Review: ‘Dads,’ starring Ron Howard, Will Smith, Conan O’Brien, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris and Jimmy Kimmel

June 20, 2020

by Carla Hay

Bryce Dallas Howard and her father Ron Howard in “Dads” (Photo courtesy of Apple TV+)

“Dads” 

Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard

Culture Representation: The documentary “Dads” has a racially diverse group of people (white, black, Asian and Latino) representing the middle-class and wealthy and talking about fatherhood.

Culture Clash: Some of the fathers interviewed in the film talk about defying traditional masculine stereotypes, by being more involved in raising their children than previous generations of fathers were expected to be.

Culture Audience: “Dads” will appeal to anyone who likes nonfiction films about parenting issues, even though it shuts out any perspectives of fathers who are poor or have negative attitudes about being fathers.

Robert Selby (pictured at right) and his son RJ in “Dads” (Photo courtesy of Apple TV+)

The documentary “Dads” puts such an unrelenting positive and happy spin on fatherhood that it has a strange dichotomy of being a nonfiction film that isn’t entirely realistic. Bryce Dallas Howard (the eldest child of Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard) makes her feature-film directorial debut with “Dads,” which devotes considerable screen time to members of the Howard family talking about fatherhood. “Dads” is ultimately a very uplifting “feel good” movie, but it doesn’t do anything groundbreaking or reveal any new concepts of fatherhood.

There are no deadbeat dads or bitter fathers who’ve lost child custody in “Dads.” Instead, the documentary focuses only on fathers who love being dads and have good relationships with their children. There are several celebrities interviewed in the film (all of whom have a background in comedy), such as Judd Apatow, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, Ron Howard, Ken Jeong, Jimmy Kimmel, Hasan Minhaj, Conan O’Brien, Patton Oswalt and Will Smith.

“Dads” has three kinds of footage: soundbites from the celebrities, with Bryce Dallas Howard as the interviewer (she sometimes appears on camera); clips of home movies (the clips from random, unidentified people give the documentary an “America’s Funniest Home Videos” look); and six in-depth profiles of seven middle-class fathers from different parts of the world.

Although the celebrities offer some amusing anecdotes, many of their stories seem rehearsed or their comments are made just to crack a joke. Smith, in particular, seems to have memorized way in advance what he was going to say in this documentary. With the exception of Ron Howard, the celebrities are not shown with their children in this documentary, which is why the celebrity segments in the film are pretty superficial. The best parts of the documentary are with the people who aren’t rich and famous, because that’s the footage that actually shows “regular” fathers (who don’t have nannies) taking care of the kids.

The seven non-famous fathers who are profiled in the movie are:

  • Glen Henry (in San Diego), an African American who became a “daddy vlogger” to document his experiences as a stay-at-home dad.
  • Reed Howard (in Westchester, New York), who is Bryce Dallas Howard’s youngest sibling and was a first-time expectant father at the time the documentary was filmed.
  • Robert Selby (in Triangle, Virginia), an African American whose son survived a life-or-death medical crisis.
  • Thiago Queiroz (in Rio de Janeiro), a Brazilian who started a podcast and blog about fatherhood and who advocates for longer time for paternity leaves.
  • Shuichi Sakuma (in Tokyo), who is a Japanese homemaker.
  • Rob Scheer and Reece Scheer (in Darnestown, Maryland), a white gay couple who adopted four African American kids.

Glen Henry used to work as a sales clerk at men’s clothing store, but he was so unhappy in his job that his wife Yvette suggested that he quit his job and become a stay-at-home father. (At the time “Dads” was filmed, the Henrys had two sons and a daughter.) Glen Henry, who has a blog called Beleaf in Fatherhood, began making videos documenting his fatherhood experiences.

Glen admits that he thought at first that it would be easy to take care of the kids by himself, but he found out that he was very wrong about that. “I felt like an imposter,” he says of his early years as a homemaker. Even though his wife Yvette says she wasn’t thrilled about Glen putting their family’s life on display for everyone to see on the Internet, she says it’s worth it because Glen is a much happier person as a stay-at-home dad.

Echoing what many of the fathers say in the documentary, Glen Henry comments: “The role of father has shifted in a major way. We went from providing, being there for holidays and disciplining to being all the way involved—and you kind of look like a dork if you’re not.”

He continues, “I feel like being a father made me the man that I am. My children taught me to be authentic and honest with myself. Fatherhood has given me a whole new identity.”

Reed Howard, who was expecting his first child with his wife when this documentary was being filmed, talks about the home videos that his father Ron filmed of all of his children being born. (Clips of some of those videos are included in the documentary.) Reeds says half-jokingly that since all of Ron’s kids were forced to watch the videos, it was “traumatic” to see part of his mother’s body that he never wanted to see.

Ron Howard’s father Rance (who died in 2017) is also interviewed in “Dads.” Rance says that when Ron was a co-star on “The Andy Griffith Show,” Rance suggested to Andy Griffith to not have Ron’s character Opie written as a brat. Griffith took the advice, and the father-son relationship on the show was modeled after the relationship that Rance had with Ron in real life. (Rance Howard and Ron Howard are the only grandfathers interviewed in the movie, by the way.)

Most of the dads interviewed in the documentary get emotional and teary-eyed at some point in the film. Ron Howard’s crying moment comes when he says that his greatest fear as a father was that he wouldn’t be as good as his father was to him. Reed (who is Ron’s only son) expresses the same fear about not being able to live up to the great experiences that he had with Ron as his father.

Selby has perhaps the most compelling story, since his son RJ was born with a congenital heart defect. Selby describes years of stressful hospital visits and medical treatments in order to help RJ live as healthy of a life as possible. This dedicated dad had to make many sacrifices, such as taking unpaid time off from work and forgo paying some bills in order to pay for RJ’s medical expenses. “There was no doubt in mind: I would forever be his protector,” Selby says of his outlook on being RJ’s father.

Selby is also the only father interviewed in the film who isn’t financially privileged, since he says that he often didn’t have a car during his son’s ongoing medical crisis. And when he did have a car, it was repossessed  multiple times because he couldn’t make the payments. He ended up working a night shift because it was the only way he could have a job (he doesn’t mention what he does for a living) while also going to school and taking care of RJ during the day.

Chantay Williams (who is RJ’s mother) and Selby were never married and didn’t have a serious relationship when she got pregnant with RJ. Selby breaks down and cries when he remembers that when he found out about the pregnancy, he didn’t want Williams to have the child and he didn’t talk to her for two months. But he changed his mind, asked for her forgiveness, and is now a very involved father.

However, Selby says that he still feels shame over his initial reaction to the pregnancy, and he comments that he’ll probably spend the rest of his life trying to make up for that mistake. Williams says in the documentary that Selby is proof that someone can change, and that he’s truly a devoted father and that his devotion isn’t just a show for the documentary cameras.

Quieroz (a married father of two sons and a daughter) knows what it’s like to not have a father raise him, since his dad wasn’t in his life for most of his childhood. He says that it’s one of the reasons why he vowed to always be there for his kids. Quieroz’s day job is as a mechanical engineer, but he also started a fatherhood podcast with two other Brazilian fathers, and he has a fatherhood blog. It’s through the blog that Quieroz’s estranged father got in touch with him. The outcome of that contact is revealed in the documentary.

Sakuma talks about how, in Japanese culture, men who don’t work outside the home are considered “society dropouts.” When he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder 20 years ago, Sakuma could no longer work outside the home. He became so depressed that he contemplated divorce and suicide, until his wife begged him: “Please continue living for me.”

After Sakuma regained his health, one of the first things he wanted to do was become a parent, but his wife didn’t want to have kids. He says in the documentary that he began a personal campaign that lasted two years to get his wife to change her mind. She changed her mind when he told her that men can do anything when it comes to raising a child, except for pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. He convinced her that he would make a great stay-at-home dad, which he is to their son.

Rob and Reece Scheer didn’t expect to become parents to four kids in a short period of time (less than a year), but that’s what happened when they fostered four children, whom they eventually ended up adopting. Rob and Reece have three sons and one daughter; two of the sons are biological brothers. Rob (the older husband) says he knew that he wanted to be a father since he was 6 years old. Rob describes how he grew up with an abusive father, but that traumatic experience helped him know that he wanted to be the opposite of abusive when he became a dad.

The four kids adopted by Reece and Rob also come from troubled backgrounds, so Rob believes surviving his own abusive childhood helps him relate to his kids in that way. As for Reece, he was working two jobs when he decided quit those jobs to be the couple’s stay-at-home partner. They had to make the sacrifice of having a lower household income, but now the family lives happily on a farm, which the dads say has been beneficial for the emotional well-being of their kids.

Rob Scheer says that sometimes people say unintentionally ignorant things  about gay couples who are parents. “People ask, ‘Who’s the mom and who’s the dad?’ We’re both dads, but the one thing that we do is that we both partner. That’s what parents should be doing.”

One of the questions that Bryce Dallas Howard asks the celebrities is to define what a father is in one word. Fallon says “hero,” while Minhaj says “compass.” Many of the celebrity fathers in the documentary make obvious comments that are similar to each other, such as: “There’s no instruction manual/rulebook to being a father.”

And although Kimmel and Jeong briefly mention the medical scares they went through with their children (a heart defect for one of Kimmel’s sons, a premature birth for one of Jeong’s children), the documentary doesn’t show them opening up about these issues in a meaningful way. Instead, most of the celebrity soundbites are meant to elicit laughs. Several of the celebrities make references to their busy careers when they talk about how their work keeps them from spending more time with their kids, but they know that they’re working hard to provide very well for their children.

Although the non-famous fathers who are profiled  in “Dads” seem to be a diverse group because they’re from different countries and racial groups, they actually have more in common with each other than not, because they’re all middle-class fathers with children who were under the age of 13 at the time this documentary was filmed. It seems like these fathers were selected because they have young children who are in the “cute” stages of life—no kids who are teenagers or adults—thereby creating more documentary footage that was likely to be “adorable.”

Apatow and Smith are the only fathers who talk about how fatherhood became less fun for them when their children became teenagers. They mention that they had to learn to give their teenage kids space, adjust to their kids’ growing independence, and allow them to make their own decisions on issues, even if those decisions turned out to be mistakes. But since the documentary doesn’t do any up-close profiles of non-famous fathers who have teenagers, the only commentaries about raising teenagers come from rich and famous guys, and it’s questionable how relatable these celebrity dads are to the rest of the public.

For example, Smith has said in other interviews (not in this documentary) that he and his wife Jada don’t believe that their kids should be punished in their household when they do something wrong, their kids never had to do household chores, and he and Jada allowed their kids to drop out of school when the kids didn’t feel like going anymore. Apatow admits in the documentary that he’s also a permissive dad who never really punished his kids if they did something wrong. Is it any wonder that many celebrities are perceived as raising spoiled kids who are out of touch with the real world?

One of the other shortcomings of “Dads” is that, except for Selby, the documentary completely ignores major financial strains that parenthood can cause. It’s as if the documentary wants to forget that financially poor fathers exist in this world too. And even though Minhaj is the only one in “Dads” to mention the immigrant experience, “Dads” could have used more fatherhood stories from an immigrant perspective.

However, if you want a heartwarming look at famous and non-famous dads who say that parenthood is the best thing that ever happened to them, “Dads” fulfills all those expectations. This documentary is more like a series of love letters instead of a thorough and inclusive investigation.

Apple TV+ premiered “Dads” on June 19, 2020.

HBO Max announces launch month, subscription price, more original programs

October 29, 2019

The following is a press release from WarnerMedia:

WarnerMedia today unveiled significant new details about its HBO Max direct-to-consumer strategy on the company’s iconic Warner Bros. lot, revealing a comprehensive offering of programming options for every audience, product features and functionality, and its go-to-market plans.

“With this entire company coming together, we will have one of the most robust collections of premium streaming content that will appeal to all demographics in the household, and be able to achieve incredible scale and reach right out of the gate,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer. “We couldn’t achieve this without AT&T’s unprecedented and enthusiastic support. When you live in a world with ‘dragons’ — it feels very good to have one of your own in the game!”

Launching in May of 2020, WarnerMedia will be making HBO Max available to customers in the U.S. for $14.99 per month. The company is targeting 50 million domestic subscribers and 75 – 90 million premium subscribers by year-end in 2025 across the U.S., Latin America and Europe. At launch, AT&T will immediately offer HBO Max to the roughly 10 million HBO subscribers on AT&T distribution platforms, at no additional charge. HBO Now direct-billed users who subscribe directly through HBONow.com will also have access to Warner Media’s HBO Max product. AT&T customers on premium video, mobile and broadband services will be offered bundles with HBO Max included at no additional charge. We are in active discussions with our distributors and look forward to offering their customers seamless access to this great product.

“We’ve positioned HBO Max in a way that makes sense for our Company, our distribution partners and our customers,” said Tony Goncalves, CEO of Otter Media. “We are creating a company-wide ‘membership-model’ that taps into AT&T’s 170 million direct-to-consumer relationships, 5,500 retail stores and 3.2 billion annual customer touchpoints to achieve scale and reach at launch.”

HBO Max will launch with 10,000 hours of curated premium content including the entire HBO service, bundled with new HBO Max Originals that expand the breadth of the offering targeted at young adults, kids and families.  HBO Max will pull from WarnerMedia’s deep library of fan favorites in its 100-year content collection, including library content from Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. HBO Max will also offer a robust selection of third party acquired series and movie titles that will rival any other streaming offering in the marketplace.

New Max Originals announced today include:

  • The Fungies!, from Stephen Neary and Cartoon Network Studios, is a prehistoric comedy that explores Fungietown through the whimsical quests of Seth, a young student at Fungietown Elementary.
  • Tig N’ Seek from Myke Chilian and Cartoon Network Studios is about 8-year-old Tiggy and his gadget-building cat, Gweeseek, as they search for the lost items of Wee Gee City. With Tiggy’s cheerful attitude and Gweeseek’s exceptional inventing capabilities, the duo humorously navigate day-to-day dilemmas at the Department of Lost and Found.
  • Tooned Out, executive produced by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump; Cast Away; Back to the Future), is a half-hour, hybrid live-action and animated comedyThings get a little cartoony for Mac when he starts seeing iconic cartoon characters in his life, but they’re not just there for laughs, they’re helping him get through a very rough patch in his life.
  • Looney Tunes Cartoons, an all-new series of 80 eleven-minute episodes and holiday-themed specials from Warner Bros. Animation starring the cherished classic Looney Tunes characters for today’s kids. Iconic characters will include Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Tweety, Sylvester, Granny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Tasmanian Devil, Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote and many more.
  • Jellystonea new animated children’s comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation that will welcome viewers to the town of Jellystone, where their favorite Hanna-Barbera characters live, work, play, and stir up trouble together.
  • DC Super Hero High is a half-hour comedy series executive produced by Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels, Pitch Perfect, Shrill), which follows a group of students experiencing the fun and drama of adolescence at a boarding school for gifted kids. These teens are just trying to navigate the pressures of high school, but none of them realize that someday they will become legendary DC Super Heroes.
  • Rap Sh*t (working title) from Issa Rae (Insecure; A Black Lady Sketch Show) is a half-hour comedy series that follows a female rap group from outside of Miami trying to make it in the music industry.
  • College Girls (working title), the latest series from Mindy Kaling (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Late Night, The Mindy Project, The Office), is a 13-episode half-hour, single-camera comedy following three 18-year-old freshman roommates at Evermore College in Vermont who are equal parts lovable and infuriating.
  • Strange Adventuresa DC Super Hero anthology series executive produced by Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Titans, Doom Patrol), will feature characters from across the DC canon. This one-hour drama series will explore close-ended morality tales about the intersecting lives of mortals and superhumans.
  • Green Lantern inspired series from Berlanti Productions that will finally introduce characters from this iconic comic in Berlanti’s biggest series yet.
  • A Series of Stand Up Specials presented by Conan O’Brien will feature five new comedy specials. O’Brien will host two specials, featuring short sets from multiple up-and-coming comics while also curating one-hour sets from three comedians. In addition HBO Max has purchased the rights to a one-hour special from comedian James Veitch.
  • Raised by Wolvesan epic serialized sci-fi series executive produced and directed by Ridley Scott (The MartianBlade RunnerAlien: Covenant) centering on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet.
  • Bobbie Sue is a feature-length film starring Golden Globe® winner Gina Rodriquez (Jane the Virgin) following the story of a headstrong young lawyer who lands a career-making case with an upper crust law firm, only to realize she’s been hired for optics and not her expertise.

New HBO original announced today:

  • House of the Dragon, a 10-episode, straight-to-series order “Game of Thrones” prequel. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the series, which is set 300 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” tells the story of House Targaryen. Co-created by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal. Emmy award winning director Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal will partner as showrunners and will also serve as executive producers along with George R.R. Martin and Vince Gerardis. Sapochnik will direct the pilot and additional episodes of the series, which will be written by Condal.

Newly Acquired and Library Titles:

  • In addition to the new original titles mentioned above, HBO Max also announced today a number of classic and library titles that will be coming to the streamer in its first year of launch, including: South Park, Rick & Morty, The O.C., Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Robot Chicken, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Bachelor, Impractical Jokers, The Closer, Rizzolli and Isles, Major Crimes, The Alienist, The West Wing, United Shades of America with Kamau Bell, This is Life with Lisa Ling, and Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
  • In addition, a collection of classics from the libraries of Looney TunesMerrie Melodies and Hannah Barbara will be available at launch.

“We are attracting top talent to bring in a wide variety of original ideas, curating the rich library assets of this company, and acquiring the most compelling third-party programming available,” said Kevin Reilly, chief content officer, HBO Max, president, TNT, TBS and truTV.

DEPTH AND BREADTH OF PROGRAMMING

HBO Max, anchored by HBO and its iconic shows, movies, documentaries and specials, will build on HBO’s legacy and offer something for every demographic – from dramas, comedies, sci-fi, and anime to children’s, unscripted, films, documentaries, comedy specials, late-night shows, blockbuster movies and library content – ensuring that everyone in the household has thousands of hours of entertainment at their fingertips.

In addition to series, specials and docs, HBO Max will have 1,800 film titles at launch that will cover every genre, taste and fan interest, including HBO’s vast collection/library of new theatrical hits and beloved classics. Global blockbuster franchises from Warner Bros. including The MatrixThe Lord of the RingsThe HobbitGremlins and the Lego movies will be available in the first year, along with every DC film from the last decade including Aquaman and Joker, and every Batman and Superman movie from the last 40 years.

“We work with an unmatched roster of innovative artists and we couldn’t be happier to be bringing them to HBO Max next year and well into the future,” said Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO of Warner Bros. “HBO Max will have the pick of the litter here at Warner Bros.”

For a complete list of titles coming to HBO Max please visit here.

FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY

Throughout the year after its initial launch, HBO Max will roll out a variety of new features and functionality not found on any other streaming platforms today, including:

  • Recommended By Humans – HBO Max will combine Human Powered Discovery and analytics in novel ways to make it much easier for viewers to quickly find the content they are passionate about.  Here, talent and influencers will make recommendations to our users about content they love, in the form of short, authentic videos to talk about how they’ve fallen in love with it and why.
  • Co-Viewing – Research shows that many viewers are aware of how viewing with others can throw off their recommendations. HBO Max is solving this co-viewing challenge by allowing viewers to create shared homepages that are completely separate from their personal homepages, but tailored to the group’s likes and needs. They can create shared watch lists and view with members of their household without impacting their personal profiles.

HBO Max will also offer standard direct-to-consumer features, such as:

  • Content Hubs – Content hubs feature clusters of content from recognizable brands that attract passionate audiences.
  • Personalized Profiles & Homepages
  • Kids’ profiles and Parental PIN usage
  • Downloads for offline viewing

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

HBO Max’s leading quality and breadth of content will be fueled by AT&T’s continued investments and resources to ensure the offering is attractive to every household.

Within the first year of launch WarnerMedia plans to expand the service to include an AVOD option, offering consumers access to even more content, with more flexibility to manage the overall price value options on the platform.

The company also announced plans in the future to provide subscribers with unique live, interactive and special event programming as it continues to build out and differentiate HBO Max.

AT&T intends to expand HBO Max beyond the U.S., initially prioritizing Latin America and Europe where the company currently has ownership interest in or operates premium HBO networks, and has over-the-top services.

AT&T intends to invest significantly in HBO Max, with an incremental investment of $1.5 to $2 billion in the partial year of 2020 and continued investment in following years.  That investment includes spending for new content, foregone licensing revenue of our content, operating expense for the technology platform, and marketing.

“To build, launch and grow the best streaming platform available requires a major investment and total support,” said John Stankey, AT&T Chief Operating Officer and CEO of WarnerMedia. “We’re making that commitment and putting the strength of our entire company behind this.”

The replay of today’s webcast will be available at WarnerMediaday.com. More information is available at HBOMax.com.

2019 Comic-Con International: Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco announces lineup

July 1, 2019

Conan O'Brien
Conan O’Brien (Photo by Chris Haston/Bravo)

The following is a press release from TBS:

Team Coco is bringing Conan O’Brien’s unique brand of comedy back to San Diego with its successful daily pop-up comedy club Team Coco House open Thursday July 18th through Saturday July 20nd. Located at 401 G Street in the historic Gas Lamp District, Team Coco House will showcase a daily lineup of comics handpicked by Conan, podcasts, panels, trivia, giveaways, surprise appearances by friends of Team Coco, as well as O’Brien himself. This marks the third time Team Coco has run the successful comedy venue, with past appearances in San Diego and New York City.

Team Coco House will serve as a major comedy hub in San Diego, curating a fan-friendly space that will expand the overall CONAN experience at Comic-Con(R) International. Since its debut on TBS in 2010, CONAN has featured more stand-up performances than all other late-night shows. Continuing to build on the success of O’Brien’s live endeavors, including his headlining an international 19-city comedy tour, Team Coco House continues O’Brien’s goals of supporting live comedy and up-and-coming comics.

Team Coco House runs in conjunction with CONAN’s Comic-Con(R) International shows being taped at San Diego’s historic Spreckels Theatre on Wednesday, July 17 – Saturday, July 20.

Team Coco House will showcase many well-established Team Coco collaborators; Andy Richter will record his newly-launched podcast “The Three Questions with Andy Richter” live on Thursday 7/18 followed by Aparna Nancherla & Friends that evening. Rory Scovel will bring his unique voice to Team Coco House on Friday 7/19. Saturday 7/20 will feature a full day of Team Coco regulars kicking off with an exclusive table read and screening of Final Space with creator and star Olan Rogers. That evening, Ron Funches hits the stage followed by Moses Storm bringing his very popular Up & Up monthly series from Los Angeles to San Diego for a special show. Each day at Team Coco House, fans will be able to recharge at the “Team Coco Power Hour” presented by AT&T. Fans will have access to refreshments and phone chargers free of charge after a long day of lines and crowds that are physically and technologically draining. Every evening,Team Coco House will conclude with MIDNIGHT @ COCO’S, a chance for fans to mix and mingle and maybe even interact with a surprise bartender.

Over the three days, Team Coco House will feature appearances by Conan O’Brien, Rory Scovel, Aparna Nancherla, Ron Funches, Olan Rogers, Moses Storm, Flula Borg, Jenny Zigrino, Shane Torres, Rell Battle, Max Silvestri, Laurie Kilmartin, Andres du Bouchet, Brian Kiley, Levi MacDougall, Mike Sweeney, Jessie Gaskell, Aaron Bleyaert, Charla Lauriston, Gavin Matts, and more.

The full Team Coco House schedule is as follows:

Thursday 7/18
2:00 pm: Team Coco presents SUPERBOSS WITH AARON BLEYAERT
3:30 pm: AT&T presents TEAM COCO HOUSE POWER HOUR
5:30 pm: Team Coco presents THE THREE QUESTIONS WITH ANDY RICHTER
7:30 pm: Team Coco presents APARNA NANCHERLA & FRIENDS
10:00 pm: Team Coco presents CONAN’S WRITERS LIVE
12:00 am: Team Coco presents MIDNIGHT @ COCO’S

Friday 7/19
2:00 pm: Team Coco presents INSIDE CONAN: A VERY IMPORTANT HOLLYWOOD PODCAST
4:00 pm: SNICKERS(R) presents The ConanCon Trivia Challenge
5:30 pm: AT&T presents TEAM COCO HOUSE POWER HOUR
7:30 pm: Team Coco presents TRIPLE HEADER STAND-UP
10:00 pm: Team Coco presents RORY SCOVEL
12:00 am: Team Coco presents MIDNIGHT @ COCO’S

Saturday 7/20
2:00 pm: Team Coco presents FINAL SPACE SNEAK PREVIEW & LIVE TABLE READ
4:30 pm: Team Coco presents TRIPLE HEADER STAND-UP
6:00 pm: AT&T presents TEAM COCO HOUSE POWER HOUR
8:00 pm: Team Coco presents RON FUNCHES
10:30 pm: Team Coco presents UP & UP WITH MOSES STORM
12:00 am: Team Coco presents MIDNIGHT @ COCO’S

Stay tuned for tickets and more information at: http://teamcoco.com/house

About TBS’ CONAN

TBS’ Emmy(R)-winning late-night series CONAN, hosted by Conan O’Brien, airs weeknights at 11 p.m. (ET/PT). The show is produced by Conaco LLC, with Jeff Ross serving as executive producer. Website: www.teamcoco.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/teamcoco/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/teamcoco/ Twitter: twitter.com/teamcoco/ | twitter.com/conanobrien/ YouTube: youtube.com/teamcoco/

About Team Coco

Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco is the fan-centric entity that serves as the show’s digital and social media hub. Team Coco is responsible for expanding the CONAN brand into additional content experiences across all screens, including digital and branded content, podcasting, mobile gaming, pay TV and live tours.

About TBS

TBS, a WarnerMedia Entertainment brand, is a top rated destination for entertainment among young adults and home to the most popular slate of original series on cable – Miracle Workers, CONAN, The Detour, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Guest Book, The Last O.G., American Dad! and forthcoming new, comedy series Chad. Beginning in 2020, the network expands its programming with dramas including the eagerly anticipated, sci-fi thriller, Snowpiercer. TBS’ upcoming slate of premium, unscripted series include The Misery Index and live, multiplatform event Chasing the Cure. TBS’ line up also includes comedy hits like Family Guy, The Big Bang Theory, classic sitcom favorites Seinfeld and Friends, blockbuster movies and live event coverage of Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and ELEAGUE, WarnerMedia’s eSports gaming competition. Website: www.tbs.com

About WarnerMedia

WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, truTV and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).

2018 Comic-Con International: Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco House comedy club makes its debut

July 13, 2018

Conan O'Brien
Conan O’Brien (Photo by Chris Haston/Bravo)

The following is a press release from TBS:

Team Coco and TBS are bringing Conan O’Brien’s unique brand of comedy to San Diego in a nightly pop-up comedy club.  TEAMCOCOHOUSE will be open beginning Wednesday July 18 through Saturday July 21. Located at 327 Fourth Ave, a few blocks from the convention center, TEAMCOCOHOUSE will showcase a daily lineup of comics handpicked by Conan, podcasts, panels, screenings, giveaways and special appearances by friends of Team Coco, as well as O’Brien himself.

Continuing to build on the promise of a recently announced joint venture with Turner, Team Coco will aggressively increase its footprint into linear, digital and live formats by collaborating with a team of established and up and coming comics, adding comedy showcases, touring, specials and podcasts. TEAMCOCOHOUSE is a major early realization of these goals.

Team Coco will continue to bring funny everywhere, having a mix of fan interaction, live comedy, podcast recording all in one intimate space that will add to the overall CONAN experience at Comic-Con® International this year.
TEAMCOCOHOUSE runs in conjunction with CONAN‘s Comic-Con® International shows being taped at San Diego’s historic Spreckels Theatre onWednesday, July 18– Saturday, July 21.

“TEAMCOCOHOUSE is the perfect place for fans of our brand of comedy to see some of the very talented people that inspire me,” added Conan O’Brien.  “I intend to hang out there way too much and creep everyone out.”

Team Coco-produced FINAL SPACE will feature two special events.  Olan Rogers and Coty Galloway invite you to “Eat-A-Slice with Final Space” at 11pm on Thursday July 19th. In addition Olan Rogers will host a Final Space Table Read with Tika Sumpter, Tom Kenny, Coty Galloway and special guests on Friday, July 20 at 7pm.

TEAMCOCOHOUSE will feature appearances by Conan O’Brien, Vir Das, Rory Scovel, Moshe Kasher, Big Jay Oakerson, Flula Borg, Laurie Kilmartin, The Kondabolu Brothers podcast, Joel Kim Booster, Marina Franklin, Brian Kiley, Taylor Tomlinson, Coty Galloway, Nore Davis, Andres du Bouchet, Matthew Broussard, Tom Kenny, Tika Sumpter, Levi MacDougall, Jimmy Pardo, Hayes Davenport, Olan Rogers, Sean Clements, Moses Storm, and more.

The full TEAMCOCOHOUSE schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, July 18: “Playing Games Podcast with Jimmy Pardo,” a funny and fast-paced pop culture trivia game show hosted by comedian and veteran game show host Jimmy Pardo at 5pm.  A rare chance to see India’s biggest comedy star, Vir Das, perform a full hour show at 7pm. Team Coco’s hit LA live show, “Team Coco presents Up & Up with Moses Storm” at 9pm. Nore Davis (“You Guys Are Dope”) will be hosting “Run The Jokes” a showcase of some of Team Coco’s favorite comedians at 11pm.

Thursday, July 19: Comedians will poke fun at some of the biggest icons in Science Fiction during “Sci-Fi Comedy Death Match” with Matthew Broussard at 3pm.  The Legendary “Kondabolu Brothers” of Queens will record an episode of their popular podcast live at 5pm.  One of the most exciting comedians working today, Rory Scovel (“I Feel Pretty”) will perform a full hour at 7pm.  The writers of Conan will perform stand-up at 9pm.  Olan Rogers and Coty Galloway invite you to “Eat-A-Slice with Final Space” at 11pm.

Friday, July 20: Hayes Davenport and Sean Clements host “The Hollywood Handbook” podcast at 3pm.  “Run The Jokes” at 5pm.  Olan Rogers will host a Final Space Table Read with special guests Tika Sumpter, Tom Kenny, Coty Galloway and others at 7pm.  Comedians will perform some of their most personal material on Taylor Tomlinson’s “Working It Out” at 9pm.  Big Jay Oakerson (HBO’s Crashing) is bringing his sellout show, “Big Jay Oakerson’s What’s Your F#@King Deal?” where comedians roast the audience, from New York’s famed Comedy Cellar to San Diego at 11pm.

Saturday, July 21: “Sci-Fi Comedy Death Match” with Matthew Broussard at 3pm.  Comedian, author, and actor Moshe Kasher will record a live episode of his podcast, “Hound Tall Discussion” at 5pm.  “Run The Jokes” at 7pm.  “Working It Out” at 9pm.  “Big Jay Oakerson’s What’s Your F#@King Deal?”  at 11pm.

For more information please visit http://www.tbs.com/teamcocohouse.

About TBS’s CONAN

TBS’s Emmy®-winning late-night series CONAN, hosted by Conan O’Brien, airs weeknights at 11 p.m. (ET/PT). The show, which draws the youngest audience of any hour-long late-night series, is produced by Conaco LLC, with Jeff Ross serving as executive producer.

Website: www.teamcoco.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/teamcoco/
Twitter: twitter.com/teamcoco/ | twitter.com/conanobrien/
YouTube: youtube.com/teamcoco/

 

About TBS

TBS, a division of Turner, is one of basic cable’s top entertainment networks with young adults, and home to the most popular and critically acclaimed comedies on cable — Angie TribecaCONANThe DetourFull Frontal with Samantha BeeThe Guest Book The Last O.G.Search Partyand Wrecked — as well as animated series American Dad!Final Space and Tarantula. TBS’ slate of unscripted series includes competition show Drop the Mic and Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild. Upcoming comedies include Miracle Workers and Close Enough. In addition, the TBS lineup includes popular comedy hits like Brooklyn Nine-NineFamily GuyThe Cleveland ShowBob’s BurgersThe Big Bang TheoryNew Girl and 2 Broke Girls; blockbuster movies; and live coverage of Major League Baseball’s regular and post-season play, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and ELEAGUE, Turner’s eSports gaming competition.

Website: www.tbs.com
Pressroom: www.turner.com/pressroom/united-states/tbs
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TBS
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TBSNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/tbsnetwork | twitter.com/TBSPR

The TBS app is available for iOS, Android and other platforms and devices.

Turner, a WarnerMedia company, is a global entertainment, sports and news company that creates premium content and delivers exceptional experiences to fans whenever and wherever they consume content. These efforts are fueled by data-driven insights and industry-leading technology. Turner owns and operates some of the most valuable brands in the world, including Adult SwimBleacher ReportBoomerangCartoon NetworkCNNELEAGUEFilmStruckGreat Big StoryHLNiStreamPlanetSuper DeluxeTBSTurner Classic Movies (TCM)TNTtruTV and Turner Sports.

2018 Comic-Con International: Conan O’Brien announces guest stars

July 2, 2018

Conan O’Brien returns to San Diego for the fourth year in a row with a week of star-filled shows to be taped during Comic-Con® International. This year’s roster includes the stars of the of the Emmy-winning sensation  “Breaking Bad” reuniting for the 10 year anniversary of the show, the stars of “Glass,” “The Predator,” and the stars of “Aquaman,” with more to be announced.

“Conan’s” Comic-Con® International shows will be taped at San Diego’s historic Spreckels Theatre on Wednesday, July 18– Saturday, July 21. Episodes will air that Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS, with availability across TBS and Team Coco’s digital, mobile and VOD platforms the following day.

The following is the schedule for the week’s episodes and guests:

 Wednesday, July 18
The Cast of “Breaking Bad” starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna
Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Giancarlo Esposito, Bob
Odenkirk and show creator Vince Gilligan
Thursday, July 19
The Cast of “The Predator” starring Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key,
Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Trevante Rhodes, Alfie Allen, Augusto
Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski and director Shane Black  Saturday, July 21
The Cast of “Glass” starring Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, Bruce
Willis, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy and writer/director M. Night
ShyamalanSunday, July 22
The Cast of “Aquaman”To Be Announced.

As in years past, “Conan” audience members will receive one of four limited edition Funko Pop! Vinyl Figures available during Comic-Con® International.  Those not lucky enough to attend shows in person will have an opportunity for a Nightly Instant Win Giveaway.  Conan will announce a code each night on air from his San Diego tapings.  Enter the code at teamcoco.com each night for your chance to win. Also, follow @conancon on Instagram for more information and giveaways throughout Comic-Con® International.

To bring fans even more access to all things “Conan” in San Diego, Team Coco has partnered with DIRECTV NOW to debut: @ConanCon, a new Instagram handle that will serve as the official hub for your #ConanCon information with exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, giveaways, ticket and celebrity guest updates, and much more! And it doesn’t stop there. Returning to the roof of Spreckels Theatre, the LIVE @ConanCon show will stream each night across Team Coco’s social handles, giving fans at home access to bonus content.

And don’t miss the Team Coco and Snickers® brand ambassadors, who will be hitting the streets of the Gaslamp District and encouraging fans to show off their best (or worst) version of “Conan’s”iconic string dance. Fans will receive social-ready GIFs and Snickers® bars – either for a job well done or as a boost to help fight off those hunger symptoms and improve future dance skills!

Each night during the week of shows, fans will have the opportunity to win exclusive “Conan” access in San Diego. Thanks to State Farm®, life will go right for a few lucky con-goers, who will be awarded VIP tickets to attend that night’s Team Coco House comedy show and show tickets for the following day at Spreckels Theater.

For tickets and more information about “Conan’s” San Diego shows, please visit teamcoco.com/comiccon

“Conan” airs Monday-Thursday at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS. The show is produced by Conaco LLC, with Jeff Ross serving as executive producer.

About TBS
TBS, a division of Turner, is one of basic cable’s top entertainment networks with young adults, and home to the most popular and critically acclaimed comedies on cable — Angie TribecaCONAN, The DetourFull Frontal with Samantha BeeThe Guest Book The Last O.G., Search Partyand Wrecked — as well as animated series American Dad!Final Space and Tarantula. TBS’ slate of unscripted series includes competition show Drop the Mic and Snoop Dogg Presents The Joker’s Wild. Upcoming comedies include Miracle Workers and Close Enough. In addition, the TBS lineup includes popular comedy hits like Brooklyn Nine-NineFamily GuyThe Cleveland ShowBob’s BurgersThe Big Bang TheoryNew Girl and 2 Broke Girls; blockbuster movies; and live coverage of Major League Baseball’s regular and post-season play, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and ELEAGUE, Turner’s eSports gaming competition.

Website: www.tbs.com
Pressroom: www.turner.com/pressroom/united-states/tbs
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TBS
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TBSNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/tbsnetwork | twitter.com/TBSPR

The TBS app is available for iOS, Android and other platforms and devices.

Conan O’Brien signs new deal with TBS: talk-show time reduced, more shows on the road

May 3, 2018

 

Conan O'Brien
Conan O’Brien (Photo by Chris Haston/Bravo)

The following is a press release from TBS:

Turner’s TBS and Conan O’Brien announced an expanded partnership spanning television, digital, social and live events that will enable the late night icon to capitalize and interact with his multi-generational fan base across platforms. After 25 years on television and having amassed a deeply passionate and engaged fan base through the nightly show, travel specials, digital content, live events and fan interactions, Team Coco and TBS will take Conan’s enduring brand of comedy to his fans wherever they are. The expansion of Team Coco will be advanced by Billy Parks who has been named to the newly created position of Chief Brand Officer for the joint venture.

The longest tenured host in late night television will continue to evolve and reinvent the genre with major shifts to both his late night show and the creation and expansion of a joint Team Coco enterprise with TBS. CONAN will continue to air four nights a week on TBS, and in 2019 will unveil a new, less structured 30-minute format that will have guests and a variety of segments drawn from the newly expanded Team Coco portfolio.

“Since I inherited my Late Night show in 1993, TV has changed exponentially. I’d like to think I have evolved with many of these changes, but now it’s time to take the next leap.  A half-hour show will give me the time to do a higher percentage of the comedy in, and out, of the studio that I love and that seems to resonate in this new digital world,” O’Brien said about the changes. “It’s still going to be me hosting a very silly show, but I want segments on my half-hour program to link to digital content, deepening the experience for my younger fans, and confusing my older ones.”

Team Coco’s initial 360-degree expansion efforts will include an array of talent deals with stand-up comedians driven by live touring and original digital material. Kicking-off in late 2018, O’Brien and his curated team of comics will hit the road on a multi-city tour hosted by O’Brien himself. As the late night show that features the most standup comedians on television, CONAN and TBS will introduce the newest and brightest comedic talent worldwide on multiple platforms.

Team Coco will continue to develop industry-leading branded linear and digital content, further strengthening the relationships between O’Brien’s comedic brand and advertising partners as new talent comes into the fold. The multi-platform hit franchise Clueless Gamer, which has been home to dozens of integrated partners, will serve as the model for how Team Coco can deliver brand relevance and impact for a growing list of branded partners.

“Conan has always been a fearless performer and now, at the top of his form, I’m excited he’s taking a gutsy step forward with us into new arenas,” said Kevin Reilly, president of TBS and TNT and chief creative officer of Turner Entertainment.

Billy Parks, a seasoned and well-respected creative executive will be vital to the growth of Team Coco’s new initiatives, working closely with longtime CONAN Executive Producer Jeff Ross. Parks most recently served as Executive Vice President of Creative and Content Strategy at Otter Media.

“This natural evolution of the show and expansion of the brand gives us a unique opportunity to reach fans in ways we never could have dreamed of when we started this show 25 years ago. Billy Parks will be an integral part of our continued success and advancement in creating exciting opportunities across all platforms,” added Jeff Ross.

Parks stated, “Not only does Conan have an epic history of working on one of the most prestigious and long running shows in comedy, the way he and his team have evolved the show over the past five years to create touch points that weave linear, digital and live for fans and brands is impressive. I am excited to be a part of the team as TBS and Team Coco double down on being funny everywhere. ”

CONAN will continue to take the show internationally in the vein of past shows such as Cuba, Mexico, Haiti and Israel, through his critically acclaimed CONAN Without Borders series. These hour-long specials have attracted passionate international audiences across multiple platforms and will continue to be an important part of the show’s portfolio.  Additionally, in celebration of his 25 years on late night, Team Coco will be making O’Brien’s entire catalogue from Late Night with Conan O’Brien on NBC and CONAN on TBS available digitally.

“Starting out on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, through Late Night and my work with TBS, one of the great joys of my life has been collaborating with brilliantly funny people.  This new venture with TBS will give me a platform to nurture exciting young talent and find the right place for their gifts in a crowded and chaotic landscape,” O’Brien remarked about the new venture.  “My goal is to be ‘Red Lobster,’ only instead of affordable seafood we make comedy, and every customer gets a bib.  I wish I had thought this through.”

CONAN airs Monday-Thursday at 11 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS. The show is produced by Conaco LLC, with Jeff Ross serving as executive producer.

 

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