Last week, Melissa McCarthy unexpectedly sieged the SNL stage with a studied and savage take on Sean Spicer that seems to have reignited everyone’s passion for the show. McCarthy’s frenzied Spicer was, as expected, immediately critiqued by Don and his friends (Spicer called it “mean,” so I guess he doesn’t check his @replies too much). […]
Continue ReadingRae Sanni is a comedian and writer from Brooklyn, NY who has been bringing her unique perspective on everything from pop culture to race and gender relations to audiences all over. Sanni has worked on Comedy Central and Lifetime, and she has been published in New York Magazine, The Decider, and Buzzfeed. This week, Sanni […]
Continue ReadingThe comedy podcast universe is ever expanding, not unlike the universe universe. We’re here to make it a bit smaller, a bit more manageable. There are a lot of great shows and each has a lot of great episodes, so we want to highlight the exceptional, the noteworthy. Each week our crack team of podcast […]
Continue ReadingThis past weekend, Saturday Night Live viewers were given a nice surprise, as Melissa McCarthy made a cameo appearance playing Press Secretary Sean Spicer. The impersonation was a big hit, being hailed as one of the show’s best political sketches in years. Of course, McCarthy’s appearance was just the latest in a long line of memorable […]
Continue ReadingThis past weekend, Saturday Night Live viewers were given a nice surprise, as Melissa McCarthy made a cameo appearance playing Press Secretary Sean Spicer. The impersonation was a big hit, being hailed as one of the show’s best political sketches in years. Of course, McCarthy’s appearance was just the latest in a long line of memorable […]
Continue ReadingLots of sketch pitches feature emojis. Most of them are just okay, because they rely on a kind of knee-jerk creative commentary on our modern world. The mere fact that emojis exist and serve as colorful proxies for our emotions and desires isn’t enough. Rebecca Blaine Carton and Kira McCarthy saw that and built something special. In the latest installment of […]
Continue ReadingWelcome to The Second City Archives, in which we post an exclusive clip each week of some of comedy’s biggest superstars performing early in their careers on the legendary Chicago stage. Second City has generously given us a glimpse into their extensive archive of live performances, and over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing some […]
Continue ReadingFor the thousands of hopeful comedians taking classes at various improv theaters like Second City, The Groundlings, and the Upright Citizens Brigade, there’s a loose but still somewhat defined path towards a career in comedy. Take classes, become a better improviser, a better writer, network with other comedians, get on a house team, get noticed […]
Continue ReadingNirvanna the Band, Viceland’s first scripted TV series, is a high-energy sitcom about a Toronto musical duo who concoct elaborate schemes to book a show. Creators Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol, and Jared Raab stretch their small budget by sneaking shots at unauthorized locations, incorporating bystanders as bit players, and stretching fair use to borrow soundtracks […]
Continue ReadingThe enterprising and lovable Ron Funches says he pitched his own character to play on the new NBC series Powerless, billed as the first comedy set in the DC Comics world. The show stars Vanessa Hudgens and the staff (played by Danny Pudi, Alan Tudyk, Christina Kirk, and Jennie Pierson) of an insurance company specializing […]
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