The Hamburger Club is a Jeopardy-style game show based in New York where comedians answer joke prompts (e.g. “what’s the deal with Waffle House?”) and earn points whenever the audience laughs. Each prompt also has answers written by the show’s five-person writers’ room. Comedians can wager their points on a one-minute stand-up set, with each round’s winner advancing to the final. You can watch their latest special here.
Host Will Maccaro hand-built the show’s set, which includes podiums, a spinning wheel, and professional game-show buzzers. “I run a fabrication shop that builds custom pieces, mostly for high-end Jewish weddings and bar mitzvahs,” says Maccaro.
Maccaro explains the difficulty of turning a live comedy show into something audiences will watch online.
Comedian Gus Tate catches an Instagram influencer stealing his joke word-for-word.
New Orleans Comedy Club Sports Drink expands with a new 200-seat comedy theater dubbed The Orange Violet, opening spring 2027.
Jason Zinoman covers how comedian and radio host Ron Bennington is recording an interview series while undergoing chemotherapy for Stage 4 colon cancer, speaking with comedians like Jim Gaffigan and Jessica Kirson.
Carrot Top is hospitalized and recovering following an alleged suicide attempt.
English comedians warn that Britain’s live-comedy sector is in crisis after three clubs close in one week.
A small comedy study finds that Scottish comedians face a “missing middle” between open mics and professional work.
Saturday Night Live adds Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter as featured players for Season 52 ahead of its September 26 premiere.
Jimmy Kimmel and ABC discuss a one-year extension for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with the network reportedly seeking 20% budget cuts.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert caps its final season with a second consecutive Outstanding Variety Series Emmy.
Hacks earns just two Emmys from a record 24 nominations for its final season.
Widow’s Bay sets a comedy record with 14 Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
Jackass: Best and Last arrives on Paramount+ September 24.
Andrew Dice Clay joins Benny Safdie’s live-action film Lizard Music in a voice role.
Ms. Pat signs a BET Studios deal with a starring role in VH1’s competition America’s Funniest People.
Comedian Kyle Gillis shares five lessons he learned from posting a new video every day for a year and how he gained 20,000 followers.
James “Murr” Murray reveals how he said no to MTV after they wanted to buy Impractical Jokers and remove him and the cast due to their age.
Mojo Brookzz argues that fans are more interested in seeing who they already follow than trusting clubs to curate good comedy.
Jimmy Carr emphasizes that succeeding in comedy depends on sustained discipline rather than talent alone.
Scott Dikkers explains that the ideal Onion article commits completely to one premise.
Specials and Tours
New specials from Nimesh Patel (Netflix, September 22), Alex Hernandez (YouTube, September 22), James Austin Johnson (YouTube, September 22), Uncle Lazer (YouTube, September 22), Ben Miller (YouTube, September 23), and Brennan Tasseff (YouTube, September 24).
Dave Chappelle announces a seven-city fall arena tour concluding at Madison Square Garden as part of the New York Comedy Festival.
Festivals Next Week
Seattle SketchFest · September 24–27 · Seattle, Washington
Edmonton Comedy Festival · September 24–27 · Edmonton, AB
Just For Laughs Toronto · September 24–October 3 · Toronto, ON
All The Laughs Comedy Festival · September 25–27 · Atlanta, Georgia
Festival Submissions
Funniest Person in the Universe • October 1–December 20 • Glendale, Arizona. Ninety contestants are randomly selected from qualifying submissions. First place wins $1,001, second place $100, and third place $50. Submission fee: Free. Submission deadline: September 20. Submit here.
(Full list on our website here, updated weekly)
Comedy Jobs
NBCUniversal · New York City. Audience Coordinator for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Full-time. $17–20/hour.
Netflix · Los Angeles, California. Manager, Netflix Is a Joke Social Marketing. Full-time. $177,000–$306,000/year.
Comedy Central’s The Daily Show · New York City. The Daily Show Internship. Temporary. $17/hour.
Angel Studios · Provo, Utah. Director of Dry Bar Comedy. Full-time. $118,000–$132,000/year.
New York Comedy Club Stamford · Stamford, Connecticut. Night Manager. Part-time. $25/hour.
Austin Nasso Comedy LLC · New York City. Executive Assistant. Part-time. Contract. From $35/hour.
American High’s The Slice Club · Liverpool, New York. General Manager – Comedy Club & Restaurant. Full-time or Part-time. $30–39/hour.
Leapstart Inc. · Menlo Park and Cupertino, California. Theater & Improv Teacher. Part-time. Contract. $20–30/hour.
Socially Inept: Tech Roast Show · Remote. Touring Operations Manager. Part-time. Contract. From $55/hour.
Casting Calls / Gigs
Red Room Comedy Club · Chicago, Illinois. Bleed Local: Blood Drive + Open Mic. September 27; blood drive 2–7 p.m. and mic 4–7 p.m. Donors receive five minutes of stage time. Limited to 30 spots. Includes two $10,000 gift-card raffles; best set wins a 20-minute headline spot.
Late Night at the Lodge · Chicago, Illinois. Comedian Submissions. Local comics should apply through the form; visiting comics can DM their dates, city, credits and tape. Shows are typically booked one month ahead. Submission advice here.
HumanSignal · Atlanta, Georgia. Voice Acting and Improv Work. Temporary. $50/hour; typically $200 per session.
Laughing Buddha Comedy · New York City. LBC Fall Fest. October 13–November 5. Submit a video of up to five minutes by October 10. Fee: $25 through October 8; $30 afterward. More than $2,000 in prizes, including $1,500 and 10 guest spots for the winner.
Malarkey Comedy · Chicago, Illinois. BattleProv 2026 Auditions. September 28 at The iO Theater. Rehearsals begin this fall, with Thursday shows from November through April. Auditions are full, but performers can contact the organizer about additional spots. Compensation not listed.
(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].