Eddie Murphy Plans Return To Stand-Up in New ‘Comedians in Cars’ Clip
It’s been years since Eddie Murphy performed a stand-up set, but, as he tells host Jerry Seinfeld in an exclusive clip from Netflix’s upcoming 11th season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, he may stage a comeback soon.
“You know that you not doing stand-up drives people crazy. You know that, right?” Seinfeld tells Murphy.
Murphy says Seinfeld isn’t the first one to express interest, revealing that late comedian Don Rickles would pester him repeatedly about coming back to perform.
“I’m going to do it again. Everything just has to be right,” Murphy says. “You have to get up there and start working out.”
For Murphy, coming back to the comedy scene means working the clubs again.
“You should buy the Comic Strip, and I’ll come and work out there,” Murphy suggests.
“If you want to do that, I’ll do it. I’ll call it Jerry Seinfeld’s Comic Strip,” Seinfeld responds.
Murphy is one of several guests who sit in the passenger seat in the newest season of Seinfeld’s show. Ricky Gervais, Matthew Broderick, Seth Rogen, Jamie Foxx, Martin Short, Sebastian Maniscalo, Melissa Villasenor, Barry Marder and Bridget Everett will also appear.
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee‘s 11th season premieres July 19.
Watch the clip below.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Eddie Murphy Debuts Today On Netflix Show ‘Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee’
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Jerry Seinfeld would rather cruise in classic cars and sip coffee with comedy’s best than reboot his uber-successful “Seinfeld” television series.
“No, and do what? Make it worse?” Seinfeld said in an interview Wednesday night about his eponymous NBC sitcom, which celebrated its 30-year anniversary this month. “I’m very fortunate to be in the position to make that show with those people at that time. I wouldn’t be arrogant enough to think I could do it again. That’s egomaniacal. I’m happy with what I have now.”
These days, Seinfeld is focused on learning more about the “sharpest minds in comedy” through his Netflix series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” The 11th season of the series premieres Friday on the streaming service featuring Eddie Murphy, who talked about his career and shared stories with Seinfeld about them coming up in comedy together in New York in the 1970s.
The new season also includes an array of other comedians including Martin Short, Rick Gervais, Seth Rogan, Bridget Everett, Barry Marder, Melissa Villaseño and Mario Joyner. Jamie Foxx appears in an episode to talk about him wanting to return to standup and his impersonation of Dave Chappelle.
“It’s kind of a music video to me. It’s just kind of visual. The words are interesting and sometimes it’s funny, but I like it to have a rhythm and flow and then it’s over,” Seinfeld said. “It’s just very quick. I always like when people go ‘I wish that was a little longer.’”
Seinfeld launched “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” on Sony’s Crackle in 2012. The series was moved to Netflix two years ago after the comedian signed a massive deal with the streaming service.
This season, Seinfeld continues to pick up each guest in a different vintage car, from a Maserati Mistral to a Rolls-Royce convertible to a beat-up Dodge Monaco. He takes them to a cafe or restaurant for coffee where they have an easy-flowing conversation about their career and life experiences as comedians.
Seinfeld said he learns something new from each guest. He was surprised when Murphy spoke about not being as confident as most thought during his rise in comedy. He also didn’t know that Rogen first heard about Bill Cosby’s sexual misconduct history from Hannibal Buress in 2014, a month before Buress accused Cosby in a viral stand-up routine.
For Seinfeld, he feels somewhat like a news reporter in an effort to create a comfortable environment for guests to open up.
“People like to tell me stuff, and I don’t know why,” said Seinfeld, who has featured former President Barack Obama and Kevin Hart in previous seasons. “It’s happened to me my whole life, because I think I really listen. But I would never put anything in the show I think the person might not want in there. I want the show to be fun like a little cappuccino foam, just light and pleasant.”
Alicia Keys To Executive Produce Untitled Musical Drama Series For Showtime
SHOWTIME has made a series commitment to an untitled musical drama series executive produced by multiple Grammy winner Alicia Keys and the Oscar, Tony and Grammy winning team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman). Pasek and Paul will contribute music to the series. Kyle Jarrow (TheSpongeBob Musical) will write and executive produce. Tony winner and Oscar nominated producer Marc Platt (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, The Band’s Visit,La La Land), Emmy winner R.J. Cutler (Nashville,American High), and Emmy winner Adam Siegel (Grease: Live!) will executive produce. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.
Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios (Homeland, The Chi), the project traverses generations to tell an emotionally complex family story that interweaves modern-day and 1959 Detroit, centering on a mystery uncovered by a young musician who moves back to her childhood home.
“We have always been intrigued by the prospect of doing a SHOWTIME musical series, but only if the songs could add to the depth and complexity of a great character drama,” said Levine. “Nobody does that better than Pasek and Paul and Marc Platt…so when they came to us along with a global superstar like Alicia, a talented writer like Kyle, and excellent producers like Adam and R.J., we were all in.”
Keys is a 15-time Grammy winning singer-songwriter, musician, producer, actress, best-selling author and activist. She hasacted on screen in such projects as The Secret Life of Bees, The Nanny Diaries and Empire, executive produced The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, co-produced the play Stick Fly and also directed a segment of the multipart film Five.
Working as a team since they met as college freshmen, Pasek and Paul earned an Oscar for their work on La La Land and a Tony Award for Dear Evan Hansen. They have also won two Golden Globe® Awards for La La Land and The Greatest Showmanand GrammyAwards for Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman. Their other notable credits on stage and screen include A Christmas Story, James and the Giant Peach and Smash.
Jarrow was nominated for a Tony for Best Book of a Musical in 2018 for SpongeBob SquarePants, andwon an Obie Award for A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant. Jarrowalso created the television series Valor.
Prolific film, television, and theatre producer Marc Platt has won two Emmy Awards (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, Grease Live!), a Tony Award (The Band’s Visit), and has been nominated for two Oscars (La La Land, Bridge of Spies). Other critically-acclaimed credits include Wicked, Mary Poppins Returns, Into the Woods, Empire Falls and Legally Blonde.
Cutler received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program for American High, winning in 2001; Emmy and BAFTA® nominations for the SHOWTIME documentary LISTEN TO ME MARLON; and he produced the Academy Award®-nominated documentary The War Room. His producing and directing credits also include Nashville and The September Issue. He also directed and produced The World According to Dick Cheney, and is currently directing and producing the Untitled John Belushi documentary, both for SHOWTIME.
Siegel earned an Emmy Award for producing Grease Live! His credits also include Drive, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Rent.
Kenya Barris Sketch Comedy Show Gets Series Order At Netflix
Kenya Barris has set a second series at Netflix: a sketch-comedy series starring the New York-based improv troupe Astronomy Club.
The six-episode series, also called Astronomy Club, will feature sketches that use comedy to discuss complex and nuanced real-world topics, ranging from pop culture to social issues to the black experience in America.
The show is the second for Barris at Netflix, where he signed a rich overall deal in 2018 after years at ABC Studios. The Black-ish and Grown-ish creator is also executive producing and starring in a family comedy called Black Excellence alongside fellow EP Rashida Jones.
The variety series categories — sketch and talk — were the only major Emmy areas in Tuesday’s nominations not to feature at least one Netflix show.
Astronomy Club formed in 2013 and soon became the first all-black house team at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Group members Shawtane Bowen, Jonathan Braylock, Ray Cordova, James III, Caroline Martin, Jerah Milligan, Monique Moses and Keisha Zollar will star in the series.
Barris will executive produce via his Khalabo Ink Society along with Daniel Powell (I Think You Should Leave, Inside Amy Schumer) of Irony Point.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Malcolm D. Lee Takes Over As Director On ‘Space Jam 2’
Malcolm D. Lee is taking over the directing reins on Warner Bros./SpringHill Entertainment’s Space Jam 2 from Terence Nance.
We hear that Nance’s departure from the project was amicable, and essentially the filmmaker and the studio/producers had different takes on the creative vision for Space Jam 2.
Lee’s track record in comedy speaks for itself and his wit fits hand-in-hand with the sensibility of Warners’ slapstick Looney Tunes. In 2017, Lee’s Girls Trip was the only comedy to work at the domestic box office both in regards to opening and final take ($31.2M, $115.1M) with a star-making performance by Tiffany Haddish. Last year, Lee also had the best opening and gross for a pure major studio comedy with Haddish-Kevin Hart movie Night School ($27.2M opening, $77.3M). Both titles were released by Universal.
Nance created the HBO TV series Random Acts of Flyness and directed the indie pic The Oversimplification of Her Beauty.
Producers on Space Jam 2 — which is set to tip-off July 16, 2021 — are Ryan Coogler, NBA star LeBron James under his SpringHill Entertainment label, Duncan Henderson, and Maverick Carter of SpringHill. EPs are Justin Lin, Sev Ohanian and Jamal Henderson.
It was announced last week that Don Cheadle was joining James in the live action-animation hybrid.
Lee is repped by Paradigm and Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.
Released in 1996, Space Jam made grossed over $230M at the global box office.
Source: Deadline
R Kelly Denied Bail
R. Kelly was in court for his bond hearing, shackled at the ankles and wearing an orange jumpsuit … and will remain behind bars for the time being.
Prosecutors argued against his release … saying he’s a danger to the community, especially to minor girls. They claim the risk of obstruction is real and ongoing, and also heightened by his fame and power. Prosecutors are also saying he has the “unique ability to influence and intimidate witnesses and victims, and that continues to this day.”
They added an emphatic, “It’s who the defendant is,” after alleging that he’s sexually assaulted the alleged victims hundreds of times.
Kelly ultimately pled not guilty and was denied bond.
The prosecution also argued there’s no question R. Kelly is the person in the videos they’ve obtained — which appears to be a reference to the alleged sex tapes at the center of the probe. They’re claiming that electronic monitor and home confinement is not enough for Kelly … going on to say he can “entice girls to his own doorstep.”
Meanwhile, R. Kelly’s lawyer, Steve Greenberg, fired back to defend his client, saying Kelly has already surrendered his passport, and noted the guy doesn’t like to fly … so he’s not a flight risk. Greenberg also says that, to his knowledge, Kelly didn’t miss any court dates in his 2008 trial. Speaking of that trial, Greenberg responded to allegations that the case was rigged, saying R. Kelly faced a jury of his peers, and not a bench trial.
Greenberg also says that R. Kelly has voluntarily shown up to every court hearing in his current case, despite the fact the prosecution insists he’s been a flight risk. He hasn’t run, and Greenberg hit the point home by saying, “How could he flee? He has no money.” Greenberg does note that R. Kelly’s Trump Tower rent is paid up through December or January.
On the allegation that R. Kelly is a threat to minors to this day, Greenberg says all but one of the allegations against Kelly dates back to the ’90s, and that “there’s no evidence that he’s a risk to minors at all at this point.” Greenberg also says there’s no evidence of witness tampering.
One more argument from Greenberg here … he says the fact that R. Kelly can’t read or write would make it difficult to go over discovery with him in jail. He also says Kelly makes for a difficult prisoner because of his notoriety and implications that come with that.
The judge seemed to side with prosecutors, though, saying the child porn charge alone comes with a “presumption of detention.” He was ordered to be held in jail without bond.
As we reported … the singer was arrested in Chicago last week on 2 new federal indictments.
While he’ll remain locked up, we know Kelly will have the support of his 2 alleged sex slaves — Joycelyn Savage and Azriel Clary. The women were right behind him in court presenting a united front — just like they did during his February bond hearing.
Source: TMZ
Meek Mill Seeks New Trial, Judge After Decade-Long Probation
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Lawyers for Meek Mill will ask an appeals court Tuesday to overturn a 2008 drug and gun conviction that has kept the rapper on probation for a decade and made him a celebrity crusader for criminal justice reform.
Defense lawyers believe the city judge who has overseen his case and sent him to prison in 2017 over minor parole violation has become overly involved in the performer’s life — once checking on his community service efforts at a homeless shelter — and lost her impartiality.
And, they say, the only prosecution witness at the nonjury trial was a drug squad officer whose credibility is now in doubt.
“When a trial judge injects herself into a probationer’s personal and professional life and creates an appearance of bias and, on top of that, makes multiple legally erroneous rulings, the whole judicial system suffers,” appellate lawyer Peter Goldberger wrote in a defense brief filed in advance of Tuesday’s arguments before Pennsylvania Superior Court .
The retired officer, Reginald Graham, is on an internal do-not-call list of police officers District Attorney Larry Krasner won’t use in court because of credibility concerns, according to a brief Krasner’s office filed in support of the new trial bid.
“Although he was not charged federally with the other officers in the narcotics unit, Graham resigned from the police department prior to being formally dismissed,” Krasner’s office wrote, referring to a 2015 police corruption trial that ended with the acquittal of six officers. “The Commonwealth cannot call a witness whose credibility it mistrusts.”
Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, became a champion for criminal justice reform after Judge Genece Brinkley sentenced him in 2017 to two to four years in prison for minor probation violations. He spent five months in prison before a court ordered him released last year.
He has hired a large team of top criminal lawyers to fight his conviction and probation issues, prompting the judge herself to hire a high-profile city lawyer to defend her actions.
“She’s a tough judge across the board,” said the judge’s lawyer, A. Charles Peruto Jr. “When you have this kind of money and fame you use it to your advantage to try to show she’s prejudiced against him. . If he wins, it just demonstrates that he’s above the law.”
At the 2008 trial, Graham testified that the 19-year-old Williams pointed a gun at him during the arrest outside his southwest Philadelphia home. Williams has acknowledged having a gun but denied pointing it at police. Brinkley found him guilty and sentenced him to concurrent jail terms of just under one year and two years, followed by 10 years of probation.
Williams, now 32, has frequently tangled with the judge over terms of the parole, especially over reporting requirements and travel rules that he says conflicts with his soaring music career.
Brinkley, after a 2015 hearing that included testimony from Williams’ then-girlfriend, superstar Nicki Minaj, said she “has done nothing but try to help the defendant.”
Williams, whose top-selling albums include the 2015 “Dreams Worth More Than Money” and last year’s “Championships,” is a fixture at NBA games in Philadelphia and has the support of many high-profile celebrities and athletes.
He appeared in last month’s season finale of “Saturday Night Live,” performing beside DJ Khaled, John Legend, SZA and other artists in a tribute to slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.
A documentary on his legal travails, produced by music mogul Jay-Z, is set to be released next month.
Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, Kendrick Lamar Appear On New Beyonce Album
NEW YORK (AP) — Beyonce’s new album inspired by “The Lion King” features collaborations with husband Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy Carter.
Beyonce announced Tuesday that “The Lion King: The Gift,” which will be released Friday, also includes songs with Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Pharrell, Tierra Whack and Jessie Reyez.
In the new version of “The Lion King,” in theaters Friday, Beyonce voices the character of Nala. Beyonce curated and executive produced “The Lion King: The Gift,” which also features collaborations with Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage and 070 Shake.
Jay-Z appears on the song “Mood 4 Eva.” Blue Ivy is featured on “Brown Skin Girl.”
Beyonce’s song “Spirit,” released last week, is featured in the film and appears on both the official “Lion King” soundtrack as well as “The Lion King: The Gift.”
‘The Daily Show With Trevor Noah’ To Air Live After Round 2 Of Democratic Primary Debates
NEW YORK, July 15, 2019 – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah will be live on July 30 and 31, providing instant analysis and late-night’s earliest commentary about the Democratic Party’s second 2020 Presidential Primary Debates. As part of its Votegasm 2020 coverage, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah will air live, back-to-back nights on Tuesday, July 30 and Wednesday, July 31 at 11:00 p.m. ET on Comedy Central and react in real time to both debates across its social media accounts.
Throughout the two nights of the 2019 Democratic Debates in June, The Daily Show’s digital content resonated with its fans, making it the late-night show destination for social engagement.* The Daily Show captured the most engagements on social media in the competitive late night landscape with +222% more engagement than the second best The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon measured across Facebook (+256%), Instagram (+301%) and Twitter (+108%).
Late-night series social engagement comparison chart:
Series
Total
Instagram Engagement
Facebook Engagement
Twitter Engagement
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
1,448,441
751,877
359,981
336,583
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
450,369
187,551
101,204
161,614
Late Show with Stephen Colbert
192,343
66,549
74,800
50,994
Late Night with Seth Meyers
64,234
48,494
9,534
6,206
Source: ListenFirst (Included Likes/Reactions, Comments, Shares on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter). Dates: 6/26-6/27 among nightly late night shows that aired live.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah earned 700 million streams on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the second quarter of 2019, +18% year over year. The series continues to be the most engaging late night show in its competitive set across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
This marks the 12th and 13th times The Daily Show with Trevor Noah has aired live, having previously done so following last month’s back-to-back Democratic Presidential Primary Debates, the 2018 and 2019 State of the Union Addresses, the 2018 Midterm Election night, throughout the 2016 Presidential Election including election night, after the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, and on the final nights of both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
Trevor Noah, Jen Flanz and Jill Katz are the Executive Producers of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, with Justin Melkmann as Co-Executive Producer. Max Browning, Eric Davies, Pam DePace, Ramin Hedayati, David Kibuuka and Elise Terrell are Supervising Producers, and Jocelyn Conn and Zhubin Parang are producers. Dan Amira is the Head Writer, with Lauren Sarver Means and Daniel Radosh as Senior Writers. The series is directed by Paul Pennolino. Sarah Babineau and Ari Pearce are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.
Diddy’s ‘Making the Band’ Officially Coming Back To TV
NEW YORK (AP) — Diddy’s “Making the Band” is officially coming back to TV.
The music mogul announced Monday that the hit series, where he discovered groups including platinum-sellers Danity Kane, would return to MTV in 2020.
“Making the Band” made its debut on ABC in 2000 when Lou Pearlman, who managed the Backstreet Boys and ’N Sync, launched the show and formed the boy band O-Town. Diddy re-vamped the show for MTV in 2002 and discovered the rap group Da Band. Diddy also launched the careers of Day 26, Donnie Klang and Danity Kane — who released two No.1 albums under his Bad Boy Records — on the show.
Diddy went viral last week when he asked his social media followers if he should bring back the series.
The global casting call for the show begins Monday across social media platforms.
