FUNNY PLANET

Everybody loves to laugh, but not This series seeks to explore the last Earth has to offer. You may have been everybody finds the same things remaining unknown: the humorsphere! to these places, but you’ve never been funny! Three American comedians Audiences will get to know faraway to these places. are on a quest to the ends of the cultures through their comedians, earth to discover what’s unique to jokes, and comedy scenes. From the In addition to the concept- shot in each country’s sense of humor and razor-sharp wit of the former mayor of Reykjavik, Iceland, Season 1 what is universally hilarious! Reykjavik to the basement open mics destinations could include Tokyo, of Johannesburg, Funny Planet wants Moscow, Johannesburg, Berlin, Funny Planet will use comedy as a to bring audiences along for the Mumbai, Paris, Rio De Janeiro, Tel springboard to conversations about a laughs. Aviv, London, Manila, and . country’s culture, history, and political climate. How do Palestinian humorists Audience members will get to plumb draw attention to the situation in the the depths of some of the most ? What are the dangers of unique comedy venues around the political comedy in Moscow? Do world and meet the funniest, most Germans even laugh? eclectic cast of real-life characters that

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

Funny Planet seeks to answer the question “What’s funny (or not so funny) about location X?” by the end of each episode. This main question will act as a thread to bind an episode together. While the show has a loose enough structure to allow audiences to feel continually surprised, it has a developed enough structure to allow audiences to feel comfortable and, therefore, invested in the series. The show has elements that will appear in each episode including seeing a local comedy show, having a local comedian guide the hosts through the comedy scene, learning how each country’s history, politics, and culture have influenced comedy (and visa versa), getting into hijinks with local comedians around town, and, at the conclusion of each episode, doing stand up on our observations and takeaways from each location. The show seeks to emulate the naturalistic but structured style of travelogues like “Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown,” “An Idiot Abroad,” and “Jack Whitehall: Travels with My Father.”

Episode Example 1: Reykjavik, Iceland

“We’re filming a documentary about Icelandic comedy, and it’s the most unfunny experience of my life!”– says one host after realizing it was a huge mistake to think there is anything funny about Iceland in the middle of the Arctic winter. As the hosts descend on the frozen North, they are greeted by Iceland’s most famous comedic bunch, Mid-Island. We learn about Iceland’s history with stand-up comedy, some of Iceland’s darkly humorous history with Vikings, and learn that Reykjavik’s former mayor is a stand-up comedian who ran for office as a joke. The hosts meet Jon Gnarr, Iceland’s comedian-turned-mayor, who tells us how his comedy experience helped him to successfully navigate politics’ choppy (and far less funny) waters. Afterwards, we head to rural Iceland, where we narrowly escape total disaster after the hosts (almost) drive their car into a frozen lake. Finally, the hosts unwind with local comedians over some seriously strong Icelandic Brennivin and perform stand- up at Iceland’s only English-speaking, weekly comedy show, The Goldengang.

EPISODE

BREAKDOWN

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

Episode Example 2: Moscow,

“What’re you here to do in Russia?” The customs agent asks. “You have no paperwork, no filming.” As he shoves his hand on the camera, the hosts wonder whether comedy in Putin’s Russia is anything to laugh about. After reasoning (pleading) with Russian customs agents to let the equipment through, the hosts sit down for tea with Oleg Denisov, a political comedian in Moscow. He describes the precarious political climate in Russia and how he “steps around the landmines” nightly in order to deliver his material onstage. Later, the hosts head to Red Square and The Kremlin but leave after getting a strange sense that they’re being watched by the omnipresent Russian Police. What jokes will land you complimentary caviar and what jokes will land you in jail? The hosts find out after they perform at an underground comedy show where they hope their jokes about Putin don’t go too far over the line. Wait...they don’t still have the gulag, do they?

Episode Example 3: Tokyo,

The hosts are greeted in Tokyo by Nigerian-American comic Ike Nwala, one of the only black comedians in Japan. Ike’s perspective is a fascinating insight into how a foreigner breaks into the comedy scene of one of the world’s most insular and homogenous countries. We head to Alcatraz ER, a bizarre underground prison bar where Ike talks about what it’s like to find humor in one of the most unique cultures on the planet. Ike suggests we attend a live taping of a popular Japanese comedy game show. Then, after a ridiculous game show taping, we connect with a Japanese historian who describes how humor has changed in Japan over the last few hundred years; from savage samurai epithets to creative manga comics. Rounding out our trip, each host takes turns crushing (or is it bombing?) in front of a crowd at the world famous Comedy Store in Tokyo.

ZACH TOMASOVIC

Zach Tomasovic is a writer, and performed improv at The producer, and performer with a Groundlings and The Upright focus on comedy, the rule of Citizens Brigade. His 2016 threes, and nothing else. His show, ‘’Visit Boston’’, featured work has been featured in TIME sold out performances in both magazine, The Guardian, The New York and Los Angeles, and Times (UK), The Washington his comedic satire ‘’Trumpus Post, and The New York Times. Interruptus: The Impeachment of He has performed stand-up Donald J Trump’’ featured sold comedy at The Comedy Store out crowds and critical acclaim and Hollywood Improv in Los at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Angeles, CA and has studied

BRENDON LEMON

A comedian from Detroit, where returned to the US and lived he started performing regularly at between Boulder, Colorado the famous Comedy Castle at and Chicago performing and age 16. Two years in he was writing plays, as well as being featured on the TV show Sex filmed for the documentary Be Sent Me to The ER, and the Funny which featured movie Do You Believe. In 2017 Christopher Titus and Mike he finished a full run of 28 Green. He moved to Paris in the consecutive days of shows in summer of 2013 to both write the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. and perform stand-up in both He lives in Chicago currently French and English and winning awards for his short plays. He

BRENDAN GAY

Born and raised in the Midwest, tour where he traveled to 52 Brendan is a Chicago based/ cities in 52 weeks doing stand touring comedian who smiles up comedy at the most confidently when he gets nervous. respected clubs and venues across the country. Brendan Whether it’s his keen perspective was also a finalist for the Make on minority culture or growing up Me Laugh USA Competition in as a millennial bro, he’ll make you 2018. He’s the producer & host laugh. In 2017, Brendan won the of the Brendan Being Brendan Comedy for Cash Competition in Podcast and a student at Sacramento and went on a “52 x Second City in Chicago. 52” comedy