Premium TV network EPIX unveiled a new lineup of comedy specials
including a new summer season of the Comedy Unbound showcase,
Fridays at 10 pm and The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall,
an anniversary celebration of the renowned comedy club to premiere
fall 2013 exclusively on EPIX, EPIX On Demand, EpixHD.com and EPIX apps
across hundreds of devices including Xbox, PS3, Roku, iPads, iPhones and
more.
The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall is a one hour
special event from the 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour of the IMPROV
Comedy Clubs which have presented the biggest, most legendary comedians
as well as the newest names in comedy in 26 cities across the country.
The IMPROV documentary special will feature Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal,
Keenan Ivory Wayans, Larry David, Judd Apatow, Kathy Griffin, Whitney
Cummings and more. Executive producers are Budd Friedman, Mark Lonow and
Spotted Dog Entertainment. The event is co-produced with Comedy Central,
which will take a second window.
“We are proud to present the best in stand-up acts today and to work
with great comedy institutions like the Improv,” said Mark Greenberg,
EPIX President and CEO.
The new summer season of Comedy Unbound, airing Fridays at 10 pm,
will kick off June 7 with the premiere of former “Saturday Night Live”
funnyman Jim Breuer’s one-hour special and will include new specials
from Sherri Shepherd, Tom Papa and Jim Norton:
Jim Breuer: And Laughter For All — June 7 @10PM ET:
Breuer, the perpetually “stoned-looking” comic is best known as “Goat
Boy” and his spot on impersonation of “made man” Joe Pesci during his
stint on “Saturday Night Live.” In “Jim Breuer: And Laughter For All,”
he grapples with the absurdities and annoyances of finding himself a
middle aged father of three in suburban New Jersey. This is Breuer’s
first ever stand-up comedy special for EPIX.
Sherri Shepherd: It's My Time To Talk — June 21 @10PM
ET:
The Emmy award-winning talk show co-host from ABC’s “The View” returns
to her roots in stand-up comedy and ruminates on life in her new comedy
special, “Sherri Shepherd: It’s My Time To Talk.” She recounts the
experience she had on “Dancing with the Stars” as well as the occasional
awkward moments while doing Hot Topics on “The View,” among other
off-beat revelations.
Tom Papa: Freaked Out — July 26 @10PM ET:
Known for his irreverent appearances on Leno, Letterman and Conan, and
for hosting NBC’s “The Marriage Ref,” Papa stands out among his fellow
comedians for his optimistic take on the mostly insane world he lives
in. For his first EPIX comedy special, and his second hour-long special
directed by Rocker/Director Rob Zombie, Papa tackles the hazards of
churches, loose change, old age, make-up, raising women, Chinese grocery
stores and magical gnomes.
Jim Norton: American Degenerate — August 23rd
@10PM ET:
Triumphantly returning after his first EPIX comedy special, “Please Be
Offended,” now airing on Comedy Central, Jim Norton continues his
self-deprecating humor with his third hour standup special “Jim Norton:
American Degenerate.” In his latest offering, Norton, a New York Times
bestselling author, “Tonight Show” regular, and the third mic on
Sirius/XM’s popular “The Opie and Anthony Show,” performs his unfiltered
material “Jim Norton: American Degenerate” shot in Boston in front of
his most hard core fans. Norton leaves nothing embarrassing off the
table, skewering a wide range of topics including politics, the
media, and, of course, sex, with the knowledge that some of his remarks
will no doubt inspire a wave of self-righteous online complaints by
those who are easily offended.
Stills and key art from the specials can be found at press.epixhd.com.
About EPIX
EPIX® is the newest premium entertainment network delivering the latest
movie releases, classic library titles, plus original films, comedy,
music and sports events on TV, on demand, online and on devices.
Launched October 2009 as the first multiplatform premium network with
online accessibility for subscribers through EpixHD.com, EPIX pioneered
the development and proliferation of TV Everywhere for American
consumers. EPIX was the first premium network to launch on Xbox
360®consoles, first on Android™ tablets and phones, first on Roku®
players and first to launch in the U.S. on PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system.
EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices
including Apple® iPads®, iPhones®, Kindle Fire tablets, Samsung® Smart
TVs and Blu-ray™ players and more. Today EPIX remains the only premium
service providing its entire monthly line-up from new Hollywood hits to
original programs on all platforms and provides more movies than any
other premium network.
EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its
Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), available to over 30 million homes nationwide
through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox
Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink
Communications and Verizon FiOS.
For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com.
Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD
and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EpixHD.
About the Improv
The Improv was founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman in a former New York
City Vietnamese restaurant. Actor/Manager Mark Lonow joined Friedman as
a full partner in 1979, since then and together they have franchised 26
Improv clubs across the U.S. Throughout 2013 the Improv clubs will be
celebrating its 50th anniversary. Many well-known comics started their
careers at the Improv while others continue, over the years, to pop into
the club to try out new material. The list is a Who’s Who of Comedy: Jay
Leno, Bette Midler, Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Rosie
O’Donnell, Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Liza Minnelli, Drew Carey, Ellen
DeGeneres, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, George Carlin. Older
comics from earlier days who performed at the club included Sid Caeser,
Milton Berle, Red Buttons and many others. Improv clubs are presently
located in Addison, Arlington and Houston, Texas; Miami, Orlando, Palm
Beach, Tampa, Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Los Angeles,
Ontario, San Jose, Irvine and Brea, California; Las Vegas and Lake
Tahoe, Nevada; as well as in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Kansas
City, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Tempe, Arizona and soon
in Boca Raton, Florida.
