It starting to look more and more like Conan O'Brien is about to be forced out from his seat over at NBC as the Host of The Late Nite Show, or he may just go to another network. We are not sure of the outcome but either way it just looks like NBC and Conan are about to part ways. Conan just released a statement about the situation and it doesn't look good. Here's the complete statement;

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

The Jay Leno Show Cancelled!

As we expected at the tail end of last week, NBC sent us an email early this morning to state the obvious; The Jay Leno Show has been cancelled.

We also discovered that the shift will take place as The Jay Leno Show will be gone from prime time by Feb. 12, when NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics get underway.

But the most intriguing thing is that NBC still plans on keeping Jay Leno and The Tonite Show with Conan O’Brien as part of their late night lineup.

The head of NBC Jeff Gaspin also stated in the email this morning that several more key decisions would be made in the next several days, which we suspect will be the time slots on how to make both hosts happy.

As of this writing, it looks like Leno will take a half-hour show at 11:35, followed by The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien at 12:05 and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at 1:05.

What we should note here is that there is still the rumor floating around the industry that Conan may take his act over to the FOX network whom is waiting in the wings for the fallout on Monday morning when decisions have to be made.
The next couple of days are sure going to be interesting.

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Martin Lawrence Set To Shoot Big Momma's House 3!

As we told you way back in December, it’s now been confirmed to us by our sources that comedian and actor Martin Lawrence will be back in Big Momma’s House 3. We have discovered that not only is Lawrence back for the third film in the franchise, but we also discovered that Director John Whitesell is back too, as he directed Big Momma’s House 2. We also discovered that the film is set to begin filming in Atlanta in April.

Big Momma's House was originally released in 2000 and Big Momma's House 2 was released in 2006. The film was originally about an FBI agent (Lawrence) who disguises himself as an old lady to protect a beautiful federal witness and her son. The first film made $174 million worldwide on a budget of only $30 million, while its sequel made $138 million on a $40 million budget.

In other Martin Lawrence news, we are keeping our ear to the street to see if the news about his possible tour is coming. Stay tuned!

Questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com

This Week's Comedy Seen!

New Issue- The Comedy Year In Review!!!

Finally the year of 2009 has come to an end and we have it all in our year end issue! Check out the news of the past year, what surprised us and who made some memorable moves. Also we interview our cover feature, actor Michael Jai White as he discusses his latest film Black Dynamite. All of that and more right here!

Humor Mill TV Featuring Michael Jai White!

Here is an interview we conducted with actor Michael Jai White as he discusses his latest film Black Dynamite, which he starred and Executive Produced- among other things. White discusses the film and how it became a world wide hit! Check out the interview!

Simmons/Lathan TV Back In Comedy Again?!

We just discovered that Simmons/Lathan TV, the driving force and production company behind the infamous Def Comedy Jam series and the Def Poetry Jam series that premiered on HBO (among many others), is jumping back into comedy after a two year hiatus, but with a different network!

We HEAR from our sources that Simmons/Lathan is on board with Comedy Central to bring a comedy series back to television, and so far the word is that there has been no decision on if the 30 minute series will feature several comics or if it’s a one man special per episode.

For those of you who do not know Stan Lathan and Russell Simmons partnered to create one of the most successful franchises in entertainment: HBO’s Def Comedy Jam series, which started the careers of some of today’s biggest television and movie stars, such as Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, Mo'Nique, Mike Epps, and D. L. Hughley. After a nine year hiatus, Def Comedy Jam relaunched in 2006 to huge ratings. Together, they co-own The Simmons Lathan Media Group, a film and television production and acquisitions company that develops and distributes urban content across a variety of media platforms.

Any questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com

Jay Leno Is Back At The Late Night Gig- Is Conan Gone?

Our sources have just told us that there is going to be a big shakeup at NBC as we predicted several weeks ago, but there is another surprise.

Several weeks ago we reported that NBC was very unhappy with the new Late Nite Show hosted by Conan O'Brien as their ratings had the worse decline in over 15 years of the network. The execs then spoke about approaching Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock as replacements and we were just told that they both declined the positions.

So, NBC went back to the drawing board- and that drawing board is Jay Leno. So as of this writing we just learned that Jay's 10:00 PM show will go on hiatus February 1. After the Olympics, Jay will take back his 11:30 PM time slot. We also hear that NBC is trying to figure out what to do with Conan, but it looks good for him to returning.

We're told Jay and Conan have both been told of the changes. As for Jay, interestingly, he'll get what he always wanted -- his 11:30 PM time slot.

Cedric The Entertainer Lands Another Show on ABC!

We just discovered that comedian Cedric The Entertainer went back into the lab to get himself back on television as he was able to get ABC to green-light another show for this upcoming fall season. This new show will hopefully get further than his last show that ABC picked titled The Law. That show- which never aired- starred Donald Faison and revolved around reserve police officers for the LAPD who balanced their full-time off-duty lives with the excitement of being weekend cops.

But this new untitled show will feature Ced as a retired baseball player-turned-radio host forced to re-evaluate the type of father he has been when his son and 6-year-old granddaughter re-enter his life. So far there are no names attached to the pilot as it’s in the early stages but more info will be released soon.

Questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com

Will Smith & Denzel Washington To Remake New Comedy Film?

We just got word that everyone’s favorite two actors are about to come together to jump into a hot comedy project!

We hear that actors Denzel Washington and Will Smith, arguably the two biggest stars on the planet, are having discussions about bringing a remake to the big screen- and get this- the film is Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby's 1974 comedy hit film Uptown Saturday Night.

Now if you just happened to miss the film, the original followed the misadventures of two friends who sneak out of their homes to visit a legendary - yet illegal - nightclub. But when the place is held up, and their wallets are taken, the pair must recover a winning lottery ticket that was lurking within Cosby's wallet.

Anyway, fast forward to 2002 and Will Smith bought the rights to the film and has been trying to remake the film ever since. Eddie Murphy was supposedly approached about starring in the film and things didn’t work out with getting Murphy attached, and things haven’t worked out on the project ever since.

Anyway, we hear that this film project has a new life as Washington has now expressed extreme interest in the remake and an interest in starring along side Smith, so the details are about to unfold soon. We know this is serious because now studio (which wishes to remain anonymous) has stepped up to the plate for hiring additional writers for the re-make.

As of this moment, we are on a wait-and-see basis. More info soon!

Questions or comments? Please email us at thewhumormill.info@gmail.com

Martin Lawrence Teams Up With Tatyana Ali For New Sitcom

We just discovered that TV One has acquired the new sitcom titled Love That Girl, which is a four-episode sitcom from comedian and actor Martin Lawrence and scribe Bentley Kyle Evans.

Evans created the sitcom, which stars The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum Tatyana Ali. "Girl" will air as a special three-night event on TV One, from Tuesday, Jan. 19, through Thursday, Jan. 21, at 9 p.m. Back-to-back episodes will air each night (including repeats).

Ali stars as a divorcee who moves back to Southern California to work with her father (Phil Morris) in the real estate business. Alphonso McAuley co-stars as her unemployed brother, while Kendyl Joi plays her best friend.
In an unusual setup, Evans (Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show) produced the sitcom without the involvement of a studio, and called in favors -- including his Martin star, Lawrence -- to make the show happen.

Love That Girl was even shot unconventionally -- with all four episodes produced over five days at Blakeslee Recording Studios. Singer Raphael Saadiq, whose 2008 single "Love That Girl" serves as the show's theme song, owns Blakeslee.
Beyond Lawrence, Evans also tapped Full House creator Jeff Franklin to help bring Love That Girl to life.

Evans then recruited several family members to perform key roles on the production: His sister, Stacey Evans Morgan (The Parkers), was a producer/writer on "Girl," while his nephew Nile Evans (Wild'n Out) and brother Lamont Evans also helped as writers.

Evans' wife, Valicia Evans, served as set designer, while Ali's sisyer and business partner, Anastasia Ali, was also a producer. Besides Evans and Lawrence, other exec producers on "Girl" include Saadiq and Trenten Gumbs.

Not only do they get the business behind programming to the more sophisticated urban market, they have the ideal audience for a series like ours," Evans said of TV One. "Thanks to our two distribution partners, Dennis Ray and Desmond Gumbs, we were able to structure a business relationship with TV One that will bring benefits to all parties involved. If executed properly, this will represent a whole new model for producing and delivering quality scripted series to the television market, at a reasonable cost."

By Michael Schneider/Variety

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The Best Of The Best- Who Is The Top 5 Comedians Of The Year?

It’s that time of the year again! Who’s is the best of the best? That’s the question we ask you, as we ask that you take the time to submit to us your TOP 5 COMEDIANS of the YEAR. This means anyone who you have seen do stand-up within the last year, whether it was on TV or in person. We also ask that you submit to us any of the TOP 5 Funniest PERFORMANCES that you have seen on FILM THIS PAST YEAR.

So cast your vote today and let’s get it in!

Questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com

Last Comic Standing Back & Without Bill Bellamy!

We just discovered from our source over at NBC that word is going around the offices that NBC is about to change it's mind and bring back Last Comic Standing, which was orginally cancelled after its run last season. Last Comic Standing was on the air for six years and now word is they are about to get a seventh.

But for us that wasn’t the biggest news; we discovered that when they re-launch this upcoming season, they are not going to bring back host Bill Bellamy unfortunately. Word is they are making other changes on the show, and NBC feels that a new Host will bring back life to the show as they are planning on revamping the entire show. We also hear that they are looking for a surprise Host, someone like a Nick Cannon-type, who surprised the NBC Execs with the Hosting gig he is pulling over at America’s Got Talent. As of this writing, the new host has yet to be decided.

Questions or comments? Please email us at thehumormill.info@gmail.com

Bay Area Comedy Festival Back Again In Full Swing!

It's about that time again for the comedy festival season, and The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival is back again. The festival is the longest running urban comedy festival and was established in 1986 to provide a Bay Area-based showcase for comedians of color from all over the United States and across the world.

For over two decades the Competition has been at the vanguard of the Black/urban comedy movement, greatly contributing to the career development of many of its stars and the construction of many of its brick and mortar and 'clicks and mortar' venues. According to event founder and executive Producer Tony Spires, the Competition was born out of a need for, "Comedic Affirmative Action."

The Competition's ongoing mission is to create an environment which provides our comedians with equal access to empowering opportunities which enable them to demonstrate their unique talents to the entertainment industry and the general public and to raise worldwide conscientiousness of the validity and viability of the indigenous American art form known as Black Comedy. Through the years the BABCCF has emerged from its grassroots-based genesis to become the largest and longest-running live, urban comedy showcase in the country. Please join us as we take comedy to the next level. The Bay Area Black Comedy Competition & Festival, "Where the Laughter Never Ends!"

For more info on the festival check out http://www.blackcomedycompetition.com/cc09home.html