This Week in Funny 3/5/07-3/11/07

Tuesday, March 6:



New on DVD: Borat - Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (click here to buy)
New on DVD: Zach Galifianakis - Live at the Purple Onion (click here to buy)
New on DVD: South Park - The Complete Ninth Season (click here to buy)
New on DVD: Fast Food Nation (click here to buy)
New on DVD: Let's Go to Prison (click here to buy)
New on DVD: The Loop - Season 1 (click here to buy)
New on DVD: Confetti (click here to buy)
Ken Davitian on The View (ABC)

Wednesday, March 7:



Season Premiere South Park: "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson" (Comedy Central)
New The Sarah Silverman Program: “Batteries” (Comedy Central)
Rob Corddry on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS)
Chris Rock on Tavis Smiley (PBS)

Thursday, March 8:

New Scrubs: “My Fishbowl” (NBC)
New 30 Rock: “The Fighting Irish” (NBC)

Friday, March 9:

New in Theaters: The Host

Sunday, March 11:



New The Simpsons: “Rome-Old and Julie-Eh” (FOX)
New The Winner: “Broken Home” (FOX)
New Family Guy: “Bill and Peter’s Bogus Journey” (FOX)
New The Winner: “What Happens in Albany, Stays in Albany” (FOX)
New Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!: “Chunky” (Adult Swim/Cartoon Network)
New Saul of the Molemen: “Work” (Adult Swim/Cartoon Network)



Live Comedy Watch:

3/5: Maria Bamford at Dennison College in Dennison, OH
3/6: Zach Galifianakis at University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL
3/6: Doug Benson’s I Love Movies with guest Mary Lynn Rajskub at UCB Theatre in LA
3/6: Doug Benson, Andy Kindler, and Andrew Daly in Comedy Death-Ray at UCB Theatre in LA
3/6: Ron Lynch and Craig Anton in The Idiots at Steve Allen Theater in LA
3/7: Bob Odenkirk, Paul F. Tompkins, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Greg Fitzsimmons, Jen Kirkman, Derek Waters, Mike Phirman of Hard ‘n Phirm, and Jimmy Pardo at You’re Welcome at Mbar in LA
3/7: Todd Barry at Opolis in Norman, OK
3/7: Eugene Mirman, Bobby Tisdale, and Reggie Watts in Invite Them Up at Rififi in NYC
3/7: Stephen Lynch at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, NE
3/7: Tig at University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI
3/8: Todd Barry at the Cavern in Dallas, TX
3/8-3/11: Marc Maron at the Improv in Chicago
3/8: Stephen Lynch at Moore Theater in Seattle, WA
3/9: Jerry Seinfeld at Murat Theater in Indianapolis, IN
3/9: Zach Galifianakis at Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR
3/9: Todd Barry at Emo’s Lounge in Austin, TX
3/9: Stephen Lynch at Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR
3/10: Bill Cosby at L.J. Willians Theater in Visalia, CA
3/10: Zach Galifianakis at Moore Theater in Seattle, WA
3/10: Todd Barry at Walter’s on Washington in Houston, TX
3/10: Paul F. Tompkins in the Thrilling Adventure and Supernatural Suspense Hour at Mbar in LA
3/11: Stephen Lynch at the Warfield in San Francisco, CA
3/11: Free ASSSSCAT at UCB Theatre in NYC
3/11: Free ASSSSCAT at UCB Theatre in LA
3/11: The Whitest Kids U’Know at Pianos in NYC

TBS Gives New Web Shows to Every Comedian Ever

TBS has launched a new broadband channel called Super Deluxe, which aims to be the largest website of its kind and will surely provide our ongoing Battle of the Cheap-Ass Web Shows with some stiff competition.

"Cheap-ass" couldn't apply enough here, as nearly every webisode we took time to watch couldn't possibly have cost more than a good toothbrush. But TBS may have finally found the secret to web-TV success. They've taken all the money they could have spent on expensive sets, costumes, special effects, or even writers, and they've just called up a fucking laundry list of alternative and underground comedians and let them do whatever they want.

The lineup already features Dave Foley, Eugene Mirman, Maria Bamford, and dozens of rising performers and sketch troupes. The comics seem to be able to upload whatever they want, however often they want, and they've already fallen into semi-regular programming such as Foley's Can't Sleep, a show he seems to literally film in his bedroom after his wife falls asleep. Meanwhile, Mirman hosts a talk show from the moon in Space Talk from the Planet Eugene. Clicking around the many, many offerings, we couldn't exactly find anything hilarious yet, although Bamford's one-woman camera-mugging "my mother freaks me out" routine is far better than it sounds on paper.

But this is just the beginning, and TBS has high hopes for the future, continuing to add even bigger (funnier?) celebrities to their roster, including David Cross and Bob Odenkirk (separately, not reunited), Horatio Sanz, Dave Attell, Jay Johnston, and even Wayne Brady. We'll safely bet that the recent rumor about UCB's Matt Besser working on a TBS project had something to do with this too.

It's cheap, it's messy, and it's not even on real TV, but let that all sink in for a minute. Key members of Mr. Show, Kids in the Hall, and Upright Citizens Brigade have brand new recurring shows for you. There's bound to be something funny in there somewhere, right?

The so-called professional clips will mix in with viewer-submitted content, all of which is subject to the same user rating system, putting everyone on an equal playing field, which is actually kind of cool. Expect CBS' Innervision, Comedy Central's Motherload, and all the other billions of online stations popping up all over the place, to attempt to match TBS' gusto.