Social & External
Self - Host
Dinner for Five is a television program in which actor/filmmaker Jon Favreau and a revolving guest list of celebrities eat, drink and talk about life on and off the set and swap stories about projects past and present. The program seats screen legends next to a variety of personalities from film, television, music and comedy, resulting in an unpredictable free-for-all. The program aired on the Independent Film Channel with Favreau the co-Executive Producer with Peter Billingsley. The show format is a spontaneous, open forum for people in the entertainment community. The idea, originally conceived by Favreau, originated from a time when he went out to dinner with colleagues on a film location and exchanged filming anecdotes. Favreau said, "I thought it would be interesting to show people that side of the business". He did not want to present them in a "sensationalized way [that] they're presented in the press, but as normal people". The format featured Favreau and four guests from the entertainment industry in a restaurant with no other diners. They ordered actual food from real menus and were served by authentic waiters. There were no cue cards or previous research on the participants that would have allowed him to orchestrate the conversation and the guests were allowed to talk about whatever they wanted. The show used five cameras with the operators using long lenses so that they could be at least ten feet away from the table and not intrude on the conversation or make the guests self-conscious. The conversations lasted until the film ran out. A 25-minutes episode would be edited from the two-hour dinner.
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show, in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants. The stars are asked questions by the host, or "Square-Master", and the contestants judge the veracity of their answers in order to win the game. Although Hollywood Squares was a legitimate game show, the game largely acted as the background for the show's comedy in the form of joke answers, often given by the stars prior to their "real" answer. The show's writers usually supplied the jokes. In addition, the stars were given question subjects and plausible incorrect answers prior to the show. The show was scripted in this sense, but the gameplay was not. In any case, as host Peter Marshall, the best-known "Square-Master" and the man in whose honor the show's first announcer, Kenny Williams, actually "coined" the term, would explain at the beginning of the Secret Square game, the celebrities were briefed prior to show to help them with bluff answers, but they otherwise heard the actual questions for the first time as they were asked on air.
Best Week Ever is a weekly television program on the United States cable/satellite network VH1. It started airing in 2004 and was put on hiatus in the summer of 2009. In January 2010, it was announced that the show was cancelled. On August 3, 2012, VH1 announced the return of Best Week Ever. New weekly episodes began January 18, 2013. On the show, comedians analyze the previous week's developments in pop culture, including recent happenings in entertainment and celebrity gossip. The show's tagline is, "It's everything you love, everything you missed, and all the stuff you need to see again."
The Real Wedding Crashers is an American prank/hidden camera series on NBC, inspired by the 2005 film Wedding Crashers, that premiered on April 23, 2007. The series was produced by Ashton Kutcher, Karey Burke, Rich Meehan, Jon Kroll, Jim Rosenthal and Jason Goldberg with RDF USA, the production company of shows like Wife Swap, in association with New Line Television, part of the studio that produced the film. No one among the show's main cast and crew were involved in the original film, nor were the cast and crew of the film involved with the series. It was announced on May 7, 2007, that the series would be pulled after three episodes. NBC subsequently announced on its website that a fourth episode would air on May 28, 2007. NBC announced on July 20, 2007 that the show was not renewed. The two episodes not aired on NBC have subsequently aired on the Style Network.
Charlotte Church's entertainment show - featuring a cheeky mix of celebrity guests, hidden camera stunts, comedy sketches and top music acts.
The Mrs Merton Show is a mock chat show starring Caroline Aherne as the elderly host Mrs Merton. It ran from 10 February 1995 to 2 April 1998 and was produced by Granada Television and aired on the BBC. The writers included Aherne, Craig Cash, Dave Gorman and Henry Normal. Prior to TV success, Aherne's Mrs Merton character appeared on Frank Sidebottom's album "5/9/88", then made her TV debut on the 1991 Channel 4 gameshow Remote Control, hosted by Anthony H Wilson. The chat show was followed up by a sitcom, Mrs Merton and Malcolm, based on Mrs Merton and her son Malcolm, who was played by Craig Cash.
Oblivious is a comedy game show that aired within the United States of America on TNN/Spike TV at various points between 2002 and 2004. It was also aired on Challenge in the UK, Ireland and The Comedy Channel in Australia and still airs on Real TV in South Korea and on TV2 Zebra in Norway. It no longer airs on Spike TV. Comedian Regan Burns served as host. A DVD was later released featuring the best clips of both seasons.
Fonejacker is a British comedy programme broadcast on E4 featuring a series of prank calls involving a number of different characters performed by British Iranian television actor Kayvan Novak. It first appeared in May 2006 and became a full series in 2007. In 2005 Kayvan Novak and Ed Tracy created, wrote and directed Fonejacker, a prank call show, as part of Channel 4 Comedy Lab. After making the pilot together they were given a Christmas special and a six-part series which began airing in the UK on 5 July 2007 on E4 and lasted 6 episodes. They went on to make a second series which began airing on 17 September 2008 on E4, and started on Channel 4 on 6 November 2008. Kayvan Novak said that he was "not sure there will be a third series of Fonejacker" but despite this, several websites reported in October 2009 that a third series would air in May 2010. In November 2009, the third series was officially announced, with the news that it would be called "Fonejacker 3D" and feature Kayvan Novak portraying both old and new Fonejacker characters face-to-face in the public domain. Renamed Facejacker, the new show began airing on 16 April 2010. Fonejacker won the BAFTA award for the "Best Comedy Programme" in 2008. Novak plans to create a film based on the show's characters, and is currently in talks with Film4 and Hat Trick Productions.
Bette is a CBS television show which premiered on October 11, 2000, and was the debut of the entertainer Bette Midler in a lead TV series role. A "one-season wonder", 16 episodes were aired on CBS, with its final telecast on March 7, 2001. Eighteen episodes in total were produced, with the final two broadcast on HDTV simulcasting and in foreign markets. Bette was created by Jeffrey Lane, with Midler serving as one of the executive producers.
A variety show, hosted by Stéphane Bellavance, featuring a selection of sketches, games and musical numbers.
Richie causes trouble in his pursuit of TV fame with Eddie, his alcoholic minder, and Filthy, his sponging agent.
Prank Patrol is a children's television series that aired on YTV. Each week, Andy and a team of "ninjas" help kids pull off pranks on an unsuspecting victim. With the help of experts, pranksters convince victims of big-time pranks like incredible super powers, alien landings, or an intelligent gorilla.
Candid camera show in which unsuspecting members of the Irish public as well as some celebrities are accosted by such bizarre characters as the irascible Jake Stevens, Clifford the Orangemen and the desperate bride. All comic roles are played by comedians P.J. Gallagher, Maeve Higgins and Patrick McDonnell.
You've Got A Friend was a 2004 reality comedy show on MTV, produced by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg. It was launched near the same time as their reality prank show Punk'd, and although successful in ratings, was cancelled at the end of the first season so they could focus on its more popular counterpart. The show filmed contestants having to tolerate a 'friend' for 48 hours, while filmed on hidden camera in their home and different public settings. The 'friend' would be a trained improvisational comedian, who would progressively torment the contestant, their friends and loved ones. The catch was that the friends and family of the contestant were unaware of the folie à deux. If able to endure the embarrassment caused by the irreverent demands of the friend, the contestant would win a cash prize.
Al Murray's Happy Hour was a chat show presented by comedian Al Murray and produced by Avalon TV. The first series aired in early 2007. It is broadcast on the British terrestrial TV network, ITV, and the first series was broadcast on Saturday nights at 10pm. The second series aired on Fridays at 10pm. A third series returned to ITV on 12 September 2008, in the same 10pm Friday night slot. However, UTV in Northern Ireland did not show the third series in the 10pm Friday night slot with the other ITV regions. They now show it the following Thursday at around 11.40pm, due to UTV regional programming on Friday nights. Murray presents the programme in his Pub Landlord persona: a stereotypically nationalistic, chauvinistic character. The show contains stand-up, guest interviews and live music. The show ends with Murray performing a Queen song with the musical guest.
Self-proclaimed business expert, writer, director and comedian Nathan Fielder helps real small businesses turn a profit with marketing tactics that no ordinary consultant would dare to attempt. From driving foot traffic to an off-the-strip souvenir shop by using Hollywood flair and a Johnny Depp impersonator, to creating a rebate that can only be redeemed by climbing a mountain, to founding a coffee shop called "Dumb Starbucks,” Nathan has always gone to the limit to make his ideas come to life. With his unorthodox approach to problem solving, Nathan’s genuine efforts to do good often draw the real people he encounters into an experience far beyond what they signed up for.
This hidden-camera series follows four lifelong friends -- Brian "Q"' Quinn, James "Murr"' Murray, Joe Gatto and Sal Vulcano -- who take dares to an outrageous level. To find out who is best under pressure, the guys compete in awkward and outrageous hidden-camera hijinks with the loser performing what is deemed to be the most-mortifying challenge yet.
David Frost wanders into celebrities' houses and a panel of celebrities has to guess who the famous homeowner is.
Full of hilarious sketches, hidden camera moments and off-kilter comedy and parodies, this sketch comedy show features a cast of 6 young rising stars that will keep you in stitches!
The inner workings of an American jury trial through the eyes of one particular juror, Ronald Gladden. Gladden is unaware the entire case is fake, everyone except him is an actor and everything that happens — inside the courtroom and out — is carefully planned.
A comedic talk show from an alternate reality featuring unstable hosts, a variety of celebrities—both real and fake—and unusual studio action.
Join sadomasochistic superheroes Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, and the rest of the Jackass crew as they terrorize your TV screens and everyone that gets in their way (especially themselves) with their own sick and twisted interpretation of physical entertainment. Their brand of pranks, goofball antics, and unabashed brutal comedy are sure to bring new meaning to the phrase "Don't Try This At Home!"
Second City Television is a Canadian television sketch comedy show offshoot from Toronto's Second City troupe that ran between 1976 and 1984.
Yankerville's puppet citizens -- voiced by celebrities and stand-up comedians -- make real calls to real people, whether they like it or not. They make all the crank phone calls you wish you'd made when you were a kid.
Two contestants are transported from their everyday lives into a once-in-a-lifetime night of fun and celebration as they play party games with some of their favorite celebrities and compete for the chance to win up to $25,000.
Nick Cannon and an A-list celebrity lead a team of improv comedians as they compete against each other.
A narrative series set in a limitless magical reality full of dynamic, hilarious characters and celebrity guests presenting sketches performed by a core cast of black women.
Created by stars Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans, this Emmy-winning sketch series offers cutting-edge satire and features a host of talent, including Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier and Tommy Davidson.
A zany sketch comedy featuring many wacky characters hosted for kids and by kids.
Burning Love is a scripted comedy series which is a web spoof of the television shows The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad. Depending on the season, the show either follows a man or a woman who is looking for the perfect mate from a pool of contestants, or has contestants living together in a mansion competing for a cash prize. Ben Stiller is executive co-producer. Season 1 showcases fireman Mark Orlando as the bachelor. Season 2 of the series, which premiered in February 2013, stars June Diane Raphael reprising her role as season 1 contestant Julie, now the bachelorette given the chance to find the perfect man. Season 3 also premiered in 2013 and starred former contestants from Seasons 1 and 2 competing for a $900 prize rather than for love.
Key & Peele is an American sketch comedy television show. It stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, both former cast members of MADtv. Each episode of the show consists of several pre-taped sketches starring the two actors, introduced by Key and Peele in front of a live studio audience.
Celebrity pairings ride along in a car together as they sing tunes from their personal playlists and surprise fans who don't expect to see big stars belting out tunes one lane over.
The Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show that starred Benny Hill and aired in various incarnations between 15 January 1955 and 30 May 1991 in over 140 countries. The show focused on sketches that were full of slapstick, mime, parody, and double-entendre. Thames Television cancelled production of the show in 1989 due to declining ratings and large production costs at £450,000 per show.
Human Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV, starring writer/performers Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer and directed primarily by Jason Woliner. The show ran for two seasons. In interviews, the group has mentioned that they were offered a third season by MTV but were unable to complete it due to Ansari's commitments to the hit NBC show Parks and Recreation. However, the group has stated that MTV has left the door open for the group to complete a third season at a later date or to produce a special for the network. In 2010, Ansari, Huebel and Scheer reunited to do a skit for the 2010 MTV Movie Awards. In November 2008, The Hollywood Reporter noted the group is currently developing a feature film with Red Hour Productions, the production company run by Ben Stiller and producer Stuart Cornfeld.
At home and school, she's Miley Stewart, a typical teenager, but when the lights go down and the curtain goes up, she emerges as the glamorous and talented Hannah Montana. Having the "Best of Both Worlds" is a complicated proposition, and keeping her identity under wraps leads Miley and her friends into some hilarious capers as she tries to balance her normal life with her rock star persona.
The live-action comedy follows comedy duo Paige and Frankie, two quirky teens who write funny songs and create music comedy videos for their online channel. With the help of friend and aspiring agent Bernie plus Vuuugle stars Dirk and Amelia, the best friends embark on comedic adventures in their quest to take the video blogging world by storm.
Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.
Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.
