Modified On July 11, 2004
File these items under “Comedians gainfully employed on television.” Associated Press is crackling with news involving comics on the tube. Item #1 told of Jeff Foxworthy taping some sketches for his upcoming show at a theater in Atlanta:
The sketch comedy program, which premieres July 29 on the WB network, is adapted from Foxworthy’s Blue Collar Comedy Tour and features comedians Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy.
Item #2 announces that Garry Shandling will host the Emmy telecast:
Garry Shandling is ready to host the Emmy Awards again after a four-year absence. “This is perfect for me, since I just recuperated from the last time,” the actor-comedian said in a statement Thursday. The Sept. 19 ceremony in Los Angeles honoring the best in television will air on ABC.
And Item #3, a lengthy eye-roller on NBC’s Jeff Zucker’s most recent whining:
Fox TV has become a reality series copycat instead of an innovator and is hurting television in the process, NBC executive Jeff Zucker said Saturday.
“Quite frankly, they (Fox) used to be innovators and now they’re imitators,” Zucker, president of the NBC Universal Television Group, told the Television Critics Association…
…”It’s just bad for the business and it’s bad for everybody, and I don’t think that all is fair in love and television,” he said.
Laughable, no? Anyway, humorous as Zucker’s quotes may be it doesn’t make him a comedian. Of interest to SHECKYmagazine, however, is the last paragraph of the story
Also Saturday, Zucker announced that NBC will bring “Last Comic Standing,” its comedy competition, back for fall on Tuesday nights beginning Aug. 31.
No word yet on whether it’s already been cast… or how they’ll cast if it already isn’t… Hmmm… very mysterious! Seems like short notice to us! Perhaps it’ll be totally agent/manager-driven! We’ll definitely ask some questions when we get to Montreal!