
For the past 15 years, Comedy Central’s half hour specials have showcased the future stars of standup. Looking back, the early years of Comedy Central Presents included memorable sets from the likes of Mitch Hedberg, Patton Oswalt, Maria Bamford, Dane Cook and dozens more. Re-branded The Half Hour in 2012, the series continues to feature the best up-and-coming comics in the country.
For many comedians, it’s that history that makes doing a half hour special so significant. While a half hour may once have been a comic’s first major exposure, comedians now have many ways to build an audience. Almost everyone who taped a special this year does non-standup comedy as [...]
Here's a sketch from last night's Nikki & Sara LIVE, Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer's MTV show, in which they find out the show can only have one host and they must compete for it, Hunger Games style. This is what I imagine the Leno/Fallon thing was like behind the scenes.

This week, Sara and Nikki declassify the events surrounding last week's torrent of celebrity encounters, codenamed "Zero Dark Flirty". Comic Moshe Kasher (@moshekasher, The Champs podcast) barely makes it past MTV's team of New World Order security guards in time to plug his shows at Carolines with Natasha Leggero this very weekend and reminisce about his last barfight. Moshe, whose dark and hilarious memoir Kasher in the Rye was published last year, has been cutting his way through the jungle of the LA TV biz and he comes armed with tales of treacherous table-reads and wise words for tackling rampant self-doubt. The gang talks [...]

This week, Sara and Nikki react live on-mic to their first taste of the Suit & Tie video (or at least to the best bits, until all that wacky jumping business). After considering to which drug Vine is most similar, the ladies share some dark thoughts and weird feelings that follow them through life and the causes and goals that help them cope. Looking like a badass angel from a half-remembered dream (probably involving cereal), rocker, proprietor, and professional partier Andrew W.K. suddenly appears to give one crazy-entertaining interview. Besides discussing the many merits of the Internet and his first-rate Twitter, Andrew riffs [...]