‘What Is This Show?’ — An Oral History Of The Adam Pally And Ben Schwartz ‘Late Late Show’ TakeoverEver present as it may have been throughout, chaos wasn’t a substitute for a plan when Adam Pally and Ben Schwartz hosted CBS’ Late Late Show for a single, glorious, and oft-celebrated episode in 2015 — it was part of a larger plan. Nurtured by the… Apr 24 20April 24, 2020Article at UPROXX
A Mini-Oral History On The Blistering Barrage Of Jonah Ryan Insults Hurled In The ‘Veep’ Series FinaleWith the Veep series finale, producer David Mandel and the show’s writing staff teamed with its legendary ensemble cast to land the series in a pitch-perfect way that managed to speak to Selina Meyer’s blinding quest for ambition without ignoring the… Jun 14 19June 14, 2019Article at UPROXX
An Oral History Of SNL’s ‘Christmastime For The Jews’“You grow up Jewish and you can’t help it, it’s a big part of your life being the person who’s not celebrating Christmas,” TV Funhouse creator and former Saturday Night Live writer Robert Smigel told us recently. (Smigel, by the way, is also the mad… Dec 21 18December 21, 2018Article at UPROXX
On Set With ‘The President Show’ To Get A Front Row Seat For The Comedy ResistanceIt’s a right and a necessity to mock our political leaders, but Donald Trump’s reign (and his pushback against that norm) has certainly inspired a more full-throated and widespread embrace of the ideal, especially on television. From SNL‘s… Oct 22 18October 22, 2018Article at UPROXX
Exploring Donald Glover’s ‘Community’ Exit And The Evolution Of The Show’s End TagsIn 2017, Dan Harmon told The Hollywood Reporter that he could agree that Donald Glover’s departure from Community signaled the beginning of the end for the series, but that he had “needed to convince [himself]” that that wasn’t the case at the time.… Aug 01 18August 01, 2018Article at UPROXX
‘Last Call With Carson Daly’ Has Quietly Carried On NBC’s Tradition Of Innovative 1:30 AM ProgrammingThe accolades and the respect are unending for NBC’s late-night alums. Johnny Carson defined what late-night comedy could and should be. He then passed the baton to David Letterman, who promptly broke a ton of rules and instilled an aversion to… Nov 09 17November 09, 2017Article at UPROXX
How Science And Engineering Are Fighting To Save FootballWatch a close-up of an elbow contorting as a pitcher spins a curveball. Think about the pounds of pressure at play when a 280-pound center comes down hard with a rebound. Witness someone run into the human equivalent of a brick wall with shoulder… Nov 07 17November 07, 2017Article at UPROXX
How TV And Evolving Media Technology Changed The American PresidencySome hide from new technology, while others worship it as their newfound God. President Lyndon B. Johnson was a retail politician who preferred to practice the art of political seduction through one on one interactions and backroom machinations.… Mar 07 17March 07, 2017Article at UPROXX
‘The Internet Before The Internet’: How ‘Pop-Up Video’ Changed The Way We Devour Pop CultureThe name should be familiar to you if you’re a ’90s kid who grew up watching MTV and VH1, or even if you’re a little younger and recall its second, more abbreviated run from five years ago or the re-runs on MTV Classic. Pop-Up Video was a little show… Oct 28 16October 28, 2016Article at UPROXX
The Death Of Andy Wood, The Birth Of Pearl Jam, And How ‘Grunge’ Ate ItselfNirvana’s Nevermind, which is now 25 years old, didn’t kick off the “grunge” movement and lead singer Kurt Cobain’s suicide didn’t kill grunge either. Embers burned long after that particular fire went out and there was smoke long before anyone… Sep 27 16September 27, 2016Article at UPROXX
Doomed From The Start: An Oral History Of The Birth, Charming Life, And Fast Death Of ‘Andy Barker, P.I.’Not every show gets seven seasons and a satisfying feel-good send-off that ties up nearly every loose end. Parks and Recreation (which was the subject of another of our oral history projects) is unique, but it was also lucky that Michael Schur’s and… Apr 27 15April 27, 2015Article at UPROXX
