Monday
Al Jackson
Al Jackson is a Los Angeles-based stand-up comedian, writer, and TV/radio personality best known for his 30-minute “Comedy Central Presents: Al Jackson” special, and for his role as host of the BAFTA-nominated BBC series, “Officially Amazing”. In 2014, Al will also be seen on Dave Attell’s new Comedy Central stand-up series, on FXX’s “Legit”, on GSN’s Mind of a Man”, and on the NickMOM series, “Parental Discretion”.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Al began his comedy career while working as a middle school teacher in Miami. After two appearances on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and winning several comedy competitions, Al further built his resume with a series of credits including: TBS’ “Comedy Cuts”, Showtime’s “Louie Anderson Presents”, hosting FOX’s nationally syndicated travel show “Awesome Adventures”, and writing for TruTV’s “Upload with Shaquille O’Neal”. He has also appeared on Comedy Central’s “John Oliver NY Stand-Up Special”, “50 Super Epic TV Moments” and “50 Most Insane Celebrity Oops” (both on the E! Network), and serving as a coach on an Emmy-winning season of MTV’s “MADE”.
In addition to his work in television and radio, Al performs regularly at colleges, comedy clubs, and prestigious comedy festivals including the Montreal Comedy Festival, the HBO Comedy Festival, and the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival where, in 2011, he was voted one of the Best of the Fest. Visit his website here. Follow him on twitter here.
Nicole Pence
Nicole Pence is an Emmy-nominated journalist living in Central Indiana.
Pence joined FOX59 in June 2014 to help launch a brand new newscast, “FOX59 NewsPoint at 11PM.”
The NATAS Lower Great Lakes chapter nominated Pence for an Emmy award for her work as a broadcast anchor in April of 2014.
Before coming to FOX59, Pence solo anchored Indianapolis’ number-one rated weekend morning program, Weekend Sunrise on WTHR. Pence helped to increase ratings nearly twenty percent year to year. Pence left WTHR in November of 2013.
Previously, Pence was nominated for a 2010 regional Emmy Award for her work at WLEX-TV in Lexington, Kentucky as the main morning co-anchor. Pence also received second-place honors as “Best News Anchor” in the 2011 Kentucky Associated Press Awards.
Prior to working at LEX-18, Pence reported for Indiana’s NewsCenter (NBC/ABC/CW) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
A midwestern girl, Pence grew up in Columbus, Indiana. She graduated Cum Laude from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana with a double major in Communication Arts & Sciences and Spanish and a minor in Political Science. She also earned her Master’s of Public Affairs (MPA) from Indiana University-Purdue University at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Indianapolis with high honors. Pence is married.
In her spare time, Pence loves to travel. She lived with a family in Segovia, Spain, studied cooking in Italy, climbed the Great Wall in Beijing, China, crawled through the Pyramids in Cairo, Egypt, and tangoed in Argentina!
Pence is involved with several Central Indiana organizations, including Make-A-Wish, Pacers Cares, and the DePauw University Alumni Association. Follow her on twitter.
Tuesday
Costaki Economopoulos
Costaki Economopoulos is a comedian, true, but he’s also a football fan. Those two factors alone make him the perfect candidate to give us a comedic look back at the NFL each week with his new feature that’s also been picked up by The Huffington Post and Bleacher Report. With his Greek heritage, it’s not surprising that he’s been described as a “joke philosopher,” and we’re sure he’s not the only one saying that. Costaki is also a talented joke writer who’s punchlines have been heard on “The Tonight Show,” Showtime, BET, and MTV. Follow Costaki on facebook and twitter. Visit his website here.
Jeff Oskay
Jeff Oskay has made finding faults in himself and others an art form. Through his tales of ‘Bad Life Choices’, he shows us that we are all human and that we should all laugh at ourselves. Whether you’re eighteen or eighty, you will find his comedy accessible and hilarious. Along with comedy, he’s divorced, has a child, always take the easy way out, and once had a day job where he did nothing but slice fruit for nine hours straight every day, seven days a week. He also appeared on the B&T album “Crushed Nuts” and hosts his own podcast. Follow Jeff on facebook and twitter.
Wednesday
Paul Mecurio
After walking away from a sweet Wall Street job, Paul Mecurio turned to a life of comedy and hasn’t looked back sense. He started as a staff writer for Jay Leno and soon found himself collecting awards for his work with the “Daily Show with Jon Stewart” where his duties included warming up the crowd. Now, along with being a top-notch headlining comedian, Mecurio also has a featured on the B&T Show (as well as a new CD) called Image Makeover, and starred in an online video sports series on HBO.com called “Got No Game.” Check out Paul’s new podcast, “The Paul Mecurio Show.” Some of his guests include rock legend Paul McCartney, Stephen Colbert, Larry the Cable Guy, and Bob Kevoian! Visit his website here. Follow him on facebook and twitter.
Gilbert Gottfried
At the young age of 15, Gilbert Gottfried began doing stand-up at open mike nights in New York City and after a few short years, became known around town as “The Comedian’s Comedian.” After spending several years mastering the art of stand-up comedy, producers of the legendary NBC late night comedy show “Saturday Night Live” became aware of Gottfried and, in 1980, hired him as a cast member. It wasn’t until a few years later when his true notoriety would begin when MTV hired him for a series of improvised and hilarious promos for the newly formed channel. This led to several television appearances on “The Cosby Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman.”
Gottfried’s work in television soon led to roles in film. Most notable was his improvised scene as business manager Sidney Bernstein in the hit sequel “Beverly Hills Cop II,” for which the New York Daily News said, “Gilbert Gottfried steals the picture with a single scene.” Aside from his glowing reputation in comedy clubs, Gottfried began to gain a reputation as the king of quirky roles in both movies and television. He appeared in such movies as “Problem Child,” “Problem Child II,” “Look Who’s Talking II” and “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.” He was also the host of the very popular late night movie series “USA Up All Night.”
After his stellar performance as the wise cracking parrot, IAGO, in the Disney classic “Aladdin,” Gottfried became one of the most recognizable voiceover talents, lending his voice to several commercials, cartoons and movies, including the frustrated duck in the AFLAC Insurance commercials. Gottfried also is the voice of DIGIT in the long running PBS Series “Cyberchase,” can be heard on the Comedy Central series, “The Annoying Orange”, and as the voice of the horse on “Family Guy.”
Gottfried appeared on the ABC reality series “Celebrity Wife Swap,” swapping with Alan Thicke, numerous Comedy Central Roasts and the Comedy Central series, “The Burn with Jeff Ross.” Gottfried’s hilarious viral video reading of “Fifty Shades of Grey” (College Humor) received over 4 million views on YouTube. Gilbert is a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Howard Stern Show.” In addition, has had a recurring role on “Law and Order” SVU as TARU tech Leo Gerber.
Gottfried appeared in the hit comedy documentary “The Aristocrats,” with Entertainment Weekly saying that “out of the 101 comedians who appear on screen, no one is funnier – or more disgusting than Gilbert Gottfried.” Gottfried, a classic movie lover, was a guest Programmer on TCM. He mock-complained to TCM host Robert Osborne that choosing only four films out of all those available was “the worst homework assignment ever!”
“Gilbert Gottfried Dirty Jokes” was released on both DVD and CD, featuring 50 non-stop minutes of Gottfried telling the funniest and filthiest jokes ever. The show was filmed live at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. Also featured on the DVD are some of the funniest bonus features ever, including wild stories, indignant ranting and celebrity impressions.
Rubber Balls and Liquor is Gilbert Gottfried’s hilarious first-ever book. Part memoir, part twisted social commentary, and part scratches on the bathroom wall. With this scathingly funny book of rants and musings, Gottfried sullies an entirely new medium with his dysfunctional worldview.
As a famed comics comic, Gottfried puts aside political correctness for his live performance and fires an onslaught of jokes that know no boundaries. Follow him on twitter. Visit his website.
Thursday
Tim Cavanagh
Need a song about your governor? How about Flag Day? Tim Cavanagh is the man for the job. Hey, he’s even written a ditty about Writer’s Block! No subject is taboo – uh, oh, yeah, he’s even written a song about that! You never know what Tim’s next target will be. On the show, Tim is famous for previously being the ”One-Minute Song Guy” and currently for his Cavalcade of Celebrity Birthdays feature. He hails from Chicago and is a huge White Sox fan!. Follow Tim on twitter and facebook. Check out his website here.
Orny Adams
American comic Orny Adams first rose to international prominence after co-starring in Jerry Seinfeld’s documentary “Comedian.” He has made several appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. In 2010, Orny followed up his critically acclaimed debut comedy DVD/CD “Path Of Most Resistance,” with a powerful and poignant one hour special “Orny Adams Takes The Third” which aired on Comedy Central. The DVD reached number one in comedy on Amazon. Currently, Orny can be seen playing the iconic role “Coach Finstock” on the hit MTV show “Teen Wolf,” a one hour drama created by Criminal Mind’s Jeff Davis.
Early in his career Orny was named in The Hollywood Reporter as a favorite comedian to watch. He has written jokes for Jay Leno, Garry Shandling, and many other top comedians. He has twice written for the Annual Emmys Broadcast and has become the “go to” guy when a celebrity needs a funny line. In July 2000, Orny made quite an impact at the Montreal Comedy Festival, which resulted in a development deal with Warner Brothers Studio, and his appearance on Letterman. In 2010, Orny was thrilled to return to the festival in Montreal working alongside one of his favorite comedians Steve Martin on a taped televised stand up show Martin hosted. Orny garnered rave reviews for his performance and was called a “Stand-out act” by The Hollywood Reporter.
Other notable projects include a talk show pilot developed for Orny by CBS Television Distribution/Kingworld along side Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Films. Orny shot another pilot for his own late night talk show for TBS and taped his own series, “Modern Chaos with Orny Adams” for The Discovery Channel. He hosted his own show on Discovery’s Travel Channel, has appeared on Jiminy Glick, Tough Crowd on Comedy Central, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Last Call With Carson Daly, and did a regular segment on Hollywood and politics on
Entertainment Tonight and The Insider. You may also recognize him from other notable television appearances and many of his national commercials, including Coca-Cola. Orny made his first TV appearance in 1996 on Friday Night Videos. When not performing stand-up, Orny spends his days writing, penning scripts, and developing television shows. A few years back, he struck a deal with Endimol for “The Pitch,” a reality show he conceived.
But none of this matters until you see Orny live where he is at his best, deconstructing the chaos of the modern world and getting worked up about things that most people just accept. His tour has reached clubs, theatres, even the Staples Center in LA, colleges, corporate events, and festivals as far away as Ireland, Australia, and South Africa. Orny’s comedy style is unique, yet universally appealing. Orny is quick on his feet to deliver a powerful, clever, sophisticated, and fast paced routine that attacks topics from an angle that many people have never considered.
Go see for yourself. For more information, video clips and everything Orny go to: www.ornyadams.com. Follow him on twitter.
Friday
Arden Myrin
Arden Myrin is an actress, writer and comedian. A popular roundtable panelist on Chelsea Lately, Arden appeared on the show over 115 times, proving that all those years she spent reading Us Weekly for “research” were worth it. On the acting fron, she will appear in the upcoming ABC show Fresh Off the Boat. Arden was also a cast member on MADtv for four years, where she wrote many of her sketches, and was surprised to be in her underwear on TV a lot. Arden is a frequent guest on Comedy Central’s new hit show @midnight and was one of the first females to “win the Internet.” Arden has appeared on Orange Is the New Black, Key and Peele, Inside Amy Schumer, Suburgatory, Hung, Legit, Reno 911, Quickdraw, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Psych, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Party Down, Hot in Cleveland, Legit, Soul Man and Quick Draw, among others.
Her film credits include Morning Glory, Kinsey, The Lucky Ones and Bubble Boy, and the Sundance movies Bachelorette, Wrong and Wrong Cops.
As a writer Arden just sold a sitcom to ABC Studios called Playing with Boys about a female comedian living in Brooklyn, and also recently shot a pilot called Hole to Hole for Adult Swim that she wrote with South Park producer Pam Brady. They were the first females to sell a show to this popular network, with Arden serving as co-executive producer, writer and star.
Arden loves interior design, appearing with her designs on The Nate Berkus four times, as well as being featured on Apartment Therapy. Mostly Arden loves naps, sledding, and peanut butter. Follow her on twitter. Visit her website.
Bob Zany
It’s time for another exciting episode of the best joke filled, news feature hosted by a stand-up comedian named Bob Zany, The Zany Report . But the Report isn’t the only thing you’ll get when Bob calls in, we’ll also find out where he’s playing next, Bing Crosby will tell a joke, and some lucky fan will win prizes after fixing one Zany’s less than successful punch lines. So you’d better tune it because it’s going to be huge! In other news, Bob was recently featured in the Matt Damon film, The Informant! and is the star of the new documentary Close But No Cigar: Bob Zany which you can find here and pre-order the 2-DVD set here. Follow Bob on Facebook and twitter. Bob also has a new Podcast, “ The Bob Zany Show.
Fortune Feimster
The loveable Southern comic, Fortune Feimster, moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue comedy after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Peace College in North Carolina. First she made a pit stop in Sevilla, Spain where she taught English, studied Spanish, and backpacked all over Europe for a year. Then with $25 in her pocket she landed in Los Angeles, slept on a friend’s couch for a month, and hoped for the best.
After a brief stint as a personal assistant where she lost her boss’s cat on at least three occasions (don’t worry she found him!), Fortune was hired to be an entertainment journalist for the syndicated newspaper column Beck/Smith. She would remain with them for seven years where she was published in such outlets as the Creators Syndicate, Netscape.com, and the LA and NY Daily News.
It was in 2005 that Fortune began taking improv and sketch classes at the Groundlings Theatre as a way to make friends but soon a budding comedian was born! After four years of intense training, she was selected to be in the Groundlings’ prestigious Sunday Company (with alumni like Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig) where she performed a new sketch show every week for a year-and-a-half.
It wouldn’t be long before Fortune would begin making a name for herself in the standup world after being made a paid regular at the World Famous Comedy Store and being selected as one of the “New Faces” at the renowned Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Soon she made her national TV debut on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” where she finished as a semi-finalist.
During this time, she was flown out twice to New York to audition in front of Lorne Michaels for “Saturday Night Live,” but it would be Chelsea Handler who would give Fortune her next big platform. Fortune has now been a full-time writer and performer on the E! Network’s popular show, “Chelsea Lately,” for the last three years, and is a main cast member on their scripted series “After Lately.”
Most recently Fortune opened for Chelsea at Caesar’s Palace in Windsor and she performed in front of 15,000 people as part of Dave Chappelle and Flight of the Conchord’s “Oddball Fest.” Her standup was also featured on HBO Canada’s “Funny As Hell” and she’ll be appearing in an upcoming episode of Comedy Central’s storytelling show “This Is Not Happening.” She can currently be seen in the Jim Belushi movie, “The Secret Lives of Dorks,” which was just released in theaters.
In her spare time, Fortune acts like she’s 12 years old by playing soccer and tennis every week, she has a secret passion for scrapbooking (shhh!!), and she writes ridiculous things on Twitter. She also travels all over the world doing standup. Visit her website.