Jun 29 2009 Another 'Invention of Lying' Trailer: See Lying's US-tailored Invention

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Remember the Invention of Lying trailer on Friday? Good, because I'd hate having to explain the premise again, and there's now a domestic trailer for the comedy.

I particularly like Louis CK's reaction to Gervais's claim that he's an Eskimo. I thought I was the only one to ever express an unnaturally positive reaction to learning they've accidentally befriended an Inuk:

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Aug 15 2008 Steve Carel and Tina Fey Are Having a Terrible Date

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Hey, a comedy starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey? Sounds like someone has been watching the only parts of NBC's primetime schedule that don't make you want to die. This could be good, right? Nope:

Steve Carell and Tina Fey are set to play a married couple in "Date Night," a 20th Century Fox comedy to be directed by Shawn Levy.

Josh Klausner wrote the script, based on an idea by Levy, whose 21 Laps will produce. Story follows a couple who find their routine date night becomes much more than just dinner and a movie.

Levy, who is shooting Fox's "Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian," intends the pic to be his next directing assignment.

If you didn't catch that, Date Night is being directed by the man responsible for choking the final breaths out of Steve Martin with Cheaper by the Dozen and The Pink Panther, giving us our first taste of Ashton Kutcher-married-as-comedy with Just Married, and making Night at the Museum and its upcoming sequel. In other words, Carell and Fey will be the slices of bread holding together a shit sandwich.

Carell, Fey ready for 'Date Night' [Variety]

Mar 20 2008 Quartet of Comedy Titans Join 'This Side of the Truth'

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Unabashed love for Ricky Gervais is well-documented in the archives of this blog. However, even after the sublime The Office, hilarious Extras and repeat listen-friendly The Ricky Gervais Show, I was getting worried that Gervais' in production film This Side of the Truth would amount to little more than Liar Liar turned on its head. My fears have been assuaged considerably today with the casting of four mighty, and varied, comedic voices: John Hodgman, Tina Fey, Jeffrey Tambor and Christopher Guest. Surely these consistently funny individuals wouldn't simultaneously involve themselves with a project that wasn't anything but hilarious. I mean, it's not like these people would pimp themselves out to an unworthy cause. Right?

This Side of the Truth: Ricky's Blog' [rickygervais.com]

Jan 17 2008 'Baby Mama' Trailer Finds More Comedy in the Uterus

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When Tina Fey discovers her inside ladyparts are broken, she recruits Amy Poehler to house her fetus, which, for some reason, also means they have to live together. Something like Dupree (of You, Me & fame), Poehler proves herself a crass, slow-witted, disgusting houseguest, and ends up teaching Fey an important lesson in childrearing (that caring for a child is much like having a white trash boarder) and friendship (I guess).

It it feels like you're saying "man, another pregnancy comedy?" as much as "man, another pregnancy?", I know exactly where you're coming from. But like Knocked Up and Juno before it, Baby Mama might have the talent to make it worthwhile, with the former Weekend Update anchors in lead roles. Plus, they've given it a new spin, where instead of treating the child as an unwanted mistake, they take the farcical path of pretending pregnancy could be not just allowed, but desired--sort of a prenatal Bizarro World for the child-fearing.*

*Apologies to happy parents and those who don't consider impregnating someone a top-five fear.

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Nov 5 2007 Tina Fey Talks Writer's Guild Strike

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With the Writer's Guild going on strike today, who better to turn to than 30 Rock writer/actor Tina Fey to find out what's going on and how it will affect us? Thank god that Martin Mull-looking idiot from The Insider had the same thought, and interviewed her picketing outside Rockefeller Center.

In short, it means shows written on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, like SNL, The Daily Show, and late-night talk shows are effectively in re-runs starting today, while pre-filmed showed probably have a few months left of new material.

Thankfully, reality shows, probably Oprah (no one writes her crying or giving gifts to the audience, right?), and CSI (which is written by chimps) will continue churning out television.

See the interview under the cut. I particularly like the part where she panders to those who would only respond to Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy references.

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Sep 25 2007 '30 Rock' and Seinfeld Merge Comedy Eras

NBC has released a promo for 30 Rock, one of the few decently funny shows on television, that reveals guest star Jerry Seinfeld?! Yes! The goodness of today is meeting the goodness of the '90s in a high-powered collision of humor. Someone create a Kanye West / MC Hammer mash-up in celebration.