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Is that hate we smell in the air? Yes, everyone’s favorite hater is back — and still hatin’.

Dave Chappelle brought back his Chappelle’s Show character Silky Johnson, of “Playa Haters’ Ball” fame, in a sketch on this week’s Saturday Night Live. Silky and his fellow hater Beautiful, played by Chappelle’s Show co-star Donnell Rawlings, showed up as eligible bachelors on a YouTube dating show where women hold a balloon and pop it if they’re not interested in the guy.

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Dave Chappelle brought back his infamous “Chappelle’s Show” character, Silky Johnson, the notorious player hater, while reenacting the viral YouTube speed dating show “Pop the Balloon.”

In the sketch hosted by ‘SNL’ cast member Ego Nwodim, portraying real-life host Arlette Amuli, several women holding red balloons were introduced to a series of eligible bachelors. Silky was one of the men presented to the women, including rapper GloRilla, who immediately popped her balloon. Fans of Chappelle will likely recall that Silky won Player Hater of the Year in 2002 on “Chappelle’s Show” at the Player Hater’s Ball. He accepted his award by declaring, “I hate you. I hate you. I don’t even know you, and I hate your guts. I hope all the bad things in life happen to you and nobody else but you.”

Donnell Rawlings also appears in the sketch as Ashy Larry. He was doused in baby powder,...

Wayne Brady’s single appearance on Chappelle’s Show brought him a different kind of credibility than a decade’s worth of Whose Line Is It Anyway? ever could. But he hated how he ended up on the show in the first place. It was all a reaction to a sketch in which Paul Mooney played a character who delivered this devastating line: “White people love Wayne Brady because he makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X.”

Up until that point, Brady had been a big fan of Chappelle’s Show. “I was sitting down, getting a haircut, and it came on the TV,” he remembered on A&e’s Right to Offend. “Like, what the hell? What did I do?”

The joke “absolutely offended me,” Brady told IndieWire. “To a degree, it still offends me every time I see some white kid post that on Twitter as a way to get my attention.

I would compare Chappelle’s Home Team—Donnell Rawlings: A New Day with the usual lavish Bengali wedding food menu. The flatbread and a vegetarian side dish, in the beginning, are as good as they can be most of the time, but never really the show stoppers. Things only start to heat up with the entry of something like a fish fry. And then the magic happens—with all the mutton, chicken, and fish items around. The magic for which you basically attend weddings. No matter how amazing the dessert section in the end is, you still miss the meat and potatoes. I understand the analogy might seem crass to some of you, and my sincere apologies to the vegetarians (and the vegans), but this is the most fitting one. I could find to describe my feelings about the new Netflix special.

Rawlings standup is part of Chappelle Home Team,...

Netflix has picked up the stand-up special “Chappelle’s Home Team – Donnell Rawlings: A New Day,” the latest installment in a series of stand-alone comedy specials executive produced by Chappelle. “Chappelle’s Home Team – Donnell Rawlings: A New Day” is Rawlings’ first solo stand-up comedy special for Netflix, and is set to premiere on Feb. 27.

Directed by Emmy and Grammy award winner Stan Lathan, the special was filmed at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York City during the New York Comedy Festival in November. “Chappelle’s Home Team – Donnell Rawlings: A New Day” is executive produced by Chappelle, Rikki Hughes and Lathan.

“It’s a new day, and Donnell Rawlings is feeling good. Dressed in a blue suit, red socks and lotioned ankles, he’s here to discuss toxic relationships, traveling to New Zealand, aging, co-parenting and much more,” reads the special’s synopsis.

Rawlings was previously featured on...

Exclusive: AMC Networks-operated streaming service Allblk has commissioned Sitcho Ass Down, a new comedy special from comic Gary “G-Thang” Johnson, which will tape at the El Portal theatre in Los Angeles on January 26 and debut exclusively on the platform this spring.

Directing the hour, in his first time out in the stand-up world, is Bentley Kyle Evans, showrunner of The Jamie Foxx Show, Martin and more, who exec produces alongside Johnson and Valarie Benning Thompson (My Name is Mo’Nique).

Currently touring and headlining The Improv and Laugh Factory clubs worldwide, Johnson launched his stand-up career at The Funny Bones Comedy Club in 1994. Over the course of his decades in the business, he’s featured for some of the biggest names in comedy, including Mike Epps, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, and Chris Rock.

Most recently on the road with Epps for his “Don’t Take It Personal...

Dave Chappelle wrapped his four-show stint in New York City to celebrate his 50th birthday with famous friends, including John Mayer, Busta Rhymes, Common, T.I. and Pete Davidson, who said he just finished rehab.

Davidson and fellow comedian Michael Che, both New Yorkers, took in the thrill of performing for a sold-out crowd at the famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Both said they were proud of the moment and proud to celebrate Chappelle, whose birthday was Thursday.

Davidson won over the audience with his jokes, saying he arrived in NYC on Saturday after completing a stint in rehab. The Saturday Night Live star joked about his drug use, saying doing drugs as a 30-year-old — he hits the milestone in November — would no longer be cute.

Other comedians to hit the stage before Chappelle performed included Che, Ronnie Chung, Michelle Wolf and Jeff Ross. Mike Tyson sat in...

Conan O’Brien will bring his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend to this year’s New York Comedy Festival, with a taping of the live episode later airing on Team Coco’s SiriusXM Channel.

O’Brien joins a festival line-up that includes Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Nicole Byer, Jimmy Carr, Margaret Cho, Tim Dillon, Giggly Squad, Ilana Glazer, Brett Goldstein, Nate Jackson, Anthony Jeselnik, Matteo Lane, Sam Morril, Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland, Atsuko Okatsuka, Pod Meets World, Donnell Rawlings, Jeff Ross, Robyn Schall, Daniel Sloss, and Michelle Wolf.

The festival runs Nov. 3-12 and includes more than 100 shows at such New York venues as the Apollo Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Msg, Town Hall, and more.

The taping of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend live podcast will take place at Brooklyn Academy of Music (Bam) on Tuesday,...

The New York Comedy Festival has announced its 2023 headliners, this year welcoming Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Nicole Byer, Jimmy Carr, Margaret Cho, Tim Dillon, Giggly Squad, Ilana Glazer, Brett Goldstein, Nate Jackson, Anthony Jeselnik, Matteo Lane, Sam Morril, Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland, Conan O’Brien, Atsuko Okatsuka, Pod Meets World, Donnell Rawlings, Jeff Ross, Robyn Schall, Daniel Sloss and Michelle Wolf to the 10-day event.

The largest comedy festival in the U.S., the New York Comedy Festival is now in its 19th year and will run from Nov. 3 to Nov. 12. The event, founded by Caroline Hirsch and produced by Carolines, brings together over 200 of the country’s top comedians who perform in more than 100 shows at some of the most prestigious venues in the five boroughs, including the Apollo Theatre, Bam, the Beacon Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Msg and Town Hall.

Burr returns to...

The New York Comedy Festival, considered the largest comedy festival in the U.S., is about to get larger: In its 19th year, the 2023 Nycf will expand from seven to ten days, running Friday, Nov. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 12.

Headliners are set to include Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Nicole Byer, Jimmy Carr, Margaret Cho, Tim Dillon, Giggly Squad, Ilana Glazer, Brett Goldstein, Nate Jackson, Anthony Jeselnik, Matteo Lane, Sam Morril, Nick Mullen and Adam Friedland, Atsuko Okatsuka, Pod Meets World, Donnell Rawlings, Jeff Ross, Robyn Schall, Daniel Sloss and Michelle Wolf.

“We’re very excited to bring the best comedians – from emerging talent to established headliners – from across the country and throughout the world to perform at this year’s festival,” said Caroline Hirsch, founder and owner of the New York Comedy Festival. “We’ve curated an amazing line-up of shows, with many more to be announced in the coming months.

Exclusive: Stand-up comedian and actress Dulcé Sloan has signed with APA.

Sloan is a longtime correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show who will serve as a guest host for the series for a week beginning Monday, May 1. Additionally, she currently brings to life the character of Honeybee Shaw–Tobin in the Fox animated series, The Great North, alongside Will Forte and Jenny Slate.

She has appeared multiple times on the CNN New Year’s Eve Special with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, the late-night show Conan, among others. Additional credits include RuPaul’s Drag Race, Late Night with Seth Meyers, @Midnight with Chris Hardwick, The Steve Harvey Show and Last Call With Carson Daly.

In 2019, Sloan performed a half-hour of stand-up on Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents: Dulcé Sloan. The Miami native was recently honored with a Webby award for best comedy podcast for Hold Up with Dulcé Sloan and Josh Johnson.

Comedians Ali Wong, Jonathan Van Ness and Anthony Jeselnik have joined the lineup for the Just for Laughs comedy festival’s 41st edition this summer.

The comedy festival in Montreal that revolutionized stand-up comedy by discovering top comics like Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Fallon has seen its earlier move into programming solo touring shows pay off as veterans of Netflix comedy specials, like Wong, Van Ness and Jeselnik, dominate its first lineup announcement for its upcoming July 14 to 29 run.

Comedy special veteran Wong, whose latest project, Beef, has just bowed on Netflix, will be joined for her one-night stand at Just for Laughs on July 26 by special guest Sheng Wang after his own Netflix comedy special, Sweet & Juicy, premiered on the streaming giant. Wong was part of Just for Laughs’ New Faces discovery series in 2011, and the festival named her breakout comedy star of the year in 2017.

Van Ness,...

Before Bones launched her to stardom, Emily Deschanel made a brief but memorable appearance in Spider-Man 2. The middle chapter of Sam Raimi’s groundbreaking Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man 2 is widely regarded to be one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. After the first movie told Spidey’s origin story and detailed how he got his powers and became a beacon of hope in a crime-ridden New York City, Spider-Man 2 took those powers away. The best-remembered Spider-Man 2 actors are big stars like Kirsten Dunst and Alfred Molina, but Emily Deschanel has a role as a great minor character.

Just over a year after her appearance in Spider-Man 2, Emily Deschanel landed the title role of Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan in the Fox procedural Bones. Across its 12-season run, Bones earned Emily Deschanel nominations for a Satellite Award, a Teen Choice Award, and six People’s Choice Awards.

Fake Avengers: Secret Wars casting announcements have been popping up all over the Internet in a hilarious new fan meme. Avengers: Secret Wars is meant to be the capper for the upcoming Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, coming to theaters on May 1, 2026. The script, which is currently being written by Loki season 1's Michael Waldron, will complete the arc of the Multiverse Saga and directly follow the 2025 crossover outing Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, forming another Avengers duology in the style of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

On Twitter recently, several MCU news accounts have been reporting on rumors that Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man would be returning in Avengers: Secret Wars as well as the upcoming Disney+ series Armor Wars. MCU fans who aren't quite so convinced that the return is going to happen, given the fact that Downey already gave more than a decade of his life to the franchise,...

In recent years, it's become a bit of a tradition to bring in comedian Dave Chappelle as the host of "Saturday Night Live" after there's been a major election. Chappelle hosted after Donald Trump became president in 2016 and delivered one of the best monologue's "SNL" has ever seen, then executive producer Lorne Michaels followed that up by bringing him back in 2020 after Joe Biden won the election. Now he's back in 2022 after the Republicans failed to execute their so-called "red wave." However, Chappelle didn't really spend his monologue time talking about the election. Instead, he focused almost entirely on the recent antisemitic controversy surrounding rapper Kanye West. But we'll get to that later.

What's interesting about this episode of "SNL" is that Chappelle spent over 15 minutes on the mainstage in Studio 8H doing stand-up bits. Whenever he has hosted, they pretty much get however much time they want after the...

Dave Chappelle is a Game of Thrones fan, and he’s also into the new show, House of the Dragon, though he has mixed feelings about the spinoff, he said while hosting Saturday Night Live.

“I gotta tell you, I love that they are including Black characters but, to be honest, the Black characters — they take me out a little bit,” he said mentioning the blonde hair and old-time accents of the show’s characters. “It’s a little jarring like where are these people from?”

His pondering on the...

Whenever Dave Chappelle hosts “Saturday Night Live”, he makes sure to give longtime fans a little treat by bringing back some iconic characters from his famed sketch comedy series “Chappelle’s Show”.

This time around, Chappelle once again introduced the segment (just like he used to do on his own show) and joked about how much he loved the “Game of Thrones” prequel series “House of the Dragon”, but that the show’s Black characters threw him for a loop.

“I got to tell you, I love that they’re including Black characters. But to be honest, the Black characters, they take me out of it a bit,” Chappelle said. “It’s the blonde hair and old timey accents. It’s a little jarring. Where are these people from?”

Playing off that general question, Chappelle joked that they’d gotten a sneak peek of the upcoming season, and introduced the parody,...

HBO’s House of the Dragon took the note that its predecessor, Game of Thrones, had diversity issues. There are a lot more Black faces in the cast this time around. But for those who say that the show still isn’t Black enough, Dave Chappelle — who hosted Saturday Night Live this week — has you covered.

The sketch starts as a simple parody of HotD: Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen (Chloe Fineman and Michael Longfellow, respectively) point out the thing about everybody’s name sounding the same and the positively exhausting amount of incest in the show. Kenan Thompson enters as...

Dave Chappelle spoofed House of the Dragon during his Saturday Night Live tenure this weekend.

The controversial comedian began by asking the crowd: “Anyone out here watching this new show, ‘House of Dragons’ [sic]?

“I am the biggest Game of Thrones fan, I love their new show. And I got to tell you, I love that they’re including Black characters. But to be honest, the Black characters… they take me out of it a little bit. It’s that blonde hair and old timey accents. It’s a little jarring, where are these people from?”

Chappelle then teed up the SNL sketch by saying that executive producer Lorne Michaels had managed to secure a “sneak peek” of the show’s second season.

The comedy spoof was littered with characters and references to the host’s Noughties sketch show, Chappelle’s Show, including original cast member Donnell Rawlings.

In the SNL scene,...

Tyrone Biggums, Rick James and Silky Johnson are now “Game of Thrones” canon. The original “Chappelle’s Show” characters were resurrected for a very special “House of the Dragon” sketch on “Saturday Night Live.”

Returning host Dave Chappelle brought back three characters from his sketch series, which ran from 2003 to 2006 on Comedy Central. Similar to his show, Chappelle re-appeared after his 15-minute opening monologue ridiculing Kanye West for his antisemitic comments, and gave this pre-recorded video a little set up.

“Anyone out here watching this new show, ‘House of the Dragon,'” Chappelle asked the crowd, mic in hand. “I am the biggest ‘Game of Thrones’ fan, I love their new show. And I got to tell you, I love that they’re including Black characters. But to be honest, the Black characters … they take me out of it a little bit. It’s that blonde hair and old timey accents.

Back from a commercial break, Dave Chappelle returned to the Saturday Night Live stage to address the audience and asked if they were watching House of the Dragon before introducing a spoof sneak peek of the HBO series – with some help from some of his Chappelle’s Show characters.

“I am the biggest Game of Thrones fan, I love the new show,” he said. “And I gotta tell you, I love that they are including Black characters but, to be honest, the Black characters — they take me out a little bit with the old time accents, it’s a little jarring like where are these people from.”

Chappelle then says that Lorne Michaels got a hold of an exclusive sneak peek of Season 2 of the show and introduced a previously recorded sketch.

Chappelle’s Show regulars Silky Johnson, Tyrone Biggums and Rick James all showed up alongside original cast member Donnell Rawlings.

Exclusive: Chris Smith, a 21-year ICM veteran, including the last 10 as a partner, has joined APA as SVP, Global Concerts & Talent.

Smith will work alongside Max Burgos who heads APA’s comedy touring department.

While he has strong background in comedy touring, at ICM Smith worked across departments on deals for his clients in the areas of film, television, touring, branding and digital. Most of those clients are expected to come with him to APA, including Pamela Anderson, Chico Bean, Big Boy, Michael Blackson, Darren Brand, Bruce Bruce, Deray Davis, Rob Dyrdek, Mike Epps, Felipe Esparza, Adele Givens, Jess Hilarious, Evander Holyfield, Martin Lawrence, Loni Love, Floyd Mayweather, Donnell Rawlings, Tony Rock Paul Rodriguez, Paul Rodriguez Jr., B Simone, Rickey Smiley, Bailey Spinn, Director/Producer Mark Ritchie/South Pa Productions and Pretty V.

“We have long admired Chris for his passion and tenaciousness in representing his clients and maximizing their earning potential,...

“Dave Chappelle: The Closer” was billed as the controversy-courting comedian’s final Netflix special, but the streaming service is doubling down on its business relationship with Chappelle. Netflix announced today that they are teaming up with the comedian for “Chappelle’s Home Team.”

“Chappelle’s Home Team” will be comprised of a series of four comedy specials from different comedians selected by executive producer Chappelle, who will appear in each special to introduce the comedian. The series kicks off February 28 with “Earthquake: Legendary” featuring Washington D.C.-based comedian Earthquake. The second special, which does not have a release date, will highlight Donnell Rawlings.

In 2016, Chappelle signed a lucrative deal with Netflix that paid him $20 million for each special he released on the streaming service. But he began attracting controversy almost immediately for his jokes about the trans community that offended many in the LGBT community. Chappelle has refused to back down from his jokes,...

Despite Dave Chappelle ending his previous comedy special deal with Netflix on a controversial note, the streaming service has announced a new four-special series featuring comedians handpicked by Chappelle.

The series, dubbed Chappelle’s Home Team, will premiere Feb. 28th with an episode spotlighting the stand-up comic known as Earthquake. In addition to serving as executive producer, Chappelle will play host on “Earthquake: Legendary” before handing off the mic to the renowned comedian.

Chappelle’s Home Team is a series of comedy specials produced by @DaveChappelle. The first one, Earthquake: Legendary,...

Dave Chappelle, whose 2021 Netflix comedy special “The Closer” set of a firestorm of criticism for its trans-phobic content, is mostly behind the scenes on his latest Netflix project: “Chappelle’s Home Team,” a series of four stand-alone comedy specials, with the first premiering on Feb. 28.

Netflix announced Friday that Chappelle serves as executive producer of the “Chappelle’s Home Team” specials, featuring comedians chosen and spotlighted by the “Chappelle’s Show” creator. Chappelle — who is also set to appear at Netflix’s “Netflix Is a Joke” stand-up comedy festival in April — will appear in each installment to introduce the veteran comics, all of whom have been in the business for more than 30 years.

The first comedian to be featured is Earthquake, and he stars in a special titled “Earthquake Legendary.” According to a statement, “Earthquake shakes up the stage and delivers aftershocks while going in hard on health as wealth, prostate cancer and disciplining kids.

Dave Chappelle will executive produce four new stand-alone comedy specials featuring comics personally selected by him as part of his Chappelle’s Home Team series for Netflix.

The first special will spotlight D.C. comic Earthquake (The Neighborhood), premiering on February 28. Donnell Rawlings, one of Chappelle’s longtime collaborators, will host the second special in the series on a future date.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and comedians like Quake and Donnell are not only friends but have inspired my own career. Anyone in the comedy community knows these names and knows their time to shine is long overdue. I am proud to be a part of this moment.” Dave Chappelle said in a statement.

Earthquake: Legendary will see the longtime comic discuss health and wealth, prostate exams, and disciplining kids.

The special is directed by Emmy and Grammy-Award winner Stan Lathan. Executive producers include Chappelle, Earthquake,...

Netflix announced that “Chappelle’s Home Team,” a series of stand-alone comedy specials featuring comics chosen by Dave Chappelle, who serves as executive producer. The series will debut on Feb. 28 with a set from Washington comedian Earthquake.

Chappelle will appear in each special to introduce the comedians, who have all been working for over three decades. Titled “Earthquake: Legendary,” the first special features Earthquake discussing health as wealth, prostate exams and disciplining kids.

Along with Chappelle, executive producers include Earthquake, Rikki Hughes, Jermaine Smith and Stan Lathan, who also serves as director.

The second special, with premiere date yet to be announced, features Donnell Rawlings, another comic from Washington.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and comedians like Quake and Donnell are not only friends but have inspired my own career,” Chappelle said. “Anyone in the comedy community knows these names and knows their time to shine is long overdue.

Stand Up for Heroes (Sufh), New York’s highly anticipated night of hope, healing and laughter, returned for its 15th annual celebration to honor our nation’s impacted veterans and their families, on Monday, November 8th at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Bob Woodruff, Lee Woodruff, Donnell Rawlings, Nate Bargatze, Bruce Springsteen, Nikki Glaser, Jim Gaffigan, Caroline Hirsch, Andrew Fox, Anne Marie Dougherty,

The event raised awareness and funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, whose mission is to find, fund, shape, and accelerate equitable solutions that help the veteran and military community thrive. Stand Up for Heroes was presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation (Bwf) and the New York Comedy Festival (Nycf) and was brought to you by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Veterans On Wall Street, Alliance Data, Hsbc, Citi, Ubs, Wells Fargo, H.C.S. Foundation, Vehicles For Veterans, State of Qatar, TriWest, Toyota,...

In the past 14 years, Stand Up for Heroes — the annual benefit presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival — has raised $60 million to help veterans, service members and their families overcome whatever hardships they’re facing.

“In the beginning, it was a lot of visible wounds, amputation and burns and traumatic brain injury, like I had,” says Bob Woodruff, who’d been covering the war in Iraq for ABC News when his armored vehicle was hit by a bomb in 2006. “Then we moved toward post-traumatic stress and their invisible wounds. … In the last year and a half, it’s been largely concentrating on the impact of Covid. And we have a lot more depression that has now been triggered by the withdrawal out of Afghanistan. The people served for 20 years and it ended very quickly and unexpectedly.”

Adds Lee Woodruff, who co-founded the foundation with her...

Stand Up for Heroes (Sufh), New York’s highly anticipated night of hope, healing and laughter returns for its 15th annual celebration to honor our nation’s impacted veterans and their families, on November 8, at 8:00 p.m. Et at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

The event will raise awareness and funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, whose mission is to find, fund, shape, and accelerate equitable solutions that help the veteran and military community thrive. Stand Up for Heroes is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival and is brought to you by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Veterans On Wall Street, Hsbc, Citi, Ubs, Wells Fargo, H.C.S. Foundation, Vehicles For Veterans, TriWest, Toyota, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, Ann G. & James B. Ritchey Foundation, Philip Morris International, State of Qatar, Barclays, PayPal, Ey, Balyasny Asset Management, Bloomberg Philanthropies,...

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, Jim Gaffigan, Nikki Glaser and more are set to perform at the annual Stand Up for Heroes benefit event, which supports the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s efforts to help wounded service members, veterans and their families. The 15th annual celebration will take place 8 p.m. Nov. 8 at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Also appearing on the bill includes comic and musical performances by Nate Bargatze, Grace Gaustad, Sing Harlem, Donnell Rawlings, more. The event — which features Springsteen entertaining with select songs and choice dirty jokes — will also highlight inspiring moments, memorable surprises, and stories of resilience while recognizing the men and women who have served in our nation’s military.

Springsteen has appeared at 13 Stand Up for Heroes events, only missing in 2017 due his busy “Springsteen on Broadway” schedule. At a previous show, Springsteen auctioned off a motorcycle and dinner featuring his “mom’s lasagna.

The 15th annual Stand Up For Heroes event will return live to New York City on Nov. 8, with appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart and Jim Gaffigan included in the line-up of comics and musicians performing to raise awareness and funds for the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

The event will take place at Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Also scheduled to appear are Nate Bargatze, Grace Gaustad, Nikki Glaser, Sing Harlem, Donnell Rawlings and others to be announced.

The annual event is presented by the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the New York Comedy Festival. The nonprofit Woodruff Foundation benefits injured service members, veterans and their families.

“Our military community sacrifices so much for their fellow citizens,” Woodruff, an ABC News correspondent and co-founder of the foundation, said in a statement. “They have earned our enduring respect, and more importantly, our support.”

The event kicks off the New York Comedy Festival,...

Tyner Rushing has booked a recurring guest star role alongside Chris Pratt in the upcoming thriller drama series “The Terminal List” for Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned exclusively.

Tyner will play James Reece’s (Pratt) close friend Liz Riley, a former Army pilot, who is described as being “equal parts wit and warmth.” The character hails from Alabama, and her friends — especially James Reece — mean everything to her. As they’ve been to hell and back together, there’s no danger she wouldn’t face for them. “When the going gets tough, this ‘Bama born badass only gets tougher,” Amazon says.

“The Terminal List” follows James, a Navy Seal, after his entire platoon is ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission. When James returns home, he experiences conflicting memories of the event and questions his own culpability. As new evidence comes to light, he realizes there are dark forces working against him,...

Dave Chappelle, Talib Kweli, and Yasiin Bey have launched a new podcast, The Midnight Miracle, on the subscription podcast network Luminary.

The show was recorded last summer during Chappelle’s 2020 Summer Camp shows, which he hosted in Ohio and featured an array of guests from music and comedy. The episodes boast a mix of conversations, special guests, sketches, impersonations, archival audio clips, and music (both pre-recorded and new performances).

The Midnight Miracle launched Tuesday, May 11th, with two episodes. The first, titled “How to Inspire,” features guests like Radio Rahim,...

Thanks to the insightful writing of “Soul” co-director Kemp Powers (who also wrote the Oscar-nominated “One Night in Miami”), the barbershop scene is the most important moment in Pixar’s first Black-led feature. It introduces the community that the barbershop provides, and serves as the turning point for jazz pianist Joe (Jamie Foxx) to discover his true purpose in life.

“Joe is a Black man in New York, and part of your time you go through what I call ‘authentic Black spaces,’ where you’re around other people like yourself,” Powers said. “The barbershop scene came from that, and a desire, quite honestly, to see Black hair. When giving notes on the scene about Joe getting a suit from his mom, I also mentioned that Joe needs to get a haircut. Folks said that wasn’t as important as him getting a suit, and I begged to differ. For Joe,...

At the family reunion, who we introducin’? Nick Cannon’s Wild’ N Out is returning to VH1 next month, with new episodes featuring a number of guests including Fatboy Sse, Trinidad James and Lost Boyz.

Set to return on Tuesday, April 6, the improv rap battle show picks up with new episodes from the second half of Season 15, which was shot pre-pandemic. Additional guests set to appear are the cast of Black Ink Crew: Compton, Cuban Doll, Juvenile, Headkrack, Da Brat, Ambjaay, Mc Lyte, Rapsody, Fabo, 24kGolden, Big Tigger, Omb Peezy, Tyla Yaweh, Young Joc, Peter & Corey Gunz, Queen Najia and Donnell Rawlings.

Wild N’ Out returns to VH1 nearly a year after the last episode aired on April 14, 2020. Since then, Cannon has been the subject of backlash after he made anti-Semitic comments during a July 2020 episode of his podcast. Following social media outcry, ViacomCBS parted ways with Cannon, firing the Wild ‘N Out host.

Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter, co-directed by Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and produced by Academy Award nominee Dana Murray, p.g.a. (Pixar short “Lou”), Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” will be available on digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on March 23.

The digital and physical releases of “Soul” will include exclusive, never-before-seen deleted scenes and audio commentary by Pete Docter, Kemp Powers and Dana Murray. Additionally, fans can find the film packaged as a collectible SteelBook® at Best Buy and packaged with a limited-edition gallery book at Target.

Honored as a recipient of the American Film Institute’s Movie of the Year Award and winner of the National Board of Review’s Best Animated Feature in addition to being included on its Top Films list, “Soul” is “an animated film fit for all ages,” loved by critics and audiences alike. Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes,...

Dave Chappelle has canceled the remainder of his scheduled shows in Texas this week after testing positive for Covid-19. His diagnosis was confirmed by a rep speaking on behalf of the comedian, offering refunds to anyone who purchased a ticket to see one of the Austin shows. Dave Chappelle is now quarantining after testing positive, though it's noted that he hasn't yet suffered any symptoms associated with the virus.

"Chappelle has safely conducted socially-distanced shows in Ohio since June 2020 and he moved those shows to Austin during the winter," Chappelle's rep said in a statement. "Chappelle implemented Covid-19 protocols which included rapid testing for the audience and daily testing for himself and his team. His diligent testing enabled him to immediately respond by quarantining, thus mitigating the spread of the virus. Chappelle is asymptomatic."

Joe Rogan was scheduled to be featured at two of Chappelle's shows, and the podcast host...

As Disney and Pixar's Soul nears its debut on Disney+ on December 25, a new sneak peek of the critically acclaimed feature film is now available. In the movie, Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) is a middle-school band teacher who dreams of playing in the best jazz club in town. Filmmakers found they could relate to the character's passion for music.

Disney and Pixar's Soul also features the voices of Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Angela Bassett and Daveed Diggs. The film is directed by Docter, co-directed by Powers and produced by Dana Murray. Jazz compositions & arrangements are by globally renowned musician and Grammy nominee Jon Batiste, while Oscar® winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network) composed an original score.

Director Pete Docter grew up in a musical family and plays the double bass. "My folks are both teachers and both musicians," says Docter.

Exclusive: Sci-fi podcast The Oyster from pod group The Paragon Collective is to be voiced by Logan Browning (Netflix’s Dear White People), Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Bly Manor), Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World), Keith David (The Thing), Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian), Constance Zimmer (House of Cards), Donnell Rawlings (Chappelle’s Show) and Kenny Allen (Zane & Heath Unfiltered).

The Oyster is set in 2050 on an Earth that has become uninhabitable due to overwhelming carbon emissions. To try to save the human race, every person was given a government-mandated microchip implanted in their brains in an attempt to facilitate the migration to an underground shelter, as well as a point score to determine their usefulness to future society. This same score determined who had a place underground and who was left above to die. After eliminating 20 percent of the population, the government realized that was still not enough to sustain life underground.

It was announced earlier this week that Disney is debuting their latest Pixar animated adventure direct to Disney+. Soul will stream for all Disney+ subscribers beginning Christmas day. There will be no additional charge to watch Soul, unlike Mulan, which was touted by Disney as a Premier event and priced at an additional $30. Soul comes with the initial price of subscription.

Available exclusively on Disney+ beginning Dec. 25, 2020, Disney and Pixar's feature film Soul introduces Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher with a serious passion for jazz music. The story is particularly relatable to the artists behind it. For Jamie Foxx, who lends his voice to Joe, it begins with jazz.

"Like Joe, I hear music in everything," said Foxx. "When you're a jazz artist, man, you talk a little different: 'Hey, cat!'  I got a chance to go to a few jazz fests and meet Herbie Hancock, Chick Correa-hang out with those guys.

Available exclusively on Disney+ beginning Dec. 25, 2020, Disney and Pixar’s feature film “Soul” introduces Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher with a serious passion for jazz music.

The story is particularly relatable to the artists behind it. For Jamie Foxx, who lends his voice to Joe, it begins with jazz. “Like Joe, I hear music in everything,” said Foxx. “When you’re a jazz artist, man, you talk a little different: ‘Hey, cat!’ I got a chance to go to a few jazz fests and meet Herbie Hancock, Chick Correa—hang out with those guys. They have a way of talking, a way of dressing—everything funnels toward their music, toward the jazz.”

But director Pete Docter, who shares Foxx’s love of music, conceived of the character before jazz entered the picture. “I’ve been so lucky to work with some incredible people and make movies that have been seen around the world,...

36 Cinema is a first-of-its-kind experience that brings together film screenings with live in-depth commentary with directors, actors, critics and super fans.

At a time when communal events are few and far in between, 36 Cinema is excited to continue providing its audience with an unique experience. The intent of 36 Cinema is to supply viewers with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the films that have inspired and influenced generations of cinephiles.

Contrarily to the the VOD/streaming market 36 Cinema‘s screenings are all live events. Audience members are also able to submit questions which the hosts answer live during the screening. Commentators for past and future planned screenings include RZA, Donnell Rawlings, Eli Roth, Dan Halsted, Warrington Hudlin Israel Adesanya and Shaina West.

So far over 40 theaters have already joined the 36 Cinema platform and deals are in place from major distributors such as Janus Films, Agfa, Magnolia Pictures and Well Go USA.

Update: Dave Chappelle was the “special guest” on The Comedy Store’s live broadcast, which is raising money to support The Comedy Store Family Fund. The special, currently airing now on YouTube, Twitch and www.comedystore.com, will be followed by an “on demand” broadcast through The Comedy Store Channel on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Xbox.

Exclusive: La’s Comedy Store will stream a live, three-hour video showcase for comedians on April 21 as a fundraiser for The Comedy Store Family Fund, a charitable effort that has taken on new urgency during Covid-19.

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The benefit event, billed as a podcast, will kick off at 5Pm Pt / 8Pm Et. Its first hour will be hosted by Whitney Cummings and feature comedians Chris D’Elia,...

Cedric the Entertainer is teaming up with some of his famous friends and Def Comedy Jam for a coronavirus fundraiser called “Healing Through Laughter.”

The Neighborhood star will be joined by fellow comics Chris Tucker, Adele Givens, Spice Adams, Corey Holcomb, D.L. Hughley and Luenell for the livestream on Sunday, April 5, Cedric’s team said in a press release.

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Also participating are Jb Smoove, Ashima Franklin, Michael Blackson, Tk Kirkland, Bill Bellamy, Mike Epps, Chris Spencer, Gary Owen, Jess Hilarious, Tony Baker, David Arnold, Earthquake, Donnell Rawlings and Affion Crockett.

Organizers say 100% of the proceeds will go toward basic protective equipment for essential workers and individuals in...

In today’s TV news roundup, Hulu released premiere dates for “Ramy,” “The Great” and “Solar Opposites,” and Variety obtained an exclusive clip from “Duncanville.”

Dates

Showtime announced Mo’nique‘s new standup comedy special, “Mo’nique & Friends: Live From Atlanta,“ will air Feb. 7 at 10 p.m. The hour-long special features a variety of talented newcomers including Prince T-Dub, Just Nesh, Tone-x and Correy Bell alongside veteran comedian Donnell Rawlings. “Mo’nique & Friends: Live From Atlanta” is executive produced by Sidney Hicks and Mo’nique Hicks, and produced by Matt Schuler, Eric Abrams and V.W. Scheich.

Freeform announced “Motherland: Fort Salem” will premiere March 18 at 9 p.m. Set in an alternate, present-day America where witches ended their persecution 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the U.S. government to fight for their country, the show follows three young women through basic training in combat magic into terrifying and thrilling early deployment.

NBC has unveiled comedians Franqi French and Rene Vaca as the winners of its 16th annual StandUp NBC competition. This marks the first time in the program’s 16-year history that two winners have been chosen in a single year.

StandUp NBC is an annual search for comedians of diverse backgrounds and French and Vaca have taken the crown and will each receive a talent holding deal with NBCUniversal and a headlining spot at the National Association for Campus Activities (Naca) annual convention where they will perform for talent bookers from across the country. They will also split the responsibility of headlining the regional semifinalist showcases in five cities across the country at next year’s StandUp NBC.

“Franqi and Rene were standouts in our showcase this year. They are hilarious, relatable and fearlessly share their personal stories. We couldn’t choose just one winner, so we decided to name them both,...

In today’s TV news roundup, Humanitas has released the finalists for the 45th Annual Humanitas Prize, and YouTube announced a new beauty competition series hosted by James Charles.

Castings

Jason Kennedy has been named as the host of E!’s new series “In The Room.“ The “E! News” host will bring viewers inside celebrity homes for in-depth interviews and conversation around their latest projects, products, passions and more. Several primetime specials of the series will be aired before its full launch. Four-time Super Bowl Mvp Tom Brady will be featured in the first episode premiering, Dec. 4. Watch a preview clip below:

Dates

“The Degenerates” will return with Season 2 Dec. 31, Netflix announced. The comedy stand-up series will feature six new and unfiltered sets from Adrienne Iapalucci, Donnell Rawlings, Jim Norton, Nikki Glaser, Ms. Pat and Robert Kelly. Watch a first look below:

Developments

YouTube Originals and James Charles have teamed...

The fall slate of new and returning fiction podcasts has been released by Gimlet, led by cyber-thriller Motherhacker, in which a single mother (Carrie Coon) journeys through the dark web.

Starting in October, Gimlet will be releasing one fiction series a month through the end of the year, including its first scripted renewals since Homecoming season 2. Streamer Spotify bought Gimlet Media and fellow podcasting company Anchor earlier this year for a reported $340 million. The newly announced slate reflects a ramping up of the production pace.

Besides Motherhacker, Gimlet will also unveil The Horror of Dolores Roach for a second season, wherein listeners can hear the latest from Roach (Daphne Rubin-Vega) and her life underground. Also back is The Two Princes, with an update on Prince Rupert and Prince Amir’s love story and the adventures they find along the way.

Gimlet’s executive producer for scripted fiction is Mimi O’Donnell.

Network: Netflix.

Episodes: Ongoing (20 mins).

Seasons: Ongoing.

TV show dates: May 17, 2019 — present.

Series status: Has not been cancelled.

Performers include: Solvan Naim, Rob Morgan, Shakira Barrera, Johnnie Mae, Joe Perrino, Donnell Rawlings, Eden Marryshow, Jade, Eshete, Sam Eliad, Omar Scroggins, Adriane Lenox, Kathiamarice Lopez, Devale Ellis, Eddie J. Hernandez, Anthony L. Fernandez, Anthony Valderrama, ZsaZsa Gabone, and Katie Rich.

TV show description:

From creator Solvan Naim, the It's Bruno! TV show is a single-camera comedy. The series focuses on a man named Malcolm (Naim) and his dog, Bruno, living life in their Bushwick, Brooklyn neighborhood.

Malcolm is crazy about Bruno and takes better care of him than he does himself. He will cook dinner for...