Festival Wars – Louis CK returns, Riyadh vs. Montreal, and Emmys snub John Mulaney

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Caloroga Shark Media. Crazy one today and I am fascinated by the jousting Montreal Comedy Festival that kicks off tonight. But what do you know? The New York Comedy Festival dropped their lineup to steal the press spotlight. And there’s a massive riade festival which includes Bruce Hills.

Who’s that? That’s the guy that used to run the Montreal Comedy Festival. All this news out at once, plus the Emmy nominations. Plushing gillis host the SPS tonight. So much going on after two weeks of nothing.

Guys, can we spread the comedy news out? Please? And hello, I’m Johnny Mack with your Daily Comedy News. Let’s start with the New York Comedy Festival. As the New York Post put it.

Comedian Louis C.K. Is set to headline two nights of the New York Comedy Festival later this year, marking one of his first high profile stand up accents. Being accused of sexual misconduct by five women back in twenty seventeen, I’m pretty sure mister c K admitted to such things, a quote from Louis in the New York Post. These stories are true. So I don’t think they are allocations at that point.

At that time, I said to myself what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my thing without asking first, which is also true. The power I had over these women is that they admired me, and I will died that power irresponsibly. Let me get the lilt out of my voice. So anyway, nobody is really canceled in this world. Caroline Hirsch, who runs the festival, said, We’re thrilled to unveil this year’s incredible line up, a dynamic mix of global headliners and rising voices that reflect where comedy is right now and where it’s headed.

We’re proud to continue to bring in New York City the very best of the best in a constantly shifting landscape. We stay committed to spotlighting new voices, championing fresh perspectives, breaking form, and shaving a festival that sets it’s the standard, both creatively and commercially. Louis will perform his special Ridiculous at the Beacon Theater in November fourteenth and fifteenth, also headlining Stephen Colbert, Amy, Sidaris, Pete Holmes. Now I looked at the initial lineup I’m not blown away here. This feels smaller than it has in the past.

Again, we have so much to get to today. Let me go quickly here. Friday, November seventh, Ryan Long and Nurse John. Those are two different shows. The shows on Saturday, November eighth at seven o’clock a celebration of the twenty fifth anniversary of the cancelation of Strangers with Candy with Stephen Colbert, Paul Denello and Amy Sedaris at town Hall.

Okay, Ryan Long. Two shows Trevor Wallace and Hannah Berner. Sunday the ninth istmo at town Hall. Then nothing on the schedule that I’m seeing until Thursday to thirteenth. Johai Spaondor at town Hall, Morgan Jay and The Basement Yard which is a podcast and the Basement Yard is Madison Square Garden.

Wow. That Friday Michael blax and Pete Holmes and Louis C.K. That’s Saturday the fifteenth, Alex Edelman, Michael Blaxon, Margaret Choe, c K and Chris Fleming. Yeah, I guess. I imagine they will announce more as we get a little bit closer.

That one’s in November, So I thought the timing on this was really interesting. Deadline had an exclusive the re Odd Comedy Festival. Now why this really catches my eye. Is attached to this is Bruce Hills. Now, Bruce is the guy I worked with at Just for Laughs Montreal.

Bruce is a good guy. Bruce knows comedy, Bruce knows how to do a comedy festival. I just thought the timing was fascinating that Deadline had this on Monday, and this is also the week of the return of the Montreal Comedy Festival, which Bruce is no longer attached to. Could be a coincidence, could be some fun sjousting. I don’t know, just found it interesting.

But this Reodd Comedy Festival taking place in the Saudi capital this fall. Again, I don’t know why it had to be announced on Monday, July fourteenth, anyway, but listening to these names, Kevin Hart, Tom Sigora, Pete Davidson, Russell Peters, Jim Jeffries, Whitney Cummings, Zornagarg and Jessica Curson are all quote in talks to perform at the inaugural Reod Comedy Festival. That in talks is interesting. Again, the Deadline went with this makes me think it’s quite likely, Deadline says. While no deals have been finalized, reps for WME, which is consulting on the festival, confirmed ongoing discussions with several top tier acts.

Turkey Alashiki is the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. In May, Turkey had posted on x the best fifty stand up comedians of the world are coming to the Riad Comedy Festival from September twenty sixth to October tenth. Deadline reports. Sources say the festival will feature multi comic showcases and solo shows. A company called Sella, the largest live events company in the Kingdom, will produce alongside Bruce Hills, described in this article as a legendary comedy producer who’s spent nearly four decades at Just for Laughs, hoping to turn it into the largest and most prestigious comedy festival in the world.

Again, I only have great things to say about Bruce and I continue to find the timing fascinating, Deadline says. A source familiar with comedy touring noted that there’s big money to be made by comics of the Middle East, up to millions or tens of millions, depending on the profile of the artist. They said, many the top stand ups are happy to be wined and dined by the Saudi government, which has come to recognize the power of comics as the cultural icons of our time. Deadline rights. Of course, there are also significant drawbacks or at least factors to consider in performing in the Middle East.

For starters, Saudi Arabia is known for limiting freedom of expression when it comes to the arts, typically dictating on the offer sheheet per multiple agents what cannot be set on topics like religion, sex, and the Saudi royal family. Deadline ads, while the kingdom is known for its discrimination against the LGBTQ plus community. Sources were particularly curious as to how many female comics will be appearing, given that they’d have to perform out of the constraints of Sharia law in a country considered even more conservative than the likes of Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Sources say organizers are currently in talk with Cummings, garg and Curson, among others. Art Davidson, Segura, gorg and Curson are all with WME.

Sources say it’s unclear how many marquee names not repped by WME will make the trek. At least one top commedian that fills Arenas has declined to attend. Very very interesting. I’ll do Montreal in the second half of the podcast because I want to talk about the schedule as well. Let’s look at the Emmy nominations.

Naperghetzy is the host of the twenty twenty five Emmys, and he also was nominated in the Outstanding Variety Special category Netflix specials. They include Your Friend, n Aperghetzi, Adam Sandler, Love You, Ali Wong, Single Lady, Sarah Silverman, Post Mortem One, I’m Gonna Skip On Purpose, Come Back To and Hulus Bill Bird Dropped Dead Years. So if the nominees are Bill Burr, Sarah, Ali Wong, Sandler, and Nate Bergatzy. Out of those, I would pick Adam Sandler. Believe it or not, I think that was the best of those specials.

However, the one I skipped and the No Way This doesn’t win unless you guys are insane also nominated Conan O’Brien the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. If that doesn’t win, I don’t know what we’re doing the nominees for Best Comedy Series, Abbott The Bear, which is not a comedy, Hacks nobody wants This is an American romantic comedy TV series created by Aaron Foster, starring Kristen Bell, Adam Brody and some others on Netflix. Hmm, you learn something new every day, only murders, Shrinking the Studio, and what we do in the shadows. If I had to pick, probably Hacks. Best Talk Series.

I talked about this before. Only three nominees because of the way it works in the Math. The nominees are The Daily Show, Kimmel and Colbert. You got to give that to The Daily Show. Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Huzzo, Aduba for The Residents, Kristen Bell, nobody wants this.

Quentin Brunson, Abbotts, I at a Berry, The Bear, Geen Smart, Hacks. I would give it to Gene. Best Actor in a Comedy Series, Adam Brody, nobody wants this. Seth Rogan The Studio, Jason Siegel Shrinking, Martin Schwert Murders, Jeremy Ellen White The Bear, which is not a comedy. I don’t have an opinion there.

I will abstain Best Supporting Actor in a comedy series. Ike Baron Holds The Studio, Coleman Domingo, The Four Seasons, Harrison Ford Shrinking, Jeff Hiller Somebody Somewhere even while Spockerrock The Bear, which is not a comedy, Michael Uri shrinking, and Bowen Yang for SNL. I don’t have an opinion SNL. You can get best Supporting Actor in a comedy series out of SNL. That doesn’t seem right.

Don’t give it a Bowen. Best Supporting Actress in a comedy series. Eliza clonezais the Bear. She’s fantastic, but that’s not a comedy. Hannah Einbinder Hacks, Katherine Hahn The Studio, Janelle James Abbott, Katherine O’Hara The Studio, Shiryl Lee, Ralph Abbott, Jessica Williams Shrinking.

I don’t have an opinion. Best guest Actor in a comedy series, John Bernhall The Bear, Brian Kranston The Studio, deve Franco the Studio, Ron Howard the Studio, Anthony Mackie the Studio, Martin Scorsese the Studio. I would give it to Ron Howard. We’ll talk more about the studio in a second. Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, Olivia Coleman The Bear, Which is not a comedy, Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear, Which is not a comedy, Cynthia Rivo Poker Face, Robbie Hoffman, Hacks, Zoe Kravitz, The Studio, Julianne Nicholson Hacks.

I don’t have an opinion, but don’t give it to any of it from The Bear. Not that it’s not a great show, it’s just not a comedy. Best Writing for Comedy Series goes to the teams from Abbott Hacks, the rehearsal, somebody somewhere, the studio, and what we do in the chef I kind of like what we do in the Shadows. Only two nominees in Outstanding Scripted Variety. They are SNL and Last Week Tonight.

Are we giving it to SNL for the fiftieth anniversary stuff or for regular SNL? That’s my question. I guess it’s all one big thing if it’s just for the recent normal season Last Week Tonight, But if you’re going to include all the stuff from the fiftieth, they’re going to give it to SNL. SNL has thirty one nominations, and they do indeed include specials like SNL fifty, the Anniversary Special, SNL fifty, the Homecoming Concert SNL fifty Beyond Saturday Night. Lauren Michael’s already held the record for most Emmy nominations for an individual, has added six to the count, putting him at one hundred and eighteen nominations total.

I’m a one hundred and eighteen time Emmy nominee. Wow. Late Nighter points out that After Midnight, which no longer exists, got a NOD for Outstanding Technical Direction and Camera Work for a Series. They had submitted their February twenty fifth, twenty twenty five episode featuring guest Juniray, commil Anjohanni and Emily Gordon for consideration. Okay, this next one, I feel really strong about.

It’s Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Two of the nominees are Kristin Wig and Adam Sandler. Now listen to me. We cannot give Adam Sandler an Emmy for a song that will encourage him to do more terrible songs. And we can’t have that.

You guys should have given Adam Sandler the Academy Award for Best Actor for Uncut Gems which is what he wanted, and then he would have become a dramatic actor and made great movies. Instead, you keep rewarding him for crap, and then we get things like Opera Man as Terrible, Adam Sandler songs Go. Adam Sandler’s song fifty Years from the SNL fifty Special wasn’t bad in terms of like in the Adam Sandler canon. It was probably one of the better ones. But we cannot, we cannot, absolutely cannot reward Adam Sandler for his musical comedy.

No, do not do that. Kristin Wigg has an original song from Will and Harper called Harper and Will Go West Time Team Christ. All right, the studio Now, I watched it. It’s fine, but Hollywood loves Hollywood. A lot of buzz from social media, but all seems to be industry people.

I don’t see anybody in like quote, the real world talking about the studio. But boy, it received twenty three Emmy nominations. That’s the most ever for a comedy series in its first season. The New York Times points out John Mulaney did not get any Emmy nominations. Again, You’ve heard me say many times.

Love John Mullanie that late night show did not work. Okay, Gang, I may have to double break you today. Here’s why. If I don’t take the break, the automation forces a break. There’s just behind the scenes stuff that, like the commercial break will have to happen.

So let me take one here and I’ll come back and we’ll talk about Shane Gillis. Shane Gillis hosts the sb Awards tonight. He was on Jimmy Kimmel on Monday Night.

Now for some reason, Christis Stefano is guest hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Why. I don’t know either, and I’m being facetious. I think I figured it out. Christa Stefano repped by w ME, Jimmy Kimmel rep Bysea with me and everybody on three one two three WME. Listen, that’s how Hollywood works.

Anytime anything doesn’t make sense, look at the agents and that will always tell you what is going on there. So somebody’s doing somebody a favor because Christis Stefano are hosting a late night talk show. Yeah, anyway, Jane Gillis was the guest, and let’s listen. I’m excited about it. Uh, we got I still got a lot of work to do.

I got to figure it out. The jokes were killing, the jokes are they I’ve never done a thing where they at somebody else’s writing right jokes and they just like they hired writers and they just they’re like, here’s the jokes we can and they’re like self deprecating for me. So like I’ll be at home, I’ll get an email and it’s like, Hey, I’m Shane. I’m hosting the thirty third sp Awards. I’m a big fat dumbass who wrote this which one of you guys wrote that one.

Yeah, I’m not saying that. The sb’s air live tonight from the Adobe Theater in Los Angeles at eight pm Eastern and Pacific stream live on ESPN plus US. If you’ve cut the court like me, you can either visit your friend who lives on the ship, if you know what I mean, or it’ll be on Hulu tomorrow. This is the thirty third annual SP’s. Some of the categories best Athlete men’s Sports.

You know how many is Josh Allen from the Bills, Saquon Barkley from the Eagles, SGA from the Thunder or Tany from the La Dodgers. Boy, that’s tough. This thing’s in LA. Right, give it to show. Hey, Best team?

How about this the Florida Panthers, or right, they’ve won two in a row. The Dodgers, the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Philadelphia Eagles, the North Carolina Tar Hills women’s lacrosse team, or the US women’s national soccer team or the University of Connecticut Husky’s women basketball team. Who are you picking there? Best NFL player Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Lamar Jackson from the Ravens, Patrick’s thirteen from the Broncos. Got to give that to Saquon.

Best baseball player, Freddie Freeman, Aaron Judge, Shohey, Tarik Skuball, you got to give it a show. Hey, And I’m gonna take another break here. I feel you know it’s annoying. But if I don’t, I’m telling you just the way the system works, because I’m doing a long show today. If I don’t, it’s going to drop a commercial break mid sentence.

So I’d rather properly place the break than have a drop at mid sentence, because I have that’s a major pet peeve of mine, don’t forget. If you would like the show without any commercial interruptions, you can go to Caliroga dot com, slash plus, or if you’re an Apple podcast click in the matter that says uninterrupted listening. Five bucks a month you’ll get this show and a bunch of others, including five Good News Stories, which I host three days a week. I mean, Showley comes out three days a week and I always host it. I’m making it sound like somebody else, like Krista Stefano does it on Tuesdays.

No, no, no, no, that would be insane. We don’t have the same agent. Gave you a little bind scenes here. So normally I record the show on the early afternoon. Right now it’s seven twenty six pm.

Why because I went to the beach all day and then I was like, all right, I’ll do the show when I get home, and oh my goodness, my kids will not stop texting me. But I can’t get mad. I can’t be like, first of all, you don’t want to you know, it’s nice that your kids want to check in with you. But also you can’t be like, oh I recorded my podcast. Sound like a jerk.

Anyway, I’ll click the matter, This says n editor of the listening and he got the show commercial free. One more break and then we’ll talk Montreal. Just for laughs. Montreal Comedy Festival is back, baby. I got my note yesterday.

They gave me creudentials planning on heading up there at some point. That should be a lot of fun. Deadline has that new podcast where they talk about comedy. I didn’t bring my phone down. Oh no, here’s my phone.

Let me tell you what that’s called found it. It is Deadline’s Comedy Means Business. The other day they had on Sylvan Bodard, he’s the new boss ed, the reconstituted. Just for laughs, he says they’ve sold over one hundred thousand tickets. Think about that number.

That’s a lot of tickets for the upcoming festival, and said that the festival will not lose money this year. He already knows that and says it’s the first step in his grand vision for the festival. A touring agent tell Deadline it’s more than a transition, it’s like a rebirth right. I think as an industry of reps, we all want it to be there, and I think cautious optimism right now would probably be the overwhelming sentiment. A manager told Deadline she’d heard mixed things about how people are feeling going into this year, A good amount of enthusiasm, a little skepticism.

But I don’t think anyone’s rooting against the festival. I think we all wanted to succeed because at the end of the day, it’s a great avenue for clients to get discovered. How noble of you, Yeah, we don’t want the festival to fail because we can make money off it. Here’s some quotage a manager gave to Deadline, calling it zombie JFL back from the dead. I think I’ve used those exact words in different combinations.

That manager said, breaking out of jfl’s new faces used to mean comics would be a thing forever, but that’s no longer reliably the case. They said, that is a historic lack of digital strategy on jfl’s part. Now, if you listen to the Deadline podcast, they got into the digital strategy and it sounds like they have a really good plan for it this year. I mean, I’ve been. Involved in comedy for twenty years.

I don’t I don’t know. I kind of reject what that manager’s saying. I think new phases is a good thing and still means something now interesting to me. We haven’t seen the list yet. I’m surprised that’s not out yet.

I was kind of expecting that to come out on Monday. It clearly this close that people must be solidified on the line up, but we haven’t seen a list yet. Now, that manager tells Deadline they predict companies will send quote less people to cover the festival than in the past, between slash travel budgets and uncertainty. That same person said some my greatest acts were definitely helped by just for laughs. I think the power of new faces isn’t as big as it used to be, but I still think it’s a nice notch on your belt and a credit that people still value.

I like those guys at JFL, and I think they’ve been able to showcase talent incredibly well. One manager said the success of this year’s festival will be reflected in people talking about it afterwards, new faces walking out with new representation conversation. Yeah, I think that’s fair. The manager says, you look at Netflix as a joke, and those new face introducing people are getting somewhere between ten to one hundred thousand views on their YouTube channels. I’m curious to see what jfl’s views look like.

Also fair Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mack to be a Just for Laughs, they’re going to receive the Generation Award.


Also getting an award is George Wallace.

His award will be presented by Roywood Junior. Roy will present George Wallace with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Benito Skinner, known for his online persona Benny Drama. We’ll receive a Breakout Comedy Star of the Year prize from Mary Beth Baron. The Rising Comedy Star of the Year award will go to Hannah Burner.

Is Hannah rising. She’s got a huge podcast. But okay, all right, let’s look at the line up starting tonight. A few French shows early the evening at seven o’clock, the Just for the Laughs Culture Show that used to be the Ethnic show. That’s at Club Soda, Good Club Boy.

A whole lot of French shows tonight. I think that’s great. Nine point thirty, The Nasty Show, also at Club Soda. So you know, that’s kind of how I would roll. I would if I were up there tonight, I would just head over to club Soda and do the back to back and get home at eleven thirty and go to bed and record a podcast.

So those are the two English show tonight, but I skipped maybe twelve thirteen French language shows. Again week one, the Wednesday night, this thing will totally pick up, So don’t judge the festival by tonight’s lineup. That’s just the first night. The head of programming is Nick Brazio. He’s worked for JFL for sixteen years.

He used to report to Robbie Prau, who went on to head Netflix’s live comedy division. Nick says, I gave up stand up to get on the production side, to get a closer connection to the world class comedy scene, and that satisfies a lot of the reasoning I gotten a comedy in the first place. Nick said about fifteen months ago, there was concern that just for laughs could disappear, but the opportunity to bring everything back has been so uplifting. So many great memories have been made over the four decades the festival has been around. Now we have the opportunity to make more.

Here’s Nix’s eight picks for the festival. Number one, Chay Darrina host of The Nasty Show. Chay is a viral Canadian comedy sensation with over eight million followers on social media platforms. Number two a se If Ali, host of The Culture Show. Three Nick Muhammad You know Nick Muhammad from Ted Lasso.

Okay, not a bad pick. Nick will be doing a seventy five minute show on number four. Mary Beth Barone, one of the stars and writers of Over Compensating and a repeat guest on Jimmy Fallon. This marks her first performance in Montreal, but definitely not her last. Yes, I could see her breaking out.

That’s a good one. On number five stamp Town July twenty third through the twenty fifth. The Club Soda a full on fever show hosted by the unforgettable Zack Zucker and featuring some of the most energetic, over the top comics from around the world. It is totally bananas, raunchy, and chaotic. Nash shows have included the likes of Neil Patrick, Harris, Richard Kine, May Martin, David Cross and Sarah Sherman.

That’s awesome. Six Rhys Derby you know him A legend indeed is this comic from New Zealand who cracked up audiences, big Time in Flight of the Concords and unbelievable Italian. He’s unique. Get a Delight. Seven.

Kat cohen Us bas but known around the world for festival and TV appearances, as well as her two Netflix specials and number eight. Andrea Jin is a featured performer at the Culture Show. Originally from Shanghai, she grew up in Vancouver and is now based in la and is a former New Face of Comedy. I’ve got more. We’re not done yet, all right, so don’t get mad at that second commercial break there.

I’m jam packed today. Out today on YouTube. Luke Kegy have that comedy Exports YouTube premiere at five pm Central eight am Aest. I’m pretty sure that’s Australian time, all right, So that’s one to check out.


And then this has come to my attention.

I don’t know anything about it, but apparently this exists. Okay, you’re ready, You’re not ready for this. Sean Hannity and Jimmy Fayla have a comedy special on Fox Nation. Now. The good news is it’s on Fox Nation, so almost nobody will see it.

Whew, a Sean Hannity comedy special. If we weren’t over a half hour to the show. I would do ten minutes on this. I can’t think of anybody and I’ve met the guy. I can’t think of anybody less funny than Sean Hannity.

I looked for clips, haven’t found clips again. Busy Show. I didn’t dig that hard. All I can tell you is the description. It was a night of liberty, laughs, and a whole lot of winning only on Fox Nation.

So if you’re like boy a Sean Hannity comedy special Fox Nation.


And also, we cannot ignore Elmo.

On The Daily Show, John Stewart told Daily Show viewers Monday night that his original, well designed, articulate episode had to be scrapped because Elmo had lost his bleeping mind. I don’t know if you saw the Elmo Twitter account was presumably hacked. Some very very terrible things came out of that account. John Stewart said, this is what happens when you go too long without tickling Elmo. Elmo was the guest on The Daily Show.

Elmo admitted, I’m not going to do a half assed Elmo here. John Stewart did in the bit Elma wasn’t ACKed, it was Elmo, but Elmo was radicalized by the manisphere. Elmo was part of the male loneliness epidemic. You see what happened was Elmo was doing his own research on flu shots. Six hours later, because of the algorithm, Elmo was moderating the QAnon discord chat and building homemade bombs.

John Stewart told Elmo, don’t blame the algorithm. Elmo said, are you canceling Elmo? Once again the so called tolerant left policing speech that’s inconvenience of their Wolke Dogma. Who’s the real puppet now, John, Oh boy, that is a very long episode of Daily Comedy News for today. Now Tomorrow is all the stuff that I didn’t even put in today’s show.

I could record tomorrow right now and do twenty minutes, but I’m not going to because I’m tired. See you tomorrow