Giving thanks for the comedy news of the week
My weekly roundup of headlines and punchlines from funny people and the funny business.
Our top story…
Boomer Comedy Icons On The Mend
We received vital health updates from two beloved boomers in comedy (seen above), Jay Leno and Sinbad.
Leno, 72, was working on one of his many rare, unique, and custom automobiles earlier this month when a fuel line sprayed him with gasoline, which ignited and burned the comedian and former Tonight Show host. He posed for the above photo upon his discharge Monday from Grossman Burn Center, where he underwent two surgeries and treatments to his face, neck, hands and chest. Leno already had wrapped shooting on the most recent seasons of his CNBC series, Jay Leno’s Garage, as well as his syndicated game show, You Bet Your Life. “Jay would like to let everyone know how thankful he is for the care he received, and is very appreciative of all of the well wishes,” according to a statement from the Grossman Burn Center. “He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday.” Jay even was hoping to be back onstage this coming Sunday, where he maintains a regular residency Sunday nights at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, Calif.
Sinbad, 66, suffered a stroke on Oct. 25, 2020, and his family posted their first significant update on the comedian born David Adkins in 17 months, since June 2021.
That site — https://www.thejourneyforward.life/ — says that since Sinbad returned home last summer, he has been fighting to regain the strength and mobility to hopefully one day walk onstage again. As the family writes: “The costs of therapy far exceed what insurance covers and it has taken its toll on the family financially. Many of you have asked what you can do to support us. We created this site as an avenue for those who would like to lend their support and contribute in some way. All gifts will go to the Adkins Trust to help provide for Sinbad’s care and help him continue to fight this battle.”
This just in as I type this…
RIP Freddie Roman.
The longtime dean of the Friars Club died today in the hospital in Boynton Beach, Fla., following a heart attack this morning at his home. Roman was 85.
Also rest in peace to Gene Perret, who also died at 85 this month of liver failure. Perret began his career as a comedy writer in the 1960s for Phyllis Diller, and spent 28 years writing jokes for Bob Hope (the final 12 as Hope’s head writer). His TV credits as a writer and/or producer included Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The New Bill Cosby Show, The Helen Reddy Show, Love, American Style, All in the Family, What’s Happening, The Carol Burnett Show, Welcome Back, Kotter, Three’s Company, and The Tim Conway Show.
In happier news…the shortened holiday week in late-night TV included two stand-up comedy performances:
Do you want me to include comedians on late-night talk shows who just do panel, too? For instance, Seth Meyers had Kumail Nanjiani, Mike Birbiglia and Matt Rogers on as guests this week, all to promote their various projects (Nanjiani stars in a new Hulu series about the origin story for The Chippendales, Birbiglia has a new show on Broadway, while Rogers is debuting his first Christmas comedy special for Showtime next weekend).
The Film Independent Spirit Awards announced this year’s nominations.
Everything Everywhere All at Once, which is very much a comedy as well as everything else you possibly could want in a film, led the field with eight nominations.
Comedy fans will rejoice in Joel Kim Booster getting a nod for Best First Screenplay for Fire Island, Dean Fleischer Camp and Nick Paley up for Best Editing for Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, as well as nods for Aubrey Plaza, the team behind horror-comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies and more.
In TV development news, Al Madrigal (currently co-starring in the new NBC family sitcom, Lopez Vs. Lopez) sold a pitch to CBS for his own single-cam Latinx family workplace sitcom, called Family Insurance. Madrigal is co-writer and EP on the project, which also has Ryan Walls, Adam Lowitt and Cloud Nine Productions attached. The pitch? Al Fuentes (Madrigal), after separating from his wife, reluctantly returns to his childhood home to work at the family insurance business that his loud, tough, first-generation immigrant father started.
New stand-up specials out this week:
Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would premiered Tuesday on Netflix. Read my review on Decider.
Jeff Dunham: Me The People premiered Friday on Comedy Central. My review is forthcoming, and I interviewed Dunham this week for my podcast, which will come out next week!
Out on YouTube this week:
Matteo Lane: The Advice Special, filmed at The Comedy Cellar
Live show in NYC I plugged this weekend in The New York Times…
Ian Lara at The Stand, multiple shows this Saturday and Sunday.
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