MEDIA RELEASE
BellMediaPR.ca/Comedy
The Comedy Network is Totally Loaded this July with Premieres of DRUNK HISTORY and the return of THE JESELNIK OFFENSIVE
– Series premiere of DRUNK HISTORY kicks off Tuesday, July 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with a bevy of A-listers including Jack Black, Michael Cera, Winona Ryder, Kristen Wiig, Dave Grohl, and more –
– The dark prince of comedy returns for a second season of THE JESELNIK OFFENSIVE, July 9 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT –
– New series COMEDY BANG! BANG! and BUNK kick off Friday, July 26 at 12 midnight and 12:30 a.m. ET/PT –
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TORONTO (June 25, 2013) – This July, The Comedy Network’s sobering line-up imbibes on learning and laughing with a packed syllabus of new and returning series. On Tuesday, July 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, the all-new half-hour series DRUNK HISTORY takes viewers on a tour of cities across America, from Atlanta to San Francisco to the Wild West, exploring the United State’s rich cultural past via historical reenactments…while heavily intoxicated. Based on the wildly popular web series, DRUNK HISTORY host Derek Waters (Hall Pass) pairs inebriated storytellers with A-list talent to reenact great moments in American history.Then, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, THE JESELNIK OFFENSIVE returns for a second season to mock bizarre news and pop culture happenings right out of the headlines.
Later in the month, the laughs head off the beaten path with two series premieres sent directly from alt-comedy heaven. On Friday, July 26 at 12 midnight ET/PT, the surreal half-hour series COMEDY BANG! BANG! riffs on the late-night talk show format, infusing celebrity appearances and comedy sketches. Based on Scott Aukerman’s (Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis) popular podcast of the same name, the series is packed with character cameos, filmic shorts, sketches, and games set in an off-beat world featuring some of the biggest names in comedy. At 12:30 a.m. ET/PT, the comedy game show BUNK features a panel of comedians competing in inane challenges to win bizarre prizes. Contestants are armed with nothing but their wits as they respond to images they've never seen before, make up songs on the spot, complete drawing and sculpture challenges, and interact with modern dancers, puppies, babies, gospel singers, and more, all under the watchful eye of host Kurt Braunohler (BOB’S BURGERS).
Bob Odenkirk as President Richard Nixon and Jack McBrayer (30 ROCK) as advisor H.R. Haldeman in the series premiere of DRUNK HISTORY
**Media Note** – Download photography for DRUNK HISTORY, THE JESELNIK OFFENSIVE, COMEDY BANG! BANG! and BUNK at BellMediaPR.ca/Comedy
DRUNK HISTORY *New Series*
Premieres Tuesday, July 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
In the series premiere, journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein blow open the Watergate scandal, actors and brothers Edwin and John Wilkes Booth engage in a tragic feud, and Elvis crashes the White House to meet President Nixon. Guest stars include Jack Black (BERNIE), rocker Dave Grohl, and Bob Odenkirk (BREAKING BAD).
The remaining episodes of DRUNK HISTORY’s freshman season boasts a seriously impressive all-star cast including Connie Britton (NASHVILLE), Michael Cera (Arrested Development), Nathan Fielder (NATHAN FOR YOU), Will Forte (MacGruber), Bill Hader (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE), Tony Hale (VEEP), Jen Kirkman (CHELSEA LATELY), Stephen Merchant (EXTRAS), Aubrey Plaza (PARKS AND RECREATION), Winona Ryder (Black Swan), Jason Schwartzman (Moonrise Kingdom), Adam Scott (PARKS AND RECREATION), Bradley Whitford (TROPHY WIFE), Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Fred Willard (MODERN FAMILY), Luke Wilson (ENLIGHTENED), and Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris) and many more.
The Jeselnik Offensive - Season 2
Premieres Tuesday, July 9 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT
The beloved prince of dark comedy, Anthony Jeselnik, is back for another helping of twisted pop culture skewering. Known to Comedy viewers for his blistering appearances on the recent Roasts of Charlie Sheen and Donald Trump, Jeselnik unleashes his razor-sharp take on each week’s must-see news ripped from the headlines of Gawker, Reddit, and the places we all troll for the darker, more shocking and lurid stories.
COMEDY BANG! BANG! *New Series*
Premieres Friday, July 26 at 12 a.m. ET/PT
In the series premiere, host Scott Aukerman and guest Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) discuss Zach’s place in the pantheon of comic actors, as well as talking dogs. A sommelier tells Scott and bandleader Reggie Watts (CONAN) which wine pairs best with each segment of the show, and Scott chats with Danny Mahoney (Andrew Daly, EASTBOUND & DOWN), aka “the life of the party.”
Throughout the season, Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), Michael Cera (Arrested Development), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Ed Helms (The Office), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Seth Rogen (This Is The End), Paul Rudd (This Is 40), Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation), “Weird Al” Yankovic (comedian/musician), and many others join in on the laughs with Aukerman and one-man musical mastermind Reggie Watts.
BUNK *New Series*
Premieres Friday, July 26 at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT
In the series premiere, Kurt welcomes Kumail Nanjiani (FRANKLIN AND BASH), comedy writer Ethan T. Berlin, and Ben Garant (RENO 911!) as they shame puppies, create new road signs, and reinvent the Venus de Milo, while competing for absurd and ridiculous prizes.
Created for television by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner, DRUNK HISTORY is produced by Gary Sanchez Productions and executive produced by Waters and Konner, along with Gary Sanchez Productions’ Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy and Owen Burke. Seth Cohen and Ian Friedman are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.
The Jeselnik Offensive is written and executive produced by Jeselnik and head writer Tom Johnson. Krysia Plonka and Mosaic’s Christie Smith are also executive producers. Jim Sharp and Monika Zielinska are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.
COMEDY BANG! BANG! is produced by Abso Lutely Productions. Aukerman, Leo Allen, and Dave Kneebone serve as executive producers.
BUNK is produced by Avalon Television. Eric Bryant, Ethan T. Berlin, David Martin, Jon Thoday, and Richard Allen-Turner serve as executive producers. Kurt Braunohler and Dan Lubetkin serve as co-executive producers.
Viewers can hit up each series, online, the day after broadcast at TheComedyNetwork.ca.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
The Comedy Network on Twitter
The Comedy Network on Facebook
Derek Waters on Twitter
Anthony Jeselnik on Twitter
Comedy Bang! Bang! on Twitter
Scott Aukerman on Twitter
Reggie Watts on Twitter
BUNK on Twitter
Kurt Braunohler on Twitter
About The Comedy Network
Canada's first specialty comedy service, The Comedy Network airs comedy of all kinds, 24-hours-a-day, across multiple platforms, including a revolutionary broadband service at TheComedyNetwork.ca. Launched in October 1997, The Comedy Network broadcasts, uncut and uncensored, an eclectic mix of scripted, stand-up, sketch, improv, and animated comedy – as well as topical comedy talk shows, game shows and classic situation comedies. Offering an unrivalled slate of original Canadian programming, The Comedy Network reinvests nearly 50 per cent of its revenues into home-grown productions. The Comedy Network is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company, and is available in nearly six million households across the country.
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For more information, please contact:
Andrea Allen, The Comedy Network, 416.384.5375 or
Christy Sullivan, The Comedy Network, 416.384.3624 or