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The University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Cinematic Arts (Sca) announced the creation of the John Singleton Lounge during a special screening of the series finale of FX’s Snowfall — Singleton’s final work — on the campus Thursday night. Set for location outside of the dean’s office suites, the seating area will be decorated with posters showcasing the work of the late filmmaker and USC alum who also co-founded the school’s African American Cinema Society while he was a student there.

“I want to thank John for being my son, and I want to thank John for listening to me and allowing me to guide his life,” said Singleton’s mother, Sheila Ward-Johnson, in opening remarks during the event, which was one of a series of screenings Sca has held throughout the 2022-2023 academic year as part of a yearlong celebration honoring the Academy Award-nominated director.

Actor Sean Lampkin, best known for his role as bar owner Nipsey on the 1990s sitcom “Martin,” has died. He was 54.

Marsel Watts, a friend of Lampkin, made the announcement in a Facebook post on March 8.

“My friend, my last roommate for 10 years, a father and family man, my brother, skate buddy, business partner, and trainer passed away this morning. Rip Sean Lampkin,” Watts wrote.

According to Essence, writer Memnar Grayton confirmed that Lampkin died in his sleep. However, no cause of death has been released.

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“Sean gave us every morning the shining sun to lead his loved ones and friends down paths that are bright and clear of any danger. He gave us streams of love every day when we’re not feeling good, or we don’t seem to not want to do anything,” Grayton said.

Grayton added, “But...

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Starting in 1995, The Comedy Store in Hollywood turned over a small room on a struggling night to Guy Torry and let him program many of the Black comedians who, for whatever reason, weren’t getting space on the club’s main stage on its busiest nights. The weekly event, dubbed Phat Tuesdays, helped reinvigorate midweek at The Comedy Store and launched countless careers.

Phat Tuesdays lasted for a decade and was essential to bridging a difficult time for The Comedy Store, but a recent five-hour premium cable documentary about the venue didn’t even mention the showcase.

“Honestly, it was a blessing, because why should we settle for 10 minutes in another documentary? We had three hours, easy, of story to tell. So let us tell our story in full,” says Reginald Hudlin, executive producer and director of Prime Video’s new three-part docuseries Phat Tuesdays,...

Phat Tuesdays, a pioneering comedy night held at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles during the mid-1990s and early 2000s, helped pave the way for comedians including Chris Tucker, Nick Cannon and Tiffany Haddish.

The three-part Amazon Prime Video docuseries Phat Tuesdays: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy explores the history of the popular night, created by Guy Torry, and its impact on Hollywood, building comedy superstars and offering movie and TV opportunities to a slew of Black performers.

Contenders TV Docs + Unscripted — Deadline’s Complete Coverage

Director Reginald Hudlin said during the show’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted event that the reach of Phat Tuesdays is global, with comedians from around the world and across the United States inspired by its success. “Phat Tuesdays definitely inspired a hundred of flowers to bloom. That said, there’s nothing like the original and I think you...

“Black people tend to be very funny during very dark times. It’s, like, in our DNA,” Nicole Byer of NBC’s Grand Crew shares during TVLine’s Shades of Funny roundtable video.

And modern times have seldom been as dark as these first years of the pandemic, and evvvvvverything else that has transpired within.

More from TVLineFresh Off Ted Lasso, Emmy Winner Ashley Nicole Black Is On a Mission to 'Make More People Feel Seen'Bel-Air Bosses and Jabari Banks Talk Reimagining Fresh Prince, 'Electric' Will/Carlton Feud in Peacock DramaEverything's Gonna Be All White's Amanda Seales...

Image Source: Getty / Kelly Balch / Earl Gibson III / Alexander Tamargo

If there's one thing Guy Torry, DeRay Davis, and Kym Whitley have in common, it's their passion for comedy. Phat Tuesdays founder Torry brought together the greatest in their craft at The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard as a chain reaction to the 1992 LA riots. The legacy continues in the new Amazon Prime Video series "Phat Tuesdays." Torry, Davis, and Whitley tell Popsugar about everything from the magic of Black audiences to their memories of the late comedian Bob Saget. We also asked them their least-favorite question: who are your favorite comics, from the giants of the '90s to up-and-comers?

"This is the question I hate the most because it's too many," Torry explains. DeRay and Whitley explain that many Black comics don't get the exposure they deserve. "It's so frustrating," Whitley says, specifically referencing Black women not given opportunities.

Even if you’ve never heard of Phat Tuesdays, a night at The Comedy Store in Hollywood where various Black comedians got a chance to shine and get discovered, many of the names that graced the stage are well-known.

Stars such as Cedric the Entertainer, Nick Cannon, Tiffany Haddish, Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle and more got their big breaks on that night, thanks to comedian and founder Guy Torry, who created a showcase for rising Black comedy stars back in the 1990s. His journey to The Comedy Store and all the good, bad and ugly that happened afterward is fascinatingly...

Phat Tuesdays was the pinnacle stage for Black comedians in the '90s. Created by Guy Torry, it was a space for Black comics to be unapologetic and for Black audiences to be catered to. It was also where some non-Black comedians performed to get a cosign on their material. The upcoming "Phat Tuesdays" docuseries on Amazon Prime Video, directed by Reginald Hudlin, features an appearance from the late Bob Saget as he discusses why he loved performing at the Tuesday night show at The Comedy Store. It also shows the raunchy bits of his standup that earned him the nickname "Bob Ratchet" during a time when many knew him as the wholesome Danny Tanner on "Full House." Popsugar spoke to Torry and Hudlin ahead of the "Phat Tuesday" premiere on Feb. 4, about their favorite memories of Saget, who died on Jan. 9.

"My favorite memory of Bob Saget is just having the cojones,...

If you don't know about Phat Tuesdays, it's time to get acquainted. Founder Guy Torry brought "the hood to Hollywood" every Tuesday night at The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard, where Black comedians could be unapologetically Black in front of a predominantly Black audience. The creation of Phat Tuesdays came on the heels of the 1992 LA Riots, providing a space for comedians to get political or use their comedy as a form of escape. Now, that moment of history is being documented on Amazon Prime Video with the series "Phat Tuesdays," featuring some of today's biggest comedians. Popsugar spoke to Torry, "Phat Tuesdays" director Reginald Hudlin, and guest comedians Kym Whitley and DeRay Davis about the cultural impact of Phat Tuesdays, how racial trauma affects how Black audiences receive comedy, and how the Tuesday-night show became the ultimate cosign.

"We were unapologetic in everything that we did, not just comedy,...

Today marks the start of Black History Month, with the broadcast and cable networks and streamers planning a slew of TV series, movies, news programming, documentaries, specials and more to roll out over the course of February to celebrate, educate and entertain.

Deadline has compiled a list of programming highlights that touches on some of the myriad ways outlets are commemorating the occasion, from live coverage of the NAACP Image Awards on BET to the documentary series Lincoln’s Dilemma on Apple TV+ and everything in between.

Check out below for some of the content (all times Et) and keep checking back as we add to the list.

ABC News/ABC

ABC News is presenting two primetime specials February 3 from its Soul of a Nation series. Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising, explores how Black actresses, a historically overlooked and under-valued group in Hollywood,...

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February is the shortest month of the year but that doesn’t mean it has to be any less filled with enticing film and TV options than any other month. That’s certainly true of this February, which begins and ends with a pair of ripped-from-the-headlines miniseries, beginning with the inside story of an infamous sex tape and ending with a boardroom drama from the ride share world.

Amazon Prime Video announced that “Phat Tuesdays” will debut on Feb. 4.

The three-episode docuseries tells of the Comedy Store’s Phat Tuesdays. Comedian Guy Torry founded and hosted the event after the 1992 L.A. riots in order to spotlight Black performers, and ended up launching the careers of several prominent comics. Celebrities including Nick Cannon, Snoop Dogg and Tiffany Haddish will appear in interviews discussing their experiences attending or performing at Phat Tuesdays.

Executive producers include Torry, director Reginald Hudlin, Byron Phillips, Original Productions’ Jeff Hasler, Brian Lovett and Jeff Bumgarner and Grammnet Productions’ Kelsey Grammer and Tom Russo. Co-executive producers include Joshua Firosz and Darren Toon for Original Productions as well as Jordan McMahon for Grammnet Productions.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

First Looks

WarnerMedia’s TruTV released a trailer for Season 2 of reality cooking series “Fast Foodies,” which premieres on Jan. 27 with 12 episodes. “Top Chef” winners...

Prime Video has given a series greenlight to Phat Tuesdays, a docuseries from Guy Torry, creator and host of the famed Phat Tuesday comedy shows at LA’s The Comedy Store, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, Amazon Studios, Original Productions, Phat Tuesday Productions and Kelsey Grammer’s Grammnet Productions.

The three-episode docuseries celebrates Torry’s Phat Tuesdays at The Comedy Store, the influential comedy showcase that helped launch the careers of some of the most famous Black comedians in the industry. It’s set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, February 4, in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Phat Tuesdays is the inspiring story of how a little experiment to help Black comedians following the tragedy of the 1992 LA riots turned into a triumphant must-see experience. The showcase regularly brought together people from all walks of life—icons and ex-cons, stars and starlets, pros and regular joes—for one purpose,...

The Unsung and Unsung Hollywood TV shows are returning to TV One. Unsung Hollywood Hollywood premieres Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 8:00pm Et/Pt. The new episodes feature Hill Harper, Joe & Guy Torry, and Bill Bellamy.Unsung kicks off on Wednesday, November 23rd in the same time slot, featuring artists Kurupt, Bobby Bland, and Frankie Knuckles. Learn more from this TV One press release. Read More…...

So these are not the days of D.W Griffith’s Birth Of A Nation; an early 1900‘s film that touted the Kkk as heroes and portrayed black men, played by white men in blackface, as generally sleazy. But these are the days where a predominately white cast can go out for a spray tan and play some Egyptians. These are the days that the leader of a sovereign nation can be killed 'in good humor'. These are the days that film is no longer collectively film but is also ‘Queer Film’, ‘Feminist Film’, and ‘Black Film’. These are the days that a black person cannot play a black character without being seen as so. What I mean is, there’s some sort of implication these days, that when you have a non-white character in your film, he/she must stand for something. You enter a black man here, and...

So these are not the days of D.W Griffith’s Birth Of A Nation; an early 1900‘s film that touted the Kkk as heroes and portrayed black men, played by white men in blackface, as generally sleazy. But these are the days where a predominately white cast can go out for a spray tan and play some Egyptians. These are the days that the leader of a sovereign nation can be killed 'in good humor'. These are the days that film is no longer collectively film but is also ‘Queer Film’, ‘Feminist Film’, and ‘Black Film’. These are the days that a black person cannot play a black character without being seen as so. What I mean is, there’s some sort of implication these days, that when you have a non-white character in your film, he/she must stand for something. You enter a black man here, and...

“Dancing Fools” cast member and comedian Guy Torry has fun with dancing, and he talked at length about his love for dancing videos during a recent conference call. Read below to see what ShockYa learned from the call, which included Torry’s favorite part about “Dancing Fools” and more. “Dancing Fools,” a clip show that pits dancers from two of the week’s top dancing clips against each other for $10,000, airs on ABC Family at its new day and time, Fridays at 7/6c. On why Torry wanted to become a part of “Dancing Fools”: “Well, it was a different type of a show for me. I’m a standup comic who is [ Read More ]

The post Guy Torry Talks Dancing Fools appeared first on Shockya.com.

We just discovered comedian and actor Guy Torry (probably best known for his acting performances in Pearl Harbor and American History X and his sport anchoring stints for Espn) has just landed a gig opening for one of the hottest tours going across the country; The Jill Scott/Maxwell Tour.

We discovered that the tour has been touring for several weeks and is a 20 city tour, and we also discovered that the tour has been doing so well that there is talk that there will be more dates added.

So far, no confirmations on that just yet, but we will get back to you on that as soon as we find out!

Questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com...

We just discovered that comedian Joe Torry has been quietly building up some great momentum with several new ventures about to drop in the market, besides just doing standup.

First up, we hear that Torry has recently signed a Voicetone deal with Universal Music Group and a new company titled Krazy Swag Entertainment that will jointly make available their new product on June 29th.

We also discovered a new film project that Torry has taken on, tentatively titled Pawn Shop, (which is being produced by Torry), and he is also taking on a new TV project as he is currently filming a new reality show with his brother Guy Torry. We hear there are several networks interested  which may include Bet, VH1 and/or Comedy Central- but we can't say for certain yet. We do know that the full details on the show will be released soon.

Finally, we...

Up next we have another interview with comedian and this interview is with comedian and actor, writer Guy Torry (most recently of the film The Last Stand). Torry talks about what he feels like when he hits the stage and how most comedians really feel when they go on also. You can check out his latest performance on Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment on the Starz network.

BET is getting in the sports talk-show business with a new series hosted by former NBA player John Salley, former NFL player Hugh Douglas and comedian Guy Torry.

The network is debuting its first sports talk show, an hourlong series titled "Ballers", at 10 p.m. on April 20. The weekly show -- from creator/executive producer/director Tony McCuin and executive producer John Johnston -- features the hosts talking sports in a nightclub environment. Topics will range from serious issues to silly plays. The show will have a female presence with DJ Rashida's "girl's booth" as well as Claudia Jordan (NBC's "Deal or No Deal") serving as correspondent.

In fact, "Ballers" is designed to appeal to sports and nonsports fans as well as men and women.

"This really has a much broader appeal than most shows in this category," BET president of entertainment Reginald Hudlin said. "The interaction between these three personalities is unbelievable, and the format is very loose and fun. The nightclub setting really changes the vibe."

The show will tape at Platinum Live in Studio City.

Marco Sanchez, Guy Torry and Marcelle Larice have been added to the CW's comedy pilot Flirt, while Shahine Ezell and Andres Saenz-Hudson have been cast in Fox's drama pilot Drive. Meanwhile, Stephnie Weir has been bumped up to series regular on the ABC comedy pilot A Day in the Life. Flirt, from Touchstone TV, stars Wayne Brady as the only man working at a women's magazine. Sanchez (The Rookie) is repped by Stone Manners Agency and managed by Martin Berneman.