FOX Comedy Improv Show ‘Riot’ Premiers Tonight
Improv fans rejoice, tonight you have your own prime time network show. From executive producer Steve Carell comes NBC’s attempt to pair improvisational comedy with unintentional pratfalls on RIOT. Australian comedian Rove McManus hosts the Riot crew– seven improv comedians who will be working with celebrity guest stars to compete in song, dance, and sketch challenges. The twist is, that the set literally tilts- 22 degrees to be exact.
Confirmed guest stars include comedy veterans Carell, Jason Alexander, D.L. Hughley, Cheryl Hines, Tom Green, Chris Kattan, Mayim Bialik, David Arquette, Oscar Nunez, Andy Dick, Orlando Jones, Nicole Sullivan, Michael Ian Black, Will Sasso, Andy Buckley and Rob Delaney.
The first episode airs tonight, Tuesday, May 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
Here’s a quick look at the series regulars, the RIOT crew:
Host, Rove McManus started as a stand up comedian, hosted his own late night talk show in Australia and became Australia’s most popular and most successful talk show host. He still tours nationally.
John Ross Bowie, is a regular at both the New York and Los Angeles UCB Theaters, has played a recurring character on “Big Bang Theory”, and has a recurring role on Adult Swim’s “Children’s Hospital.” He’s also married to co-castmate Jamie Denbo.
Jamie Denbo, is a member of the the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater’s Los Angeles division, often performing with her comedy partner Jessica Chaffin and her husband co-castmate John Ross Bowie. Denbo also frequently appears in comedy segments on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”.
Brian Palermo has appeared many times on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, mostly in sketches within the show, and also ‘correspondent’ pieces. Palermo has also appeared as a recurring character on Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” and he’s a performer and teacher with the improvisational and sketch comedy group “The Groundlings.”
Jordan Black has written for “Saturday Night Live” and he’s also an alumnus of the Los Angeles based improv and sketch group, “The Groundlings”. He has also made cameos on the NBC television show “Community” as the dean of City Community College, Dean Spreck.
Jessica McKenna has studied sketch and improv at “UCB” and “The Groundlings.” Jessica is also an actor, director and teaching artist with “Story Pirates,” the award-winning children’s theatre company that takes stories written by kids and turns them into a show. Other television credits include “The Goldbergs”, “Comedy Bang! Bang!”, “The Jeselnik Offensive” and a new animation pilot for Fox.
Meryl Hathaway has appeared national commercials and videos for Funny or Die, College Humor and UCB Comedy. She is the star, director and editor of both her self produced web series, “Single Siblings” and she plays a fictionally obsessed sister to Minnie Driver in the Funny or Die six part series, “Winnie: A Sister’s Story”. She’s also a member of the Story Pirates, and has studied and performed at the UCB Theaters in both New York and Los Angeles.
Rob Gleeson has appeared on “How I Met Your Mother” and is a recurring character on Showtime’s “House of Lies.” He also regularly tours the country doing stand up and made his late night stand up debut on “Conan”, and has a podcast called ”Goof City”.
