comedy news stories on Newser

Men in Black 3 : Better Than the First?

Matt Cantor — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:13:46 CDT

Sure, no one was that desperate for a Men in Black 3 —but it's actually a pretty good summer movie. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back defending the planet from aliens, and this time, Josh Brolin's along for the ride as a young Jones. The movie "turns out...

Ellen DeGeneres to Get Twain Humor Prize

Matt Cantor — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:05 CDT

Ellen DeGeneres is following in the footsteps of Bill Cosby and Tina Fey: She's this year's recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, E! Online reports. DeGeneres' "special brand of humor has allowed us to find hilarity in the mundane and has kept us laughing for years," said...

Troubled NBC Looks for Ratings Amid Laughs

Matt Cantor — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:55:27 CDT

NBC is looking to comedy to help it climb the ratings ladder: Nearly 25% of the network's fare next season will consist of sitcoms, up from just 14% last fall. Execs are aiming to recapture the highly-educated young adults that helped propel Seinfeld and Friends , the Los Angeles Times reports....

Two and a Half Men Gets 10th Season

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:47:12 CDT

Ashton Kutcher still has a job: CBS has officially picked up Two and a Half Men for a 10th season, reports the Hollywood Reporter . The renewed deal gives Kutcher and co-stars Jon Cryer and Angus T Jones raises, with Kutcher reported to now be making $725,000 an episode, up...

'Andy Griffith' Star George Lindsey Dead at 83

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 06 May 2012 13:41:08 CDT

George Lindsey, who spent almost 30 years appearing in TV classics like "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Gunsmoke," has died at age 83, WSFA reports. The small-town Alabama boy kept America laughing from 1964 to 1971 with his jovial Goober character on "Andy Griffith" and its follow-up, "Mayberry RFD," then...

Has Hollywood Punished Rachel Dratch for Her Looks?

Matt Cantor — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:58:36 CDT

In her new book, Girl Walks Into a Bar , Rachel Dratch says her looks have cursed her career. "By Hollywood standards, I’m a troll, ogre, woodland creature, or manly lesbian," she writes, and that's prevented her from getting the roles she wants—NBC replaced her as a 30 Rock lead,...

Dame Edna Announces Farewell Tour

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:45:56 CDT

Beloved comic genius Barry Humphries says he's hanging up Dame Edna's frock and planning a farewell tour, the Daily Telegraph reports. "It's the best aerobics you could do, leaping around on stage, but it's grueling when there are other things to do," says Humphries. "The fact of the matter is...

Casa de Mi Padre Is a One-Trick Pony

Kevin Spak — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:54:05 CDT

Will Ferrell made a movie in Spanish? Yep. Ferrell's latest flick Casa de Mi Padre is an entirely subtitled affair, sending up low-budget telenovelas. Critics are lukewarm on the results—some appreciate its zaniness, but many liken it to an overlong sketch. "As tickled as I was by the slaphappy...

This YouTube Star Earns $1M a Year

Matt Cantor — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:00 CST

Sure, it's full of keyboard cats and double rainbows, but these days, YouTube is also a serious moneymaking machine. YouTube star Ray William Johnson is showcasing the medium's potential: With more than a billion total views, he's making about $1 million a year through his clips, insiders tell the Wall...