6/27/13 EPIX “COMEDY UNBOUND” SUMMER SEASON CONTINUES WITH TOM PAPA: FREAKED OUT ON JULY 26 @ 10PM ET AND JIM NORTON: AMERICAN DEGENERATE ON AUGUST 23 @ 10PM ET

EPIX “COMEDY UNBOUND” SUMMER SEASON CONTINUES WITH
TOM PAPA: FREAKED OUT ON JULY 26 @ 10PM ET
AND
JIM NORTON: AMERICAN DEGENERATE ON AUGUST 23 @ 10PM ET

New York, June 27, 2013 — Premium TV network EPIX announced the continuation of the hilarious season of Comedy Unbound that began earlier this month. EPIX will premiere two brand new hour-long specials – Tom Papa: Freaked Out on July 26 and Jim Norton: American Degenerate on August 23. These new programs, along with the rest of the Comedy Unbound showcase, are available exclusively on EPIX, EPIX On Demand, EpixHD.com and EPIX apps across hundreds of devices including Xbox, PS3, Roku, iPads, iPhones and more.

Tom Papa: Freaked Out –Friday, July 26, 2013 at 10PM ET:
For his first EPIX comedy special, and his second hour-long special directed by Rocker/Director Rob Zombie, Tom Papa tackles the hazards of churches, loose change, old age, make-up, raising women, Chinese grocery stores, and magical gnomes. Known for his irreverent appearances on Leno, Letterman and Conan, and for hosting NBC’s “The Marriage Ref”, Papa stands out among his fellow comedians for his optimistic take on the mostly insane world he lives in.

Jim Norton: American Degenerate – Friday, August 23, 2013 at 10PM ET:
Triumphantly returning after his first EPIX comedy special, “Please Be Offended”, Jim Norton continues his self-deprecating humor in his third hour-long stand-up special. Shot in Boston in front of his most hard core fans, Norton leaves nothing embarrassing off the table, skewering a wide range of topics including politics, the media, and, of course, sex. Norton, a New York Times bestselling author, Tonight Show” regular, and the third mic on Sirius/XM’s popular “The Opie and Anthony Show,” performs with the knowledge that some of his remarks will no doubt inspire a wave of self-righteous online complaints by those who are easily offended.

For more information about Comedy Unbound, Tom Papa: Freaked Out, or Jim Norton: American Degenerate; and to obtain program artwork, go to www.press.epixhd.com. Follow the programs on Twitter @EpixHD (#EpixComedy).

The summer season of Comedy Unbound is a weekly showcase of hour-long comedy specials airing Fridays at 10PM ET featuring stand-up comedians Lewis Black, Jim Breuer, Jim Carrey, Stephen Colbert, Craig Ferguson, Bill Hader, Jim Jefferies, Rashida Jones, Seth Meyers, Chris Rock, Andy Samberg, Sherri Shepherd, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Smith, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, and Kristen Wiig.

About EPIX
EPIX® is the newest premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic library titles, plus original films, comedy, music and sports events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched October 2009 as the first multiplatform premium network with online accessibility for subscribers through EpixHD.com, EPIX pioneered the development and proliferation of TV Everywhere for American consumers. EPIX was the first premium network to launch on Xbox 360®consoles, first on Android™ tablets and phones, first on Roku® players and soon to be the first to launch on PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system. EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads®, iPhones®, Kindle Fire tablets, Samsung® Smart TVs and Blu-ray™ players and more. Today EPIX remains the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up from new Hollywood hits to original programs on all platforms and provides more movies than any other premium network.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EpixHD.

 

Media Contacts:
EPIX                                                        FRANK PR
Marlea Willis                                           Clare Anne Darragh; ClareAnne@FrankPublicity.com
mwillis@epixhd.com                                Lina Plath; Lina@FrankPublicity.com
212.846.6748                                         646.861.0843

5/2/13 ALL NEW EPIX COMEDY LINEUP BEGINS IN JUNE

 Summer Season of EPIX Comedy Unbound Premieres New Stand-up Specials Featuring

Jim Breuer, Sherri Shepherd, Tom Papa & Jim Norton

Special 50th Anniversary Celebration of the IMPROV Comedy Club will Include

Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Larry David, Judd Apatow, Kathy Griffin and Whitney Cummings

New York, NY, May 2, 2013 – Premium TV network EPIX unveiled a new lineup of comedy specials including a new summer season of the Comedy Unbound showcase, Fridays at 10 pm and The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall, an anniversary celebration of the renowned comedy club to premiere fall 2013 exclusively on EPIX, EPIX On Demand, EpixHD.com and EPIX apps across hundreds of devices including Xbox, PS3, Roku, iPads, iPhones and more.

The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wallis a one hour special event from the 50th Anniversary Celebration Tour of the IMPROV Comedy Clubs which have presented the biggest, most legendary comedians as well as the newest names in comedy in 26 cities across the country. The IMPROV documentary special will feature Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Larry David, Judd Apatow, Kathy Griffin, Whitney Cummings and more.  Executive producers are Budd Friedman, Mark Lonow and Spotted Dog Entertainment. The event is co-produced with Comedy Central, which will take a second window.

“We are proud to present the best in stand-up acts today and to work with great comedy institutions like the Improv,” said Mark Greenberg, EPIX President and CEO.

The new summer season of Comedy Unbound, airing Fridays at 10 pm, will kick off June 7 with the premiere of former “Saturday Night Live” funnyman Jim Breuer’s one-hour special and will include new specials from Sherri Shepherd, Tom Papa and Jim Norton:

 

Jim Breuer: And Laughter For All – June 7 @10PM ET:

Breuer, best known as “Goat Boy” and his spot on impersonation of “made man” Joe Pesci during his stint on “Saturday Night Live.” In “Jim Breuer: And Laughter For All,” he grapples with the absurdities and annoyances of finding himself a middle aged father of three in suburban New Jersey.  This is Breuer’s first ever stand-up comedy special for EPIX.

 

 

Sherri Shepherd: It’s My Time To Talk – June 21 @10PM ET:

The Emmy award-winning talk show co-host from ABC’s “The View” returns to her roots in stand-up comedy and ruminates on life in her new comedy special, “Sherri Shepherd: It’s My Time To Talk.”  She recounts the experience she had on “Dancing with the Stars” as well as the occasional awkward moments while doing Hot Topics on “The View,” among other off-beat revelations.

 

Tom Papa: Freaked Out – July 26 @10PM ET:

Known for his irreverent appearances on Leno, Letterman and Conan, and for hosting NBC’s “The Marriage Ref,” Papa stands out among his fellow comedians for his optimistic take on the mostly insane world he lives in.  For his first EPIX comedy special, and his second hour-long special directed by Rocker/Director Rob Zombie, Papa tackles the hazards of churches, loose change, old age, make-up, raising women, Chinese grocery stores and magical gnomes.

 

Jim Norton: American Degenerate – August 23 @10PM ET:

Triumphantly returning after his first EPIX comedy special, “Please Be Offended,” now airing on Comedy Central, Jim Norton continues his self-deprecating humor with his third hour standup special “Jim Norton: American Degenerate.” In his latest offering, Norton, a New York Times bestselling author, Tonight Show” regular, and the third micon Sirius/XM’s popular “The Opie and Anthony Show,” performs his unfiltered material “Jim Norton: American Degenerate” shot in Boston in front of his most hard core fans. Norton leaves nothing embarrassing off the table, skeweringa wide range of topics including politics, the media, and, of course, sex, with the knowledge that some of his remarks will no doubt inspire a wave of self-righteous online complaints by those who are easily offended.

 

Stills and key art from the specials can be found at press.epixhd.com.

About EPIX

EPIX® is the newest premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic library titles, plus original films, comedy, music and sports events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched October 2009 as the first multiplatform premium network with online accessibility for subscribers through EpixHD.com, EPIX pioneered the development and proliferation of TV Everywhere for American consumers. EPIX was the first premium network to launch on Xbox 360®consoles, first on Android™ tablets and phones, first on Roku® players and first to launch in the U.S. on PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system. EPIX is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads®, iPhones®, Kindle Fire tablets, Samsung® Smart TVs and Blu-ray™ players and more. Today EPIX remains the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up from new Hollywood hits to original programs on all platforms and provides more movies than any other premium network.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/EpixHD.

About the Improv

The Improv was founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman in a former New York City Vietnamese restaurant. Actor/Manager Mark Lonow joined Friedman as a full partner in 1979, since then and together they have franchised 26 Improv clubs across the U.S. Throughout 2013 the Improv clubs will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. Many well-known comics started their careers at the Improv while others continue, over the years, to pop into the club to try out new material. The list is a Who’s Who of Comedy: Jay Leno, Bette Midler, Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Rosie O’Donnell, Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Liza Minnelli, Drew Carey, Ellen DeGeneres, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, George Carlin. Older comics from earlier days who performed at the club included Sid Caeser, Milton Berle, Red Buttons and many others.  Improv clubs are presently located in Addison, Arlington and Houston, Texas; Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, Tampa, Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Los Angeles, Ontario, San Jose, Irvine and Brea, California; Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, Nevada; as well as in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Kansas City, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Tempe, Arizona and soon in Boca Raton, Florida.

Contact:                                                                                              

EPIX                                                                       FRANK PR

Jamie Colunga                                                   Clare Anne Darragh; ClareAnne@FrankPublicity.com

jcolunga@epixhd.com                                   Lina Plath; Lina@FrankPublicity.com

(212) 846-1843                                                  (646) 861-0843

 

 

 

EPIX PRESENTS “COMEDY UNBOUND” – A NEW COMEDY SHOWCASE THE LAST WEEKEND OF EVERY MONTH

New Uncensored Specials from: Jim Norton, Lewis Black, Kevin Smith, Jim Jefferies, Sherri Shepherd, and Eddie Griffin plus Ben Stiller’s All-Star Comedy Roundtable with Chris Rock and Jim Carrey, moderated by Bill Hader

 

Comedy Block also includes the Best of Amnesty International’s Secret Policeman’s Ball featuring Fred Armisen, Russell Brand, Hannibal Buress, David Cross, Bill Hader, Rashida Jones, Seth Meyers, Bob Odenkirk, John Oliver, Sarah Silverman, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig and more.

 

New York, NY – June 28, 2012 – EPIX, the premium entertainment network, today announced a new monthly comedy showcase “EPIX Comedy Unbound” kicking off with the EPIX Original Comedy Event Jim Norton: Please Be Offended on June 30. To air the last weekend of every month, “EPIX Comedy Unbound” builds off a base of EPIX alumni comedians who will return to the network with new specials, including Lewis Black and Kevin Smith, plus the addition of new comedians to the EPIX stage with specials from Jim Jefferies, Sherri Shepherd, and Eddie Griffin. High-profile comedy events will also be a part of the showcase, such as the annual All-Star Comedy Roundtable presented by Ben Stiller featuring Chris Rock and Jim Carrey, moderated by Bill Hader, taped live at the 2012 Nantucket Film Festival.

 

“Since the launch of the network, we have had great success with our original comedy specials with strong response and demand from our viewers across all platforms,” said Mark Greenberg, CEO and President, EPIX. “We are deepening our commitment to comedy by featuring the best of today’s stand-up comedians in our showcase and giving them free reign to push the envelope and bring our viewers uncensored comedy the way it was meant to be seen.”

 

“My experience with EPIX has been unlike any other network. I’ve worked closely with the EPIX team throughout the entire process, including promotion, which is an incredibly rare luxury for a performer,” said Jim Norton.

 

“EPIX is fantastic. They are all about comedy and do a great job finding out who has a nice following, who is liked on Twitter, and who is respected. There is a nice fraternity and sorority of comedians that EPIX has been building specials for and putting on the air,” said Kevin Smith.

 

EPIX works with each comedian to increase accessibility and engage fans with interactive online chats via EPIX Live and live tweeting from the comedians during show premieres.

 

New specials in “EPIX Comedy Unbound”:

 

Jim Norton: Please Be Offended – Premieres 6/30 at 10PM ET

In his first EPIX comedy special, comedian and bestselling author Jim Norton, a regular on Sirius/XM’s “The Opie and Anthony Show” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” performs unfiltered and uncensored in front an audience of rabid fans in Cleveland, Ohio. Addressing such things as the increasing amount of privacy invasion, the hypocrisy of people who are appalled by this, and the oversensitivity of everyone about almost everything, Norton, in his self-deprecating style, proves that being offended can often be hilarious.

 

All-Star Comedy Roundtable presented by Ben Stiller with Jim Carrey and Chris Rock, moderated by Bill Hader

Ben Stiller brings together some of his favorite comedians and performers for a unique, spontaneous and very funny conversation in the 4th Annual All-Star Comedy Roundtable – with guests this year including Jim Carrey, Chris Rock and host Bill Hader. The event was shot live June 22 at the Nantucket Film Festival by Red Hour Films in association with Spotted Dog Entertainment for broadcast on the network.

 

Best of Amnesty International’s Secret Policeman’s Ball

The best comedy segments from the Amnesty International Secret Policeman’s Ball held at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall in March including Fred Armisen, Russell Brand, Hannibal Buress, David Cross, Bill Hader, Rashida Jones, Seth Meyers, Bob Odenkirk, John Oliver, Sarah Silverman, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig and more.

 

Jim Jefferies Fully Functional

Caustic, charming, controversial, Jim Jefferies is a globally renowned Australian stand-up, acknowledged as the fastest rising and most hilarious comic to claw his way to the top of the comedy world – hailed by critics and loved by legions of fans. In his latest show, Fully Functional, Jim tells about living on the edge, through his true-life stories in which he has good intentions wrapped up in deviant behavior… from a threesome in Montreal to God at a party, to meeting a rock icon at a Q Magazine Awards – as only Jim can do, Fully Functional shocks and surprises.

 

Sherri Shepherd It’s My Time To Talk

Emmy award winning talk show host Sherri Shepherd of ABC’s The View returns to her roots of stand-up comedy and tells everything she’s been thinking, but unable to say without being interrupted, in her new stand-up comedy special entitled “It’s My Time To Talk.”  Sherri tells all the thoughts going on in her head when she was the “shocker elimination” on Dancing With The Stars as well as the numerous brain farts while doing Hot Topics on The View. With comical precision, Sherri tries to convince herself that she’s still a mini-skirt wearing, low cleavage, thigh high boot mama meanwhile her body is screaming reading glasses, Lipitor & orthotic shoes.  Sherri has an edge that lets everyone know that she is a grown woman, while being so likeable that every member of the church wants to follow her on Twitter. Learning that being a newlywed presents its own shocking experiences, Sherri is going to tell how to do it all scared!

 

Jay and Silent Bob Go Down Under

EPIX films the adventures of Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes (a.k.a. Jay) in their travels to Australia for a new special.

 

Lewis Black

The articulate, angry voice in America is coming back to EPIX with some of his friends: Kathleen Madigan, John Bowman, Jeff Stilson and other special guests.  Since he will be filming and performing at the City Winery in Chicago, a city and winery he loves, just before the political conventions, he will focus not only on the Democrats and the Republicans but also on the city of Chicago itself.  Knowing Lewis, he will express the opinions and emotions all three evoke in him and in us.  Will those emotions and opinions be nice?  Sometimes.  Will they be angry?  Probably.  Will they be funny?  Definitely!

 

Plus new a special from Eddie Griffin

 

About EPIX

 

EPIX is the newest premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic library titles, plus original films, comedy, music and sports events on TV, on demand, online and on devices. Launched October 2009 as the first multiplatform premium network with online accessibility for subscribers through EpixHD.com, EPIX pioneered the development and proliferation of TV Everywhere for American consumers. EPIX was the first premium network to launch on Xbox consoles, first on Android tablets and phones, first on Roku® players and is available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices including Apple® iPads®, iPhones®, Samsung® Smart TVs and Blu-ray™ players and more. Today EPIX remains the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up from new Hollywood hits to original programs on all platforms and provides more movies than any other premium network.

 

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.

 

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD and on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/EpixHD.

 

Contacts:

For EPIX                                                                                              Sloane & Company

Jamie Colunga                                                                                    Erica Bartsch

JColunga@EpixHD.com                                                                       ebartsch@sloanepr.com

212-846-1843                                                                                     212-446-1875