Source: Turner Networks
November 17th, 2008--Cheech & Chong, the stoner pair who dominated the
comedy scene in the 1970s and ’80s and recently reunited for their Light
Up America tour, will take their place in THE COMEDY FESTIVAL hot seat
to be roasted by close friends and fellow comedians in TBS’s one-hour
comedy event CHEECH & CHONG ROASTED. Emmy®-winning comic actor Brad Garrett
(Everybody Loves Raymond, ‘Til Death) will host the festivities, which
are set to feature scorchingly funny testimonials from such scheduled
roasters as comedian Tom Arnold, television journalist Geraldo Rivera,
comic magicians Penn & Teller and That ‘70s Show’s Wilmer Valderrama,
comedian Greg Giraldo, The Rev. Al Sharpton and Tommy Chong’s wife, actress
Shelby Chong, with special appearances by actor Steve Carell and comedian
Andy Dick.
CHEECH & CHONG ROASTED will take place in The Palace at Caesars Palace
Friday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. (PT), with the show premiering on TBS Sunday,
Nov. 30, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT). Robert Morton (Late Show with David Letterman,
Chocolate News) will serve as executive producer with Ben Feigin of
Anonymous Content and Josh Klein of The Group Management. John Moffitt
(Bill Maher: The Decider, Mr. Show with Bob and David) is directing.
Cheech & Chong – aka Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong – made a name for
themselves with their drug-laced humor, which kept audiences rolling
in the aisles with such comedy routines as “Earache My Eye,” “Basketball
Jones,” “Santa Claus and His Old Lady” and “Sister Mary Elephant.” They
transferred their success to the big screen with a number of hit movies,
like Up in Smoke, Nice Dreams and Things are Tough All Over. After several
years working on solo careers, the pair recently hooked up again to
take their comedy on the road with an American and Canadian tour.
CHEECH & CHONG ROASTED host Brad Garrett earned five Emmy nominations
and three Emmys for his work on the long-running series Everybody Loves
Raymond. He can currently be seen in the comedy series ‘Til Death. Named
Best Comedian by the Las Vegas Review Journal in 1989, he has appeared
in numerous television series and films, including Mad About You, Seinfeld,
Clubland, Sweet & Lowdown and Don King: Only in America, and provided
voice work in such films as Ratatouille, A Bug’s Life, Riff Raff, Underdog
and Casper.
The following is a complete list of the celebrities ready to roast
Cheech & Chong with their comic barbs:
Tom Arnold: Actor, stand-up comedian and comedy writer; wrote extensively
for and appeared occasionally on the hit series Roseanne, and starred
in his own comedy series, The Tom Show. Additional credits include Nine
Months, True Lies, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Happy
Endings, The Kid & I, The Great Buck Howard, Good Dick, The Year of
Getting to Know Us, Best Damn Sports Show Period, and he can currently
be seen in Gardens of the Night.
Geraldo Rivera: Host of FOX News’ Geraldo at Large; veteran foreign
correspondent who has been on the frontlines in virtually every international
conflict since 1973; additional credits include 20/20, Good Morning
America, The Geraldo Rivera Show, Rivera Live; recipient of more than
170 awards for journalism, including a Peabody Award.
Penn & Teller: Comedy duo famous for their magic and sleight of hand;
currently appearing at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas;
stars of the hit series Penn & Teller: Bullshit; headlined a long-running
hit on and off-Broadway; credits include Penn & Teller’s Sin City Spectacular,
Penn & Teller’s Home Invasion, Penn & Teller’s Invisible Thread, Don’t
Try This at Home, Behind the Scenes, The Unpleasant World of Penn &
Teller and Penn & Teller’s Phobophilia, as well as the film Penn & Teller
Get Killed; books include Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends, How to Play
with Your Food and How to Play in Traffic. Penn also created and produced
the documentary film The Aristocrats.
Wilmer Valderrama: Actor best known for his role as Fez on That ‘70s
Show; currently provides the voice for Manny in Disney’s Handy Manny
series; served as creator, producer and host of MTV’s Yo Momma; credits
include Fast Food Nation, Unaccompanied Minors, and the upcoming big-screen
adaptation of CHiPs.
Greg Giraldo: Provocative comedian and actor; credits include the
current IFC series Z Rock, The Root of All Evil, Good Day to Cross a
River (CD), The Stand Up Show with Greg Giraldo, Common Law and numerous
celebrity roasts including Pamela Anderson, Howard Stern, Bob Saget,
Jeff Foxworthy and Katt Williams; two comedy central stand-up specials.
The Rev. Al Sharpton: Activist, politician and religious leader from
New York; came to prominence in the 1980s over his protests against
racial injustice and police brutality; serves as a spokesperson for
society’s downtrodden, a commitment he took to a new level when he ran
for President of the United States in 2004.
Shelby Chong: Actress and wife of Tommy Chong; credits include Cheech
& Chong’s The Corsican Brothers, Things are Tough All Over, Cheech &
Chong’s Nice Dreams, Far Out Man, The Spirit of ’76, Dead On; Relentless
II and Best Buds.
Steve Carell: Golden Globe-winning, Emmy-nominated best known for
his role in the series The Office and in such movies as Get Smart, Evan
Almighty and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Additional credits include the
movies Dan in Real Life, Little Miss Sunshine and Bewitched, as well
as the series The Daily Show.
Andy Dick: Cutting-edge comedian and actor; best known for co-starring
roles on NewsRadio and Less Than Perfect; creator and star of the Andy
Dick Show; credits include Zoolander, Road Trip, Inspector Gadget, The
Cable Guy, Get Smart, Reality Bites, Employee of the Month and Fired!,
as well as the recent DVD Danny Rhone: First Time Director and the CD
Andy Dick: Do Your Shows Always Suck?
Now in its fourth year, THE COMEDY FESTIVAL, a co-production with
AEG Live, is a three-day event taking place Nov. 20-22 at Caesars Palace
in Las Vegas. The extensive lineup for the event includes such previously
announced performers as Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Dane Cook,
Tracy Morgan, Jeff Dunham, Dave Attell, Jamie Kennedy, Mike Epps, David
Alan Grier, The Kids in the Hall, Russell Peters, Kate Clinton, Jim
Breuer, Andrew Dice Clay, Jim Norton and John Oliver. TBS will televise
several programs from THE COMEDY FESTIVAL, including the variety special
ELLEN’S EVEN BIGGER REALLY BIG SHOW, presented by DeGeneres; LAFFAPALOOZA!
Hosted by Tracy Morgan, an evening of performances by top comedians;
and CHEECH & CHONG ROASTED, a celebrity-filled skewering of the legendary
comedy duo. (A complete list of the previously announced acts is available
at thecomedyfestival.com.)
This year, for the first time ever, the excitement of THE COMEDY FESTIVAL
will be just one mouse click away. TBS’s thecomedyfestival.com Web site
will utilize cutting-edge technology to give fans the opportunity to
choose from four simultaneous video streams direct from the event.
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased for individual shows
and packages online at thecomedyfestival.com, by phone at (877) TCF-FEST
or in person at the box office at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Exclusive
VIP packages are available online or by calling The Colosseum box office
at (702) 866-1409. Hotel information can be found at www.caesarspalace.com,
while additional festival information and schedule updates is available
at thecomedyfestival.com.
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