Just For Laughs And The Meaning Of Life

MEDIA RELEASE: Comedy Central Makes May Special

COMEDY CENTRAL MAY 2009 PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday Night Live, Just For Laughs And The Meaning Of Life

AUCKLAND, Friday 24TH April, 2009 – Comedy Central New Zealand are stoked to bring some of the finest moments in stand-up and sketch comedy with several big-name star-turns in Just for Laughs and the Best of Saturday Night Live, as well Steve Coogan’s Knowing Me, Knowing You and a tranche of sidesplitting movies.

The network is only in its second month and already is amply filling New Zealand television’s laughter niche. David Farrar certainly thinks so. Several of the media commentator and blogging king’s Facebook updates have name-checked the station, including: “David Farrar is loving Comedy Central”.

Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival – the world’s biggest comedy gathering – has launched many stars into orbit since 1983. The Just For Laughs 25th Anniversary Special features 25 of the best stand up performances from the last quarter-century of the Festival. Our very own Flight of the Conchords grace the stage, along with Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Hicks, Carl Barron, Dame Edna, Rowan Atkinson and Chris Rock.

Best of Saturday Night Live, the training ground for Hollywood comedians, this month features special performances from three legends of the long-running show, a surprisingly funny character actor and a whole hour of top-notch commercial parodies. Featured performers include: Dana Carvey who turned his work and characters on the show into the Wayne’s World movies; one half of the Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters star and writer Dan Akroyd; the other half of the Blues Brothers, widely considered the brightest star in comedy before his drug-fuelled death at age 33, John Belushi, and; bad-guy character actor Christopher Walken showing off an expectedly sharp sense of satire.

Knowing Me, Knowing You is hosted by Steve Coogan’s alter-ego Alan Partridge. A parody of a television chat show, every interview goes terribly wrong and guest acts are a blend of asylum and freak-show escapees. The guest in the premiere episode is none other than the “nice” James Bond, Roger Moore.

And where would comedy be without the surreal sketches of British legends Monty Python? The troupe of John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Graham Chapman redefined television and cracked-up cinema audiences during the 70s and 80s. Comedy Central is pleased to present Monty Python’s Meaning of Life, a sketch-film loosely based around lifecycles. With many memorable moments, who can forget the bloated stylings of Mr Creosote? This compulsive eater nauseated even Quentin Tarrantino.

• Just For Laughs premiers Friday, May 15 at 9pm with the Just for Laughs 25th Anniversary Special, and repeats Saturday, May 16, at 7pm.

• Best of Saturday Night Live premiers Saturdays at 9pm, and repeats Sundays at 7am. Episodes includes specials with: Dana Carvey on May 2, Dan Akroyd on May 9, Commercial Parodies on May 16, John Belushi on May 23 and Christopher Walken on May 30.

• Knowing Me, Knowing You airs Sunday May 3 at 8:30pm.

• Monty Python’s Meaning of Life airs Thursday May 28 at 8:30

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