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Cinemax Comedy Experiment
Cinemax Comedy Experiment is an anthology series broadcast on Cinemax throughout the mid-to-late 1980s. Every episode was written and directed by a different standup comedian. The series was known for giving full creative freedom to those comedians for their episodes, with Cinemax executives giving few to any notes against anything presented outside of remaining within the time slot. The series came out of a time in the history of cable television when comedy programs were considered premium content due to the high grosses of comedy films at the box office. The program was also an attempt on Cinemax's part to compete with the rising popularity of video stores which affected the network's subscription base and retention. Individuals who created "Experiments" include Harry Shearer, Chris Elliott, and Gilbert Gottfried; occasionally, non-standups were invited to contribute to the show, such as Garry Trudeau and Elizabeth Swados, who rewrote their off-Broadway show ''Rap Master Ron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term originated in ancient Greece: in Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by political satire performed by comic poets in theaters. The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance pitting two groups, ages, genders, or societies against each other in an amusing '' agon'' or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old". A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions posing obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth then becomes constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to resort to ruses w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sandra Bernhard
Sandra Bernhard (born June 6, 1955) is an American actress, singer, comedian and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy, where she often critiqued celebrity culture and political figures. She is perhaps best known for portraying Nancy Bartlett Thomas on the ABC sitcom '' Roseanne'' from the fourth season (1991) to the end of the show in 1997. She played Nurse Judy Kubrak in the FX drama series ''Pose''. She is number 96 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. Early life Bernhard was born June 6, 1955, in Flint, Michigan, the daughter of Jeanette (née LaZebnik) and proctologist Jerome Bernhard. Her parents raised her as a Conservative Jew. She has three older brothers: Dan, David and Mark. Her family moved to Arizona when she was 10. She attended Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, graduating in 1973. Career Bernhard became a staple at The Comedy Store. As her popularity as a comedian grew, she was cast as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lorne Green
Lorne Edmond Green is a Canadian-born English politician and former diplomat, who was first Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, representing the Conservative Party. Green was elected to the post on 5 May 2016, succeeding the previous incumbent, Stephen Bett. Biography Diplomacy Born in Nova Scotia, Green is a graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax. He joined the Canadian Department of External Affairs after graduation, and held diplomatic posts in Pakistan, Iran and Yugoslavia, as well as serving at the Canadian High Commission in London under Paul Martin, where he was promoted to become the mission's press officer. In the 1980s, he served on NATO's Nuclear Planning Group in Brussels dealing with the controversy surrounding cruise missiles, and was also Director of Nuclear and Arms Control Policy in the Department of National Defence in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1998, he left External Affairs to help form the World Nuclear Transport Institute in London, and l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), ''Enterprise'' in the Where No Man Has Gone Before, second pilot of the Star Trek: The Original Series, first ''Star Trek'' television series to his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh ''Star Trek'' feature film, ''Star Trek Generations'' (1994). Shatner began his screen acting career in Canadian films and television productions before moving into guest-starring roles in various US television shows. He appeared as James Kirk in all the episodes of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', 21 of the 22 episodes of ''Star Trek: The Animated Series'', and the first seven List of Star Trek films, ''Star Trek'' movies. He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences before, during and after his time in a Starfl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Margot Kidder
Margaret Ruth Kidder (October 17, 1948 – May 13, 2018), known professionally as Margot Kidder, was a Canadian-American actress whose career spanned five decades. Her accolades include three Canadian Screen Awards and one Daytime Emmy Award. Though she appeared in an array of film and television roles, Kidder is most widely known for her performance as Lois Lane in the ''Superman'' film series, appearing in the first four films. Born in Yellowknife to a Canadian mother and an American father, Kidder was raised in the Northwest Territories as well as several Canadian provinces. She began her acting career in the 1960s, appearing in low-budget Canadian films and television series, before landing a lead role in ''Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx'' (1970). She then played twins in Brian De Palma's cult thriller ''Sisters'' (1973), a sorority student in the slasher film '' Black Christmas'' (1974) and the titular character's girlfriend in the drama ''The Great Waldo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian singer. Her albums, consisting primarily of pop, country, and adult contemporary music, have sold over 55 million copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray was the first Canadian female solo singer to reach No. 1 on the U.S. charts and also the first to earn a Gold record for one of her signature songs, "Snowbird" (1970). Murray is also well known for her Grammy Award-winning 1978 number 1 US hit "You Needed Me". She is often cited as one of the female Canadian artists who paved the way for other international Canadian success stories such as k.d. lang, Céline Dion, and Shania Twain. She is also the first woman and the first Canadian to win "Album of the Year" at the 1984 Country Music Association Awards for her Gold-plus 1983 album '' A Little Good News''. Murray has received four Grammys, a record 24 Junos, three American Music Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, and three Canadian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Short
Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and writer. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2019 Short became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is known for his work on the television programs '' SCTV'' and ''Saturday Night Live''. Short created the characters Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley. He also acted in the sitcom ''Mulaney'' (2014–2015), the variety series ''Maya & Marty'' (2016), and '' The Morning Show'' (2019). He has also had an active career on stage, starring in Broadway productions including Neil Simon's musicals ''The Goodbye Girl'' (1993) and '' Little Me'' (1998–1999). The latter earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the former a nomination in the same category. He has starred in comedy films such as ''Three Amigos'' (1986), ''Innerspace'' (1987), ''Three Fugitives'' (1989), ''Captain Ron'' (1992), '' Clifford'' (1994), ''Mars Attacks!'' (1996), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emo Philips
Emo Philips (born Philip Soltanec February 7, 1956) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, writer and producer. His stand-up comedy persona makes use of paraprosdokians spoken in a wandering falsetto tone of voice. The confused, childlike delivery of his material produces the intended comic timing in a manner invoking the "wisdom of children" or the idiot savant. Career The character of Emo Philips is widely known for his unique look and on-stage antics, appearing as a fidgety, possibly mentally disturbed, nervous but highly intelligent individual with an obsession for coleslaw. Philips constantly moves throughout the routine, often shifting from sitting to standing positions, wandering from end to end on stage, playing with his hair or clothing, or going as far as to partially undress as he delivers punchlines. His comedy, which is largely self-deprecating and ironic, is often delivered in a modulated falsetto. His look (occasionally described as geeky, disco and vaudeville ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jasper Carrott
Robert Norman Davis (born 14 March 1945), best known by his stage name, Jasper Carrott, is an English comedian, actor and television presenter. Early life Born in Shaftmoor Lane, Acocks Green, in Birmingham, Carrott was educated at Acocks Green Primary School and Moseley Grammar School. He worked as a trainee buyer at a city centre department store, the Beehive, with schoolmate Bev Bevan. He acquired the nickname Jasper aged nine, and added the surname Carrott when he was 17. Career In February 1969 he started his own folk club, "The Boggery", in nearby Solihull with his friend Les Ward. Carrott performed folk songs and as an MC. His banter overtook the songs and he became more a comedian than a singer. He also worked as a musical agent (with John Starkey, who was his manager from 1974 to 1992), as Fingimigig, managing among others Harvey Andrews. He toured UK rugby clubs. He recorded an album in 1973 called ''Jasper Carrot – In the Club'', which he sold from his van. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Willard
Frederic Charles Willard (September 18, 1933 May 15, 2020) was an American actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for his roles in the Rob Reiner mockumentary film ''This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984); the Christopher Guest mockumentaries ''Waiting for Guffman'' (1996), '' Best in Show'' (2000), ''A Mighty Wind'' (2003), '' For Your Consideration'' (2006), and ''Mascots'' (2016); and the ''Anchorman'' films; as well as for his television roles on ''Fernwood 2 Night'', ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', and ''Modern Family'' the latter of which earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Early life Frederic Charles Willard was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 18, 1933. Willard's mother, Ruth (née Weinman) was a housewife. His father, Frederick Charles Willard, died in 1945 when he was 12 years old. He was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Willard graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute in 1951 and the Virginia Military Institute in 1955. He was stationed in Germany wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary Kay Place
Mary Kay Place (born September 23, 1947) is an American actress, singer, director, and screenwriter. She is known for portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'', a role that won her the 1977 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series. Her numerous film appearances include ''Private Benjamin (1980 film), Private Benjamin'' (1980), ''The Big Chill (film), The Big Chill'' (1983), ''Captain Ron'' (1992) and Francis Ford Coppola's 1997 drama ''The Rainmaker (1997 film), The Rainmaker''. Place also recorded three studio albums for Columbia Records, one in the Haggers persona, which included the Top Ten country music hit "Baby Boy." For her performance in ''Diane (2018 film), Diane'' (2018), Place won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress. Early life Place was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Gwendolyn Lucille (née John ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Mull
Martin Eugene Mull (born August 18, 1943) is an American actor, comedian and musician who has appeared in many television and film roles. He is also a painter and recording artist. As an actor, he first became known in his role on ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' and its spin-off ''Fernwood 2 Night''. Among his other notable roles are Colonel Mustard in the 1985 film ''Clue'', Leon Carp on '' Roseanne'', Willard Kraft on ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'', Vlad Masters/Plasmius on '' Danny Phantom'', and Gene Parmesan on ''Arrested Development''. He had a recurring role on ''Two and a Half Men'' as Russell, the drug-using, humorous pharmacist. Early years and education Mull was born in Chicago, the son of Betty Mull, an actress and director, and Harold Mull, a carpenter. He moved with his family to North Ridgeville, Ohio, when he was two years old. They lived there until he was 15 years old, when his family moved to New Canaan, Connecticut. There he attended and graduated from New Canaa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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