New York, U.S.A. – “The Comedy Awards” (#comedyawards) are back and better than, well, last year, when the second annual event airs on COMEDY CENTRAL on Sunday, May 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Some of the biggest names in comedy, including Chris Rock, Kristen Wiig, Ty Burrell,Tracy Morgan, Will Arnett, Hannibal Buress, Chevy Chase, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Annie Mumolo, Chris Parnell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Adam Scott, and Jon Stewart joined the night’s big honorees Don Rickles and Robin Williams to honor and celebrate the world of comedy.

Highlights from the show include:

• Robert De Niro and Jon Stewart presenting Don Rickles with the “Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence”
• Patton Oswalt presenting Robin Williams with the “Stand-Up Icon Award”
• Politically-themed fun as Tracy Morgan contemplates joining the Secret Service and Key & Peele bring out President Obama’s Anger Translator Luther
• Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo (literally) wrestling over their award for “Best Comedy Film”
• The night’s big winner Louis C.K. wondering if four awards is maybe a few too many
• Chris Rock riffing on whether or not the nominees are actually funny
• And much more…

Fans are encouraged to visit www.thecomedyawards.com to vote for their digital favorites in categories including Best Comedy App, Best Comedy Podcast, Best Remix, Mash-up or Supercut and  Funniest Person on Twitter.  Voting for these categories will be open through Sunday, May 6, when “The Comedy Awards” premieres on COMEDY CENTRAL

“The Comedy Awards” is led by its Board of Directors which include such luminaries as: Carol Burnett,James Burrows, Greg Cavic, Stephen Colbert, James Dixon, Budd Friedman, Jim Gosnell, Rick Greenstein, Brad Grey, Caroline Hirsch, Sharon Jackson, Blair Kohan, Martin Lesak, Steve Levine, Jamie Masada, Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller, Conan O’Brien, Peter Principato, Joan Rivers, Jay Roach, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Rory Rosegarten, Michael Rotenberg, George Schlatter, Mitzi Shore, David Steinberg, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Sandy Wernick and Geof Wills.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the selection of the nominees.  The nominees are then sent out to over 1500 working members of the comedy community to determine the winners.

“The Comedy Awards” has once again joined forces with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to endow The American Comedy Fund.  Without a union or other protection, many comedians face unique challenges to succeed and survive.

The Fund provides much-needed financial assistance, health benefits and other resources for comedians across the country during times of need, crisis or transition.  The American Comedy Fund is administered by EIF in collaboration with the Motion Picture & Television Fund and The Actors Fund.

Don Mischer, Casey Patterson, EVP, Event Production, Viacom Entertainment Group and Charlie Haykelare the Executive Producers.  Juliane Hare is Producer.  Beth McCarthy Miller, the Peabody and DGA Award-winning and Emmy-nominated Director, directed “The Comedy Awards.”  “The American Comedy Awards” was created by George Schlatter.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.comedycentral.com

The article Comedy Central Presents “The Comedy Awards” appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The cancelled comedy cult TV show Arrested Development is making headlines after reports that the show might be returning for another season with a movie to follow. The show is centered on the zany life and actions of the formerly wealthy Bluth family.

While George Bluth, CEO and patriarch of the Bluth family, is in jail due to embezzlement charges, it is up to his son Michael to help the family cope with their hilariously disastrous downfall. The show was cancelled in 2006 due to poor ratings despite critical acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations and wins.

A giant Arrested Development reunion took place on October 2^nd at The New Yorker Festival, where the entire cast was present, including series creator Mitch Hurwitz. It was there that Hurwitz dropped the bomb that Arrested Development would be coming back for one more TV Season before releasing a movie.

A New York Times reporter who was in attendance at the event, tweeted, “Mitch Hurwitz says he plans limited Arrested Development series (9-10 eps, 1 character per ep) that would lead into movie.” This format of devoting a single episode to each member of the Bluth family is possibly the only feasible manner in which a new season can be accomplished.

Jason Bateman (Michael Bluth), Will Arnett (GOB Bluth), and Michael Cera (George-Michael Bluth) are all stars in their own right who no doubt have busy production schedules. However this is not the first time that fans have heard such talks of an on-screen reunion of the Bluth family.

For years, Bateman and Arnett have been adamant in promising an Arrested Development movie, and for years nothing has manifested. On the other hand, this time seems to be different, with a testimony on Bateman’s twitter “It’s true. We will do 10 episodes and the movie. Probably shoot them all together next summer for a release in early ’13.

VERY excited!” and Arnett’s overly personal corroboration tweet, “I’m peeing with @batemanjason at the moment…and we can confirm that we are going to make new AD eps and a movie.” Fans have a lot to get excited over.

With all the actors set to return, the only question is where fans will be able to watch the televised antics of the Bluth family. That problem is going to be solved by one of two suitors — Showtime and the out of the blue candidate Netflix. According to Deadline.com there are reports that “20th Century Fox TV, which co-produced Arrested Development with Imagine TV, has had talks with Netflix, which has been on the hunt for original programming, and Showtime, whose new entertainment president David Nevins shepherded Arrested Development when he ran Imagine TV.”

Chances are high for this long awaited reunion of the Bluth family to finally happen. Let’s hope that with all these big stars, production doesn’t run into financial troubles, but if it does just remember… there’s always money in the banana stand.

The article Arrested Development – 4th Season and a Movie in the Works? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The upcoming Fall season ushers in many new, must see television series debuting in upcoming weeks. The major television networks of ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX will be introducing a wave of new shows in hopes of becoming the next big hit. Many successful television shows will also be going through major changes as popular celebrities leave shows and are replaced by fresh faces.

NBC welcomes Christina Applegate, Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett in “Up All Night”, a new comedy series that highlights the struggles of parents with young children. The series preview aired on September 14. “Up All Night” is the brainchild of Emily Spivey and produced by Lorne Michaels, both from “Saturday Night Live.”

Juggling careers, daily responsibilities, and sleep deprived life with a baby is the foundation of this new comedy. With strong ties to humor and wit, the cast and creators of “Up All Night” are set on showcasing a hilarious perspective on parenthood. Simon Cowell’s departure from American Idol has come and gone, but the British superstar will now return to television with a new reality competition.

His UK hit show, “The X-Factor” will debut on September 21 on FOX. The singing competition has been #1 in the UK for years, and Cowell hopes to have the same success with the show in the United States. Raising the stakes from prizes in the past, the grand prize of a $5 million record deal is something people have not yet seen in reality competitions.

Judges for the show include music mogul L.A. Reid and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. The highly anticipated reunion of Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul as judges will be one to watch. Along with many new up and coming series, many fan favorites are coming back with a new season of episodes.

Hilariously written and performed “Modern Family” will be back for new laughs and jokes on ABC starting September 21. With last season’s mention of couple Cameron and Mitchell wanting to have son, viewers can look out for this story line as well as the usual ups and downs that make up this family’s lives.

Changes are also coming to a solid television series on NBC. “Law & Order: SVU”, which has been on air since 1999, will no longer have Christopher Meloni playing widely popular detective Elliot Stabler. Marishka Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson as Stabler’s partner will stay for season 13.

The fan favorite duo of Benson and Stabler will no longer be shown each week, leaving loyal fans at a loss. “Law & Order: SVU” has been the most successful series of the Law & Order brand. Time and ratings will tell if the show will continue on as a mainstream hit without the reliable detectives headlining the show. “Law & Order: SVU” will premiere its new seasons on September 21.

Change is also occurring on NBC’s hit comedy, “The Office”. With the departure of comedian Steve Carell as Michael Scott of Dunder Mifflin, critics have questioned if the show can retain its signature comedy. Viewers will soon find out who the new manager of the company will be. The new season of “The Office” starts September 22.

After the much publicized Charlie Sheen scandal, “Two and a Half” men will premiere on September 19, with front man Ashton Kutcher replacing Sheen. Kutcher will also take the coveted title of highest paid actor on television, receiving $700,000 per episode. The comedy will surely be watched under scrutinizing eyes as viewers see the transition of the show from Sheen to Kutcher.

There are plenty of new and exciting television shows to watch for the upcoming Fall 2011 season. With new additions to already successful shows, it will be interesting to see which shows come out on top and which may not deliver.

The article Must-See TV Series This Fall appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Upcoming TV shows are expected by all of us in these summer days (If you are a series geek, of course).

Producers and TV Companies drain theirs brains to give us fresh and new stories for the next season and obviously trying to catch out attention through trailers and reviews of their products.

Do you remember Christina Applegate?
She became famous and in one of the most successful TV shows ever: “Married With Children”.
Ten years in this show helped Christina to enormously develop her career as an actress, and the rest is history.

What about Will Arnett?
Best known for his role in Arrested Development, Will worked in several movies and TV shows.

Now, together and with the support of the NCB company, they become a couple in “Up All Night” an upcoming show that will be released this fall.

About the show

Life is all about balance. So what happens when you throw a new baby into it?

Reagan (Christina Applegate) and her husband, Chris (Will Arnett), are the proud new parents of baby Amy. She may have been unexpected, but life’s curve balls can be a godsend, literally. Unless you have a career that needs attention, which is exactly what Reagan has. So, bucking tradition, they decide Reagan is the one going back to work while Chris is going to be the stay-at-home dad. Easy, right? Well, not quite.

Back at work at her high-pressure job, Reagan immediately feels the push and pull of motherhood and career while her self-involved co-worker, Ava (Maya Rudolph), can’t believe her best friend now has a baby (nor can she even remember if it’s a boy or girl). Then her Facebook-generation assistant reminds Reagan of the free-wheeling lifestyle she and Chris once had. She also remembers that no matter how rowdy the partying once was, she always managed to get home, something that makes her very proud.

Determined to prove that she and Chris still have a hot love life, and that she can be the perfect wife, mother, and career woman, Reagan spins a little out of control. But she eventually realizes that Amy is her new number one priority and somehow everything (except maybe Chris) is going to take a backseat to their new bundle of joy.

Written by Saturday Night Live’s Emily Spivey, executive produced by Lorne Michaels, and directed by James Griffiths (Episodes), Reagan and Chris are about to find out whether it’s really possible to have it all.

In an interview given to NBC, Christina Applegate states:

“Everyone’s making big adjustments and that’s what really happens when you have a baby. Everything changes, is no longer about you anymore, which is great because you have this angel in your life and it’s ok to make these changes”.

And she continues.

“I’ve never laughed out loud reading something so that was the first time that  I laugh out loud reading the script and that?s when I signed on to be a part of the journey”

With this being just a sneak peek, we will have to wait until September 14th, to see how this couple attempts to deal with the new member who comes to show that, sometimes, life can change for good.

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

The article Christina Applegate and Will Arnett in New Show ‘Up All Night’ appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.