TVSquad

(S05E15) When I used to teach high school English, one of my biggest pet peeves was reading a paper from a student who was obviously stretching two pages of ideas into the required four pages of the assignment. I actually preferred it when students came up short in page count instead of insulting my intelligence with superfluous words, plodding pacing, and ridiculous font and margin tweaks.

Watching the two hour -- that's right two hour -- finale of Last Comic Standing, I couldn't help but be reminded of my teaching days. Tonight's finale was like an essay written using Comic Sans 16 point font...

(S05E14) Here's an amazing story: I arrived home this evening to find that my TiVo only recorded the last 25 minutes of LCS. With a review to write, I scrambled, calling everyone I knew within driving distance, trying to find the episode.

None of my friends had it (10 million viewers a week? None in South Jersey, apparently). I was bummed because I didn't want to have to write an incomplete review. It wasn't until after all this that I actually watched the final 25 minutes my TiVo grabbed.

Wouldn't you know that NBC had so padded the hour that the only two performances that really mattered didn't come till the last 15 minutes anyway? God bless the terrible, slow roast editing techniques of this show. God. Bless. Them. On to the (almost complete) review...

While we all mourn the demise of the celebrity Roast, I thought this might be a good time to reflect back on a time when the master, Don Rickles, used just the right combination of acerbic wit and what would today be called "political incorrectness" for hilarious results.

All comedians, in their own way, are skilled at keeping an audience engaged, but very few can match the likes of Don Rickles. There are a lot of angry comedians out there, and even some who aren't afraid to take a few shots at the audience, but Rickles' act was only ostensibly about insults. At its core, it was about creating a kind of communal moment in which no one was the butt of the joke because everyone was the butt of the joke.

David Steinberg is back for another season of Sit Down Comedy on TV Land. Six new episodes will air Wednesdays at 10PM beginning February 21st. Less of a kiss-ass than James Lipton and with more comedy chops than Terry Gross, Steinberg creates just the right atmosphere for his Sit Down stand-up guests to reflect on their careers, lives and whatever else is on their fertile minds. Best of all, his guests aren't there to plug any products so an actual old school conversation can unfold. Remember those? You might see them on Charlie Rose from time to time or on those Dick Cavett DVDs Shout! Factory released last year. Too bad Steinberg's show is only thirty minutes long.

You can check out Sit Down Comedy's guest line-up after the jump.

Did anyone see the profile of Larry the Cable Guy on 60 Minutes last week? It was pretty much a puff piece, talking about how Larry became the biggest stand-up comedian on the face of the planet despite the fact that his comedy isn't exactly in that "make you think" category that, say, Doug Stanhope or Dave Attell might be in. Heck, even Dane Cook's comedy seems sophisticated compared to Larry's. But Larry's successful because he tells goofy jokes that appeal to a wide range of people. He's not my cup of tea, but I've laughed at a few of his jokes. Despite his "bumpkin" image, I can definitely see how so many people like the guy.

Anyone who watched the report probably noticed that Dan Whitney, who created the Larry persona a number of years ago with the help of Blue Collar Comedy producer J.P. Williams, didn't quite have the same severe southern accent that he does on stage. Makes sense; Larry's a character and the interview was with Dan, not Larry. But in his pre-Larry days, Whitney didn't have an accent at all. How do I know this? Because of clips like the one after the jump, that shows what Whitney's stand-up routine was like before Larry came into his life.

The Tonight Show's Jay Leno has filed a suit against comedy teacher Judy Brown. Brown has published 19 "joke books" quoting the routines of stand-up comedians - including Leno. According to the suit, Brown covered the LA comedy scene as a journalist and got the bright idea to record, copy and publish comedians' work for fun and profit. Her titles include The Funny Pages: 1,473 Jokes from Today's Funniest Comedians and Joke Express: Instant Delivery of 1,424 Funny Bits from the Best Comedians.

Kathy Griffin's Emmy-nominated My Life on the D-List has been picked up for a third season by Bravo. The hour-long show will be back in 2007 with six new episodes.

I caught this show way too much last season. There's something simultaneously appealing and annoying about Kathy G. I can't quite put my finger on it. (Her on-again, off-again husband probably feels the same way.) The fact that she's willing to lay bare her naked desire for fame and recognition is admirable in its own way - as is the fact that she's self-reflective enough to recognize the gloss and BS that comes with the world she's aspiring to play a part in. Her celebrity dish is priceless and kinda sad at the same time. She represents what I feel like whenever I read Perez Hilton except in the body of a mini-drag queen.

If he hadn't played George-Michael Bluth on Arrested Development for three years, Michael Cera may have been just another young L.A.-based comedian with a MySpace page and videos on YouTube. But because of his Arrested connection, the homemade videos he and his friend Clark Duke have made get linked by Whitney Matheson (and us!).

Anyway, this MySpace page features a video of Cera doing stand-up at a local open mic night; it looks like he's carrying his meek George-Michael persona over to his stand-up act, which could work, or could blow up in his face. But at least he's trying. Go over to the page and check it out; at the very least, you'll have something to entertain you between innings of the playoff games tonight or tomorrow.

Dane Cook just revealed a big secret to his fans on his MySpace and website: he's going to have his very own HBO special! In case you didn't know, an SNL guest spot (which Dane has already conquered... in fact, his appearance created the highest ratings for the show in two years) and an HBO special are two huge milestones in any comedian's career. Dane will return to his hometown of Boston on April 15, 2006 for the taping (in the massive TD Banknorth Garden) and, as of right now, you can take advantage of the pre-sale by coming here and using the password SUFI (Su-Fi is short for "super-finger"... learn more about it here).

Mister Dane Cook, I offer you a hearty congratulations and a fully-deserved "rok on" Su-Fi.