Comic Jimmy Pardo hosts the behind-the-Coco-scenes series, The Pardo Patrol, opens “Conan” for Mr. O’Brien’s live audience, hosts the long-running podcast, Never Not Funny, and is a frequent performer at the UCB Theatre. All efforts are smart and consistently hilarious. And, oh yeah, he's a charitable gentlemen. more ›

Podcaster extraordinaire, supreme warm-up man and outstanding comic in his own standing, Jimmy Pardo is a guest on "Conan" tonight. --- "The League" has Sarah Silverman & Jeff Goldblum guesting on their Thanksgiving episode tonight. more ›

The upcoming Muppets movie has released a bunch of trailers already, parodying everything from rom-coms to "The Hangover." Now, they've gone where no film trailer has gone before -- they've spoofed "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." more ›

Who was the secret guest star on "Wilfred" last night? --- Like cycling? The Vuelta a Espana starts tomorrow and Universal Sports is covering it. --- Paley Center providing previews of Fall TV shows for free. --- Sarah Silverman to have show on NBC. --- All this + the TV Junkie Must-Watch Plan for the weekend. more ›

While it's less likely that Butters is insane and more likely that "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are insane we will still watch tonight to see how it plays out - happily, the new show "Workaholics" is also worth watching right afterwards. --- Sarah Silverman has a development deal that we hope results in a new show. --- Check out the TV Junkie Must-Watch Plan! more ›

Scott Aukerman (LAist Interview) and BJ Porter want to help feed hungry locals. To do so they’ve assembled a super-team of funny friends from their weekly stand-up show, Comedy Death-Ray, to help raise money for the LA FoodBank, an agency who will help 1.6 million LA Country residents this year. There’s a Christmas CD, a big live show, and chances to win unique comedy experiences via eBay. Proceeds from all three will go to the LA FoodBank. A donation page is live for those who don’t like to laugh yet like to feed the hungry. more ›

Despite a lack of demand, "We Are The World" is back. This is all thanks to the charitable efforts of Scott Aukerman (LAist Interview) and a host of comedians who regularly perform at Aukerman's Comedy Death-Ray show at the UCB Theatre in Hollywood. Actor Kurt Russell (of "Captain Ron" fame) also lent his pipes. more ›

Last time LAist chatted with Jimmy Pardo, the comedian was never not having fun. He held two excited jobs: hosting the popular podcast Never Not Funny (The Pardcast,) and warming up The Tonight Show's live audience for Conan O’Brien. Now, for Pardo, life is similarly fun but looks a little different. Never Not Funny is still a comedy juggernaut in MP3, though Pardo no longer spends his days at NBC. He's over on the Warner Brothers' lot, again loosening audiences for Mr. O'Brien, now on TBS' "Conan." more ›

Tig Notaro, Craig vs Wild Kyle Dunnigan and Sarah Silverman are the hookers n' coupe de villes of comedy. They will never disappoint. Ever. If fall down a fight of stairs funny is what you crave in your live comedic experience, it is essential to suit up for tonight's special Thanksgiving edition of Tig & Friends at Largo at the Coronet. The ridiculous round-up of performers also includes Maria Bamford, Jen Kirkman and musical guest Jill Sobule, the original girl who kissed another girl and liked it and wrote a song. more ›

There’s a MOPLA Group Show hosted by Smashbox Studios Culver City from 7-10 pm tonight. Curated by Hossein Farmani (Lucie Foundation) and Dee deLara (Smashbox Studios), there will be almost 70 photographs by LA's finest photogs--including LAist’s own Koga and contributor Shawn Nee. The night will also feature Pro'jekt LA Part 4 (rained out last Tuesday). Ad-Nauseum: Uncommercializing the Commercial. Food provided by Food Fetish. Music provided by IE. Free with RSVP to groupshow@monthofphotography.com. more ›

Comedian Jeffrey Ross is best known for stealing the show at several celebrity roasts including the last six Comedy Central Roasts. The native of New Jersey who currently splits his time between New York and Los Angeles has roasted celebrities like Hugh Heffner, Joan Rivers, Bob Saget, Flavor Flav, Emmitt Smith, William Shatner and Pamela Anderson. more ›

Now is that part of the day where you’re fully woken up, done lying to yourself about any work you’re “getting done”, and looking for something to get out and do with yourself tonight. Well, TWENTYWONDER has come along to fill that gap in amazing fashion, and for a good cause no less! more ›

The TV Junkie Plan: @aots, "Community", "Parks and Recreation", "The Office", "30 Rock", "Important Things with Demetri Martin", "The Sarah Silverman Program", "Chelsea Lately", Letterman, Fallon (Hot Chip performs). more ›

In the coming days, musicians and comedians from around Los Angeles will gather at Largo at the Coronet for three very special shows to raise funds for the ongoing humanitarian efforts in Haiti. After the charity events, Largo will update attendees on how much was raised and how the funds are being used to save lives. more ›

The holidays seem to start earlier and earlier with each passing year. Soon after the Halloween decorations are taken down, cities become wrapped in tinsel and holiday music takes over the airwaves. However, amidst the grand seasonal spectacle, sometimes Hanukkah receives only a token decoration or the occasional play of the "The Dreidel Song." It is for that reason that Rob Tannenbaum and David Fagin formed Good for the Jews, a musical comedy group determined to "put the Ha! in Hanukkah." more ›

This seems to be the week of the essay show, with Mortified and Sit N' Spin both tackling the genre, albeit in different ways. There's a ton of smaller shows around town too, like Benderdangle at the iO West Andy Dick theater on Saturday at 8p. In short, there's no reason to not get out and see some great stand up at Largo, or catch award-winning shows for free at Comedy Central Stage, or even drive down to Irvine for known headliners. Also, in recently developed (and huge) news, Martin Lawrence is back for some stand up at the Comedy Store on Friday and Saturday nights. more ›

As usual, things at the Ivy Substation in Culver City are not status quo. Then again, when you’re trying to keep theatre alive in an economy more suited for food stamps than Shakespeare, nothing is going to be easy. Enter The Actors’ Gang, who for years have been at the Los Angeles forefront of doing things the hard way, and with amazing results. Their productions, workshops, and community outreach programs are second to none, and the current WTF?! Festival is right in line with such forward thinking. more ›

The lazy response to Judd Apatow's Funny People will be that it isn't as, well, funny as his two previous films, The 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up. The subtext of that observation, of course, is that it isn't as good as those other films, and that is a howlingly wrong presumption. True, Funny People is not Apatow's funniest film, but -- true also -- it is his best. While not a straight comedy, it has plenty of laughs and inspired lunatic performances (Eric Bana, in particular, is a revelation). What it also has, though, is an interest in exploring the intersection of mortality and human failing, and it does so with great clarity and a requisite lack of pity. more ›

Rick Ortiz Productions puts on a great night of Rock en Español at the Conga Room for your enjoyment. Noches Rockeras features five great music acts, including: La Mala Influencia, Soy Disco, Octavio Red, Ximbios and Astoria. Show starts at 8 PM and it is only $10 if you show up after 10:30 PM. more ›

Now that the summer blockbuster season's in gear, it's time to counter-program with an influx of festivals! The Israel Film Festival runs through the 18th at Laemmle's Fallbrook in West Hills & the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. Highlights include Lost Islands, which cleaned kibbutz at the Israeli box office last year and won four Ophir Awards (Israeli Oscars); The Seven Days, another Ophir powerhouse; and audience favorite & Oscar nominee Waltz With Bashir. Rather than feature one-off screenings of a multitude of films, the festival has a smaller slate (30 films) but more dedicated screening times; a nice touch for patrons with less flexible schedules. more ›

There's good sketch all over the place this week, and some novelty comedy acts (hypnotism, juggling), but it seems like the Patton Oswalt / David Cross and Louis C.K. show will be dominating the landscape this week. Beyond that, the in-the-dark ASSSSCAT show should be legendary, so go take a look, and hit up Farley to hype yourself or someone you love. more ›

Wowzers. Patton n' friends at Hollywood Forever, Beer Shark Mice at iO West, a Neil Simon play, Zach Galifianakis, and (gulp) Dane Cook. What a week ahead! Email Farley if you're interested in getting love here for an upcoming show of yours. more ›

Hollywood can have problems giving credit where credit is due. Ideas get stolen, supporting actors go unnoticed, and many times the writers who make up the foundation of the entertainment industry never get the limelight in the way that they should. That is, until they decide to go on strike, or a blonde bombshell declares them unfit for accolades. So it should be a source of honor and pride for these men and women when, once a year, they are truly recognized and heralded for their achievements. This is the Writers Guild of America Awards. more ›

It's Thursday so it's got to be all about NBC, right? First of all, you've got Jan (Melora Hardin) from "The Office" going off to Broadway to do "Chicago", then you've got Jennifer Aniston (pictured, right) guest-starring on "30 Rock" (a triumphant return to NBC-Thursdays?), and then we see that NBC finally cancelled the oft-maligned but truly terrible, Christian Slater series, "My Own Worst Enemy" along with the equally terrible "Lipstick Jungle". more ›

Do you remember a lot of car commercials at the last Academy Awards? There's always lots of car commercials, right? But they've been GM commercials for the last 11 years but now Hyundai is taking them over for 2009 (and perhaps beyond). That's $13+ million in ads for the night and supposedly Hyundai has eyes for Super Bowl slots as well. more ›

Can you believe it's already July 31? Well, here's a few interesting items tonight to celebrate the end of the month: more ›

If you haven't caught a show at Largo at the Coronet yet, now might be a good time. Their recently posted, insanely good schedule for the next three months includes performers such as Randy Newman, Loudon Wainwright III, Joan as Police Woman, Maya Rudolph & Fred Armisen, Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo, Jon Brion, The Ditty Bops, Colin Hay, The Watkins Family Hour feat. Fiona Apple & Dan Wilson, Greg Proops and Flight of the Conchords. more ›

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Little tiny ninjas take to the stage to perform Shakespeare’s Macbeth tonight and tomorrow. These “actors” are the plastic kind found in vending machines by artistic director Dov Weinstein. The action will be presented from a briefcase-sized stage and projected to monitors, so don’t fret about missing the action. more ›

Carbuncle is an independent film made over the course of five years. It’s about a director with Asperger’s Syndrome making a movie about a mentally challenged woman who is manipulated by her alcoholic social worker.” We think it’s a comedy. more ›