The Official Unofficial Comedy Timeline of 2018
Comedy in 2018. A lot happened in comedy news in 2018- a lot of the news was bad with some hard hitting deaths, and some disturbing career deaths but as always there were also new accomplishments, firsts, and exciting rebirths. Once again, we put together a timeline to highlight the big news stories about those in the comedy world for the year. Here’s our tribute to 2018, a big year for comedy with tears, shouts, fights, and of course, laughs. Raise a glass, and get ready to see what 2018 brings.
Enjoy this silly (and yes often poorly aligned) graphic road trip through comedy in 2018.
Scroll down below the graphics for an even more comprehensive non-graphic listing of everything in comedy this year.
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JANUARY
January 2, 2018 – After being called a “cunt” on Twitter by a Texas man suffering from crippling back pain, Sarah Silverman reached out to him and instead of retaliating, she announced that she had helped him get medical treatment.
January 5, 2018 – Hilarious comedic actor Jerry Van Dyke who turned his stammering and banjo playing into comedy died at age 86. Jerry Van Dyke was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award four times for the role of Luther Van Dam on the hit series “Coach.”
January 5, 2018 – FX CEO John Landgraf announces that his network will keep producing Pamela Adlon’s series “Better Things”, but without producer Louis C.K. who had been accused of sexual misconduct by several women.
January 5, 2018 – Fortune Feimster announces on Instagram that she’s engaged to her girlfriend of 2 1/2 years, Jacquelyn Smith.
January 6, 2018 – Often-embattled broadcaster Anthony Cumia announces a $5000 bounty paid to anyone that can shut down the subreddit group Reddit’s r/opieandanthony.
January 7, 2018 – Seth Meyers hosts the 75th annual Golden Globes ceremony.
January 9, 2018 – The backlash against Louis C.K. continues after he was accused of sexual misconduct. TBS announces that the Louis C.K. animated series project “The Cops” co-starring the voice of Albert Brooks, has been scrapped.
January 10, 2018 – Jay Leno calls the late night television atmosphere “depressing” and blames all the negativity on President Trump.
January 10, 2018 – Decider.com reports that Netflix returned the Louis C.K. episode to the new season of Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” after originally omitting it from the season lineup.
January 12, 2018 – “Tom Segura: Disgraceful” premieres on Netflix. It’s Segura’s second special for the streaming giant and he becomes a recipient of “The Netflix Efffect,” seeing a rise in ticket sales after the debut of his first Netflix special, “Mostly Stories.”
January 12, 2018 – Almost immediately, Tom Segura starts getting complaints about his new special, “Disgraced” from Louisianians who are upset about Tom joking about meeting a hard-to-understand man in that region of the country.
January 12, 2018 – David Letterman returns with a new interview series on Netflix called, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman”. The first episode premiered featuring Dave’s first guest, former President Barack Obama.
January 12, 2018 – Actress Rebecca Hall announces on social media that she regrets working on Woody Allen’s film “A Rainy Day in New York” and will donate her salary to the Times Up initiative, in light of Allen being accused by adopted daughter Dylan Farrow accusing the director of molesting her.
January 13, 2018 – Netflix announces it’s cancelling the Maria Bamford series “Lady Dynamite” after two seasons.
January 14, 2018 – Babe.net publishes a graphic account from a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Aziz Ansari while on a date with the comedian.
January 16, 2018 – Katt Williams’ new special “Great America” drops on Netflix.
January 16, 2018 – Footage of Hannibal Buress’ confrontation with police during his arrest for disorderly intoxication a month earlier is released.
January 17, 2018 – Naked Cowgirl Sandy Kane sues broadcasting personality Anthony Cumia for $2 million after she claims a chair was pulled out from under her during an appearance on Compound Media.
January 18, 2018 – The Sundance Film Festival opens and features screenings of highly-anticipated comedy films including the doc “Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind”, the biopic telling the story of National Lampoon “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” and Bo Burnham’s directorial debut “Eighth Grade.”
January 21, 2018 – Comedian Steve Brown is attacked on stage by a heckler at the Comedy House in South Carolina.
January 23, 2018 – Jordan Peele’s filmmaking debut “Get Out” scores four Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Lead Actor and Best Director.
January 28, 2018 – Dave Chappelle wins the Grammy for Best Comedy Album for his dual recordings “The Age Of Spin” & “Deep In The Heart Of Texas.”
January 29, 2018 – Diane Keaton tweets out her support of frequent collaborator Woody Allen, defending him against allegations of molestation by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow.
January 30, 2018 – Showtimes cancels Andrew Dice Clay’s semi-autobiographical series, “Dice,” after a two-season run.
FEBRUARY
February 2, 2018 – The comedy storytelling series, “This Is Not Happening” returns to Comedy Central for a 4th season with new host Roy Wood Jr. replacing creator Ari Shaffir.
February 1, 2018 – Levity Entertainment Group acquires one of the biggest names in stand up comedy, “The Improv” and its assets.
February 4, 2018 – After his beloved Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 52, Kevin Hart drunkenly attempts to get on the stage with the team, owner, coaches and Lombardi Trophy, but is denied. Hart later appears intoxicated on the NFL Network where he drops an F-bomb.
February 4, 2018 – John Mahoney are star of stage and screen and best known as Martin Crane on “Frasier” died at age 77.
February 4, 2018 – Tiffany Haddish appears in commercial for Groupon during Super Bowl LII, launching a new ad campaign for the e-commerce marketplace featuring the comedian.
February 4, 2018 – Mucinex replaces T.J. Miller as the voice of its animated blob of mucus in its commercials. Speculation is that Miller was replaced due to allegations of sexual assault by a former girlfriend.
February 8, 2018 – Bonnie McFarlane performs stand up on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon to rave reviews.
February 8, 2018 – Jena Friedman makes her national late night television comedy debut with a set on Conan.
February 9, 2018 – 74 year old Chevy Chase is involved in a road rage fight in New Jersey.
February 10, 2018 – Comedy gossip is abuzz after TMZ reports on 45 year old Dane Cook seen kissing his 19 year old girlfriend in Hawaii.
February 12, 2018 – Comedian Marty Allen who was one half of the comedy team of Allen & Rossi with Steve Rossi, passed away. Marty Allen was a staple of Las Vegas and with his partner, appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 44 times.
February 13, 2018 – At a surprise ceremony, Amy Schumer marries celebrity chef Chris Fischer in Malibu, California.
February 14, 2018 – Colin Quinn suffers a heart attack. That day, he tweets, ““My heart broke on Valentines Day. Literally.”
February 15, 2018 – Jeffrey Tambor fired from the series “Transparent” by Amazon Studios following sexual harassment claims against the award winning actor.
February 16, 2018 – Jamie Foxx walks off SportsCenter on ESPN after he was asked about dating Katie Holmes.
February 18, 2018 – The new talk series “The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale” premieres on Netflix.
February 25, 2018 – Director Kevin Smith survives a massive heart attack he had while filming his special.
February 26, 2018 – “You Up with Nikki Glaser” premieres on Comedy Central Radio on SiriusXM.
February 28, 2018 – The comedy world loses a creative genius and we all lose a “fierce advocate” for child sexual abuse survivors when Barry Crimmins passes away at age 64.
MARCH
March 4, 2018 – At the 90th Academy Awards, Jordan Peele wins the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for his film, “Get Out.”
March 6, 2018 – Moroccan-born comedian Gad Elmaleh who comes to the States via France, debuts his special, “American Dream” on Netflix.
March 9, 2018 – The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon features the national television stand up debut of Kelsey Cook.
March 11, 2018 – In a rush to be first, Ari Shaffir tweets out the dates for the 2018 Skankfest, beating out festival producer Luis J. Gomez’s planned announcement for midnight.
March 12, 2018 – Saturday Night Live head writers Colin Jost & Michael Che sit down for an interview with Ron Bennington for the acclaimed series, “Unmasked.”
March 13, 2018 – “Ricky Gervais: Humanity” premieres on Netflix.
March 15, 2018 – Joyelle Nicole Johnson makes her national television stand up debut on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
March 16, 2018 – In an interview with the Daily Beast, James Adomian known for his political impressions including Bernie Sanders, Chris Matthews and Ted Cruz, calls on SNL to hire gay men.
March 16, 2018 – Jacqueline Novak makes her Tonight Show stand up debut.
March 17, 2018 – Jim Carrey takes heat for a portrait he puts on social media of Sarah Huckabee Sanders which he himself calls “Monstrous!”
March 20, 2018 – “The Standups: Season Two” premieres on Netflix with half-hours from Rachel Feinstein, Kyle Kinane, Joe List, Brent Morin, Aparna Nancherla, and Gina Yashere.
March 20, 2018 – Former “Daily Show” writer and executive producer Rory Albanese makes his stand up debut on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
March 22, 2018 – In a move to branch out from comedy, Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios buys The Weather Channel for $300 million.
March 22, 2018 – Colin Mochrie receives the first ever John Candy Award at the Crackup Comedy Gala in Ottawa.
March 23, 2018 – Joe List makes his Tonight Show debut.
March 25, 2018 – Bill Hader’s new dark comedy series “Barry” co-created with Alec Berg debuts on HBO.
March 26, 2018 – The definitive documentary on a comedy legend, “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling” directed by Judd Apatow premieres on HBO.
March 26, 2018 – In a GQ interview, Tiffany Haddish claims to have seen an actress bite singer Beyonce on the face, launching a social media quest to find out #WhoBitBeyonce.
March 27, 2018 – “Roseanne”, the series revival starring Roseanne Barr, returns to television shattering the ratings with 18 million viewers for its premiere night.
April 1, 2018 – April Fools! A Reddit AMA claiming to be conducted by director Wes Anderson turns out to be a fake “Ask Me Anything.”
April 1, 2018 – Kids in the Hall alumnus Scott Thompson begins touring as his character gay socialite Buddy Cole. His “Après Le Déluge: The Buddy Cole Monologues” tour begins at Joe’s Pub in NYC.
April 2, 2018 – Dave Chappelle sued by a heckler who threw a banana peel at the comedian during a performance in 2015. The audience member claims he was struck by Chappelle’s security.
April 2, 2018 – Tracy Morgan returns for new episode of Ron Bennington’s “Unmasked”, the SiriusXM series Morgan appeared on just two months before his near fatal car accident.
April 3, 2018 – Tracy Morgan’s new comedy series “The Last O.G.” premieres on TBS.
April 3, 2018 – Kathy Griffin appears as White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Anthony Atamanuik’s hour-long, “Make America Great-A-Thon: A President Show Special” on Comedy Central.
April 5, 2018 – Nate Bargatze returns to the “Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” and crushes it with his set.
April 6, 2018 – 150 of the country’s top comedy writers including John Oliver, Chris Gethard, Anthony Devito, Dan St. Germaine, and Greg Stone signed a solidarity statement supporting the writing staff of “The Onion” and their decision to join the Writers Guild of America.
April 6, 2018 – Producer Bill Weiner announces plans to turn the coming-of-age dramedy “Empire Records” into a Broadway musical.
April 8, 2018 – An episode of “The Simpsons” answers back to the complaints about the Kwik-E-Mart character Apu brought up in the Hari Kondabolu documentary, “The Problem With Apu.”
April 8, 2018 – Jim Gaffigan defends his pal, celebrity chef Mario Batali, who was accused of sexual misconduct, in the New York Daily News claiming, “he’s got a really good soul.”
April 10, 2018 – T.J. Miller is arrested by the FBI for “intentionally conveying to law enforcement false information” when he reported that a woman on an Amtrak train had a bomb in her bag.
April 11, 2018 – Mitzi Shore, iconic owner of The Comedy Store and who launched the careers of some of the biggest names in comedy, passes away at age 87.
April 12, 2018 – Comedy Central announces that Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer’s hit series, “Broad City”, will come to end after its 5th season in 2019.
April 12, 2018 – Page Six reports that Amy Schumer has parted ways with her manager who happened to use date Schumer’s husband.
April 13, 2018 – Louie Anderson returns for a follow-up episode on the SiriusXM long-form interview show, “Unmasked with Ron Bennington.”
April 13, 2018 – Mike Vecchione is welcomed back to the Tonight Show to perform a year after he first killed it on Jimmy Fallon’s stage.
April 13, 2018 – The day before kicking off her national tour, Maria Bamford files for a restraining order against President Donald Trump.
April 17, 2018 – Fired SiriusXM host Gregg “Opie” Hughes returns to broadcasting with the debut of “The Opie Radio Podcast” in a deal with Westwood One.
April 17, 2018 – A first-of-its-kind comedy hour, “The Honeymoon Stand Up Special” starring Natasha Leggero and Moshe Kasher, featuring a husband and wife each doing a set then coming together for third part premieres on Netflix.
April 17, 2018 – Right Wing leaning Dennis Miller joins the staff of conservative news site Breitbart.
April 18, 2018 – The Gilda Radner documentary “Love, Gilda” directed by Lisa D’Apolito premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
April 19, 2018 – The 9th annual Women In Comedy Fest kicks off in Boston featuring Wanda Sykes, Tig Notaro and Gina Yashere
April 20, 2018 – The long awaited sequel from the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, “Super Troopers 2” opens nationwide after stars of the film were able to crowd-source funding for production of the film.
April 21, 2018 – The World Champion Judah Friedlander holds a press conference moderated by Ron Bennington at the Moontower Comedy Festival to announce his 2020 plans to run for President of the United States.
April 22, 2018 – Sebastian Maniscalco breaks a Radio City Music Hall record for the highest grossing comedy weekend in the famed venue’s 85-plus year history.
April 23, 2018 – TBS announces that its comedies, “The Last O.G.” starring Tracy Morgan and “Search Party” will be getting new seasons.
April 24, 2018 – Nick DiPaolo confirms that he was fired by SiriusXM for what he called “a poorly worded tweet.”
April 26, 2018 – Comedy legend Bill Cosby is found guilty on three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault stemming from an attack on a woman in Philadelphia home 14 years ago.
April 26, 2018 – In a response to President Trump’s boycott of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Comedy Central re-airs “The Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump” taped back in 2011.
April 27, 2018 – Saturday Night Live writer and comedian Julio Torres, a Jimmy Fallon favorite, performs stand up on the Tonight Show.
April 29, 2018 – Michelle Wolf hosts the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and is met with immediate criticism by the right over her jokes about White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
May 1, 2018 – Following his conviction of aggravated sexual assault, Bill Cosby is thrown out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
May 3, 2018 – In a major change to the late night landscape, Conan O’Brien announces that his show will close down to retool until it returns in January, 2019 with a new half-hour format.
May 3, 2018 – Camille Cosby releases a statement describing Bill Cosby’s conviction as “mob justice” and calling for an investigation into the Montgomery County District Attorney who brought the charges.
May 6, 2018 – Season 2 of “I’m Dying Up Here” premieres on Showtime.
May 7, 2018 – The losses continue to pile up for Bill Cosby after his sexual assault conviction. The Kennedy Center votes to rescind Cosby’s Mark Twain award, the highest honor for comedy in the U.S.
May 8, 2018 – Andrew Dice Clay calls into SiriusXM’s “Bonfire” and announces a future collaboration with Big Jay Oakerson, calling it the “Suck My Dick, Fingerless Gloves Tour.”
May 8, 2018 – Social media outrage erupts at Amy Schumer after she bumps Brendan Sagalow from the stage at Carolines while he was performing his hour as part of the club’s “Breakout Artist Series.”
May 8, 2018 – LA comedian Heather Pasternak makes her network television debut on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
May 8, 2018 – An announcement confirms that Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves will return as iconic characters “Bill & Ted” for a new sequel 27 years after their last film together.
May 9, 2018 – Fired SiriusXM host Gregg “Opie” Hughes returns to broadcasting with the debut of “The Opie Radio Podcast” in a deal with Westwood One.
May 10, 2018 – Fox cancels three comedies, giving the ax to “The Mick”, “Last Man on Earth” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” starring Andy Samberg which would get picked up by NBC.
May 10, 2018 – In an unprecedented move, Adult Swim gives the animated comedy “Rick & Morty” a 70 episode renewal.
May 12, 2018 – ABC cancels the comedies ” “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” starring Jason Ritter and “The Mayor” starring Brandon Micheal Hall and Yvette Nicole Brown.
May 13, 2018 – Two years after becoming the first comedian to film a special while in her third trimester, Ali Wong releases her new special, “Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife” where she also performs while very pregnant.
May 14, 2018 – “This Is America”, the new single from Donald Glover’s alter-ego Childish Gambino hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
May 14, 2018 – “The AA Show” on Compound Media is over less than a year after it started when Artie Lange leaves the show and co-host Anthony Cumia.
May 17, 2018 – Erik Bergstrom makes his national television stand up comedy debut on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
May 18, 2018 – For the third time in a year, Pete Lee performs stand up on the “Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.” And kills for the third time as well.
May 19, 2018 – Vulture Festival opens in NYC. Highlights include an interview with Tracy Morgan and the “Las Culturistas Live” podcast taping.
May 19, 2018 – Tina Fey hosts the season finale of Saturday Night Live, bringing SNL – Season 43 to a close.
May 25, 2018 – After first declaring her career over because of her severed Trump head joke, Kathy Griffin declares herself the “Mayor of Zero Fucksville” and kicks off her “Laugh Your Head Off Tour” in Toronto.
May 22, 2018 – Filmed at the historic Heights Theater in Houston, “Tig Notaro “Happy To Be Here” premieres on Netflix.
May 23, 2018 – For the first time since 1993, David Letterman returns as a guest to “Late Night” the show he created on NBC, now hosted by Seth Meyers. Letterman insists Meyers change the name of the show to “The Tomorrow Show.”
May 24, 2018 – The always innovative Reggie Watts broadcasts the world’s first live streamed, fully improvised thirty-minute sitcom with an episode of “Crowe’s Nest” on YouTube.
May 25, 2018 – Netflix debuts a special from two comedy legends with the premiere of “Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life.”
May 25, 2018 – The 2018 Boston Calling Music Festival opens featuring comedy from Cameron Esposito, Jo Firestone and Bridget Everett.
May 27, 2018 – “The Break with Michelle Wolf” debuts on Netflix.
May 29, 2019 – Hours after she tweeted a racist comment about former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, Roseanne Barr is fired by ABC and her sitcom “Roseanne” which returned with a ratings bonanza, is cancelled.
May 29, 2018 – The last episode of “The Chris Gethard Show” airs on truTV. In August, Gethard would announce that his show has been officially cancelled.
May 29, 2018 – Jim Carrey tweets artwork attacking the NFL for its relationship with President Trump calling him “a draft-dodging racist.”
May 29, 2018 – “Arrested Development” returns or a 5th season on Netflix.
May 31, 2018 – Samantha Bee apologizes for calling Ivanka Trump “a feckless cunt.” Bee made the comment regarding Ivanka’s lack of effort to stop the Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant children from their parents.
June 1, 2018 – Artie Lange is sentenced to 4 years probation after pleading guilty to charges following his May 2017 arrest for possession of 81 decks of heroin.
June 1, 2018 – Comedy Central’s second annual Colossal Clusterfest opens in San Francisco.
June 1, 2018 – “Stupid Questions with Chris Distefano” premieres on Comedy Central.
June 2, 2018 – In an “Odd Couple” tour, broadcaster Larry King and comedian Dennis Miller kick off their “The King and The Jester Tour” in Phoenix.
June 3, 2018 – Jimmy Fallon delivers the commencement address at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of one of the nation’s worst school shootings on February 14th which claimed 17 lives and wounded 16 others.
June 4, 2018 – TMZ reveals that Katt Williams is under federal investigation by IRS.
June 7, 2018 – In an odd move, TBS cancels “People of Earth” starring Wyatt Cenac after already renewing the comedy series for a 3rd season.
June 8, 2018 – David Spade returns to stand up stage 3 days after his sister-in-law famed designer Kate Spade committed suicide. Spade told the audience at the Brea Improv in California, “Thank you for coming, it was a rough week.”
June 8, 2018 – Comedy Central premieres its latest comedy special, “Julian McCullough: Maybe I’m a Man.”
June 10, 2018 – TMZ reports that Queen of Mean Lisa Lampanelli had a thermonuclear meltdown while going after a heckler at her show at the San Jose City National Civic Center.
June 11, 2018 – It’s official! After weeks of dating gossip, Pete Davidson is engaged to Ariana Grande after proposing with a $93,000 ring.
June 11, 2018 – In a huge double-bill, Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart kick off their tour together in Boston at the Wang Theatre.
June 11, 2018 – The Stand New York closes its doors at its 3rd Avenue location and goes out with a bang with over 40 comics performing including Bonnie McFarlane, Judah Friedlander, Mark Normand, Ron Bennington, Tim Dillon and Dave Attell.
June 11, 2018 – Cameron Esposito releases her special, “Rape Jokes” at Vulture.com with a pay what you feel price.
June 12, 2018 – The George Carlin Commemorative Collection box set goes on sale featuring more than five hours of previously unreleased bonus material.
June 13, 2018 – The Hollywood Reporter puts out its first-ever Comedy Power List which included Comedy Central President Kent Alterman, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell & Adam McKay and showrunner Chuck Lorre.
June 14, 2018 – In his biggest get since President Barack Obama, Zach Galifianakis interviews Jerry Seinfeld on Funny or Die’s “Between Two Ferns.”
June 14, 2018 – After being found guilty of aggravated sexual assault, Bill Cosby fires his entire legal team and Cos’ reps deny rumors the comedy legend is divorcing his wife Camille.
June 15, 2018 – In a lengthy declaration, Chris Hardwick’s former girlfriend Chloe Dykstra accuses him of alleged sexual assault and long term abuse without mentioning him by name.
June 15, 2018 – Nikki Glaser continues to enjoy a great summer with her third performance on the “Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.”
June 17, 2018 – Called the Comedy Event of 2017, “The Rich Vos Roast” is released through Vimeo On Demand.
June 17, 2018 – Nick DiPaolo is punched in the face by a woman after his show at Levity Live in West Nyack.
June 18, 2018 – Tiffany Haddish hosts the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards.
June 19, 2018 – Some of the biggest names in comedy, Judd Apatow, Seth MacFarlane, Steve Levitan and Paul Feig continue to pressure Fox News to give up its Trump-favoring news coverage.
June 20, 2018 – Netflix debuts the most talked-about comedy special of the year, “Hannah Gadsby: Nanette”. The Australian comic includes her own story of rape in the special which immediately gains critical acclaim.
June 21, 2018 – Not to be outdone by Pete Davidson, Colin Quinn announces his engagement on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
June 21, 2018 – Amy Schumer launches her podcast, “Three Girls, 1 Keith” with co-hosts Keith Robinson, Rachel Feinstein and Bridget Everett.
June 22, 2018 – The Los Angeles Times predicts 2018 will have the first Summer box office without a traditional comedy earning $100 million. The LA Times was right.
June 22, 2018 – In the most ironic firing of 2018, Netflix’s head of PR Jonathan Friedland is let go for using the n-word while in a discussion about offensive comedy.
June 22, 2018 – ABC confirms that the network is moving forward with a spin-off of “Roseanne” called “The Connors” and speculation begins that Roseanne Barr’s title character will be killed off.
June 22, 2018 – Seth Rogen tells Stephen Colbert that he was conflicted, but morally had to rebuke Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s request for a photo in front of Ryan’s sons at speaking engagement in Utah.
June 24, 2018 – Suspicions arise when it’s pointed out on Twitter that Donald Glover’s aka Childish Gambino’s #1 song, “This Is America” sounds very similar to Jase Harley’s “American Pharaoh.”
June 24, 2018 – President Trumps tweets to Jimmy Fallon, telling him to “be a man” following an interview where Fallon said he was stressed by the negative reaction of messing up Trump’s hair on the Tonight Show during the 2016 campaign.
June 25, 2018 – Trump continues his anti-late night tirade in a speech in South Carolina where he trashes Jimmy Fallon again along with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.
June 26, 2018 – After being verbally attack by President Trump, late show hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien all appear in an unprecedented show opener together that aired on the “Tonight Show” and “Late Show.”
June 26, 2018 – Comedians including Kathy Griffin, Samantha Bee, Michelle Wolf and Bill Maher are considered the enemy in a new ad from the Republican National Committee.
June 26, 2018 – Sean Donnelly ads to his late night credits when he performs a stand up set on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
June 28, 2018 – Comedy Central cancels and airs the last episode of “The Opposition with Jordan Klepper.”
June 28, 2018 – A first of its kind series is greenlit by Comedy Central. It stars “Daily Show” correspondent Ronny Chieng and will only be available on the CC app.
June 29, 2018 – Taylor Tomlinson, best known from “Last Comic Standing”, makes her “Tonight Show” stand up debut.
July 2, 2018 – TMZ reports that Andy Dick has been hit with misdemeanor sexual battery charges for allegedly groping a woman on the streets of L.A.
July 3, 2018 – Netflix premieres Part 1 of their stand up series “The Comedy Lineup” featuring 8 comedians including Tim Dillon, Michelle Buteau and Ian Karmel, doing 15 minute sets.
July 3, 2018 – Ahead of its August opening, the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY announces the inclusion of a Lenny Bruce Exhibit and Memorial Foundation.
July 4, 2018 – D.J. Mausner turns down a paid comedy special at Just For Laughs because she’s boycotting the 2018 festival to denounce JFL founder Gilbert Rozon who’s been accused of sexual assault.
July 7, 2018 – HBO goes live with a comedy special from the host of “Real Time” with the hour long “Bill Maher: Live from Tulsa, Oklahoma.”
July 11, 2018 – The obstacle course game show “TKO: Total Knock Out” hosted by Kevin Hart premieres on CBS.
July 11, 2018 – Just for Laughs, the largest comedy festival of the year, kicks off over two week of comedy shows, panels, showcases and podcasts in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
July 12, 2018 – The nominations were announced for the 70th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Leading the way in comedy, “Atlanta” earned 16 nominations, Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” received 14 and “Barry” on HBO brought in 13 nominations.
July 12, 2018 – The “Impractical Jokers: Homecoming” exhibit opens at the Staten Island Museum in New York.
July 14, 2018 – Skankfest 2018 kicks off in NYC featuring over 100 comedians and a comedy podcast basketball tournament.
July 15, 2018 – Sacha Baron Cohen returns to television with the political comedy prank series, “Who Is America?” on Showtime. Sarah Palin was already complaining about being punked by Cohen before the first episode even airs.
July 16, 2018 – The documentary, “Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind” premieres on HBO.
July 16, 2018 – Forbes releases its list of the World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities. Jerry Seinfeld is the highest paid comedian on the list at #38, earning $57.5 million followed directly by Kevin Hart at #39.
July 16, 2018 – Daily Beast writer Libby Torres accuses Kurt Metzger of being “pro rape.” An outraged comedy community comes to Kurt’s defense.
July 16, 2018 – Mark Normand who’s become a late night stand up favorite, returns to the “Tonight Show” for another stellar set.
July 16, 2018 – With the help of NY Senator Chuck Schumer, Dan Aykroyd was able to get his prized Harley Davidson from Canada to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY to go on permanent display.
July 17, 2018 – Changing the way releases are normally done, Jim Gaffigan releases his sixth special, “Noble Ape” on multiple platforms on both streaming and traditional media including movie theaters, all at once.
July 17, 2018 – Nimesh Patel, a writer for SNL and the Oscars, makes his national television stand up debut on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
July 18, 2018 – Bobcat Goldthwait sits down with SiriusXM’s Ron Bennington to tape his second appearance on the satellite radio service’s premiere interview show, “Unmasked.”
July 18, 2018 – At 88 years old, Bob Newhart releases an Audible Original called “HI BOB!” where the comedy legend has one-on-one conversations with guests including Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Kimmel, Judd Apatow, and Conan O’Brien.
July 20, 2018 – Big Jay Oakerson releases his album, “The Crowd Work Sessions: I Promised Myself I Wouldn’t Ask” recorded last fall at the Village Underground.
July 21, 2018 – Texas Senator Ted Cruz suggest that James Gunn be prosecuted for tweets from several years ago where the “Guardians of the Galaxy” director made jokes about child molestation, not realizing that bad jokes aren’t illegal.
July 22, 2018 – After “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn was fired from the franchise by Disney, friend and fellow director Bobcat Goldthwait suggest Disney fire him as well, and remove his voice from an upcoming Disney park attraction.
July 24, 2018 – Comedy writer and producer Dan Harmon deletes his entire Twitter account after a 2009 parody video in which the “Rick & Morty” creator plays a child molester and baby rapist was unearthed.
July 27, 2018 – Howie Mandel who recently bought the Just for Laughs festival, tells Ron Bennington about his plans to make JFL a household name worldwide during an interview on SiriusXM’s “Unmasked.”
July 27, 2018 – Super showrunner Kenya Barris (Black-ish, America’s Next Top Model) exits ABC and eyes a suspected 9-figure deal at Netflix.
July 27, 2018 – Andy Kindler delivers his annual State of Comedy address at the JFL festival in Montreal going after targets including Chris Hardwick, Louis C.K., Netflix, Jeremy Piven, Ricky Gervais and Trump in what’s been called his best address ever.
July 27, 2018 – Kevin Hart does a surprise drop-in during Big Jay Oakerson’s “What’s Your Fucking Deal” show in Montreal at JFL.
July 27, 20 18 – In a highly talked-about moment at JFL, YouTube hack Darren Knight aka Southern Momma, was embarrassingly booed off stage at the Variety’s Top 10 Comics to watch showcase. Backstage, Knight was taken to task about his unprepared set by Chris Redd.
July 29, 2018 – The Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis premieres featuring roasters Nikki Glaser, Lil Rel Howery, Dom Irrera, Kevin Pollak, Edward Norton, Cybil Shepherd, host Joseph Gordon-Levitt and surprise guest, Willis’ ex-wife Demi Moore.
July 30, 2018 – Netflix says Aziz Ansari is welcomed back at the mega streamer for another season of “Master of None” following allegations that he sexually assaulted a date who published alleged details of her ordeal online.
July 31, 2018 – “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Presents: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library”, a book based on the Comedy Central series’ pop-up exhibition featuring the President’s best tweets goes on sale.
August 1, 2018 – The National Comedy Center has its grand opening in Jamestown, NY as part of the the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
August 2, 2018 – Kate Hannigan has her national television stand up debut on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
August 3, 2018 – Seth Rogen offers an apology after taking heat for a child stand-in being put in blackface on the set of the movie he’s producing, “Good Boys.”
August 3, 2018 – FX announces that Chris Rock will star in season 4 of its crime drama, “Fargo”, due out in 2019.
August 4, 2018 – Saturday Night Live Originals Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman and Alan Zweibel christen the brand new National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY with a conversation moderated by Ron Bennington about the early years of SNL.
August 7, 2018 – Michael Palascak, a regular on the late night circuit, performs stand up on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
August 8, 2018 – Seth Rogen and creative partner Evan Goldberg announce they’re in talks to bring back the 90’s hit, “American Gladiators.”
August 12, 2018 – Chris Hardwick returns from his suspension to “Talking Dead” on AMC and cries while thanking the “Walking Dead” community for their support after his ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault and abuse without actually naming him.
August 15, 2018 – Saturday Night Live featured player Luke Null is fired from the NBC comedy variety series after just one season.
August 15, 2018 – Stand up Dusty Slay goes from Nashville to New York City to make his debut on the “Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.”
August 15, 2018 – Bill Cosby’s legal team tries to block his judge from declaring him “a sexually violent predator” because it could hurt his reputation as a performer.
August 17, 2018 – Netflix cancels “The Break with Michelle Wolf,” and “The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale.”
August 17, 2018 – Married comedians Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitzky get a pilot commitment from CBS for their sitcom, “The Little Things” which focuses on the comedy of parenting dilemmas.
August 18, 2018 – David Cross refuses to apologize for promoting a gig at University of Utah by tweeting out a photo mocking Mormon undergarments. Students were demanding the school cancel his performance.
August 20, 2018 – Jon Stewart becomes a goat herding hero when he helps the Farm Sanctuary rescue group save a pair of young goats who were wandering around the subway system in Brooklyn.
August 20, 2018 – Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish verbally roast everyone from President Trump to DJ Khaled to the “Jersey Shore” to Lil Pump and Lil Xan at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City.
August 20, 2018 – Emily Blotnik performs stand up on Conan with a set that included the phrase “eat all of our pussies”.
August 21, 2018 – Comedian Andy Gross apologizes for bringing a Purdue freshman woman to tears after bringing her on stage and making her uncomfortable with his suggestive act. Students started a #AndyGrossIsGross campaign to keep Gross off the “Tonight Show.”
August 21, 2018 – Tiffany Haddish inks a deal with the mighty Netflix for a 2019 special.
August 22, 2018 – Marina Franklin returns to Conan and performs a fantastic set.
August 23, 2018 – The Garry Shandling estate launches GarryShandling.com, an online archive of the late comedian’s writings, journals and videos.
August 24, 2018 – Bert Kreischer’s first Netflix special “Bert Kreischer: Secret Time” premieres on the streaming service.
August 24, 2018 – Mike Vecchione’s newest comedy album, “The Worst kind of Thoughtful” is released.
August 26, 2018 – Tony award winning playwright Neil Simon whose comedies, “The Odd Couple” and ″Barefoot in the Park,” and his “Brighton Beach” trilogy which dominated Broadway died at age 91.
August 27, 2018 – Dean Delray makes his national television stand up comedy debut on “Conan.”
August 27, 2018 – Eddie Murphy’s rep announces the comedian is expecting his 10th child.
August 28, 2018 – Louis C.K. performs an unannounced set at the famed Comedy Cellar and social media explodes in outrage.
August 30, 2018 – Jim Gaffigan announces he had to have an emergency appendectomy while in Alaska to perform.
August 31, 2018 – The New York Post reports on a feud between the owners of the iconic Comic Strip comedy club which has landed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
August 31, 2018 – Dave Chappelle is spotted at the Capitol rotunda paying his respects to Senator John McCain’s casket.
September 3, 2018 – Kevin Hart upsets British fans at his Manchester Arena and O2 shows with his strict enforcement of his “zero tolerance” policy regarding audience members using their phones.
September 5, 2016 – Expressing himself through his artwork, Jim Carrey tweets out a painting celebrating black athletes including a kneeling Colin Kaepernick.
September 5, 2018 – Wanda Sykes announces she’s reached a deal with Netflix for a new 2019 comedy special.
September 7, 2018 – At the Paley Fall TV Preview, Sarah Silverman says Louis C.K. contacted her to discuss a monologue she did on her Hulu show “I Love You America” where she addressed sexual misconduct.
September 7, 2018 – Joe Rogan shares a joint with his guest Elon Musk on his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Stock in Musk’s Tesla company has a severe drop that same day.
September 7, 2018 – Paul McCartney plays a secret concert at Grand Central Station and the private guest list includes Amy Schumer, Jimmy Fallon and Chris Rock.
September 8, 2018 – Tiffany Haddish, Katt Williams and “Rick & Morty” win Creative Arts Emmy Awards in a ceremony prior to the Primetime Emmys.
September 9, 2018 – Jim Carrey returns to television with his dark comedy “Kidding” on Showtime where he a plays a children’s TV host working his way through a family tragedy.
September 9, 2018 – At a party he hosted at the Toronto International Film Festival, Dave Chappelle tells Bradley Cooper that “A Star is Born” is the first time he’s seen himself in a “good-ass” movie.
September 9, 2018 – The Netflix execs in charge of comedy specials, Lisa Nishimura and Robbie Praw refuse to answer a question from the New York Times on whether Louis C.K. would be welcomed back to the company to do a special.
September 9, 2018 – On Day 2 of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Dave Chappelle and Kamau Bell win trophies along with Judd Apatow for “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling” on HBO.
September 10, 2018 – Sam Morril performs stand up on the “Tonight Show” to promote his new Comedy Central special, ” Amy Schumer Presents Sam Morril: Positive Influence.”
September 10, 2018 – Andrew Dice Clay debuts his new podcast, “Andrew Dice Clay: I’m Ova Hea’ Now” on GaS Digital Networks.
September 11, 2018 – “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” cancels an appearance by Norm Macdonald because of his previous comments that the #MeToo movement had gotten out of control. Norm was already in hair & makeup when he was told he was cut.
September 11, 2018 – The Boston Comedy Festival opens. Gary Gulman is named the festival’s “Comedian of the Year.”
September 11, 2018 – Saturday Night Live announces that Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Kent Sublette will all return to their prior co-head writer positions.
September 11, 2018 – Amy Schumer switches her support from Cynthia Nixon to incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York Governor’s race.
September 12, 2018 – One day after drawing the ire of the Internet with his comments on Louis C.K., Norm Macdonald sits down with Ron Bennington on “Unmasked” and says he’s surprised that other comics have criticized Louis for returning to the stage.
September 12, 2018 – ABC confirms that Nikki Glaser will be a contestant on season 27 of “Dancing with the Stars.”
September 14, 2018 – New interview series, “Norm Macdonald Has a Show” premieres on Netflix.
September 14, 2018 – “Amy Schumer Presents Sam Morril: Positive Influence” premieres on Comedy Central.
September 15, 2018 – The husband of Atlanta radio host Wanda Smith allegedly pulls on gun on Katt Williams.
September 16, 2018 – For the first time ever, Soon-Yi Previn, wife of Woody Allen and adopted daughter of Mia Farrow, speaks out in an interview with Vulture.com.
September 16, 2018 – Brian Regan achieves a touring comedian milestone- one million air miles on Delta.
September 16, 2018 – Tom Arnold ends up in a scuffle at a pre-Emmy party with showrunner Mark Burnett and his wife Roma Downey. There’s heat between Arnold and the Burnetts over the possible existence of “Apprentice” outtakes showing President Trump using racial slurs.
September 16, 2018 – Celebrity couple Pete Davidson & Ariana Grande have social media saying “aww” when they announce they’ve adopted a micro-pig.
September 17, 2018 – “Saturday Night Live” head writers and Weekend Update anchor team Colin Jost & Michael Che host the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards.
September 17, 2018 – The big comedy winners at the Primetime Emmy Awards include Henry Winkler, Bill Hader, Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein and their shows HBO’s “Barry” and Amazon Prime’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” respectively.
September 17, 2018 – Jim Breuer sits down for an interview with SiriusXM’s top interviewer Ron Bennington for a brutally honest conversation at the Fat Black Pussycat in NYC.
September 17, 2018 – Twitter lights up with delight from fans thrilled to see 92 year old comedic actor Dick Van Dyke dance on a desk in the first trailer for Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns.”
September 17, 2018 – The hosts of an open mic show at Lion’s Lair in Denver, spotted T.J. Miller in the club and instead of telling him he wasn’t welcome to perform in light of allegations that he sexually & physically abused an ex-girlfriend, the comics shame T.J. with jokes from the stage until he leaves.
September 19, 2018 – In a Washington Post profile, Chevy Chase’s criticism that SNL is no longer funny goes viral including Chase’s attacks on cast members, Lorne Michaels and the audience which he calls “shitheads.”
September 19, 2018 – Amy Schumer says on social media that men should no longer joke about their ignorance when it comes to women.
September 19, 2018 – Chelsea Handler tells HuffPo that Louis C.K. “can’t just come back and act like nothing happened.”
September 21, 2018 – “Love, Gilda”, the doc about the most beloved member of SNL’s original cast opens in theaters.
September 21, 2018 – Tickets go on sale for Sebastian Maniscalco at the most elite venue a comedian can play, Madison Square Garden. After tickets go on sale, Maniscalco has to add extra shows at the Garden.
September 21, 2018 – Leslie Jones jumps into the Kevin Hart – Katt Williams feud after both claimed to be behind her success. Leslie told Bossip.com, that both comics “need to keep my name out they mouth unless they using it to eat my p***y.”
September 21, 2018 – Saturday Night Live hires UCB alum Ego Nwodim as a featured player and adds Alan Linic, Alison Gates, Eli Mandel and Bowen Yang to the SNL writing staff.
September 21, 2018 – When asked by TMZ about the future of comedy, Howie Mandel didn’t have a happy answer, saying comedy’s “not fun anymore.”
September 22, 2018 – Former SNL cast member who parted ways with the show, Taran Killam, says he agrees with some of Chevy Chase’s harsh criticism of “Saturday Night Live.”
September 22, 2018 – H. Jon Benjamin from “Bob’s Burgers” apologizes for a “Me So Horny” joke on Twitter which caused a firestorm.
September 23, 2018 – Page Six reveals that a man is suing Jim Gaffigan, claiming he was severely injured by a soccer ball kicked by Gaffigan’s daughter on the set of a Chrysler car commercial in 2016.
September 24, 2018 – The 9th annual Hoboken Comedy Festival opens and stars T.J. Miller, Wil Sylvince, Corinne Fisher, Rich Vos, and Tim Dillon this year.
September 24, 2018 – Netflix co-founder, Chairman and CEO Reed Hastings makes a bold move and defends Tom Segura’s use of the word “retarded” in his special “Disgraceful.”
September 24, 2018 – Pete Davidson defends SNL against Chevy Chase’s criticism of the show by saying “Fuck Chevy Chase … He’s just a genuinely bad, racist person and I don’t like him. He’s a putz.”
September 24, 2018 – Comedy Central announces that Bill Burr will host an original stand up series, spotlighting short sets from Burr’s favorite comics.
September 25, 2018 – Bill Cosby is sentenced to three to ten years in prison for his conviction of aggravated sexual assault.
September 25, 2018 – Nikki Glaser is the first celebrity sent home on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
September 26, 2018 – A source at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections says the inmates are excited that Bill Cosby will be joining them in prison and they’ve already given him the nickname “O.G.”
September 27, 2018 – The sitcom “Murphy Brown” starring the Emmy Award winner Candice Bergen returns to television on CBS, 10 years after the series signed off the network.
September 28, 2018 – After 2 seasons, Showtime cancels its drama set in the Los Angeles comedy scene of the 70’s, “I’m Dying Up Here.”
September 28, 2108 – “Night School” starring Kevin Hart & Tiffany Haddish is released and goes on to become the highest grossing traditional comedy of 2018.
September 29, 2018 – “Saturday Night Live” returns for its 44th season with Adam Driver hosting the premiere plus musical guest Kanye West who would go off on a pro-Trump rant as the show goes off the air.
September 30, 2018 – “The Simpsons” celebrates its 30th season premiere. It’s a season that will include the guest voices of Dave Attell, Pete Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Scott Thompson and Billy Eichner.
October 2, 2018 – HBO picks up Danny McBride’s latest comedy series, “The Righteous Gemstones”, about a greedy televangelist family co-starring John Goodman.
October 3, 2018 – Jimmy Kimmel announces plans to work with Caesars to open Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club in the late night host’s hometown of Las Vegas. The grand opening is planned for next spring.
October 3, 2018 – The Laugh Exchange app launches. From former Comedy Central GM David Bernath, the app lets users rank comedian’s performances with a chance to win prize money.
October 4, 2018 – Amy Schumer is detained by police in Washington D.C. at a protest against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
October 5, 2018 – Season 2 of Nick Kroll’s entertaining and inappropriate prepubescent to pubescent animated series, “Big Mouth” premieres on Netflix.
October 5, 2018 – The New EPIX series from producers Wanda Sykes & Paige Hurwit, “Unprotected Sets” featuring some of the country’s hottest young comedy talent premieres.
October 5, 2018 – “A Night with Ricky Gervais” airs on SiriusXM in which Gervais explains to interviewer Ron Bennington, that he doesn’t care if people are offended by his jokes and that he doesn’t “worry about backlash.”
October 6, 2018 – “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” writer Ariel Dumas puts out a vicious tweet regarding the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. She takes heat for the tweet, apologizes, then of course, takes heat for the apology.
October 10, 2018 – Showtime announces the dark comedy, “Kidding,” from Jim Carrey will get a 2nd season.
October 10, 2018 – TBS picks up the comedy game show “Misery Index” starring The Tenderloins from “Impractical Jokers.”
October 11, 2018 – Dave Chappelle is awarded Harvard Honors by the university for contributions to black history.
October 12, 2018 – Senator Lindsey Graham responds to a tweet from Chelsea Handler on National Coming Out Day by saying “I’m not gay.”
October 13, 2018 – Dave Chappelle tells CNN’s Van Jones that he regrets the comments he made on SNL right after the 2016 election giving Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt. He now calls the President’s rhetoric “repugnant.”
October 14, 2018 – Pete Davidson & Ariana Grande end their engagement, shocking no one.
October 14, 2018 – George Lopez gets into an altercation at a New Mexico Hooters after being goaded into a fight by a Trump supporter.
October 14, 2018 – HBO’s new outdoorsy comedy “Camping” starring Jennifer Garner and Juliette Lewis with Bridget Everett premieres.
October 15, 2018 – A week long tribute to Robin Williams on SiriusXM kicks off with the exclusive audio documentary “Robin Williams: A Life in Comedy” hosted by SiriusXM’s Ron Bennington.
October 15, 2018 – Amy Schumer causes a social media stir again by saying she feels sorry for hot women on Dax Shepard’s podcast “Armchair Expert.”
October 16, 2018 – “The Connors”, the Roseanne-less version of “Roseanne” premieres on ABC. The Roseanne Connor character is killed off via an opioid overdose.
October 16, 2018 – “Ron White: If You Quit Listening, I’ll Shut Up.”, the comedian’s first Netflix special premieres on the streaming giant.
October 16, 2018 – Aziz Ansari begins his comeback from sexual assault allegations with 2 sold out pop up shows at Zanies in Chicago.
October 16, 2018 – Chris Gethard releases his book, “Lose Well,” a self-help book for anyone who ever felt like they can’t catch a break.
October 19, 2018 – Amy Schumer turns down an offer to do a Super Bowl ad in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick against the NFL.
October 20, 2018 – Artie Lange cancels shows due to be hospitalized for an infection but soon starts booking new ones.
October 21, 2018 – Julia Louis Dreyfus is presented with the country’s highest comedy honor, the Mark Twain Award for Humor at the Kennedy Center.
October 22, 2018 – Sarah Silverman tells Howard Stern that Louis C.K. masturbated in front of her and she was fine with it and is quickly rebuked by Louis accuser Rebecca Corry on Twitter.
October 22, 2018 – Amy Schumer announces she’s pregnant on friend Jessica Yellin’s Instagram account.
October 23, 2018 – The Adam Sandler special “100% Fresh” begins streaming on Netflix.
October 23, 2018 – Lewis Black & Kathleen Madigan release the duo comedy album, “Lewis and Kathleen Escape the U.S.” recorded in Canada and released by Audible.
October 23, 2018 – Kate Berlant, Jon Daly, and Patton Oswalt appear in ad advocating Prop 10, a rent-control measure, in California.
October 24, 2018 – Focus Features announces Richard Linklater will write and direct film based on the life of comedian Bill Hicks.
October 26, 2018 – Jerry Seinfeld tells the New York Times that the “court of public opinion” expects Louis C.K. to be crushed and grovel before he can have a comeback.
October 26, 2018 – “The Simpsons” producer Adi Shankar tells Indiewire that the cartoon series will deal with the “Apu Problem” by eliminating the character altogether.
October 26, 2018 – “This Week at the Comedy Cellar” premieres on Comedy Central. Filmed at the world famous club, comedians offer topical jokes on the latest news items.
October 27, 2018 – Rolling Stone reveals the complaints filed with FCC over Kanye West’s performance on the “SNL” season premiere.
October 28, 2018 – “The Simpsons” showrunner Al Jean tweets that Adi Shankar does speak for the show when he reported that the character Apu would be eliminated from the series. Jean also state that Shankar is not a producer on the show.
October 28, 2018 – Hasan Minhaj’s new series “Patriot Act” debuts on Netflix.
October 29, 2018 – ABC orders a new, edgier version of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” called “Videos After Dark” hosted by original “AFHV” host Bob Saget.
October 29, 2018 – Two, that’s 2, protesters show up at the Comedy Cellar to demonstrate against an advertised Louis C.K. Show.
October 30, 2018 – Big Jay Oakerson, Liza Treyger, Yamaneika Saunders, Brad Williams, Joey Coco Diaz, and Christina Pazsitzky all work blue for the Netflix comedy special, “The Degenerates.”
October 30, 2018 – While promoting the comedy, “Nobody’s Fool”, Tiffany Haddish tells E! that she’s saving all the dick pics that men send her for a new coffee table book.
October 30, 2018 – The ratings for the Roseanne-less spin-off, “The Connors” continue to slide with the ABC series getting beat by everything in its time slot.
November 1, 2018 – Ariana Grande tweets that she doesn’t appreciate Pete Davidson making a joke about their breakup in a promo for that weekend’s “SNL” hosted by Jonah Hill.
November 2, 2018 – Alec Baldwin is arrested in Manhattan after allegedly punching a man over a parking space.
November 2, 2018 – The debut special from Paul Virzi, “Bill Burr Presents:Paul Virzi: I’ll Say This” debuts on Comedy Central.
November 3, 2018 – Conan O’Brien kicks off his “Conan & Friends: An Evening of Stand-Up and Investment Tips” tour in Washington D.C.
November 5, 2018 – Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer calls for Lorne Michaels to be fired by NBC after Pete Davidson makes a joke about the appearance of former Navy Seal Dan Crenshaw, a Republican candidate for Congress in Texas on “SNL”.
November 5, 2018 – In an exchange aired on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog confronts Texas Senator Ted Cruz before his re-election.
November 5, 2018 – “The Telethon for America” aimed to increase voter turn out on the eve of Election Day featuring Jim Jefferies, Judd Apatow, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lil Rel, and others airs on YouTube, Facebook Live, Comedy Central Online and other media services.
November 6, 2018 – The New York Comedy Festival opens in various venues around NYC, with acts including Bert Kreischer, Jo Koy, Bill Burr and special programming from Conan O’Brien.
November 6, 2018 – Louis C.K. performs his first hour-long show since his self-imposed exile in Paris at the Le Theatre de L’oeuvre.
November 8, 2018 – SiriusXM hosts its first stand up comedy exclusive event for subscribers, “Ricky Gervais and Friends: A Work In Progress,” featuring Ron Bennington & Jim Norton.
November 9, 2018 – HBO launches an official “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Instagram account featuring footage from the upcoming Season 10 of “Curb.”
November 11, 2018 – Mike Birbiglia’s show “The New One” opens on Broadway at the Cort Theatre.
November 11, 2018 – The new dark comedy, “Sally4Ever” starring Julia Davis premieres on HBO.
November 13, 2018 – The 5th Annual Bennington Family Thanksgiving Show records an epic special at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City to be aired on Thanksgiving Day.
November 14, 2018 – John Cleese tweets out a joke about the California wildfires and soon after, has to defend that joke on Twitter.
November 14, 2018 – 2 Dope Queens, the podcast hosted by Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson, airs its final episode, a conversation with former First Lady Michelle Obama.
November 14, 2018 – A hidden shrine to Danny DeVito was found hidden behind a wall of a bathroom in the Visual Arts building at SUNY Purchase in New York. DeVito later visits the shrine created in his honor.
November 15, 2018 – A pregnant Amy Schumer cancels shows in Texas when she’s hospitalized with Hyperemesis, a severe form of morning sickness.
November 17, 2018 – Vulture Festival kicks off its 2 day event in Los Angeles.
November 18, 2018 – Tickets go on sale for 2019 SF Sketchfest. The lineup is also announced including comedy legend Carol Burnett and a “Best In Show” 20th Anniversary reunion.
November 19, 2018 – The White House Correspondents’ Association names author & biographer Ron Chernow as host for its dinner next April. Michelle Wolf who hosted this year and received a backlash for her jokes, calls the association “cowards” for their choice.
November 19, 2018 – Tickets go on sale for the 7th Annual Patrice O’Neal Comedy Benefit next February featuring Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan, Rich Vos, Cipha Sounds, Gary Gulman, Michelle Wolf, Chris Redd and Big Jay Oakerson.
November 20, 2018 – Anthony Cumia releases his radio career memoir, “Permanently Suspended” with the foreword by Jim Norton.
November 20, 2018 – “Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia,” the new special from the host of the “Daily Show” debuts on Netflix.
November 22, 2018 – Social media has another tantrum when Kevin Hart’s wife Eniko posts photos from their son Kenzo’s “Cowboys & Indians” themed first birthday party.
November 24, 2018 – At the Pharos Festival in New Zealand, Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino releases a trailer for “Guava Island,” the secret movie he filmed in Cuba with Rihanna.
November 25, 2018 – Amanda Seales from HBO’s “Insecure,” tapes her first comedy special for the network at the Edison Ballroom which will air in 2019.
November 26, 2018 – Ariana Grande makes a joke at her former fiance Pete Davidson’s expense in the video for her hit song “Thank You, Next” with a parody of the movie, “Mean Girls.”
November 26, 2018 – A four day run begins at Broadway’s Marquis Theater of “Celebrity Autobiography” featuring Lewis Black, Rachel Dratch, Cecily Strong, Alec Baldwin and more reading from famous memoirs.
November 27, 2018 – The innovative Netflix comedy special, “Bumping Mics,” premieres starring comedy giants Jeff Ross and Dave Attell sharing the stage at the same time.
November 27, 2018 – Former Spice Girl Mel B publishes her autobiography, “Brutally Honest.” Unfortunately, she’s unable to discuss her relationship with ex-boyfriend Eddie Murphy due to confidentiality agreements she signed with the comedian.
November 28, 2018 – The Nashville Comedy Festival makes the blockbuster announcement that headlining the 2019 fest will be the superstar pairing of Jay Leno & Jeff Foxworthy together.
November 29, 2018 – Showtime announces that Desus and Mero will become the first two-person hosts of a talk show which will debut in February, 2019.
November 30, 2018 – Following up a tremendous year in comedy for Awkwafina, Comedy Central greenlights a 10 episode self-titled series starring the comedian / rapper / writer / actor.
November 30, 2018 – Comedy Central continues to lock up strong comedy talent for 2019 with a greenlit scripted series starring Rory Scovel titled “Robbie” about a small town basketball coach.
November 30, 2018 – Billy Connolly refutes British broadcaster Michael Parkinson’s report that Parkinson’s Disease had taken its toll on the legendary comedian’s mind. Connolly contradicted the report adding, “The thing that got me about it was, what if it was true? It’s still a shitty thing to do.”
November 30, 2018 – A Right vs Left feud is on when Kid Rock calls Joy Behar “a bitch” on “Fox & Friends.” Behar answered back immediately that same morning on “The View” by inviting Kid Rock on her show to have a beer with “these bitches.”
November 30, 2018 – Saturday Night Live writer and comedian Nimesh Patel is pulled from the stage during his performance at Columbia University after his jokes were deemed as racist and homophobic.
December 1, 2018 – Dave Hill is suspended from Twitter for 7 days, following a 30-day marathon of tweeting mom jokes at Trump supporters who engaged with him.
December 2, 2018 – Artie Lange goes on an odd Twitter tirade, alternating between mocking his former Compound Media co-host Anthony Cumia and then saying he was kidding, making fans nervous for him as he heads towards a court date.
December 2, 2018 – Controversy ensues at the Comedy Cellar, when a woman claims she was kicked out of the club for heckling Louis C.K. during an unannounced show. Club owner Noam Dworman claims she left on her own and was never asked to go.
December 3, 2018 – Netflix quells an internet uproar by striking a deal to keep the sitcom “Friends” through 2019.
December 3, 2018 – After 10 years of being off the air, “Deal Or No Deal” hosted by Howie Mandel returns to TV on NBC.
December 3, 2018 – The Patrice O’Neal documentary hits a standstill when 3 of the producers, including the director announce that they are exiting the project.
December 3, 2018 – IndieWire reports that Wes Anderson’s next film will be shot in France and is titled “The French Dispatch.” It will be set at an outpost of an American newspaper in 20th-century Paris and will star Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, and Jeffrey Wright.
December 3, 2018 – Comedy Central announces that every Friday in January will feature a new hour-long comedy special. The 4 comics providing those hours will be Ron Funches, James Davis, Chris Distefano and Roy Wood Jr.
December 4, 2018 – Kevin Hart is chosen to host the 91st annual Academy Awards. Hart says, ““I am blown away … this has been a goal on my list for a long time. … I know my mom is smiling from ear to ear.”
December 4, 2018 – The new hour from two-fifths of the Broken Lizard Comedy Troupe, “Steve Lemme and Kevin Heffernan: The Potential Farewell Tour” is released by Comedy Dynamics.
December 4, 2018 – On an episode of SiriusXM’s “Ricky Gervais is Deadly Sirius,” a summit of great comedy minds is held on if comedians need to justify their jokes with Gervais, Jerry Seinfeld and Ron Bennington.
December 5, 2018 – Season 2 of the award winning “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” premieres on Amazon Prime.
December 5, 2018 – Sam Morril performs stand up on the “Late Late Show with James Corden”, adding one more notch in his late night belt.
December 6, 2018 – The Golden Globe nominations are out and Adam McKay’s political comedy “Vice” leads the way for comedy earning 6 motion picture award nominations.
December 6, 2018 – Doug Stanhope kicks off his annual eBay Yard Sale, selling off all kinds of Stanhopeabilia.
December 6, 2018 – Comedy Central decides it wants to be in the Chris Distefano business and strikes a deal with the comedian for future projects and specials.
December 6, 2018 – Joe Machi performs on Fallon, making him the first comedian to do stand up on the Tonight Show while cradling a glass of water under one arm.
December 7, 2018 – After a series a moves back and forth between the Motion Picture Academy and Kevin Hart, the Oscars threaten to rescind their offer for Hart to host their ceremony and Hart steps down from hosting.
December 7, 2018 – Chris Rock breaks a 12 year drought with a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album. Other nominees include Dave Chappelle, Jim Gaffigan, Patton Oswalt and first-timer Fred Armisen.
December 8, 2018 – Amy Schumer posts a video of herself throwing up from morning sickness on Instagram.
December 9, 2018 – Nick Cannon defends Kevin Hart by calling out Chelsea Handler, Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer for their use of gay slurs on Twitter. Okay.
December 9, 2018 – The Dan Band featuring Bridget Everett releases a new Christmas song and video honoring “Mrs. Claus.”
December 10, 2018 – Ken Jeong hosts the first ever Legacy Awards given out by the Academy of Comedians, an organization Jerry Lewis set up before his death.
December 10, 2018 – To raise money for the Ronald McDonald House and to promote the new season of “Crashing” coming in January, Pete Holmes & Judd Apatow announce a night of comedy at the Gramercy Theatre on January 15th with cast members including guest star John Mulaney.
December 10, 2018 – A report claims that since Kevin Hart bowed out of the Oscars hosting gig and since most comedians are either considered too much of a risk or don’t want the heavy weight that comes with it, the Academy is thinking of going host-less.
December 10, 2018 – It’s revealed that the University of London will have comics appearing at a charity event sign a “behavioral agreement”, swearing to adhere to their no tolerance policy regarding racism & xenophobia along with a host of other isms and phobias.
December 11, 2018 – Artie Lange, fresh out of rehab, vows to start a rehab scholarship for those that need in-patient treatment, but can’t afford it by doing two theater shows a month to fund the program.
December 11, 2018 – The Hollywood Foreign Press announces that its award recognizing achievements in television will be called the Carol Burnett Award and the first recipient will be, ironically enough, Carol Burnett. She’ll be recognized at the Golden Globes in January.
December 11, 2018 – The comedy special “Vir Das: Losing It” debuts on Netflix.
December 11, 2018 – The daughter of Frank Loesser, the composer of the Christmas hit “Baby It’s Cold Outside” which is now under fire for the date rape connotations it brings up, blames Bill Cosby, saying his allegations of drugging women ruined everything.
December 14, 2018 – English stand up Jimmy Carr’s new hybrid game show / panel show series, “The Fix” premieres on Netflix.
December 17, 2018 – Adam McKay, director of the film with the most Golden Globe nominations in the musical or comedy category, “Vice” joins Ron Bennington on SiriusXM’s acclaimed interview show, “Unmasked.”
December 18, 2018 – Brian Regan returns to Ron Bennington’s “Unmasked” for a third episode, this time to discuss his new Netflix series produced by Jerry Seinfeld, “Stand Up and Away.”
December 18, 2018 – Ellen DeGeneres releases her first comedy special in 15 years on Netflix titled “Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable.”
December 24, 2018 – The stand-up/sketch comedy show “Stand Up and Away!” premieres on Netflix starring stand up A-lister Brian Regan and produced by fellow stand up A-lister Jerry Seinfeld.
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