Don't whine to me if you miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. A vacation. And constant live entertainment. You can rock climb on this boat, why I don't know but you can. You can surf on this boat. Don't ask it wasn't my idea. So join us you pricks, who knows, it may even make me smile."

Other activities include a screening of My Favorite Year and Q&A with Mark Linn Baker, Madigan calling BINGO games, Irrera holding forth on his "Comedy Court," improv lessons with Joe Grifasi, and the other activities and excursions you can normally expect on a cruise.

It'll all take place on Royal Carribean's Liberty of the Seas, seven nights, leaving Miami on Nov. 7, 2010, and heading to Costa Maya, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; and George Town, Grand Cayman. Prices for the cruise start at $1,459, not including transportation to Miami.

The "Carolines on GMA Now" series on ABC

In case you haven't been following the Internets, ABC News recently struck up a partnership with its Times Square neighbor, Carolines, for a weekly interview/performance segment called Carolines on GMA Now. Club owner Caroline Hirsch also takes part in the segments and often has her own questions for the comedians. It appears as part of the magically mysterious third hour of Good Morning America, which doesn't appear on the regular ABC television network, but rather on some digital cable systems, mobile phone networks and definitely online. ABC doesn't like to offer embedded video, so instead, we've got links to share.

The mix includes both headliners working the club that weekend (natural cross-promotion) as well as up-and-coming New York-based stand-ups. Sometimes there's a performance in the ABC studio with a small audience (that's a tough room!). Sometimes not. Last week's segment had a rather revealing interview with Mike DeStefano.

Previous segments:
Tommy Davidson
Susie Essman
Gilbert Gottfried
Julian McCullough
Kevin Pollak
Colin Quinn
Robert Schimmel
Reese Waters

“We’re thrilled to be teaming up with ABC News' ‘Good Morning America NOW’ on this new program,” Hirsch said in the official press release earlier this spring. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase our lively and entertaining programming on ABC News NOW -- across all of its platforms -- broadband, cable and mobile.”