I Am A TV Junkie

In New York February 9? Here's the Funniest Thing You Can Do

I'll be honest with you, it's not a cheap ticket, but look at who you get for the price. Jerry, Colin, Attell, Norton, Lou Black, Judy Gold ... if you wanted to see them separately all it would cost you more.

It's Feb. 9 at the Beacon Theatre.

And if you've ever laughed at something that Greg Giraldo said you might feel additionally drawn to the event as proceeds from the show will set up a trust fund for his kids. Greg passed in late September leaving three children and their mom from who he was in the process of separating.

Ticketmaster is handling ticketing, click here for that. Go to this. After the jump a couple of my favorite Giraldo clips. If you've never seen Greg's stuff uncensored from the Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers you gotta click over the jump.

Video -- Greg Giraldo at the Joan Rivers Roast

At the time, I said of Greg's turn at the podium during the Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers ...

First off, Greg Giraldo killed. KILLED. I gotta think he brought "A" material because he knew promos were running for his Comedy Central special airing this weekend were playing during the breaks. I have a clip after the jump of the beginning of his set, but it cuts off right before he directs his focus to the guest of honor.

When he did, he was really really harsh when he started, I was really taken aback, but then he managed to pull it back and get me back on his side before he closed. Joan was brave. Melissa? Braver. Smiles all around, but I was sitting in front of my TV slackjawed. Still, he said some nice things at the end about how amazing it is that she's still relevant at 76.

My favorite Giraldo line was, "Gilbert (Gottfried), you look like you smell like pee."

I've reposted that clip after the jump.

You've no doubt already heard that Greg died today after overdosing on prescription pain meds over the weekend while on the road. He was 44.

From the Comedy Central website:

The Comedy Central family mourns the loss of a true friend of the network as Greg Giraldo passed away on Wednesday. Greg was our go-to comedian for a reason: he was always game, always generous, and always brilliantly funny.

Greg began his career as a lawyer, graduating from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, but his true calling and gift was for comedy. His stand-up was intelligent, yet accessible, incisive, tough and inimitably honest. A seasoned vet on the stage, Greg could bring a room full of disengaged hipsters to belly laughs within seconds of grabbing the mic. He ripped into politics, his personal life and pop culture with a uniquely blunt delivery that was both exciting and startling.

In addition to his numerous Comedy Central specials, tours, records and appearances on programming like "Root of All Evil," "Friday Night Stand-Up" and "Tough Crowd," Greg created and starred in sitcom pilots for NBC and CBS, and was given the opportunity to develop and star in his own ABC sitcom, "Common Law." He was most recently seen as a judge on NBC's "Last Comic Standing" and Comedy Central’s Roast of David Hasselhoff.

Greg Giraldo was born and raised in Queens, New York, and was the father to three sons. Our hearts go out to his friends, family and everyone who ever had the pleasure of knowing, working or laughing with him. Greg, we’ll miss you.

Click over there to leave a note or at Greg's Facebook fan page at this link.

Clip after the jump.

Clip Bonanza -- Joan Rivers Roast: Favorite Moments and Classic Rickles From 1974

First off, Greg Giraldo killed. KILLED. I gotta think he brought "A" material because he knew promos were running for his Comedy Central special airing this weekend were playing during the breaks. I have a clip after the jump of the beginning of his set, but it cuts off right before he directs his focus to the guest of honor.

When he did, he was really really harsh when he started, I was really taken aback, but then he managed to pull it back and get me back on his side before he closed. Joan was brave. Melissa? Braver. Smiles all around, but I was sitting in front of my TV slackjawed. Still, he said some nice things at the end about how amazing it is that she's still relevant at 76.

My favorite Giraldo line was, "Gilbert (Gottfried), you look like you smell like pee."

Jeffrey Ross, while very funny had a much warmer tone. Told a Kanye's mom's plastic surgeon joke, but what you won't see in his clip after the jump was the wind up of his set where he talks about reading Joan's book Enter Talking when he was a young comic.

Whitney Cummings is the third clip, a short one, and it ends with her getting bleeped on the joke, "Joan's vagina is so old it has a separate entrance for black cock."

Can I ask, though, where were all the big female comics? Where was Sarah Silverman? Judy Gold? Maria Bamford? It seemed to me that there should have been more women on the dais, and I didn't quite get why Robin Quivers was there, though whoever wrote her stuff did a great job.

Do radio people get cast on TV shows and reality shows and specials just because they'll talk about it there and it's an extra PR stream? Just asking.

Probably the funniest Comedy Central Roast in a long time, though nothing ever kills like Rickles in his prime on the Dean Martin Roast of Bob Hope, which is the fourth and final clip. I think it always impresses me, this run that I have in this clip because on the dais it's Hope, Neil Armstrong (a rare TV appearance for him), Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan (when he was Governor), Sugar Ray Robinson, Flip Wilson and Nipsey Russell.

And you have to watch the clip if only to see this ... after the Sugar Ray Robinson joke that starts at :35, they quick cut to Wilson and Russell, like it's okay for the white people at home to laugh because they did.

Seriously.

After the jumperoni.

Video -- Grumpy Comedy Pal Lewis Black Has a Hit on His Hands

Root of All Evil did remarkably well. And, if you have a DVR or you're an insomniac, you can still check it out, the schedule is here.

Broadcasting & Cable:

The show -- which bills itself as putting pop culture on trial, with Black "presiding over the comedic proceedings" -- featured a mock trial over which was most evil, the Catholic Church or Oprah Winfrey. It grabbed 2.3 million viewers and topped the 18-24 and 18-34 male demos in the time slot and was second for the night behind its lead-in, South Park.

Comedy has long been looking for a show that could hold onto more of that South Park lead-in. South Park drew 3.1 million viewers, which Comedy said is up 11% from its debut last season.

And, if you missed it I have a clip after the jump.