Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac

Eighty-five million people watched the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon at its peak in 1976. Almost every significant American comedian performed on it at some point. Don Rickles insulted Lewis to his face at Caesars Palace in 1982 — you can watch it on YouTube. Jerry Seinfeld appeared in 1995 at the height of Seinfeld. Jimmy Fallon did standup on it in 1997, a year before SNL. Ralphie May worked the overnight casino crowd before Last Comic Standing. Johnny Mac looks at what the telethon actually was as a comedy document — what happened in the overnight hours, why the Rickles-Lewis dynamic worked, what the 1976 Dean Martin reun...

Johnny Mac closes out the summer with comedy news, led by Ricky Gervais calling a knighthood meaningless, saying he’d do it if his mother were alive, might do it to annoy people, and joking about being offered one. Frank Caliendo recounts on Sage Steele’s podcast that John Madden wanted to sue him over Madden-like impressions in commercials and a video game parody, with Charles Barkley arguing the bits made them money. Clips include Jay Leno telling Adam Carolla he took a 50% Tonight Show pay cut to keep staff, and John Mulaney telling Larry King he knew Ivanka Trump at G...

Johnny Mac reports that Pete Davidson and Colin Jost are hosting a free comedy show on their decommissioned Staten Island Ferry (bought for $280,000 in 2022) in NYC on September 17, with Snapple sponsoring it as the “Snapple Island Ferry”; tickets drop daily at 3 p.m. ET through the 8th at register.snappleislandferry.com, one pair per person, and the event is produced by The Stand. Netflix renewed Shane Gillis’ “Tires” for season four, noting 45 million views across three seasons and a recent top-10 peak at #5. The New York Times profiles Hannah Berner after a Dysport injection for TMJ left her unable to smile (“Sm...

Johnny Mac covers Jon Stewart’s comments on Michelle Obama’s podcast about not confusing cultural power with real power, the fragility of leaders toward satire, and whether political comedy helps or corrodes discourse. Brian Baumgartner discusses being The Office’s best golfer, joint pain from long tournament weeks, and promotes Voltaren while naming Oscar as his preferred golf partner. The lineup for Last One Laughing UK season three is announced, including Lee Mack, Katherine Ryan, Harry Hill, Katherine Parkinson, Michelle de Swart, Jen Richardson, Morgana Robinson, Josh Jones, Roisin Conaty, and returning Richard Ayoade. Bill Burr talks Massachusetts bar pizza...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news for Sept. 1, including backlash to Bill Maher after a Real Time monologue scolding Americans for mourning Dolly Parton too much and joking about tributes. The Minnesota Star Tribune reviews Tom Segura at Acme, noting he’s building a new set from scratch and not addressing his split with Christina P. Michael Che’s four Minneapolis shows at First Avenue reportedly banned bathroom breaks due to Netflix filming and included material on the R-word and fatherhood. Variety reports growing backlash and a campaign urging cinemas to refuse to screen Ali G: Who Iz I? over claims the...

Byron Allen’s ‘Comics Unleashed’ Beats Kimmel and Fallon in Key DemoJohnny Mac covers late-night ratings where CBS’s Byron Allen rerun of “Comics Unleashed” wins adults 18–49 (161K) over Jimmy Kimmel (158K with Jelly Roll hosting) and a Fallon repeat (154K), though it finishes third in total viewers; he also notes “Funny You Should Ask” beating Seth Meyers in total viewers amid Meyers taking seven weeks off. Other items include Stavros Halkias’ self-focused Letterboxd review of the Anthony Bourdain movie, Hannah Berner hosting Paramount+ dating series “Making Love” in early 2027, Jim Gaffigan voicing Santa in a Warner Bros. animated film with Melis...

Johnny Mac recaps comedy news, highlighting a Atlantic piece on Trump satire fatigue: Alec Baldwin says Trump is no longer funny, while Anthony Atamanuik describes The President Show as issue-focused despite Trump being an “albatross,” and the article notes the left-leaning satire boom faded, with Sarah Cooper’s pandemic-era rise and later Trump portrayals by James Austin Johnson and Shane Gillis. Mac also cites Atsuko Akatsuka’s Guardian interview (a dog-walking Yelp complaint, advice about jealousy from a friend, and hotel habits), David Spade on jealousy and improv trust, and a Ronnie Chieng–Josh Johnson Interview Magazine chat about career ruts and r...

Jerry Seinfeld said he didn't know one comedian who didn't think Richard Jeni was amazing. Chris Rock called him a friend and a mentor. Jay Leno said he made other comics laugh in a room. Richard Jeni had the highest-rated Showtime special in the channel's history, more Tonight Show appearances than any standup of his era, a Carson panel seat he earned rather than received, a Clio Award for commercials, Oscar writing credits for Chris Rock's hosting gig, and a fifty-seventh spot on Comedy Central's greatest standup list — a list he helped build as a panelist. He died in 2007 at fo...

Johnny Mac records an “Afternoon Check-In” during a run and uses a walk break to cover three topics: a social media debate about whose career he’d rather have going forward—Nate Bargatze or Shane Gillis—leaning toward Nate for long-term touring potential while questioning how Shane’s persona ages; a late-night ratings report that Byron Allen’s 11:30 show beat Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon in 18–49 on a Monday where Fallon and Allen were reruns and Kimmel had Jelly Roll hosting; and a preview of tomorrow’s deep dive on Richard Jeni, urging listeners to notice Seinfeld-like pacing in Jeni and wondering abou...

Johnny Mac reports poolside on Netflix’s four Friday comedy documentaries in October: “Who Is Martin Mull?” (Oct 7, produced by Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley), “Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald” (Oct 16, built from archival material and backed by Judd Apatow), “Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story” (Oct 23, also from Apatow), and “SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of” (Oct 30, with Jimmy Kimmel as executive producer; SCTV episodes arrive Sept 1). He also covers NASCAR’s Theo Von promo for the playoffs, Sam Morril saying a great Knicks run hurt his comedy writing, Jimmy Kimmel discussing retirement doubts, Great Outdoors Comedy...

Johnny Mac records poolside while his basement studio is cleaned, noting he finally got the pool reasonably clean. He’s surprised his college students don’t know Bill Burr, briefly comments on Theo Von’s podcast with Nate Bargatze, and revisits why a Rosie O’Donnell late-night show “is just not gonna happen,” citing her age, budget pressures, and that Netflix couldn’t draw viewers to John Mulaney’s late-night show despite high-profile guests like David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, and others. Drawing on his radio experience, he argues Mulaney’s show was misproduced because it should have focused on individual guests, following...

Poolside, Johnny Mac reports on comedy and entertainment news, noting Dolly Parton’s death at 80 and sharing resurfaced clips from David Letterman’s 1995 “Top 10 Dolly Parton Pet Peeves” and an edited Johnny Carson segment. He also says Tim Curry has died at 80. Other items include Stephen Colbert posting a video, and a New York Post/Page Six report that Christina P performed days after her separation headlines and joked about Tom Segura, with sources saying the material is an older set now read differently. He recounts Rosie O’Donnell posting an unflattering photo of the U.S. President, Andrew Santino’s failed SNL...

Johnny Mac shares a quick Afternoon Daily Comedy News Update featuring B-roll from his weekly beach volleyball game and a statue of Challenger the Eagle. He discusses reports that Jimmy Carr is being considered to host a reboot of Top Gear, noting producers want to pair him with a woman and “online celebrities,” and speculates the show may be trying to compete with a new-cast Grand Tour. He also references The Verge’s interview with W. Kamau Bell about underappreciated apps, including complaints about map apps labeling the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” and pitches an “A-hole detector” wa...

Johnny Mac reviews Oxford Road’s Orbit study ranking the top 15 “efficient for advertisers” comedy podcasts, noting the list’s volatility, the absence of many A-list hosts, and that several high-efficiency shows cost under $2,500 per episode; entries include Crash Dummies Podcast (No. 1), The Foil Hat, Adam Carolla, The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, The Tim Dillon Show, The Toast, Monday Morning Podcast with Bill Burr, Kill Tony, Bad Friends, and more. He then cites a New York Times piece on comedians shifting from video clips to Instagram carousel “comic strip” panels for faster, silent consumption. He spotlights Jonathan Kite’s Anthony Bourda...

Johnny Mac discusses a Variety article suggesting Rosie O’Donnell could get a late-night show after guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, arguing there’s little market for it and noting a White House spokesperson issued a statement criticizing O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland. He also covers comedian Nate Bargatze launching a new company, No Pictures, for “edgier content” while keeping Nateland as family-friendly, and reports Nateland is developing an animated project called Nateville compared to King of the Hill. Finally, he highlights the Fastball Comedy Festival at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, on October 17–18, headlined by Dave Chappelle and Tom Segura...

Nate Bargatze Launches No Pictures as Zarna Garg Gets Stuck at HermèsJohnny Mac covers Zarna Garg’s claim that she was trapped for about 1 hour 20 minutes in an Hermès store bathroom in Berlin while trying to buy an elusive handbag, with her team recording as she joked, made paper-towel origami, and staff eventually used a crowbar and firefighters to free her. He notes a pronunciation clip explaining “Hermès.” The episode also reports Nate Bargatze launching the edgier production banner No Pictures with producer Lawrence Gray while Nateland develops projects including the film Fantasy Camp and Netflix a...

Recording poolside as the rain pours, the host shares a comedic interaction with AI while trying to understand why Dane Cook’s brother is named Darryl McCauley; after giving incorrect explanations, the AI admits the mistake and clarifies they are half-brothers with different fathers and a shared mother, Donna Jean Ford. The host reiterates a desire to “make 12:30 great again,” arguing NBC should replace Seth Meyers with Chris Fleming, noting Meyers is taking seven weeks off and has launched a YouTube video podcast of “A Closer Look.” A Jay Leno anecdote follows: at a 2026 Burbank International Film Festival dinner for his Vangua...

Johnny Mac covers the trailer and details for “Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story,” about Dane Cook’s half-brother/business manager Darryl McCauley stealing $12 million, hiding cash in pasta sauce, and later pleading guilty and serving prison time; the episode also digresses into verifying Cook’s real name and how McCauley is identified. Deadline’s reporting on possible Saturday Night Live season 52 casting is summarized, including showcase cities, standout names, and notes about representation, plus that Chloe Fineman won’t return. Mac discusses Seth Meyers’ seven-week hiatus and new video podcast with Sal Gentile, speculating about budget cuts. Updates include Jay Leno rearr...

Johnny Mac covers comedy and entertainment news, led by Rosie O’Donnell’s strong first-night ratings as a Jimmy Kimmel Live guest host (1.87M viewers), beating The Tonight Show and winning adults 18–49, plus a popular YouTube monologue. He notes Weird Al’s new NPR Tiny Desk Concert featuring parodies and other songs, and shares The New Yorker’s look back at It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, including its LA production, the Philadelphia setting decision, and Emmy-related jokes and nominations. He recaps Ricky Gervais saying he’ll marry longtime partner Jane Fallon to reduce inheritance tax and discusses his views on cancel cult...

Johnny Mac spotlights comedian Robert Schimmel as part of Saturday deep dives on comics who peaked before YouTube and podcasts. He describes Schimmel’s brutally confessional style—turning tragedies like his 11-year-old son’s leukemia death and his own stage-three non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma into jokes—and recounts Schimmel’s improbable life, including marrying and divorcing the same woman three times, later marrying his daughter’s best friend during chemotherapy, and dying at 60 from a 2010 Scottsdale car accident while awaiting a liver transplant. Mac traces Schimmel’s career: Bronx upbringing, Rodney Dangerfield’s 1986 HBO Young Comedian’s Special boost, Showtime specials, writing for In Livin...