The weasel needs some viewers, buuuuudy.

[Shockeye]

Minding the Store

Pauly Shore and the world-famous The Comedy Store Stage a Comeback in TBS's Original Comedy Series, Minding the Store
series premieres Sunday, July 17 at 10/9c

TBS, television's very funny network, is giving down-but-not-out comedian Pauly Shore (Encino Man, Jury Duty) the chance to get his mother's world-famous Comedy Store back on track, while also giving his own career a boost, in a new original comedy series Minding the Store. The half-hour series, premiering Sunday, July 17 at 10/9c, comes to TBS from Shapiro/Grodner Productions (Big Brother) and Bayonne Entertainment, with Arnold Shapiro, Allison Grodner and Rob Lee executive-producing.

"The Comedy Store is the place where such comedians as Jim Carrey, Richard Pryor and David Letterman got their starts, so it seems perfectly fitting for television's very funny network to follow its revival," said Steve Koonin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of TBS. "The show will blend the comedy on-stage at The Comedy Store with the quirky personalities and offbeat backstage antics of Pauly Shore and his mother, Comedy Store owner Mitzi Shore."

Minding the Store opens with Mitzi Shore reluctantly handing over the reins of her legendary Comedy Store to her youngest son Pauly, in the hopes that maybe he can pump some life back into it. With his plans of renovations, new promotions and A-list talent, Pauly's goal of making the comedy club great again proves to be a daunting task, especially since his mom just can't seem to let him take over completely.

Equally as daunting are Pauly's attempts to regain his professional footing as an actor, taking classes and telling his agent to put him up for serious, more dramatic roles. He also runs into problems as he tries to juggle relationships with the women in his life and finally date someone "appropriate."

The Comedy Store, located on the Sunset Strip, was founded in 1972 by Mitzi Shore and her husband, comedian Sammy Shore. From the beginning, it featured the top new comedic talent on the circuit, quickly becoming host for HBO's Young Comedians Special in 1980. The venue continues to present stand up comedy seven days a week.

Pauly Shore gained national attention in 1990, when his MTV series "Totally Pauly" became an immediate hit. After a four-year run, Shore moved into feature films, starring as the wiezel in Encino Man, Son-In-Law, In the Army Now, Jury Duty, Bio-Dome and The Curse of Inferno. He recently had his directorial feature debut, Pauly Shore is Dead, a semi-autobiographical dark comedy in which he fakes his own death in order to get the attention he craves.

You can see a promo clip here.

[Yegolev]

Lock this thread now.

[schild]

TBS, Television's Funny Network?

Yea, funny it's still around.

I guess this is good a time as any to say how much "Pauly Shore is Dead" ruled. As a movie, a piece of art, and comedy sketch.

[WayAbvPar]

Pauly Shore is among the elite few- one of the most unfunny comedians that ever lived. He is in the pantheon with such luminaries as Mario Joyner, Sinbad, Gallagher, and the Zeus of this particular Mount Olympus- Carrot Top.

[Mr_PeaCH]

One of my college roommates had a strange sort of run-in with Pauly Shore back in the day.  My friend aspired to make it in Hollywood so he came up with a movie idea.  The core idea was a summer comedy vehicle designed around Pauly's schtick where he would take a job as nanny for a rich british aristocrat's children.  Cast a John Cleese as the stuffy brit who in the end learns a thing or two about laughing, and loving... hilarity ensues.  I'm not kidding.  That was pretty much his whole idea.    x infinity

Well my friend had one actual Hollywood 'in' and he leveraged that to get the 'idea' shopped around and a studio actually bought it for a very, very modest price but hell we were impressed.  The studio took it upon themselves to hire writers to, um, flesh it out and write, you know, actual dialogue, jokes and bits.  Oh, and of course somebody began talking to Pauly Shore's people about this idea.  Had my friend's timing been a liiiittle bit better this would have been Pauly's first movie deal.  But as it turned out he'd already committed to what turns out to be the Encino Man movie.  That wrapped up and hit the screens and Pauly's star was on the rise (in retrospect, as high as it would ever get but hey, who knew, you know?).  Now his people want more money so the studio balks.  And Pauly is first heard to utter the immortal words "I don't want to keep being typecast, buuuddy".  I had a look at the finished script at one point, it was actually pretty well done... you know, for a stupid teen comedy staring the likes of Pauly Shore.

Oddly enough, even though the whole premise of my friend's idea centered around Pauly Shore and now they weren't going to get him, the studio kept the project on life support and tried to rope in "the next Pauly Shore", a young man named Jim Carrey fresh off the success of the TV show "Living Color"  Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough and after "Ace Venture: Pet Detective" came out he was too cool for school as well and wanted to get paid big time.  (and in his case perhaps, who could blame him)  Obviously there was another re-write during this time to suite Carrey's vein which I don't recall seeing.

So my friend was 0-2 in the screenplay biz with a couple screaming foul balls.  In the end though I tip my cap to him.  He wanted to work in Hollywood and he has done so and done fairly well.  He got into the 'reality show' racket back in the beginning (think MTV) and continues to 'direct' and run camera crews for a variety of production companies.  True story.   

[HaemishM]

I guess this is good a time as any to say how much "Pauly Shore is Dead" ruled. As a movie, a piece of art, and comedy sketch.

Yes, it has some truly funny bits.

Hey, I LIKED some of his movies, as annoying as he was. Bio-Dome and Son-in-Law still give me chuckles. Schlocky, yes, but still funny. A reality show with Shore? No, please God no. About the only thing I ever watch TBS for is Braves baseball when the Cubs aren't on TV.

Funny Network my ass. Friends is not funny.

[schild]

Pauly Shore is among the elite few- one of the most unfunny comedians that ever lived. He is in the pantheon with such luminaries as Mario Joyner, Sinbad, Gallagher, and the Zeus of this particular Mount Olympus- Carrot Top.

Actually Pauly Shore is incredibly fucking funny. I mean, really goddamn side-splitting funny. I went and saw him at a comedy club in Miami once and his Dad opened for him. My god, they're a funny couple of guys. If you ever have the chance to see them in a small club where he can be a nasty evil fucker, do it. He's nothing like you'd imagine.

[Paelos]

TBS is good for one thing. The Braves. For anything else Turner, TNT is the better network.

[Shockeye]

TBS is good for one thing. The Braves. For anything else Turner, TNT is the better network.

They know drama.

[WayAbvPar]

Pauly Shore is among the elite few- one of the most unfunny comedians that ever lived. He is in the pantheon with such luminaries as Mario Joyner, Sinbad, Gallagher, and the Zeus of this particular Mount Olympus- Carrot Top.

Actually Pauly Shore is incredibly fucking funny. I mean, really goddamn side-splitting funny. I went and saw him at a comedy club in Miami once and his Dad opened for him. My god, they're a funny couple of guys. If you ever have the chance to see them in a small club where he can be a nasty evil fucker, do it. He's nothing like you'd imagine.

If the climax of his act was him setting himself on fire, I might buy a ticket. But only if his act was shorter than the writhing around on fire part.

The guy just gets on my very last nerve. Much like Jim Carrey (who I neglected to mention in my previous "Pantheon of Shitty Comedians").

[Fabricated]

I thought Sinbad was funny in the two of his specials I saw.

And your list is missing Bob Sagat.

[schild]

Ok. Look.

Bob Sagat is hilarious.

[ahoythematey]

"I used to suck dick for coke.  Now that's an addiction.  Have you ever sucked dick for marijuana?"

He also directed Dirty Work.

[Strazos]

TBS is good for one thing. The Braves. For anything else Turner, TNT is the better network.

They know drama.

I could watch that channel all day.

ER, Law and Order, Chasing Amy (name is prolly wrong, but I can tolerate it well enough)...It's the bling-bling of TV for me...or something.

[Fabricated]

Ok. Look.

Bob Sagat is hilarious.

Everything he has ever been in says otherwise.

[WayAbvPar]

I thought Sinbad was funny in the two of his specials I saw.

And your list is missing Bob Sagat.

Sinbad is less unfunny than the rest of them, but his stuff is just too mainstream and vanilla. Agreed on Bob Sagat- not only unfunny, but outright annoying. I can't believe I left him off the Pantheon.

[Rasix]

"I used to suck dick for coke.  Now that's an addiction.  Have you ever sucked dick for marijuana?"

He also directed Dirty Work.

Norm MacDonald.. god, that movie was horrible.  He's a funny guy (at times, he's really hit or miss), but he's one of the worst actors in world.

[WayAbvPar]

I will always Norm MacDonald for his Weekend Update spots. He just kicked the living shit out of OJ every week...God it was great.

[Nazrat]

Have you seen Norm MacDonald's new show on Comedy Central?  Wow, it sucked.  I don't mean it sucked like I don't want to watch it again.  It sucked so bad that I want to watch it to see how bad it will get before they pull the plug.  It is just plain awful.

[Riggswolfe]

Pauly Shore is among the elite few- one of the most unfunny comedians that ever lived. He is in the pantheon with such luminaries as Mario Joyner, Sinbad, Gallagher, and the Zeus of this particular Mount Olympus- Carrot Top.

Sinbad and Gallagher can be pretty funny. I'd replace them with Cho probably the most boring comedian I've ever seen and that stupid blond twat from Sabrina (her aunt or whatever) who is also painfully unfunny.

Bob Sagat, nope, not funny. He works too hard to get away from his full house image and it shows. He's smarmy and arrogant. He's also just not funny.

Probably the funniest comedian I ever saw was this dude on Comedy Central. Remember when they'd run snippets of standup acts you'd never heard of? This guy was a magician and his magic was mean and damn funny. Like when he pulled a dove out of a handkerchief, let the audience see it and coo over it, then smashed it with his hands so feathers went everywhere. The look of shock on the audience's face was classic.

[schild]

The Amazing Jonathan. He's funny once. He still uses the "I'm drinking Windex gag." He's like the Margaret Cho of prop comics.

[Riggswolfe]

The Amazing Jonathan. He's funny once. He still uses the "I'm drinking Windex gag." He's like the Margaret Cho of prop comics.

Cho has never even been close to funny. They shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence. She's like...the black hole of funny. No laughs can escape when watching her. Hell, I'd rather watch Bob Saget than Cho, at least he causes me to want to punch him, she just bores me.

[Shockeye]

My wife recently went to see Cho with a friend of hers. Cho did 15 minutes about how Barbara Bush's pussy tastes like lysol.

I don't find that funny.

[schild]

It's not funny because Barbara Bush doesn't have a pussy. She has a mace wielding leprechaun down there.

[Paelos]

Seriously, sometimes I wonder what the hell is wrong with you people.

[Abagadro]

See The Aristocrats and then talk to me about Bob Sagat.

[schild]

Damnit, you already saw the Aristocrats? You lucky bastard.

[Abagadro]

Pays to have friends high up in the Sundance organization.

[Merusk]

Bob Sagat, nope, not funny. He works too hard to get away from his full house image and it shows. He's smarmy and arrogant. He's also just not funny.

It's my understanding of Sagat that he was ALWAYS like that, and he's not just attempting to slough-off the Full House image.  That's why so many people who knew of him were surprised when he was cast as Mr. Wholesome-Dad-USA for the show. 

[Margalis]

Yeah, from what I understand Sagat is a smarmy, obnoxious jerk.

I'm just going to throw this out there: female comics are not funny. They just aren't. Some stereotypes exist for a reason! Watching female comics always makes me uncomfortable almost.

Edit: I mean stand-up comics. There are a number of women that can do comedic sketch and such very well. What I'm talking about is a woman standing up in front of an audience for 20-40 minutes by herself.

Edit 2: For women who are funny in general: Amy Poehler can be really funny, as can the woman on Arrested Development who was also in The Specials and Mean Girls. (IMDB sez: Judy Greer)

I think lack of standup is partly attributable to the general roles in society. Typically it's men who like to entertain people by telling tall tales, outlandish stories and "boy, one time I was SO drunk that..." type yarns. Just telling jokes is just one form of comedy, that I don't think women are very good at.

On a comedy related note, everyone should check out Dave Chappelle's Killing Them Softly special. Parts of it are truly hilarious.

[schild]

The only woman I've ever found funny is Sarah Silverman.

But that's because she's also:

1. Jewish.
2. Reasonably attractive.
3. I don't have to deal with her, irl. She laughs at her own jokes. That's painful.

Other than that, all through highschool and college (and all my time working retail), I've never met a woman who can actually make me laugh without me forcing it out while wretching on the inside. I don't know what the major malfunction is with society, but as a 20-something, I've simply written off "finding a girl that's funneh" as one of my goals. It seems to be an impossibility and I'm ok with that.

Edit: Elaine had some funny lines on Seinfeld. But Roseanne is (orca) fat. I don't understand the correlation, but I've never been that great at abstract mathematical constructs.

[Mortriden]

Other than that, all through highschool and college (and all my time working retail), I've never met a woman who can actually make me laugh without me forcing it out while wretching on the inside. I don't know what the major malfunction is with society, but as a 20-something, I've simply written off "finding a girl that's funneh" as one of my goals. It seems to be an impossibility and I'm ok with that.

Jesus, you must live in an intellectual dead zone.  Move on O' Righteous brother!  Find new fertile soil to till!

[schild]

I didn't say I couldn't find smart women. I said I couldn't find one that was funny.

[Mortriden]

I didn't say I couldn't find smart women. I said I couldn't find one that was funny.

I've often found the two go together.  My opinon may not count for much anyway, my wife is great.

[Paelos]

I didn't say I couldn't find smart women. I said I couldn't find one that was funny.

They are out there, but they are bi-products of funny families. If you know funny old people, see if they have daughters.