Month: May 2024

John Mulaney is a tremendous comedian with a lot of nice suits and cool celebrity friends, so people have often said that he should host a late-night talk show. Now he has, with a limited-run series that will only last six episodes, proving all those amateur career counselors right while, at the same time, breaking their hearts into pieces. But the beauty of Everybody’s In L.A. might be found in its brevity and all that it has unlocked.

To me, the best episode of any late-night show over the last decade is the one-off that Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz did while covering CBS’ The Late Late Show in the middle of a blizzard. If you can find the episode (it constantly gets posted and then taken down), do so (and then come back and read our oral history on it). That episode was invented by necessity and survival mode put on by comedy nerds who grew up idolizing Conan O’Brien and his late-night show’s particular, near-impossible-to-repeat comedic lawlessness. Impossible to repeat, of course, if you’re in it for the long haul. Conan nearly got fired on a weekly basis in his early days at NBC, but with the risk aversion plaguing the industry now, his show probably would have also ended after just 6 episodes if it debuted last week.

Like Pally and Schwartz, Mulaney went into this project like a cool substitute teacher, sidestepping the typical late night lesson plan and certain considerations that just didn’t apply to this unique situation. Mulaney has an interest in the creative freedom that comes from being able to jump from project to project – it’s something he spoke about when I interviewed him about The Sack Lunch Bunch in 2019 – and as he said at the start of the first episode of Everybody’s In L.A., he loves being done with things.

Sidebar: When I think about comps for Mulaney’s career, I think about Albert Brooks, a distinct comedic auteur who was so allergic to permanence that he rejected the chance to be SNL’s forever host at its start. Brooks made shorts for the show instead, crushed every late night guest appearance, and innovated on stage and with feature films that he made on his terms. Brooks is a legend (check out the HBO doc on his career, Defending My Life if he sounds interesting to you) and model of creative independence whose career might have suffered had he taken on the time burdens of a comedy desk job.

Anyway, with no interest in doing Everybody’s In L.A. forever, Mulaney was freed to do his show without thinking about weeks 2 through 52 (or 520 or 1,040… Jesus) and without being stressed by the idea that he had to keep a small army employed. Everyone is a comedy mercenary here. No spacing guests, field pieces, and pre-taped bits out. No focus groups. Everything is getting thrown at the screen, sometimes at the same time – a celebrity filled panel colliding into a conversation on air quality and trees. A ginger-ale delivery bot rolling past them while Mulaney impatiently listens to a random caller waiting to find out if they drive a Kia Sorrento or not before Will Ferrell or Andy Samberg weighs in from the crowd as a cartoonish LA rich guy.

“Is this a Banksy?” asked Jon Stewart in the middle of Monday’s episode after being spooked by the Saymo robot (this would be before he tried to take a ride inside the helpful land drone). Comedian Mae Martin called the show a “David Lynch fever dream.”

On the third episode, Mulaney said, “Welcome to Sunglass Night, the topic is helicopters,” before leading a more serious (but still joke-filled) panel discussion on crime in LA with OJ Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark, helicopter reporter Zoe Tur, and comedians Earthquake, Nate Bartgatze, and Patton Oswalt. All in sunglasses because, like the man said, it was Sunglass Night.

Later, Mulaney leaned on Fred Armisen to assemble a bunch of mid-60-year-old punk rockers to see how hard they still go after character actor and show announcer Richard Kind tried to get a fun party game going by asking everyone if they had gone down on a family member. This is after episode two started with Kind trying to get LSD to experience Mulaney on stage at The Hollywood Bowl, recalling some of Andy Richter’s best bits in the early days of Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Like the episodes themselves (delightfully), the influences that comprise Everybody’s In L.A. are scattered. The field pieces and willingness to bend convention like Late Night (both the Conan and Letterman versions), the intellectual curiosity of The Daily Show or The Colbert Report (sans the politics), the randomized silliness of Comedy Bang! Bang!, and casual hang/audience participation of The Chris Gethard Show. Everybody’s In L.A. is an amalgamation of all those things and something all its own. But that’s a very late night nerd way of putting it, and those touchstones can, I think, scare people off sometimes. This isn’t meant to be exclusive for that crowd. It’s far more accessible, so let me reframe.

This show feels like a house party that has finally wound down and weeded out the randoms. Nervous energy gone, everyone is suddenly very interested in a random topic and super comfortable in being themselves while the host throws on a record you maybe haven’t thought about in a minute (with St. Vincent, Warren G, and Joyce Manor, Everybody’s In L.A. is picking up the baton of interesting musical guest curation that conventional late night has largely left on the floor). Like that point in this metaphorical party that we can all remember, Everybody’s In L.A. is an awesome vibe. It is ending when we wish it might last just a little bit longer, but well before we have a chance to get bored with it.

I’m going to miss and rewatch Everybody’s In L.A. so much. But that’s also awesome. Missing things is good. It means they meant something. When you’re inundated by shows that go two seasons too long, expanded universes that get too big and complicated, and other things that are just unremarkable filler, having something mean something is everything.

‘Everybody’s In L.A.’ is airing live on Netflix for the next three nights at 10ET with episodes available to stream afterward

Steve Albini, who died this week at 61 years old, engineered many of the greatest rock albums of the past 40 years, including Surfer Rosa by Pixies, Rid of Me by PJ Harvey, and The Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia. He was also an influential and productive musician in his own right with bands like Shellac and Big Black. But his most monumental career achievement is his work on In Utero, Nirvana’s corrosive follow-up to Nevermind.

To get the gig, Albini reached out to the band in a letter.

“I think the very best thing you could do at this point is exactly what you are talking about doing: bang a record out in a couple of days, with high quality but minimal ‘production’ and no interference from the front office bulletheads,” he wrote, addressing the message to Kurt, Dave, and Chris (misspelled). “If that is indeed what you want to do, I would love to be involved.”

Over the course of four pages, Albini laid out his plan. He wanted to “leave room for accidents or chaos,” suggested they record the album in Pachyderm Studios in Minnesota (“It’s a great facility with outstanding acoustics and a totally comfy architect’s wet dream mansion where the band lives during the recordings”), and reiterated that he didn’t want a dime in royalties. “I think paying a royalty to a producer or engineer is ethically indefensible. The band write the songs. The band play the music. It’s the band’s fans who buy the records. The band is responsible for whether it’s a great record or a horrible record. Royalties belong to the band,” he wrote.

The letter ended with the following words: “If a record takes more than a week to make, somebody’s f*cking up. Oi!”

Nirvana accepted Albini’s offer (his involvement with two of Kurt’s favorite albums, Surfer Rosa by Pixies and Pod by The Breeders, didn’t hurt). The band’s label didn’t love In Utero‘s more abrasive sound, but Albini was undeterred. As he explained to CBC in 2023, “Literally from the first song that they ran through, I knew it was going to be a good record and we didn’t have anything to worry about.” It’s more than a good record — it’s a great one.

You can read Albini’s full letter to Nirvana here.

Baby Reindeer has led to plenty of rampant speculation during its multi-week takeover of the Netflix Top 10 TV shows list (the series is working towards the list’s all-time version, too). Creator and star Richard Gadd has already begun work on his next series while asking viewers to please stop doing the armchair-detective thing regarding the true identities of the depicted abusers. However, the claimed real-life “Martha” did come forward to threaten legal action over the limited series and has further identified herself to the public after claiming of Gadd, “He’s using Baby Reindeer to stalk me now… I’m the victim. He’s written a bloody show about me.”

Well, you might not be surprised to learn that Piers Morgan has decided to interview “Martha” (real name Fiona Harvey) on his Piers Morgan Uncensored program. He blasted out a tweet that read, “*WORLD EXCLUSIVE* The real-life Martha from Baby Reindeer breaks cover and gives me her first TV interview about the smash hit Netflix show. Fiona Harvey wants to have her say & ‘set the record straight.’ Is she a psycho stalker?”

Nobody ever accused Piers (who will air the interview on Thursday) of taking the sensitive approach to TV interviews, and responses to his tweet are ribbing him with variants on the misspelled “sent from iPhone” message and also wondering if Piers gave Harvey his phone number. Oh boy.

Back to Gadd, though. He recently spoke at a TV Academy event for Emmy consideration purposes, and he revealed what it was like to realize the show’s word-of-mouth success after releasing on April 11. He suggests that he felt a therapeutic effect:

Gadd said catharsis has come thanks to the “unbelievable response” the show has received in recent weeks. “I always believed in the show and I really loved it, and I thought it would be maybe sit as maybe a little cult, artistic gem on the Netflix platform maybe,” he said. “But then overnight it was crazy. It felt like I woke up one day and everyone was watching it.”

Additionally, Netflix has spoken on Baby Reindeer via Senior Director of Policy (UK and Ireland) Benjamin King, who defended the series to UK Parliament while stating that Clerkenwell Films and Netflix was careful to take “every reasonable precaution in disguising the real-life identities of the people involved in that story.”

Baby Reindeer is currently streaming on Netflix.

(WARNING: Spoilers for BMF episode will be found below.)

After nearly three months of new episodes, the third season of BMF will come to a close with a tenth and final episode. Throughout season three, viewers have watched Meech and Terry work tirelessly to expand their BMF operation across the United States. Meech established a hub in Atlanta and surrounded himself with a new crew while Terry kept things afloat back home in Detroit. The duo’s expansion dreams continue in the season three finale, and here’s when you can watch the new episode.

When Will BMF Season 3, Episode 10 Come Out?

The tenth episode of BMF season three, titled “Prime Time,” will arrive on April 26. The episode will be available on Friday, 4/26 on the STARZ app starting at midnight EST/PST. The episode will later air on the STARZ TV channel at 8 pm ET/PT. A synopsis for “Prime Time” can be found below:

Meech and Terry return to Atlanta; the brothers work together to retrieve everything they have worked hard for and plan to expand to St. Louis and other cities with Miami as a hub; Meech and Terry are in for one of their greatest adventures.

New episodes of ‘BMF’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12 am ET/PT and on the STARZ TV channel at 8 pm ET/PT.

Babies are really adaptable. The same can be said for baby animals and it’s likely because they just don’t know any other way of life so they just go with it. But even knowing that, it’s still hard to imagine a kitten getting around with no front legs.

Cats essentially use everything from their whiskers to their tails to balance, so how would one walk without two of it’s four legs? The answer is, carefully at first. Duck is a kitten that had to have both of her front legs completely amputated after she was rescued and while she was wobbly at first, she quickly adapted.

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Duck’s human, Cody shares her daily shenanigans on his Instagram page aptly named Purrasic Duck. But recently he told Duck’s story to The Dodo revealing her rescue story and the kitten’s quick moves. If you’re having a hard time picturing a two-legged cat on the run, it looks a lot like a furry velociraptor chasing a laser pointer.

“I ended up naming her Duck because she kinda waddled. She’d kinda take it slow, she waddled trying to figure out her balance,” Cody tells The Dodo.

Before long though, Duck was off to play with her much larger dog brothers. Her pug brother even offers her a little assistance in the face cleaning area since Duck doesn’t have paws to do it herself. No worries, she returns the favor by cleaning his face too. It’s an adorable relationship but if you want to see a furry velociraptor chase after cat toys, you’ll need to watch the video below.

This article originally appeared on 11.15.23

We’re all probably familiar with the term “mansplaining,” when a man explains something to a woman in a condescending or patronizing way. Often, this comes in the form of a man explaining a subject to a woman that she already knows on an expert level. The female neuroscientist who was told by a man that she should read a research paper she actually wrote comes to mind.

Recently the next-level mansplaining was caught in the wild. Well, at a golf driving range anyway.

Georgia Ball, a professional golfer and coach who’s racked up over 3 million likes on TikTok for all her tips and tricks of the sport, was minding her own business while practicing a swing change.

It takes all of two seconds on Google to see that when it comes to incorporating a swing change, golfers need to swing slower, at 50-75% their normal speed…which is what Ball was doing.

And this is what prompted some man to insert his “advice.”

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In the clip, we hear the man say “What you are doing there … you shouldn’t be doing that.”

Exhibiting the patience of a nun, Ball simply tells him that she’s going through a swing change.

But her attempts at reason are unfortunately interrupted, multiple times, when the man repeatedly assures her that since he’s been playing golf for 20 years, he knows what he’s talking about.

He then insists that she’s going too slow on her swing and should be following through.

Cue Ball’s incredulous look to the camera.

@georgiagolfcoach Can you believe he said this? 😳⛳️👀 #golf #golfswing #golflife #golftok #golftiktok #golfer #golfing #golfgirl #golfpro #golftips #golfclub #drivingrange ♬ original sound – Georgia Ball Golf

Hoping to appease him, Ball finally gives a hearty swing, writing “I knew I had to make this a good one” on the onscreen text.

As the ball sails through the air, the man says “see how much better that was?”

Yes. Really. He really said that.

Poor Ball then tries to tell him that even the “best players in the world” slow down their swing when going through a swing change.

“No, I understand what you’re saying, but I’ve been playing golf for 20 years,” the man repeats. At this point Ball is just “trying to keep it together.”

Sure, this guy might have not known who Ball was, but it’s pretty evident that the last thing she needed was this guy’s “advice.” And thus, the “mansplaining” jokes commend in the comments section.

Here’s a small sampling:

“As a guy, this is the first time I’ve ever seen ‘mansplaining’ happen.”

“The way he took credit for your next swing.”

“But did you consider that he’s been playing golf for 20 years?”

“*implement nothing he says* ‘See how much better that was’ HAHAHAHAH.”

“My hope is that he comes across this video and it keeps him up at night.”

Others couldn’t help but praise Ball for keeping her cool.

“He doesn’t even give you a chance to explain, just forces his opinion and advice onto you. Goon on you for staying calm and polite,” one person wrote.

Of course, others felt Ball was being “too nice” to the man. One even exclaimed, “there’s no reason to be so polite!”

And perhaps worst of all, this kind of behavior is pretty common, especially for female athletes. A fellow female golfer even commented “So glad you posted this because it is my BIGGEST frustration when I’m at the driving range. Unfortunately, men always feel the need to comment on my swing or want to coach me. Guys take note: Please don’t.”

On the bright side: as annoying as it is that Ball had to endure that (not to mention what it says about the very real b.s. that women in general have to put up with on the regular) she laughed it off and just went on about her life being awesome at what she does. Just like the other smart, capable women of the world.

It’s almost like…maybe women don’t need advice, so much as they need respect? Now there’s a concept.

This article originally appeared on 2.26.24

What’s more 2024 than a failing paper company? A failing newspaper company! It was either that or a failing movie theater.

In January, The Office co-creator Greg Daniels revealed that he would be working on a new series with Nathan For You co-creator Michael Koman. Today, Peacock released some plot details for the upcoming spinoff, which will be set in the same “universe” as Dunder Mifflin. So… just the “real world,” essentially.

Lisa Katz, president of NBCUniversal Entertainment, said in a statement: “It’s been more than 10 years since the final episode of The Office aired on NBC, and the acclaimed comedy series continues to gain popularity and build new generations of fans on Peacock,” she began. “In partnership with Universal Television and led by the creative team of Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, this new series set in the universe of Dunder Mifflin introduces a new cast of characters in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: a daily newspaper.” Remember those?

The untitled series will be the same mockumentary style as The Office. Here is the official synopsis: “The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.”

Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore are set to lead the series, which will be executive produced by Daniels and Koman along with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, and Banijay Americas. Production begins in July.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

(WARNING: Spoilers for The Chi season 6 will be found below.)

It only took eight months, but at long last, the sixth season of The Chi is just a couple of days away from returning with a new slate of episodes. The season was split into the two halves of eight episodes, with the first batch airing towards the end of last summer. The string of episodes ended with the departures of Alex R. Hibbert (Kevin Williams) and Tory O. Davis (Pastor Stanley Jackson) as well as a big cliffhanger that will only make for an exciting second half of season six. So if you’re ready for the ride, here’s when you can watch The Chi season 6, episode 9.

When Will The Chi Season 6, Episode 9 Come Out?

The ninth episode of The Chi season six, titled “The Aftermath,” will arrive on May 10. The Boma Iluma-directed and Lena Waithe-written episode will be available on Friday, 5/10 on the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME app starting at midnight EST/PST. The episode will later air on the SHOWTIME TV channel on May 12 at 9 pm ET/PT. A synopsis for “The Aftermath” can be found below:

Victor and Emmett deal with the consequences of their decision to take on Douda. Keisha worries about her family’s safety, while Jada and Darnell make moves to keep everyone safe. Alicia cashes in a favor from Bianca.

You can revisit the trailer for The Chi season 6, part 2 in the video below.

‘The Chi’ season 6, part 2 debuts on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME on May 10, 2024. Seasons 1-5 as well as season 6 part 1 are available now to stream on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

In September 2022, Lady Gaga played a sold-out show to 52,000 people at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, as part of The Chromatica Ball tour. Gaga’s performance was filmed, and now it’ll be shared as a new HBO concert film. It’s set to premiere on HBO on May 25 at 1 p.m. ET/PT, and it’ll be streaming on Max, too.

Gaga posted a statement to announce the film and share a trailer, writing on social media:

“I’m so excited that we can finally share The Chromatica Ball film with the world. This film chronicles a time of immense creativity…the fashion, the dance, the music. Revisiting the tour leaves me speechless the way we had each other—you all showed up for music and art in a big way, and with a level of excitement and freedom that I will never forget. Stadium after stadium. Sold out crowds. The deafening singalongs.

Chromatica was colorful revenge. The chaos of it all became pure energy and life. With a texture best experienced live.

‘STRUT IT OUT, WALK A MILE
SERVE IT ANCIENT CITY STYLE’

Self-acceptance is a theme that cuts through all my songs. I believe it is always possible to dig deep and find your greatness. Self-discovery is an art. Self-love is a practice.

I love you monsters more than I can say. See yourself in every vocal, every fabric choice, the choreography, every image… Here’s the truth—no matter where life or my career has taken me, my time with you always is a path back to a very powerful part of myself. In a stadium filled with YOU it came to life. Thank you for that feeling. I hope you will feel seen when you watch this film. And know that I edited it carefully to honor you.”

Find Gaga’s post below.

It’s been almost seven years since we last checked in on those apes who have apparently been taking over the planet since 2017’s War For The Planet Of The Apes, and a lot has changed!

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, the latest installment in the franchise, takes place over 100 years after the last film, and now the apes are really the ones in charge as the human population dwindles.

Much like Dune being the fun little appetizer for Dune Part Two, critics are saying that the film is a worthy installment in the franchise that perfectly sets up the next phase of the apes. Here’s what early reviews are saying:

David Ehrlich of IndieWire thinks the franchise has found “smart new ways to evolve”:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is such a rewardingly cerebral journey because of its refusal to dictator-shame its villain or offer a clear alternative for the apes forced to serve at his mercy. Exciting and coherently shot as its water-logged finale might be, Ball’s movie sews a palpable sense of lament into even this story’s most emphatic moments of hope, as Noa’s emergence as a hero capable of rescuing his clan — and maybe his entire species — is always offset by the feeling that the only responsible way of bringing apes into the future would be to ensure they remain stuck in the past.

Andrew J. Salazar of Discussing Film also remarks that while the movie is a tad too long, it’s a solid set up to the next chapter:

Aside from advancing the visual effects and capturing awesome images, this was the real test that Disney needed to accomplish. It’s safe to say that the groundwork has been laid for a bold new trilogy. Despite a few hiccups, director Wes Ball successfully takes the Planet of the Apes series in a direction that’s filled with untapped potential.

Deadline’s Pete Hammond enjoyed it, too:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes proves, without a doubt, that there is still life on this Planet with plenty room to grow. I am psyched for the next one.

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes invites us to embrace the drama of apes fighting apes. By the end, though, in what is in effect a teaser for the next sequel, it looks as if the franchise’s blowhard version of the human race will be back after all. That could be enough to make you want to escape from the planet of the apes.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian admits that the film might not be perfect, but it’s pretty good for a long-running series:

The film becomes rather jumbled and preposterous by the very end, but not before some perfectly good action sequences, and the CGI ape faces are very good. This franchise has held up an awful lot better than others; now it should evolve to something new.

Eric Goldman of IGN was also a little more critical of the flick:

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes It’s not as emotionally complex as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes or War for the Planet of the Apes, and isn’t attempting to punch you in the gut like those films do. But as this series enters its post-Caesar, Disney-owned era, Planet of the Apes is still on remarkably solid footing. Advancing the timeline is a smart move, allowing director Wes Ball to depict a dramatically changed world while screenwriter Josh Friedman shifts gears into an appealing adventure mode. This is a different Planet of the Apes, but it still feels like it fits in with what came before.

But critics seems to universally agree that the CGI has improved immensely over the years, so the apes can take that one as a win!

Kingdom of the Planet Of the Apes hits theaters on May 10th.