Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac - a daily briefing on comedians, and the comedy industry

Johnny Mac covers backlash to Jimmy Kimmel after a resurfaced joke about Melania Trump was recontextualized following an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, prompting statements from Melania’s account and the President demanding ABC/Disney fire Kimmel; Mac explains he tried to remove the clip from his show but it accidentally remained. Kimmel responds on-air, and other comics (including Jimmy Fallon, Greg Gutfeld, and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog) add jokes; George Clooney comments on dangerous rhetoric, and reports mention the FCC may launch an early review of ABC’s broadcast licenses. Other news: King Charles reacts to Matt F...

Nikki Glaser joked about Leonardo DiCaprio’s girlfriends at the 2026 Golden Globes, told Jimmy Fallon she sends flowers to joke targets, and said DiCaprio replied with three baskets of pasta. Conan O’Brien riffed about buying late-night NBC airtime, then joked about launching a syndicated daytime talk show; Jeff Ross confirmed a past, previously unreported meeting for a 30-minute daytime pitch. Mac plays a CNN “America Laughs” clip of Matt Friend that he says bombs, then contrasts it with a Mateo Lane clip trashing a 2019 Springfield, Massachusetts club; MGM Springfield and the mayor declined comment. He discusses Netflix Is a Joke Fes...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news including Nikki Glaser hosting American Idol’s “Taylor Swift Night” and discussing, on Good Morning America, how she’d have to adapt to host the Oscars compared with the Golden Globes. Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino wrapped a 10-episode unscripted series, The Bad Game Show, inspired by Bad Friends and produced for digital distribution with brand-partnership revenue. Jimmy Fallon faced backlash for designing a Survivor 50 challenge that led to contestant Christian voting himself off; Fallon apologized on The Tonight Show and had Christian on as a guest. Other items: Shane Gillis appeared with Flyers mascot Gritty b...

Johnny Mac covers comedy industry news, focusing first on Nikki Glaser hosting the Time 100 event and questioning whether she bombed, noting the crowd wasn’t mic’d well and suggesting a “cool Hollywood” room may have been reluctant to laugh; he plays a trimmed clip of her monologue, including jokes about publicists, the list, Victoria Beckham, and Gayle King/Katy Perry. He also shares awkward clips from Glaser on Kelly Ripa where her short skirt is mentioned and they discuss her Time cover. Deadline’s ongoing reporting on Netflix Is a Joke frames the festival as “haves and have-nots,” citing many big names...

Johnny Mac delivers a politically focused comedy news briefing, highlighting clips of Dave Chappelle criticizing the president as divisive and petty, Theo Von questioning what U.S. actions help ordinary Americans, and George Lopez discussing cognitive decline and leadership. Greg Gutfeld responds to Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on Michelle Obama’s podcast by saying Kimmel should accept criticism and has lost self-deprecation. The episode covers backlash to Ramy Youssef saying “salam alaikum” with Elmo and Youssef’s response on The View, plus John Oliver’s harsh comments about Prince Andrew and indifference to Sarah Ferguson. It reports Alex Jones no longer runni...

Johnny Mac covers Nikki Glaser’s Hulu special “Good Girl,” reacting to her PG Good Morning America appearance and noting she hosted the TIME 100 event; he reiterates his skepticism about Hulu specials and quotes Glaser on developing the hour over two years and 250+ shows, taped in St. Louis. He recaps Eddie Murphy’s AFI Life Achievement Award night with tributes from Kevin Hart, Stevie Wonder, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Kenan Thompson, Tracy Morgan, Dave Chappelle, and Bill Burr, including Chappelle saying Eddie suggested a possible “Chappelle’s Show” movie with Eddie doing Charlie Murphy parts. Other items: Netflix announces Stavros Halkias’ “Uncl...

Johnny Mac hosts the first-ever 2026 Daily Comedy News Comedy Draft, a sports-style draft where five teams build the ultimate comedy roster. Team Analytics, Team Purist, Team Chaos, Team Industry, and Team Alt each select five comedians, filling out a lineup with a headliner, feature acts, a wildcard, and a legacy pick.

Strategies clash as some teams draft for ticket sales, others for stand-up credibility, and one team just tries to break the internet.

Who built the best roster? Who reached? Who got the steal of the draft?
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: h...

Johnny Macc delivers a daily comedy news briefing with political and industry updates. Dave Chappelle tells NPR his concerns about performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival faded given U.S., Netflix, and film industry business ties with Saudi Arabia, arguing all money is connected to something “terrible.” Jimmy Kimmel, on Michelle Obama’s podcast, criticizes comedians who support Donald Trump as opportunistic and says people often compromise for money; he also discusses backlash to his politics and welcoming public admissions of being wrong. Radar Online reports a dark, toxic vibe as Stephen Colbert’s Late Show winds down and dismisses a rumore...

Johnny Mac recaps “Scrubs” Season 10, Episode 9 (“My Celebration,” aired April 15, 2026), relieved Dr. Cox isn’t killed off but noting his treatment isn’t working; Cox hides test results from Jordan until she confronts him and urges him to let her be strong, while JD decides to show up for Cox despite a mis-sent “I could really use a friend” text. The episode’s case involves a father who collapses before his daughter’s wedding and needs a pacemaker, prompting Turk to move the wedding to the hospital with Dr. Park officiating. JD meets quirky visitor Charlie, whose grandma is his patient, and they be...

Johnny Mac previews Just for Laughs Montreal 2026, announcing headliners Jerry Seinfeld and Weird Al Yankovic, including a free outdoor Weird Al show, plus first-wave gala hosts and additional acts. He recaps an LA Times interview with Ari Shaffir about the new purchasable season of ‘The End’/‘This Is Not Happening’ produced by YMH Studios, taped at a burlesque nightclub called The Box, and lists many featured comedians. He summarizes a Hollywood Reporter profile of Iranian-American comic Max Amini discussing his background, views on Iran’s regime, and his large online following and MSG sellout. Vanity Fair reports Pete Davidson is disillusio...

The winner of Comedy Survivor is revealed...

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.<...

Johnny Mac delivers Daily Briefing comedy news on 4/20, highlighting Dave Chappelle’s NPR interview where he says Republicans weaponized transgender jokes, recounts a Lauren Boebert photo incident, and argues art and speech require nuance beyond red/blue absolutes; he also comments on whether the president is funny and notes Chappelle recorded an episode for Michelle Obama’s podcast in Yellow Springs. New releases include Hulu’s “4/20 Quick Hits” executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel and Netflix’s “Funny AF with Kevin Hart,” a global live-voting comedy competition with rotating celebrity judges. The episode focuses heavily on Nikki Glaser’s rising profile (special coming Fri...

Host Johnny Mac interviews Fard Muhammed about late-night TV, starting with Muhammed’s multicolor “Carson curtains” backdrop made from wedding-curtain pieces for his planned talk-show-history web series.

They discuss viewing habits (Kimmel, Fallon, Colbert), the problem of monologues hitting YouTube early, and ideas for simulcasting or streaming late-night sooner, comparing it to SNL’s simultaneous airing. They debate Peacock’s delay for SNL UK, assess SNL UK’s tone, recent experimental U.S. episodes, and intro-sequence choices, and discuss whether Lorne Michaels should stay. They revisit NBC’s 10 p.m. Jay Leno experiment, alternate Conan/Jay scenarios, and defend Fallon’...

Johnny Mac’s daily comedy news previews Tony Hinchcliffe bringing Kill Tony to WrestleMania 42 tonight after night one at Dolby Live at Park MGM with WWE stars, legends, comedians, and surprise guests, noting last year’s Roast of WrestleMania felt underwhelming. Bowen Yang reflects on not seeing himself as a star at SNL, Lorne Michaels advising him not to be a “poster child for racial harmony,” and the value of bombing and moving on. The LA Times profiles Sheng Wang’s new special Purple, with Ali Wong praising his craft and process; Wang discusses touring growth, post-special writing fear, and the title’...

Johnny Mac delivers a daily comedy news briefing led by Dave Chappelle saying he’s recently considering bringing back Chappelle’s Show after walking away from a reported $50M Comedy Central deal in 2005, while also reflecting on success, legacy, and staying true to his work. The episode previews Rami Youssef’s HBO special “Rami Youssef in Love” and recaps Trevor Noah’s new special material about politics and Trump’s reaction to an Epstein/Greenland joke. Ali Siddiq discusses influences and storytelling roots, and Pete Holmes compares managing comedy to “watering a cactus,” noting nostalgia for old gatekeepers. The show covers criticism o...

Johnny Mac delivers daily comedy news, focusing on reactions to Nikki Glaser’s candid discussion of ethical non-monogamy and speculation that her team is steering her away from roasts (she’s in LA during the Kevin Hart roast but booked for Netflix Is a Joke). He cites a Minneapolis Star Tribune review of John Mulaney’s current tour highlighting risk-taking material and a mention of his $200 cash limit to avoid relapse. He recaps Jim Gaffigan’s sandwich talk with Stephen Colbert, previews Greg Gutfeld’s Fox Nation game show “What Did I Miss?” and notes late-night ratings where Gutfeld leads total viewers...

Johnny Mac reacts to the end of Raw Dog Comedy Uncensored.

Moving on, he loos forewad to the May 28 release of the Ralphie May documentary “Come What May,” with a trailer highlighting May’s life, addiction, and impact. David Letterman comments on Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” and how it’s a cost-saving, ad-sold panel format. The episode also covers Diane Morgan’s return as Philomena Cunk in “Cunk on Cinema” for BBC and Netflix, Brett McKenzie on how Flight of the Conchords’ reunion shows came together, Comedy Survivor finale voting (Nikki Glaser vs. Sarah Silverman), Silverman cast as Rabbi Eden in Netfl...

Johnny Mac recaps Scrubs Season 10, episode 8, focusing on Dr. Cox’s return to Sacred Heart, JD’s excitement to impress him, and Cox’s collapse from microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), an autoimmune disease causing early renal failure and a grim prognosis. He praises scenes between Cox, JD, and Dr. Park, likes the nurses and interns, and strongly dislikes the HR manager character. Other plots include Dr. Tash’s avoidable mistake, Dr. Reed’s harsh response, and Cox admitting he was too hard on Elliot. Mac highlights Bill Lawrence’s intent to explore JD becoming caretaker to his former mentor, and notes emotional mo...

We cover Trevor Noah’s surprise Netflix special “Joy in the Trenches,” and Mark Normand’s upcoming YouTube series “Human Trials,” which puts comics in front of hyper-niche audiences with interviews and feedback. He reacts to pricey, fast-selling Flight of the Conchords and Kevin Hart roast tickets for Netflix Is A Joke, and notes the band joked about needing YouTube to remember their songs. Politics enters with Joe Rogan calling himself “politically homeless” and criticizing war with Iran; Tim Dillon, Dana Carvey, and David Spade also discuss Trump’s appearance and Iran. Dave Chappelle attends a ribbon cutting for a restored schoolhou...

Sarah Silverman sails to the finale unscathed...but for John Mulaney and Nikki Glaser, things got complicated...



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says U...

Johnny Mac previews Netflix’s standup competition series “Funny AF,” hosted by Kevin Hart with Keegan-Michael Key, Tom Segura, Bethenny? (Camille) Nanjiani, Chelsea Handler, and Nikki Glaser as guest judges, premiering April 20 with live semi-final and finale May 4–5 featuring real-time viewer voting; he notes familiar NYC contestants including Leonard Ouzts and Caitlin Peluff and observes Chicago listed as a catchall city. He also highlights the Garden of Laughs event at Radio City Music Hall and shares a Steve Schirripa anecdote about acting pay cycles. Other news includes Gianmarco Soresi’s podcast moving to Vox Media’s network, Gabriel Iglesias launching the family-f...

Johnny Mac delivers daily comedy news, including Nikki Glaser discussing on Alex Cooper’s podcast her “hot husband” fetish and permissive rules around her boyfriend hooking up while rejecting emotional cheating, and noting her special is coming later this month. He reports Call of Duty will offer a Dave Chappelle “Half Baked” Thurgood Jenkins 4/20 skin. Judy Gold tells Page Six she’s shocked by increased brazen antisemitic heckling at New York comedy clubs. Mac reads from The Atlantic article “Who Is Black Comedy For?” referencing Jeff Benjamin’s book “Blackout Loud” and Dave Chappelle’s experiences with Fox and Comedy Central. He cites a Bost...

Johnny Mac delivers Daily Comedy News, focusing on David Cross’ new special "The End of the Beginning of the End," his explanation of the title, preference for shooting in club/music-venue settings over theaters, thoughts on not overproducing specials, and how he balances his daughter’s childhood enjoyment with his film/voice roles. The episode also covers Hannibal Buress describing music as another writing format with a wider emotional range than constant comedy, Julio Torres jokingly advising a caller to coexist with a haunted cheap apartment, and Charlie Day being cast in the film "Golf Trip" about friends’ chaotic getaway with a...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news including a new trailer for Nikki Glaser’s Hulu special (April 24) and her Armchair Expert comments about money, appearance, and beauty standards in entertainment. He reports Dan Soder will tape his first full Netflix special June 13 at San Francisco’s Throckmorton Theatre. He discusses an interview with comedian Pete Correale (“the Gator”), his work opening for Sebastian Maniscalco, and Correale’s plan to release a new standup special and focus on clip-driven promotion. Mack weighs in on CBS selling late-night time slots to Byron Allen, and highlights backlash to Louis CK headlining Netflix Is a Joke (Holl...

Johnny Mac reports Deadline’s take on Netflix Is a Joke saying a comedy insider feels public buzz is low and ticket sales show “haves and have-nots,” with white-hot acts and others downsizing venues selling best amid heavy competition and a tough economy; sold-out or added shows include Gianmarco Soresi, Jeff Curry, Robbie Hoffman, Matt Rife, Jacqueline Novak, and Joel Kim Booster, with podcasts also doing well. He previews the Moontower Comedy Festival (April 7–18) featuring Mark Maron, Kathy Griffin, Roy Wood Jr., and Austin comic Angelina Martin’s “Slide in the DMs.” H He mentions the final season of “Hacks” and Jean Smart’s r...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news including debate over Louis CK’s mainstream comeback as Netflix books him for the Netflix Is a Joke festival and a new special, alongside commentary on whether Hollywood is abandoning Me Too and questions about accountability and industry profit motives. Patton Oswalt announces a new special, “Ruining Star Trek,” premiering June 9 on 800 Pound Gorilla’s YouTube, and mentions his upcoming Apple pickleball comedy “The Dink” (July 24). CBS’s 11:35 slot after Colbert ends May 21 will run Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed,” with “Funny You Should Ask” moving to 12:37. Other items include backlash to Chloe Fineman’s camp counselor anecdote, L...

Scrubs season 10, episode 7, “My Best Friend’s Barbecue” (airing April 1, 2026), apologizing the recap is late due to Easter weekend and his Comedy Survivor schedule. JD is shaken when he’s not invited to Turk and Carla’s annual barbecue because Carla wants to invite Elliot and her new boyfriend, Captain West, while Carla’s menopause “heat” becomes a running gag. Turk mentors interns on delivering bad news, pushing Deshawna to tell the Garcia family a loved one has died, while Turk reflects on his younger, cockier self. Carla struggles at work and with confidence, Turk offers support, and Carla tells JD she’s excludi...

Johnny Mac delivers comedy news from a new recording space, leading with commentary on Louis CK headlining Netflix Is a Joke and releasing a Netflix special, “Ridiculous,” including criticism of “cancel culture” narratives. He highlights Shang Wang’s new Netflix special “Purple,” directed by Ali Wong and filmed at Washington, DC’s Warner Theatre, and previews Rami Youssef’s third HBO special “Rami Youssef: In Love” (April 17), filmed at the Hideout in Chicago and directed by Chris Storer, with HBO praise for its intimacy. The show covers Joe Rogan and Theo Von discussing the war in Iran and later aliens, plus Jon Stewart criti...

Go ahead an dput on a stupoid face if you don't like this week's result, but it was pretty clear.

And we are on to the final three...



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For U...

Nikki Glaser will sit out the Kevin Hart roast during Netflix Is a Joke because she can’t commit the time, after recently roasting Hart at the Golden Globes and Tom Brady roast; her Hulu special Good Girl premieres April 24, and she’s nervous about longtime road jokes being recorded and judged. He also previews the National Comedy Center’s Lucille Ball Comedy Festival in Jamestown, New York, headlined by Jerry Seinfeld (Aug 6), Bert Kreischer (Aug 8), and Seth Meyers (Aug 9), with additional acts and 50+ events. The script mixes in LA Times quotes from David Cross on crowd work, collaborating with Bob Od...

Johnny Mac delivers daily comedy news, highlighting Pete Holmes’ LA Times “perfect Sunday” itinerary centered on family, local shops, vegan eats and nonstop stops from coffee and children’s books to Donut Friend, the Huntington, Crossroads Kitchen, Largo, and late-night Norms. He recaps a Forbes conversation where Jerry Seinfeld and Nate Bargatze discuss breaking past a 60-minute barrier, corporate shows, love of performing, and analogies to surfing and golf, plus a golf/mini-golf bit premise. Jo Koy and Gabe Iglesias recall Jo turning down a road opportunity and discuss playing Riyadh as comparable to corporate rules. Jim Breuer promotes his YouTube...

Johnny Mac delivers a comedy news roundup, saying he quit watching “Rooster” despite liking Steve Carell, and sharing Robbie Hoffman’s comments about being starstruck and awkward around Carell. Nate Bargatze discusses coming up around dirtier comics, a past joke about murdered prostitutes that upset a sex worker after it surfaced on YouTube, and his decision to drop it. Jim Gaffigan is set as keynote speaker for the NACDS Foundation’s annual dinner in Boston on Aug. 15. Kevin Nealon says he never broke character on SNL and notes Lorne Michaels dislikes cast breaks. Cheech & Chong’s final film hits Paramount+ April 20...

Johnny Mac delivers daily comedy news, leading with Netflix bringing Louis C.K. back to headline the Hollywood Bowl on May 5 at the Netflix Is A Joke festival and releasing his upcoming special “Ridiculous” this summer, revisiting his 2017 cancellation and admission of misconduct allegations. He reports Eugene Merman was hospitalized with serious injuries after crashing into a toll plaza in New Hampshire and being pulled from a burning car by a state trooper. Mac covers Reggie Watts mourning Catherine McCullough and promoting a GoFundMe to help with international shipping of her remains and related service costs, noting supportive comments from frie...

Johnny Mac delivers Daily Comedy News and apologizes for audio peak distortion before covering Kid Rock’s Comedy Jam returning for its fifth year at the 2026 Nashville Comedy Festival on April 13 at the Ryman, benefiting the Kid Rock Foundation, with a lineup including Kevin James, Kathy Griffin, Shane Gillis, Joey Diaz, Heather McMahon, Morgan Jay, and Nate Jackson. He notes Matt Rife threw the first pitch at a Reds–Red Sox game and wants a Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers game remake, and shares John Mulaney’s book club pick The Monkey Wrench Gang. He highlights Webby Awards detail...

Johnny Mac covers comedy news including Rob Schneider clarifying his social media comments supporting a mandatory draft with no exemptions to deter wars and stop “other people’s kids” from dying. Jon Stewart critiques the White House Ballroom Project after a New York Times report describing odd design elements, and contrasts Trump’s detailed ballroom defense with his war answers; the press secretary says it will cost taxpayers nothing. Whitney Cummings jokes about leaked FBI Director Kash Patel emails. Billboard’s February 2026 top touring comedians list has Nate Bargatze at #1 (six of seven months), followed by Jo Koy, Katt Williams, Bert Kreis...

The plot forces JD and Dr. Park to work together when hospital board member Mr. Walton is hospitalized after being found passed out; suspicion falls on his trophy-wife stereotype, but the cause is ultimately two medications interacting poorly. Turk helps Elliot navigate a new romance with a pilot, and the episode features more Turk/Elliot teaming. The episode includes Rowdy appearing in JD’s office and ends with JD, Turk, Todd, Amara, and Deana at a bar. Johnny cites Zach Braff on John C. McGinley returning in the final two episodes and hopes for more recurring characters in a potential se...

Rob Schneider is urging a restored U.S. military draft with two years of service for 18-year-olds, prompting a Michael Imperioli joke. NYC Mayor Zoran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa went viral for an Inner Circle Dinner comedy sketch about cat adoptions and political dynasties. Howie Mandel posted an apology to Kelly Ripa after joking about “looking great for 70” and then quipping he “does look great for my age.” Russell Brand’s trial on seven rape and sexual assault charges was delayed to October 12 and is expected to last two months. Josh Johnson will host the 30th Webby Awards May 11. Adam Sandler is...

One Comedy Survivor goes home, and only four remain! 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac-a-daily-briefing-on-comedians-and-the-comedy-industry--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.

COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is f...