Names and faces
■ Kevin Hart will debut his new SiriusXM original podcast with Jerry Seinfeld as the series’ inaugural guest.
The satellite radio company announced Wednesday the premiere of Hart’s “Inside Jokes with Kevin Hart” along with two other original programs. He was set to host the series premiere with Seinfeld’s guest appearance on the Laugh Out Loud Radio channel Wednesday. On “Inside Jokes,” Hart will interview top comedians and rising stars. The superstar comedian-actor will chronicle his comedy club experiences and touch on “never-before-heard” stories. Along with Seinfeld, the show’s forthcoming lineup includes Steve Harvey, Bill Burr, Cedric The Entertainer, Desus & Mero, Nick Kroll, Hasan Minhaj and Zainab Johnson. “I’m sitting down with some of the best voices in comedy to give my listeners the stories behind the jokes they hear on stage,” Hart said in a statement. “Comedians have been through it all, and I’m excited that I’ll be digging deep into the lives of my peers for my first podcast.” In addition to “Inside Jokes,” Hart’s Laugh Out Loud will air two new shows, “Date Night with Chris and Vanessa” on Fridays and “The Ladies Room with Jazzy” on Mondays and Wednesdays. Both shows are debuting this week. Last year, SiriusXM announced a new multiplatform deal with Hart and his comedy network. Along with his channel, Laugh Out Loud Radio, Hart is expected to expand additional comedic programming that includes radio shows, podcasts and on-demand video.
■ Just when you thought Seth Rogen couldn’t get any higher, the actor, comedian and filmmaker has a deal with Crown — the same Penguin Random House imprint that publishes the Obamas — for his first book. It’s called “Yearbook” and it’s scheduled for May 11. Rogen also is reading the audiobook, which comes out the same day. In a statement from the publisher Wednesday purported to be from Rogen’s mother, Sandy, she calls his literary endeavor “not really a memoir” but more like “a bunch of funny stories.” “He talks about doing stand-up when he was a kid (I drove him to all his shows!), his grandparents, high school, moving to L.A., meeting some famous people, things like that. If I’m being honest, I really wish there wasn’t so much drug talk,” Seth’s mom said. “Why does he need all that? It’s like ‘We get it!’ And some of the stories? I mean, they’re entertaining, but I was just shocked they happened and he never told me!”