''Premium Blend'' was a
stand-up comedy series created and directed by
Paul Miller that aired on the
American cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
channel
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy program ...
from 1997 to 2005. In 2005 the show was changed, and now known as "Live at Gotham".
The show was born out of Comedy Central's attempts to find new comedy stars. These "attempts" were $1,000 to $10,000 dollar productions that allowed unnoticed comedians to share their material. Premium Blend acted as a showcase where most of the material and bits were shown.
Overview
Every year since its premier in 1997, the program featured a well-known stand up
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...
as an emcee who introduced four or five lesser known comedians looking for a big break on television. The host and guests would change every year.
Each comedian presented a short set of jokes, which was edited to last about five minutes on the airing of the show.
Many alumni have gone on to have their own ''
Comedy Central Presents'' specials or further acclaim, including
Mitch Hedberg,
Stephen Lynch,
Demetri Martin,
Dane Cook,
B. J. Novak
Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak (born July 31, 1979) is an American actor, director and screenwriter. He has received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Novak became known for starring as Ryan Howard in t ...
,
Anthony Jeselnik,
Darrell Hammond
Darrell Clayton Hammond (born October 8, 1955) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He was a regular cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 2009, and has been its announcer since 2014.
Upon his departure, Hammo ...
,
Mike Birbiglia,
Greer Barnes,
Wayne Federman,
Daniel Tosh,
Gabriel Iglesias,
Pete Holmes, and
Ron White
Ron White (born December 18, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and author, best known as a charter member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Nicknamed "Tater Salad", he is the author of the book ''I Had the Right to Remain Silent But ...
.
Hosts
Each year the show would get a new comedian to serve as host for each of the season's ten episodes. The hosts were:
*
Kathy Griffin (1997)
*
Jim Breuer (1998)
*
Tommy Davidson (1999)
*
Harland Williams (2000)
*
David Alan Grier (2001)
*
Wanda Sykes (2002)
*
D.L. Hughley (2003)
*
Jamie Kennedy (2004)
*
Damon Wayans (2005)
See also
* ''
Comedy Central Presents''
References
External links
*
{{Comedy Central programming
Comedy Central original programming
1990s American stand-up comedy television series
2000s American stand-up comedy television series
1997 American television series debuts
2005 American television series endings
English-language television shows