Review by Red Carpet Report’s entertainment reporter, Brittany Leoni
This past Thursday night at Rockwell Restaurant & Bar in Los Angeles, NBC hosted a night of hilarity to premiere the new show, Bring the Funny, executive produced by David Friedman and Matilda Zoltowski, which you can watch come this July. NBC is known for some of America’s greatest comedies, including The Office, The Good Place, and Brooklyn 99. This new competition series gives the next generation of comedy lovers a fresh take on what is funny and what is not. The series will give the world’s best comedic acts from all around the world a chance to showcase their talents and, for the first time on television, welcomes multiple styles of comedy performance in one competition, including improv, sketch, and stand up. The 10-episode series will bring together comedic icons to judge the contestants, including – “Saturday Night Live’s longest-running cast member, Kenan Thompson, Twitter finger slayer Chrissy Teigen and comedy legend Jeff Foxworthy. Comedian and all-around bad-ass Amanda Seales will host the series.
The event included lots of cocktails, a Q&A, and laughs, of course. Moderated by comedic actress, Yvette Nicole Brown, the event was bound to be a success.
The contestants on the show compete for a $250,000 prize package and for the glory.
Yvette asked the “Bring the Funny” judges and moderator some great questions.
Yvette: What was a step in your career that you feel helped your comedic career to take off?
Jeff; “For me it was being on Johnny Carson, and getting called over to the couch. [After you performed] If he clapped – he didn’t like you, if he gave you a thumbs up – he liked you, and if he called you over – he loved you. So after you were done you almost didn’t want to look, because it felt like Cesar deciding if you lived or died. But literally if Johnny liked you, the next week they’re like, “Do you want to headline?” and you’re like “Crap, I’m not any funnier than I was last time but, yeah, I do.”
Keenan: “I’ve got to give it to “The Mighty Ducks” and All That.” My first job was a fried chicken commercial – super racist, but I loved it. I never got to see the commercial but…”
Chrissy: “For me it was fucking John.”
Amanda Seales: “Insecure.”
Jeff: “Honestly part of what made this show so interesting, and why I always say Chrissy was the most important judge is because Keenan knows sketch, I know standup, and Chrissy only knows, “Does it make me laugh or not?”
Chrissy: “But even dumb shit makes me laugh! Because sometimes someone’s putting themselves out there entirely and you’re like, “Oh my gosh, is this funny or just so silly?” But at the end of the day it’s like, funny is funny and this made me happy.
Series Premiere of Bring the Funny will be on Tuesday, July 9th at 10 PM
About Bring the Funny
Bring The Funny, a new comedy competition series that aims to find the next great comedic act. The network ordered 10 episodes of the series that will feature SNL‘s Kenan Thompson, Chrissy Teigen, and Jeff Foxworthy as judges, with comedian Amanda Seales as host.
The show will have solo comic acts to sketch troupes to musicians, magicians, podcasters, puppeteers, YouTubers and more – anyone who can make audiences laugh will have the chance to receive the career-changing $250,000 prize package and see their name in lights in the Bring the Funny showcase.
Find out more here https://www.nbc.com/bring-the-funny
