Jay Servedio and Amy Currul are executive producers of On The Watch List, a sketch show held on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that Jay describes as “My schizophrenic idea of The Daily Show meets Mr. Show.”
The show is skit-driven with a projector displaying images, costumed characters appearing in the crowd (e.g., a Lorax brandishing a gun), and Jeopardy-style games. You can watch a trailer for it here. It’s madness.
Amy and Jay decided to apply to Edinburgh Fringe and were accepted. They had only done two of their shows before applying. The key: they taped both shows. Amy also texted some friends who had applied in the past for some tips. Now they are performing at one of the major Fringe venues with an 80-seat capacity.
About 250 km north of Edinburgh is Scotland’s northernmost city: Inverness. Comedian Marc Ross lives there and runs Monster Comedy, a dinner and comedy show held on the first Friday of every month upstairs in a tapas joint. “Inverness is quite remote, over 3 hours from Glasgow and Edinburgh,” says Marc. “It is a bit disconnected from scenes in other Scottish cities, comedy-wise.”
Stavros Halkias discusses the rightward shift of his fellow comedians, how he feels forced to make political comedy, and why no one gets funnier on a private jet in a new Popcast interview.
Luke Girgis writes on how Joe DeRosa independently released his special after major streamers passed, racked up 800,000+ YouTube views, and ultimately landed a Netflix deal for it months later.
Marc Maron argues that podcasting and crowd-work clips are lowering the bar for stand-up. He predicts that well-crafted comedy will become increasingly undervalued.
Dave Chappelle argues with venue staff in England to keep a show going after the sound is cut to comply with the venue’s curfew.
Amanda Knox responds to a petition to cancel her Edinburgh Fringe show, arguing that it honors Meredith Kercher’s memory and explores her wrongful conviction.
Sebastian Maniscalco launches We Got Company, a monthly SiriusXM interview series.
Jason Zinoman profiles Rory Scovel for The New York Times, while The Hollywood Reporter also profiles him around his new Netflix special.
Wall Street Journal Magazine profiles Shane Gillis.
Matt Ruby writes about Chris Gethard’s approach to following heavy hitters at the Comedy Cellar.
Nikki Glaser signs with WME for representation after eight years at UTA.
Madeleine Smithberg sets a 2027 release for her memoir Finding the Funny: My Mad Ride Thru Late-Night Comedy, covering her work on Letterman and as co-creator of The Daily Show.
Amy Schumer announces her first children’s book, A Joke of Her Own, inspired by her childhood experiences with comedy.
Former NFL player Jack Crawford discusses his transition to stand-up comedy from a football career.
Kill Tony launches Kill Tony+, a premium subscription for ad-free episodes, AMAs, exclusive live-show camera angles.
Bill Bellamy receives the Icon Award at the 2026 Whats Funny Comedy Festival.
SNL UK sets its Season 2 premiere for September 12, with the total episodes expanding from eight to 12.
Seinfeld’s 180 episodes will remain on Netflix for another five years.
SNL’s Veronika Słowikowska lands her first leading feature-film role in Stephanie, Bride to Be, a comedy she helped develop and will executive produce.
Rolling Loud releases its official trailer, featuring Owen Wilson and comedian Matt Rife. The comedy hits theaters October 2. Trailer here.
LateNighter’s Nick Riccardo traces how Steve Allen accidentally established the iconic late-night opening monologue on Tonight.
Martin Short discusses his Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary, Marty, Life Is Short, with Deadline’s Matthew Carey.
Barack Obama appears as himself alongside Larry David in a Life, Larry & the Pursuit of Unhappiness sketch that reimagines David as the person responsible for Obama’s infamous 2014 tan suit.
Jimmy Kimmel joins David Letterman for the upcoming seventh season of Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.
Conan O’Brien Must Go releases its Season 3 trailer.
Specials and Tours
New specials from Frank Skinner (Sky/NOW, August 14), Christine Little (Prime/Apple, August 18), Kelsey Cook (Netflix, August 18), Tim Butterly (YouTube, August 18), and Jay Chandrasekhar (Veeps, August 20).
Mike Birbiglia pulls out of four upcoming dates on John Mulaney’s tour to pursue an unnamed “dream project” in September.
Festivals This Month
Edinburgh Fringe · August 7–31 · Edinburgh, Scotland
Desi Comedy Fest · August 18–23 · San Francisco, California
Blue Whale Comedy Festival · August 20–23 · Tulsa, Oklahoma
Austin Sketch Fest · August 21–23 · Austin, Texas
Festival Submissions
World Series of Comedy • Throughout 2026 • US and Canada. Stand-up competition with a main event, paid bookings, and industry exposure. Submission fee: $75. Deadline: Around August 16, 2026 (varies by location). Submit here.
BattleAxe Festival • October 23–25, 2026 • Columbus, Ohio. Women and queer-focused festival with stand-up and improv. Performers share show revenue; out-of-town teams receive a travel stipend. Submission fee: free. Deadline: August 16, 2026. Submit here.
FRINGE WORLD • January 20–February 14, 2027 • Perth, Western Australia. Submission fee: Not listed. Deadline: August 17, 2026. Submit here.
Comedy Fempire Festival • October 23–25, 2026 • Denver, Colorado. Women-focused comedy festival. Submission fee: $20. Deadline: August 20, 2026. Submit here.
Rivertowns Improv Fall Festival • October 16–17, 2026 • Croton-on-Hudson, New York. Performances, workshops, networking, and opportunities for teams, individual performers, and instructors. Submission fee: $35. Deadline: August 22, 2026. Submit here.
(Full list on our website here, updated weekly)
Comedy Jobs
Live Nation Entertainment · Remote (Texas). LN Venues, Comedy Marketing Coordinator. Full-time. Compensation not listed.
Per My Last Roast · Remote. Corporate Roast Comic Podcast Host. Compensation not listed.
Montclair Comedy Festival · Montclair, NJ. Sponsorship Sales Representative, Montclair Comedy Festival. Temporary. Part-time. Commission-based.
Comedy Cellar & Olive Tree Cafe · New York, NY. Service Bartender. Full-time. Wage + tips.
The Groundlings Theatre & School · Los Angeles, CA. Corporate Sales & Events Manager; Part-Time Technical Coordinator. Part-time. $23–$34/hour.
Casting Calls / Gigs
New York City, NY. Press & Audience Development Producer – NYC Theater/Comedy Festival. Contract. Paid project fee + up to $200 milestone bonus; please include your proposed flat fee.
All Star Sluggers / Daisy Theatricals · New York, NY. Looking for Sketch Comedians to Become an A.S.S. Rehearsals/meetings unpaid; performances operate on a profit split.
Scooch · Remote. Comedy Script for Scooch for a Wallet Cell Phone Case. Freelance. $28–$50/hour.
Drunk Shakespeare / Brass Jar Productions · Washington, DC. Part-Time Stage Manager. Part-time. $20/hour / $97 per show.
Clean Comedy ATX at The Hive · Austin, TX. Clean Comedy Showcase. Monthly showcase. Apply through CleanComedyATX.com or email [email protected] with your name, contact information, performance clip, and availability. $50 for feature sets.
(Full list on our website here, updated weekly)
That’s The Jokebook — your Sunday comedy update. Have something to share? Message us at [email protected].