Premium TV network EPIX announced today that comedian Russell Brand will
bring his singular mix of wicked humor and insight to the multi-platform
service in the EPIX Original Comedy Event, Russell Brand: Messiah
Complex, premiering on November 28 at 10 PM ET/PT.
Filmed live at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, Messiah Complex takes
a hilarious and scathing look at our insatiable craving for icons and
divine wisdom. Through the lens of contemporary politics and culture,
Russell focuses on heroes Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Gandhi, and Jesus
Christ to lay waste to conventional thinking in an outrageous 90-minute
special that holds nothing sacred.
“Russell Brand is a huge talent who welcomes the chance to challenge
people, issues and institutions through his unique comic perspective,
and we’re very excited to connect him to the EPIX audience across all of
our platforms,” said EPIX President and CEO Mark Greenberg.
“Messiah Complex on EPIX is a joyous media event like the moon landings
or the OJ Simpson trial. Except it really happened and no one gets
murdered,” said Russell Brand.
Russell Brand: Messiah Complex will debut on EPIX on
“Black Friday” as part of the Thanksgiving weekend “Supersized Feast
of Comedy” marathon, November 27th through November 30th.
In addition to his standup performances, Russell has successfully
brought his caustic wit and penetrating observations to the printed
page. His newest works are Revolution (Ballantine
Books, October 14th), in which he
hilariously lacerates the straw men and paper tigers of our conformist
times and presents; and a wildly funny and astute adaptation of The
Pied Piper of Hamelin (Atria Books, November 11, 2014), the
first in a series of Trickster Tales through which he brings his unique
contemporary sensibilities to the classics.
Russell Brand: Messiah Complex is the latest special to
join EPIX’s roster of original comedy events, which includes Lewis
Black Old Yeller Live at the Borgata, Louis C.K. Hilarious, Jim
Norton: American Degenerate, Dennis Miller: America 180°, Jenny
McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny, Patton Oswalt: Tragedy Plus Comedy
Equals Time. Russell Brand appeared earlier on the network in Amnesty
International’s Secret Policeman’s Ball.
Join the conversation about #MessiahComplex on Twitter http://twitter.com/EpixHD,
on Facebook http://Facebook.com/EPIX and
on the EPIX webpage http://www.epix.com/russell-brand-messiah-complex
.
Russell Brand: Messiah Complex is an EPIX Original Comedy
Event. Lucy Ansbro and Nik Linnen are the executive producers, Gareth
Roy is the producer and Paul Wheeler is the director. For EPIX Ross
Bernard is the executive producer.
About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service
delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original
documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on
devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development
and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network
to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and
was the first premium network to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android
tablets and phones, Windows 8.1 and Roku® players. EPIX is available to
authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads®
and iPhones® and is the only premium service providing all its
programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other
premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.
EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its
Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and
telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide.
For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com.
Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD)
and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX),
YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX),
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Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX)
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Copyright Business Wire 2014