Comedy

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Comedy

Chevy Chase is nuts: A retrospective

October 22, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Another day, another crazy rant from Chevy Chase on the set of Community. When word got out that the 69-year-old actor had yet again made a spectacle of himself while shooting the beloved but beleaguered NBC comedy, it was only the latest evidence that Chase is what in Hollywood is known as “eccentric,” but in real-life could be called “batsh!t crazy.” Ever since he skyrocketed to fame after one season — yes, let us never forget, it was only one season — on Saturday Night Live, Chase has been largely known as, um, difficult. (“Chevy Chase arrogant” will net you […]

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Comedy

VOD Spotlight: “That’s My Boy” teams Sandler and Samberg

October 16, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Anyone who’s grown up and lived through Thanksgiving dinner knows how challenging family can be. In some cases, family is often its own situational comedy, as it is in the film That’s My Boy. Pairing Adam Sandler with Andy Samberg, That’s My Boy tells the story of a particularly screwed-up father/son relationship and how they come to terms with each other. Donny (Sandler) was in high school when he fathered Todd (Samberg) in an ill-advised — and illegal — affair with his sizzling hot teacher, who went to jail for the caper, leaving Donny to parent all by himself. Now […]

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Louis C.K. announces extended hiatus, says “Louie” will return to FX in 2014

October 9, 2012 StayTuned Staff

Riding high off his big win at the Emmys, comedian Louis C.K. told reporters Tuesday that FX has granted him his request for an “extended hiatus” for his series Louie, meaning that the show will return in spring 2014. FX president John Landgraf joined the star on the call, saying he was perfectly happy to allow C.K. the time he needed to “just live” and creatively recharge his batteries for Season 4. C.K. heaped praise on the network for allowing him total creative freedom — he writes, produces, directs and edits the series largely himself — and says he wants […]

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Comedy

If Mitt Romney fires Big Bird, he has other TV options

October 5, 2012 Tom Comi

If Mitt Romney fires Big Bird, the lovable Sesame Street character has other TV options. (Photo via Mashable) Presidential candidate Mitt Romney ruffled feathers during this week’s debate when he said he will cut funding to PBS if elected, leaving many Sesame Street fans across the country wondering what would happen to the beloved characters they grew up with – especially Big Bird, whom Romney mentioned by name. Regardless of whether it’s Romney or President Obama residing in the White House next year, we think this controversy has raised our feathery friend’s star power exponentially. In fact, we would be […]

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Comedy

VOD Spotlight: In the shadow of “Dark Shadows”

October 3, 2012 StayTuned Staff

It’s always a dicey venture taking a bit of revered pop culture and turning it into a new, full-blown film. Not only do you risk alienating the cult audience that found the original work so endearing, but also you risk souring a new generation on the brand overall even before they may have heard of what you’re basing your film on. Director Tim Burton kept all of this in mind when working on his update of the ’60s vampire soap Dark Shadows. His take on the story — about a man who betrayed the love of a witch only to […]

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Comedy

“M*A*S*H” turns 40: Our memories of “M*A*S*H”

September 17, 2012 StayTuned Staff

“Korea 1950 — a hundred years ago.” So went the first words to appear onscreen on M*A*S*H. Actually, it was only 40 years ago, but it’s still hard to believe that it’s been four decades since the pilot episode of the much-lauded and excessively watched series hit the airwaves on Sept. 17, 1972. At the time, it was simply a TV series trying to spin off of the success of the popular Robert Altman film that used the insanity of the Korean War to underscore the similar madness taking place in Vietnam. It took a while for M*A*S*H to find […]

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With election season in full gear, “SNL” returns to NBC at perfect time

September 13, 2012 Tom Comi

  Some might argue that Saturday Night Live isn’t as funny as it was many years ago, but what isn’t up for debate is that this weekend’s season premiere — thanks to politics and cast changes — is one of the most heavily anticipated in a very, long time. With the presidential race swinging into full gear, no other show on television has its finger on the pulse more than SNL (Saturday, 11:30pm ET). Host Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted) and musical guest Frank Ocean will kick off the show’s 38th season, and most of the buzz centers around the two […]

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Comedy

“Saturday Night Live” adds three new cast members

September 10, 2012 Jeff Pfeiffer

When it begins its 38th season this Saturday, Sept. 15, NBC’s venerable late-night institution Saturday Night Live will have a noticeably different look, in terms of cast members. Departing the show are favorites Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg and Abby Elliott. (still no word on whether Jason Sudeikis would be back, but if not, that would be another big blow to the cast). UPDATE 9/12/12: Variety reports that Sudeikis has re-signed with the show until January. To fill the slots, NBC announced today that SNL has added three featured players — Aidy Bryant, Tim Robinson and Cecily Strong. Bryant trained with […]

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Comedy

VOD Spotlight: Getting into “The Five-Year Engagement”

September 4, 2012 StayTuned Staff

It’s usually the ending point of a romantic comedy. Whether overtly stated or merely implied, the pairing up of the two romantic leads on their way to “happily ever after” is a sort of cinematic engagement that we typically take for granted. In the Jason Segel/Nicholas Stoller-penned film The Five-Year Engagement, the big moment takes place at the start of the story, with Tom (Jason Segel) and Violet (Emily Blunt) getting engaged after a year together. And it all skates downhill from there, as circumstances conspire against their walk down the aisle, even as everybody else around them pairs up […]