The Half Hour (Formerly Comedy Central Presents)

[Gern Blanston]

Looks like this is the new name for "Comedy Central Presents."

From the May CC press release:

"The Half Hour" (Series Premiere)

Friday, May 11 at 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. ET/PT

COMEDY CENTRAL is shining the spotlight on some of the funniest and most unique comedians out there today with the premiere of "The Half Hour." The new stand-up series was filmed at Royale in Boston in front of a live audience and features comedians Neal Brennan, Na'im Lynn, Joe Mande, David O'Doherty, Garfunkel & Oates (Kate Micucci & Riki Lindholm), Michael Palascak, Jesse Popp, Rory Scovel, Maronzio Vance, Nick Vatterott, Theo Von and Brendon Walsh debuting their first solo COMEDY CENTRAL specials every Friday night at 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

[BillBrasky]

Hey, as we find out the dates for these eps, I can edit this post.

5/11- Rory Scovel and Michael Palascak
5/18- Nai'im Lynn and Neil Brennan
5/25- Brendon Walsh and Nick Vatterot
6/1 - Theo Von and Maronzio Vance
6/8- Joe Mande and Garfunkel & Oates
6/15- N/A, but I guess it's going to be David O'Doherty and Jesse Popp

[mueXog]

according to Joe Mande on his facebook: "My comedy central special airs June 8th at 11pm."

[jkwall]

I like the name a lot better, I'll be interested to see if anything else changes.

[BillBrasky]

So has anyone seen any of these? The only ones I have seen are Rory Scovel's and Brendon Walsh's. They were both good, but I kind of wish Brendon had done the Gene Hackman bit, I kind of thought that was his signature bit. I started to watch Michael Palascak and Nick Vatterot, but they weren't really doing anything for me. I missed Neal Brennan's, not really sure what he would be like as a standup, kind of jock-ish I suspect. Not really looking forward to the two this week so much. The two on 6/8 should be good though.

Is it my imagination or are there a lot fewer of these than normal? Only 12? Looking at the Comedy Central Presents episodes, the average season was 20-24 episodes.

[aenemaTron]

Na'im Lynn made me mad. I felt like his comedy was "woman-friendly premise -> segue into misogynist jokes." Like "I hate fake boobs - I'd take small saggy boobs" then "have you ever seen small saggy boobs? They're the worst!"

Brendon Walsh was really funny but his special was a bit of a bell curve, slow start and end but great in the middle. Seemed really casual. Nick Vatterot was a little too reliant on physicality but I still really liked him in general and he had some good jokes. Rory Scovel's was one of those frustrating specials where it feels too short, which might be an issue with your set that you can address as a comic but I don't know. He's great.

I hate to say it, because he's really funny, but I think Michael Palascak has a Mike Birbiglia problem with his delivery that he needs to shake, in my opinion. It won't hold him back, I don't think, it was a good special, but it was distracting for me.

[davidd]

I hate to say it, because he's really funny, but I think Michael Palascak has a Mike Birbiglia problem with his delivery that he needs to shake, in my opinion. It won't hold him back, I don't think, it was a good special, but it was distracting for me.

Wow, now that you mention that, you're totally right. I'm surprised I haven't noticed it before. I do think that's a good special though.

I was actually in an acting class with Mike Palascak at Second City a few years ago. I remembered because, once, the teacher asked us what we were doing outside of class- most people said they were doing some shitty improv show or nothing, but Mike said he had just opened for Caroline Rhea.

[smartbunny]

Theo Von? From fucking Road Rules? Is he funny? I am honestly asking.

[Cameron]

Nope.

[smartbunny]

I trust you, CB.

[BillBrasky]

He's certainly doing some wacky things with texting.

[smartbunny]

YOU JUST GOT VON'D!

[aenemaTron]

I think the joke in the promo for his special is kinda funny.

[scamboogah]

My DVR accidentally recorded the Theo Von one, so I deleted it without watching.

Sorry to anyone who thought that story was going in a different direction.

[BillBrasky]

Oh my GOD. Two minutes into his special, he has said "Where my black people at?" and then went into a long chunk about how Mexican women like to have kids. He is like a parody of a horrible stand-up comedian. Wow.

[aenemaTron]

I watched the first chunk or so of Von and I came away with this- I like his sensibility but I hate his material. Some of his bits and tags were tonally interesting but specifically hackety and racist.

[MikThrontveit]

Rory's was the best, god I loved it. It made me go back and watch his John Oliver and I had forgotten about his "picture Jesus sleeping" bit. Holy shit that kills me. I missed Walsh's and can't find it online anywhere, so that blows, but I saw him live about a week or so before he recorded it, so I'd bet it's similar.

I was surprised by Von's because I laughed quite a few times. Though, I was watching with someone else and we were kind of just laughing at each other enjoying some light hearted racism and I said at one point... "I think I'm just laughing because that's just straight racism and it's on TV and that's weird". It didn't feel like the racial material was coming from a place of hate, so I kind of gave it a pass. Like Tron said, I liked his sensibility; it was pretty playful and weird-ish. Also, I don't think one should judge a guy just because he was on Road Rules 15 years ago. I'm sure he has to deal with the pre-judging every time he goes on stage. Then there is the issue of pulling your phone out, and with most comics I've seen do this... I never feel like it works. Even if the material is hilarious, I don't know what it is, but it pulls me out. Anyway, overall I started out not liking it, but I didn't hate it in the end.

[aenemaTron]

Maronzio Vance, I had a similar feeling from him, though without the casual racism. Von seemed to think, and the audience was with him for some of it, that intimate knowledge of black culture gives him the right to celebrate racist stereotypes and close with a "black people always be late" joke, if I understood it right.

Vance, I like his sensibility as well, but his set kind of felt like a long, rambling, self-congratulatory story with no through-line. I laughed at a few things both of them said but it was too much of "a comedian says things funny" and not enough of "a comedian sauys funny things." Which is not the worst thing you can say about comedy.

I am nervous about Garfunkel and Oates. They're promoting the special with "Pregnant Women Are Smug" which, being married to the least-smug-when-pregnant woman alive, has always bugged me. Look out, song, prepare to be underappreciated.

[BillBrasky]

I'd like to point out that I've never seen "Road Rules" and wouldn't have known Von was on "Road Rules" if people hadn't pointed it out here. I was merely reacting to the first few extremely crappy minutes of his special.

[scamboogah]

I am nervous about Garfunkel and Oates. They're promoting the special with "Pregnant Women Are Smug" which, being married to the least-smug-when-pregnant woman alive, has always bugged me. Look out, song, prepare to be underappreciated.

You're probably going to hate their follow up song, "Husbands of Pregnant Women Are Totally Unaware of the Smuggness of Their Wives"