UCB’s ‘Thank You Del’ Doc Receiving Wide Digital Release

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Each year, the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade get together to host The Del Close Marathon, a 56-hour non-stop improv and stand-up comedy event that takes place across multiple venues in NYC over the course of a weekend. The event is a tribute to Del Close, the writer and comedy teacher who, through his mentoring of dozens of successful Second City students, left a permanent mark on twentieth-century comedy.

At this year’s 18th annual marathon, which featured over 670 improv shows on nine different stages, UCB founders and former Close students Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts announced that their documentary film Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon, which details their time working with Close and their attempts to honor his legacy, had been picked up by Seeso. Whether the film would ever see a wider release remained to be seen, until now.

Distribution company Gunpowder and Sky has announced that Thank You Del, which first premiered at SXSW in March, will be released across all major video-on-demand services. On Friday, December 9th, the doc will hit the libraries of platforms like iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Video, Vudu, Microsoft Movies & TV, and more.

The film centers around the 2015 Del Close Marathon, a two-and-a-half-day-long non-stop series of routines performed by both newbies and veterans alike. Sprinkled in between these in-theater shots are interviews with former students of Close, such as Bill Murray, Louis C.K., Tina Fey, Matt Walsh, Nick Kroll, Harold Ramis, Mike Birbiglia, Ian Roberts, Matt Besser and many more. The film is an eye-opening look at Close’s life and the respect that he garnered from so many; it is a testament to his brilliance that over 17 years after his death, scores of his students are still hitting it big in comedy, and better yet, are still paying such touching tribute to him.

Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon hits most major VOD services on Friday December 9th; if you can’t wait that long, the film is currently available to watch on Seeso.

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Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler

Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.