This Week at the Comedy Cellar debuted Friday night on Comedy Central. The show zeroes in on comedians performing at the famed New York comedy club and telling jokes about that week’s events, just as audiences of the venue see on a nightly basis.
“Comedians of all stripes, from rising stars to established legends, pop into New York’s legendary Comedy Cellar every week for a topical set,” Comedy Central advertised on the show’s site.
The first episode began with audio from a news story on the recent mail bombings to set the stage. Then comedians at the iconic “comic’s table” just above the club at the Olive Tree Cafe and Bar riffed on who the bomber might be.
After a brief back-and-forth with comics Jordan Carlos and Ricky Velez, stand up Dan St. Germain entertained a comedy cellar audience on the same subject.
“I don’t know who sent those bombs to Obama and Hilary and George Soros, but I know whoever it is, he’s going to look a lot like me,” St. German, a bushy-bearded funnyman with long brown hair said.
More comics joked on the subject and the rest of the show fit the same mold in covering various news stories from the week and having different comedians explore them.
“Canada feels like the stepdad to America’s real dad, just really trying to win you over,” joked comedian Mike Lawrence. “‘Hey, we got some weed now. You like Drake? Drake’s here, you like… Basketball… Our basketball team is based on dinosaurs, you like that? We’ve got free healthcare.’ You’re like, ‘Yeah, but when I’m with dad he doesn’t make me learn French.’”
Former producer of the Daily Show with Trevor Noah Ted Tremper is the showrunner for the series.
