Billy Crystal is coming back to TV on FX series, ‘The Comedians’

Billy Crystal is on his way back to America’s living rooms via television, more specifically, the FX Network. That’s right, FX has officially green lit a new situational comedy pilot staring the comedic legend. The show’s title is The Comedians and portrays Billy as a has-been comedian that is looking to renew his career. He looks to do this through connecting with a young edgy sketch comedy group.

Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Borat) is the pilot’s director, as well as, one of the creators of the series. The show is based on a show that originated in Sweden and holds the same name. Others mixed into the project include Matt Nix (Burn Notice) and Ben Wexler (Community). It’s an exciting thing for not just comedy junkies but also, Billy Crystal who hasn’t been on TV since Saturday Night Live back in ’84 and ’85.

Although pilots can rack the nerves of anyone, the creators of The Comedians are in good hands at FX. The network has recently split into two channels with one of them being totally devoted to comedy. Not to mention the channel has already ripped out some very successful comedies, for example Louie and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. On paper it looks like this will be a huge hit, will it play out? We’ll see.

‘We’re the Millers’ redband trailer

If you were wondering what Jason Sudeikis would be up to this summer besides fielding questions about his rumored departure from Saturday Night Live, we present to you the redband trailer for his new movie, We’re the Millers. In it Sudeikis is a smalltime drug dealer that pulls a ragtag group of people including Jennifer Aniston (as a stripper), Julia Roberts’ niece as a “gutter punk,” and some other guy that likes to sing TLC songs to pose as a family and pick up some drugs south of the border for his druglord boss Ed Helms. Oh and there’s a Nick Offerman swinger cameo.

I know what you’re thinking… Jennifer Aniston as a striper? Yeah, you read that right the opportunity to see a half-naked Jennifer Aniston. Also, as with the rule of trailers, we have no head trauma within the first 10 seconds so we’re in the clear. It also passes the romantic comedy test in that the female lead doesn’t trip and fall on her ass in the trailer. So far so good. But we’re willing to bet hard earned American dollars that Sudeikis and Aniston end up in the end, because there was an eye roll in there before the 15 second mark. Movie trailers… they are a science.

Mentioning that this is a redband trailer should already let you know that this clips is NSFW but here’s me mentioning that there’s some dirty words, adult situations and giant swollen testicles (only half of them because of Aniston stripping).

Bill Hader was on Howard Stern this morning…

I completely missed Bill Hader’s appearance on The Howard Stern Show this morning but that’s what rides home and the replay are for. I’d imagine like on the show Hader is just as great a guy. Stern recently gave Hader high praise at the beginning of Saturday Night Live season 38 for his puppet work in Grenada! Saying it was one of the funniest things he’s ever seen on the show and how he holds Hader in high regard. In this brief clip, Hader talks about how much of a class act Justin Timberlake was and how Justin Beiber was a handful as show hosts.

Ben Affleck hosted Saturday Night Live: “It’s been alright, I’ve had a lovely night with you”

Ben Affleck - SNL Ben Affleck was saddled with a big responsibility as the host of the final episode of Saturday Night Live season 38. Though it was his night to be officially inducted into the Five Timers club, there wasn’t much hoopla made about it. In fact, other members didn’t show up for the introduction like they did for Justin Timberlake a few months back. Rather a great Bobby Moynihan and Affleck’s terrific wife were on hand to celebrate the evening. The reason there wasn’t much made about Affleck was because the night belonged to Bill Hader and Seth Meyers, both of which have officially decided that Season 38 would be their last as part of SNL. Also, without it being said, it was a set up for Fred Armisen’s swang song as well.

Affleck is hot off winning a best picture Oscar for the movie Argo and has really grown into his own as a director, it was perhaps this newfound skillset that has allowed him to realize what is needed and where, allowing for him to be well aware of the fact that it wasn’t necessarily his night and happily took a backseat to the other big moments unfolding. In the end he helped put out an enjoyable show that was funny, a celebration, at times sad, and complete 180 from last week’s surprisingly bad Kristen Wiig hosting turn.

Top off the booking of Kanye West as the musical guest just a few weeks before he drops his 6th studio album Yeezus this June, the night couldn’t have much more anticipation and thankfully enough it delivered on all points. Writers, cast,Affleck and West all brought their ‘A’ game, and we got ourselves one of the best episodes of the season.

Since Bill Hader is the consummate utility man, he would no doubt be put in situations where he could show off one last time. While it will hopefully not be the cavalcade of annoying returning charracters we saw last week, we’d most definitely see some of his favorites like Herb Welch and without a doubt, there was no way we would not get a sendoff for Hader’s most popular character Stefon. Fun fact for you, while Stefon did make his debut as the city nightlife correspondent on Weekend Update in 2010, his SNL debut was in a random and somewhat forgettable sketch in 2008 alongside that night’s host… Ben Affleck! Read the rest of this entry

Let’s watch some Ben Affleck ‘Saturday Night Live’ preview clips!

The 38th season of Saturday Night Live comes to an end this weekend. Along with Bill Hader’s time as a cast member and perhaps others? So it’s a bit fitting that he tape these promos with Ben Affleck. Let’s watch ‘em shall we?

My Favorite Sketch: Brian Fellows ‘Safari Planet’

Tonight, we are going to see Tracy Morgan perform at the Bergen PAC in Englewood, NJ. That got us to thinking about a few of our favorite moments from Morgan during his time on Saturday Night Live. And if you’re going to compile a “Best Of” featuring Morgan’s best moments from SNL, then you have to include Brian Fellows “Safari Planet”. Where else could you find video of Morgan having a weird interaction with animals? Oh… well… Regardless, watch as Morgan portrays an animal enthusiast afraid that a parrot is trying to steal his identity.

If you have a favorite sketch that we should check out, tell us about it in the comments.

Are Armisen and Sudekis out at ‘Saturday Night Live’ as well?

Amid the news that Seth Meyers and Bill Hader’s departure from Saturday Night Live a new report in the NY Post citing an “NBC insider” revealed that Fred Armisen’s time is also up and Jason Sudeikis is likely to make the jump as well at the end of this season. While speculation like this happens at the end of every season, this happens. A show like SNL that always addresses the zeitgeist of a nation, so change is always inevitable. It will have a very different look and feel next season no doubt.

Bill Hader is leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’

Bill Hader How about this kick in the dink for news first thing in the morning.

Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live veteran, and one of it’s most consistent cast members for eight years has decided it’s time to leave the show. This news comes on the heels of the announcement that the show’s head writer, Seth Meyers will be taking over for Jimmy Fallon on late night when Fallon jumps to The Tonight Show. Hader’s contract expired last season but stayed on for one more.

“It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point,” Mr. Hader said in an interview. “It got to a point where I said, ‘Maybe it’s just time to go.’” Hader told The NY Times

Lorne Michaels compared him to the early greats like Dan Aykroyd, “In terms of intelligence and talent, he was in that same tradition,” Michaels said. “He was so completely committed to the art of it and enough a student of it that there’s something strikingly original. He didn’t explode onto the air, but gradually he found his voice, and that became a huge thing.” Read the rest of this entry