‘Good Talk with Anthony Jeselnik’ airs on Comedy Central
Brody Stevens (“The Hangover,” 2009), who died earlier this year. “Good Talk with Anthony Jeselnick” airs Fridays on Comedy Central. Tune in to “Celebrity Ghost Stories,” which premieres Wednesday, Oct. 30, on A&E.
Let’s talk comedy: Anthony Jeselnick defines the spirit of the modern standup comedy. He’s made a career out of pushing boundaries and finding laughter in the most unexpected (some would say inappropriate) places, and he delivers each joke with the perfect deadpan that has become his comedic trademark. But his new Comedy Central series, “Good Talk with Anthony Jeselnick,” treats viewers to a rarely seen side of the comic. In the six-episode project, which airs Fridays on Comedy Central, he finally lets audiences get a glimpse of what’s behind his nihilistic stage persona.
Well, sort of. We’re still talking about a comedian who named his last special “Fire in the Maternity Ward” — sincerity isn’t really what he’s known for, which only makes the design of this new series more of a delight. It’s not a half-hour opportunity for Jeselnick to roast a lineup of different celebrities (although he manages to fit that in, too). Rather, it’s an amusing, surprisingly honest contemplation of what comedy can mean to someone who spends his life trying to make people laugh.
Nick Kroll (“The League”), Kristen Schaal (“Last Man On Earth”), David Spade (“Love”), Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”), Tig Notaro (“One Mississippi”) and Natasha Leggero (“Another Period”) fill out the season’s lineup, and the connection Jeselnick has with each of them is a genuine pleasure to watch.
Each episode features Jeselnick guiding his guest through a number of comedy-insider topics and games, all of which create an odd and completely unique tone that combines the host’s acidity with the show’s earnest, conversational premise. For instance, in a part called “A Segment in Timeless Comedy,” Jeselnick shows guests clips of their old, often less-than-progressive comedy routines and gleefully grills them on how much (or how little) they’re willing to defend them today.
In a less venomous bit called “Agree or Disagree,” Jeselnick makes a broad generalization about comedians and finds out how well the guest relates to it. And, in a segment that features Jeselnick as unguarded as you’ll ever find him, he talks with Kroll about his friendship with comedian Hollywood meets the graveyard: Lovers of the paranormal, rejoice. A&E is bringing back a fan favorite five years after it went off the air. “Celebrity Ghost Stories” premiered in 2009, and it took viewers on a journey through their favorite celebrities’ creepy tales. After five seasons bridging Hollywood glamour and ghouls, the show ended, but it was revived earlier this year when A&E greenlit a six-episode revival.
Premiering Wednesday, Oct. 30, the 2019 iteration stays true to its original form. Kim Russo, world-renowned paranormal storyteller and psychic medium, leads the celebrity guests through their terrifying memories and offers insight into the otherworldly subjects the stories touch on. Russo, who made a name for herself in “The Haunting Of” (a spinoff of the original “Celebrity Ghost Stories”), even takes some of the celebrities back to the sites of their paranormal experiences for cathartic and, at times, dangerous reunions with the ghostly apparitions.
The docuseries is part of a fiveshow paranormal roster A&E has ordered for its fall schedule. Head of programming Elaine Frontain Bryant told the Hollywood Reporter that this is a calculated decision that goes beyond the typical Halloween fixation: “It feels like it’s a time in the country where there’s a trend for people to be spiritual without being overly religious. I think paranormal programming can feed that, while being entertainment-forward.”
The merriest home on the block: The top-ranked HGTV series returns for its fourth season, and it’s changing everything for one lucky family. “Home To Win: For the Holidays” premieres Sunday, Oct. 27, with its world-class construction and design crew set to turn a spacious, decaying property into a modern home.
“Home To Win” has an incredibly loyal fanbase, mainly due to the quality of the makeover that occurs each season. The final results are consistently astonishing, and the last two seasons have given away magnificent, personalized properties. This season’s property is a Victorian home that’s quite bare and in need of an update.
The enormous team that works tirelessly to update these gorgeous properties is back in its entirety: designers Jo Alcorn, Sarah Baeumler and Sarah Keenleyside as well as builders Carson Arthur, Sebastian Clovis, Rob Evans, Joey Fletcher and Sherry and Michael Holmes, to name a few. This incomparable cast keeps their stress levels at bay throughout the season with friendly reindeer games that test their teamwork and craft abilities.
Leading the team is the always-reliable Sangita Patel, whose engaging hosting skills are often the only source of calm amid the delightful home reno chaos. Tune in to see how the “Home to Win: For the Holidays” team works the holiday season into their designs when it premieres Sunday, Oct. 27, on HGTV.