JUST FOR LAUGHS
RACHEL HERGETT
For the Chronicle
In the 1990s, there were no venues in the state of Montana that catered only to comedy.
That has changed. Last Best Comedy, Montana’s only venue dedicated solely to comedy, opened in September 2021 and will present its second annual improv and stand-up comedy festival, the Last Best Comedy Fest, from Thursday, Sept. 12, to Saturday, Sept. 14.
Having a comedy venue in Montana is “a symbol of how going to watch live stand-up comedy has become more of a mainstream thing,” comedian Chris Fairbanks said.
The Last Best Comedy Fest features three days of comedy workshops and shows, highlighting both stand-up and improv with more than 60 performers and instructors from across the country. A trio of comedians with Montana ties are named as headliners. Livingston local, comedy legend and musician Rich Hall kicks off the festival at the Emerson on Thursday night. Improvisational musician and comedian Reggie Watts, who grew up in Great Falls, will perform at Last Best Comedy on Friday and the Emerson on Saturday, with Fairbanks as an opener. Fairbanks will perform two additional sets in Livingston and Bozeman.
“LBCF is all about bringing people together to laugh,” artistic director Levin O’Connor stated in a festival
press release. “The festival will showcase some of the best and funniest rising comedy talent in the world while leaning into the magic that makes Montana such an incredible place to live. It’s a great big comedy party in the middle of the most beautiful place in the world and we want everyone to join the fun!”
Much of the action takes place at Last Best Comedy, 321 E. Main St. in Bozeman, with satellite shows at The Emerson and Live from the Divide in Bozeman, the Attic in Livingston, the Orphan
Girl Theatre in Butte and Mt. Ascension Brewing Co. in Helena.
As Ruckus checked in with Hall for the inaugural Last Best Comedy Fest last year, and Watts for the release of his 2023 memoir, “Great Falls, MT: Fast Times, PostPunk Weirdos and a Tale of Coming Home Again,” we’ll focus on Fairbanks, who was born in Monterey, California, but moved with his family to Missoula when he was 2 years old.
“If we had stayed (in Monterey), I’d probably be making those glass dolphin
PROVIDED PHOTOS LEFT: Levin O’Connor, Annie O’Connor and Molly Hannan toast the opening night of Last Best Comedy club in Bozeman on Sept. 9, 2021. BELOW: Chris Fairbanks will headline the second annual Last Best Comedy Fest.
sculptures,” he said.
Instead, he turned toward drawing and painting, studying at the University of Montana.
“I still do (art) here and there, but that’s kind of my plan B. I’ll start painting again when stand up isn’t working out,” Fairbanks said, though he admitted his post-interview plans involved diving into his first painting in around a decade, commissioned for a wedding gift.
Back in college, Fairbanks cites a Missoula house party as the true start of his comedy career. The year was 1997. Fairbanks vaguely remembers trying on the host’s shoes and wearing a lampshade on his head. And sometime after midnight, the host got tired of Fairbanks and his rowdy friends, kicking them out of her apartment.
“My group of friends were all sweet people, but when there is a dozen drunk skateboarders in your apartment, it can be a little overwhelming, I’m sure,” Fairbanks said over the phone from his home in Los Angeles.
Top 10 Bestsellers at Country Bookshelf
1) “All the Glimmering Stars” by Mark Sullivan, $16.99
2) “There There” by Tommy Orange, $17
3) “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver, $21.99
4) “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, $30
5) “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, $18
6) “Daydream” by Hannah Grace, $19.99
7) “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas, $19
8) “The Last Devil to Die” by Richard Osman, $18
9) “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” by Amy Tan, $35
10) “True West” by Betsy Gaines Quammen, $19.95
1) Johnny Blue Skies (Sturgill Simpson) “Passage Du Desir”
2) Tyler Childers “Purgatory”
3) Billy Strings “live”
4) Widespread Panic ‘Snake oil King”
5) Jack White “No Name”
6) Zach Bryan “Zach Bryan”
7) Nathaniel Rateliff “South of Here”
8) Zach Bryan “American Heartrbreak”
9) Radiohead “OK Computer”
10) $uicideboy$ “Sing Me a Lullaby My Sweet Temptation”
What’s Available NOW On
“How to Die Alone” - Season 1 (Sept. 13)
This comedy series follows Mel (creator Natasha Rothwell), “a broke, fat, Black” JFK airport employee who’s never been in love and has forgotten how to dream. Until, that is, she has an accidental brush with death that catapults her on a journey to finally take control and start living by any means necessary.
“In Vogue: The 90s” (Sept. 13)
This docuseries tells the definitive story of the fashion industry in the 1990s through the eyes of Vogue editors Hamish Bowles, Edward Enninful, Tonne Goodman and Anna Wintour. Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Linda Evangalista and Naomi Campbell are among the many stars that appear in the series.
“Boy Kills World” (Sept. 13)
Boy (Bill Skarsgard), a mayhem machine with a hilarious inner voice, has been trained from childhood by his mentor (Yayan Ruhian) to assassinate the bloodthirsty Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen) and avenge his family’s murder. Guided by his little sister’s (Quinn Copeland) mischievous spirit, Boy uncovers one stunning revelation after another as he barrels toward Hilda, leading to a shocking, carnage-crazed finale.
in
“Agatha All Along” (Disney+ — Sept. 18, Limited Series Premiere)
The infamous Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen (Joe Locke) helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down the road.
“The Old Man” - Season 2 (Sept. 13)
In Season 2, former CIA agent Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) and former FBI Assistant Director Harold Harper (John Lithgow) set off on their most important mission to date — to recover Emily Chase (Alia Shawkat) after she is kidnapped by Faraz Hamzad (Navid Negahban), a powerful Afghan tribal leader. With all three men claiming her as their daughter, Emily finds herself in an identity crisis that has dire implications.
CROSSWORD
Across
1.Issa of “Insecure”
4.Pa. nuke plant
7.“Cold ___”
11.Swan song
12.Push
13.Fuzz
movie review
BY JAY BOBBIN
Life isn’t exactly a beach in ‘Baywatch’ movie
A movie-length send-up of a once-popular TV series can be a dicey proposition. If it doesn’t really have a story to tell, it can end up like an overlong “Saturday Night Live” skit.
“Charlie’s Angels” (2000) is an example of a success, but then there are others like “CHiPs” (2017), which raunched up the original premise and lost the show’s original fans — frankly, a major chunk of that movie’s likeliest audience — along the way. The big-screen version of “Baywatch” is closer to that latter end of the scale.
14. Schuss, e.g.
15.MTV reality TV show with “The”
17.John Goodman series
19.Duke
20.Ocho minus uno
23.Old enough
25.Fairy tale character
27.Chat room chuckle
28.Word of possibility
29.Old gold coin
32.Valuable fur
34. Actress Blakley
36.Aardvark’s fare
37. Joel Edgerton series
41. Mar k Cuban TV show
44.Have markers out
45.Unlikely to bite
46.Buffalo’s lake
47.Brief time out?
48.Team’s burden
49.___ Canals
50.Brian of rock
Down
1.Relax
2.Egyptian cross
3. “The Sopranos” star
4.“Will ___”
5.Complain
6.Runs without moving
7. Kyra Sedgwick series, with “The”
8.Tire filler
9.Skit-filled NBC show, for short
10.J.F.K. posting: Abbr.
12.Plain speaking
16.Court order
18. Smoke
21.Wyatt Earp’s town
22.Carrier whose name means “skyward”
23.Worn out
24.Tea time, perhaps
26.Strong cleaner
30. Scott of “Ripley”
31.Furniture wood
32.Chinese zodiac animal
33.Court fig.
35.Popular Art Deco prints
36.Prenatal test, for short
Syrup brand
Actor McGregor Bank take-back
Big race sponsor “2001” mainframe ___, amas, amat …Solution on page
FX shows the 2017 film on Wednesday, Sept. 11, with Dwayne Johnson in David Hasselhoff’s former role as Mitch, the hunk who leads a group of lifeguards — including a new recruit, a shamed Olympian played by Zac Efron, who suffers endless barbs from the new boss about how young he is. (Sample putdown nicknames: “Bieber” and, perhaps most amusingly in Efron’s case, “High School Musical.”)
What helps “Baywatch” to a certain degree is that both actors have a clear self-awareness of what they’re meant
to do here: play it straight, but not too straight. Unfortunately, the script ultimately lets them down, moving from knowing satire to a very conventional adventure story, and leaving viewers confused about whether to laugh or not. They probably won’t. Visually, though, “Baywatch” offers lots of what the show – which currently is being recalled in the Hulu documentary series “After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun” – was known for, particularly the slow-motion shots of anatomically perfect people in swimsuits sewn tight enough to constrict their breathing. Model Kelly Rohrbach gets a lot of that duty in Pamela Anderson’s TV role, and Priyanka Chopra makes a particularly attractive villain. Still, that’s not enough, even with predictable cameos by “Baywatch” alums Hasselhoff and Anderson. If anything, their presence defeats the update by supplying reminders of the not-overdone simplicity of what “Baywatch” was ... making it what was one of the most popular shows in the world in its time.
Zac Efron in “Baywatch”
What’s Available NOW On
“The Money Game” (Sept. 10)
Following some of the top athletes at Louisiana State University (LSU), this sixpart docuseries looks at the impact that the NCAA’s decision to grant NIL (name, image and likeness) rights to student-athletes, permitting them — for the first time ever to earn endorsement compensation while maintaining their amateur athletic status, has on the lives of the athletes. Featured athletes include gymnast Olivia Dunne; basketball players Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson and Trace Young; hurdler Alia Armstrong; and football player Jayden Daniels.
“Adventureland”
(Available Now)
It’s the summer of 1987, and recent college grad James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) can’t wait to begin his long-anticipated dream trip to Europe. Unfortunately, James’ plans come to a screeching halt when his parents announce that they are unable to subsidize his trip. Forced to take a job at the local amusement park, James prepares for the worst summer ever, until he finds love with a captivating co-worker named Em (Kristen Stewart).
“American Graffiti” (Available Now)
This classic coming-of-age story, set against the 1960s backdrop of hot rods, drive-ins and rock n’ roll, takes a nostalgic look back as it follows a group of teenagers cruising the streets during their last summer night before college. From director George Lucas and producer Francis Ford Coppola, the film stars Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips and Suzanne Somers in their breakout roles.
“Road to Perdition” (Available Now)
Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney (Paul Newman). After his son (Tyler Hoechlin) is witness to a killing, Sullivan finds him self on the run trying to save the life of his son and looking for revenge on those who wronged him. Jude Law and Daniel Craig co-star.
STEGNER LECTURE
Presented by Steve Pyne, fire historian, emeritus professor, and urban farmer.
Between Three Fires: Understanding the American Fire Scene
Steve Pyne is a fire historian, emeritus professor at Arizona State University, and urban farmer.
Thursday, September 12th, 6:30 PM at the Museum of the Rockies with reception to follow. Free and open to the public.
Solution on page
This just in @ Bozeman Library
BETH BOYSON Library columnist
LIBRARY? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!
All Bozeman Public Library cardholders will be thrilled to learn that the Montana Shared Catalog app makes it easy to access your local library on the go. Now, as you sit in a waiting room, or at the hair salon, or a bus ride, (not a bike ride, that would be unsafe), you can search the vast Library catalog, place holds, renew items, and track all of your checkouts and due dates. The app is available for both iOS and Android and can be downloaded to multiple devices. Users can link their accounts together to easily view
multiple accounts all from the same device. Questions? Call 406-582-2400.
BOOKS FOR THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM
Bird Milk & Mosquito
Bones by Priyanka Mattoo. Biography. A happy child lives in a comfortable, loving home in Kashmir that is suddenly reduced to rubble. She moves thirty-two times over the next forty years to a sprawling home in Srinagar and to Saudi Arabia
before settling in L.A. Great insight into the plight of leaving a war-torn homeland and rebuilding a life abroad.
True North by Andrew J. Graff. Fiction. Set in 1993, pre-internet, in the North Woods of Wisconsin on a river, at a rafting company. A married couple with young kids inherits a business that sound idyllic. But, even on a backwater there is competition and tumultuous currents, so to speak. Enjoy the ride, the drama and
the characters. It’s a glimpse of summer on the water.
Arctic Travers: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range by Michael Engelhard. Nonfiction. A solo hike-through and float through of Alaska, with ancient and recent history, ethnology, biology, ecology and an environmental message included quite nicely. There is wildlife, natural pristine wilderness and not a lot of people: exactly one settlement in the entire trek.
BOOKS FOR THE KIDDOS
The School for Invisible Boys by Shaun David Hutchinson. Juvenile Fiction. Sixth grade takes a turn for the weird when Hector Griggs
discovers he has the ability to turn invisible. Hector always felt invisible but this is different. He can’t see his own reflection. Meanwhile, St. Lawrence’s Catholic School for Boys may just have a monster preying on fear, and it’s getting stronger. See it Grow: Pumpkin by Jackie Lee. Nonfiction. Diagrams, bold vocabulary words, and a picture glossary will help grade schoolers understand all kinds of everything about the favorite fruit of Fall. Why are pumpkins orange? What’s with the seeds? How do you get spice from it? Can It really turn into a carriage? Okay, that last is a story for another book. Enjoy exploring the pumps.
What’s Available NOW On
“The Circle” - Season 7 (Sept. 11)
“Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood w ith My Father” (Sept. 10)
This travel miniseries follows Jack Whitehall and his father, Michael Whitehall, as they embark on a globe-trotting trip to find answers to the big questions facing the comedian after becoming a dad
This social media reality competition, set this time in Atlanta, welcomes a new group of influencers into the circle. Living together in the same apartment building — but never meeting face-to-face — contestants compete and communicate through a social media app called The Circle, where they can rank and block other players until they rise to the top or find themselves eliminated from the game. With new twists and challenges, only the most media-savvy of the bunch will walk away with a cash prize. Hosted by Michelle Buteau.
“Emily in Paris” - Season 4, Part 2 (Sept. 12)
Concluding its fourth season with five new episodes, the series finds Emily (Lily Collins) caught between her strong feelings for two men — but now Gabriel’s (Lucas Bravo) expecting a baby with his ex and Alfie’s (Lucien Laviscount) worst fears about her and Gabriel have been confirmed. In the midst of the chaos, there’s Eurovision prep, a bid for a Michelin star, and an Italian adventure.
“Uglies” (Sept. 13)
In a futuristic world that imposes a cosmetic surgery at 16, Tally (Joey King) is eager for her turn to join the rest of society. But when a friend runs away, Tally embarks on a journey to save her that upends everything she thought she wanted. Based on the hit science fiction novel by Scott Westerfeld.
Library/from 7
Whose Footprints Are These? by Greda Muller. Picture Book. This is a pure picture book. There are no words in it. Children will love following footprints and pawprints to discover snowy adventures. (See how we snuck that reminder? Winter is coming!) Reader and readee can name all the objects in the illustrations out loud and piece together the story.
Perfect first reader selection.
The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles written by Jake Gyllenhaal and Greta Caruso. Early Reader. Leo thought his Uncle Mo would be a FUN uncle, not the kind who serves vegetables instead of fast food, and enforces bedtime rules. Then, a secret society of Aunties and Uncles takes them in for training. The glossy and detailed illustrations are full of greatness; great aunts & uncles, that is.
FOR THE TEENS AND TWEENS
Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden. Graphic Novel. Two strangers team up for a road trip to escape something or someone. As they do so, the landscape morphs into an unsettling world, a mysterious cat joins them, and they are haunted by a group of threatening men. They converse, and discover that everything is listening. The artwork is the real story here and it is stunning. Where Wolves Don’t Die by
Aaron Treuer. Fiction. Ezra is an Ojibwa teenager, recently transplanted from Canada to Minnesota. Ezra is smart and considerate. His classmate at his new school is not. When a suspicious fire involving the classmate is blamed on Ezra, he is sent back to the wilds of Canada to live with his grandfather. A taut thriller set in the complicated teen years. Don’t Sit on the Baby! the Ultimate Guide to Sane, Skilled, and Safe Babysitting by Halley Bondy. Nonfiction.
If you’ve ever considered babysitting as a side hustle or part-time gig, this book will teach you about feeding and changing babies, questions to ask parents, basic first aid (certification recommended), dealing with picky eaters, and how to manage your small business successfully.
Beth Boyson is a Programming Librarian and Cataloger at Bozeman Public Library. She can be reached through the Library website at www.bozemanlibrary.org.
lifestyle
The solution to the question is found within the answers in the puzzle. In order to discover this hidden solution, unscramble the letters noted with asterisks within the puzzle.
Across 1. First-rate, slangily
4. Mountain
8. Permit
11. Chat room “I believe”
12. Singer ___ Del Rey
13. Bitter ___
14. “Humpty Dumpty” or “I’m A Little Teapot”
17. Tax preparer, for short
18. Chat room chuckle
19. Orchard unit
21. Daily delivery
24. Word of greeting
25. Firm refusal
26. 2009 Pixar film
27. Toward
28. Narcissist’s love
30. “Ah, that makes sense”
32. Make stuff up
34. Don’t just seem
35. Taunting the other team
41. Lunch meat
42. Tombstone lawman
43. Take to court
44. Significant period
45. Pencil-and-paper game
46. Explosive inits. Down 1. Hullabaloo
2. Cousin of an ostrich 3. Might 4. Urgent request 5. Musical talent
6. In the least
7. Lagerfeld of fashion
8. 1972 Derek and the Dominos hit
9. Colonnade tree
10. Kicker’s aid
15. Particular 16. Something the dog ate, in a noted excuse 19. Conclusion starter 20. Ready for picking
22. See 23-Down
23. With 22-Down, Explore further
29. Andean animal
31. Holdup
33. Squeaked (out)
34. Austrian peaks
35. Any ship
36. Scratch the surface of
37. Chinese truth
38. Sculpture garden pieces
39. Wimple wearer
40. “___ lost!”
BY CAROLINE COLLACUTT
News for U.S.A: Long-running British newscomedy series makes its North American debut
After making its way across the pond, the highly anticipated American version of a long-running British comedy series has finally made its landing in the Americas. Produced by Hat Trick Productions for CNN Originals, “Have I Got News for You” premieres Saturday, Sept. 14, on CNN. “‘Have I Got News for You’ is an institution in Britain and now it’s invading America,” the network describes. “This comedy panel series delivers comic observations, from the satirical to the surreal, through the lens of a news quiz show that tests the knowledge of a rotating collection of guests including notable
entertainers, political figures and comedians.”
Hosted by Emmy-nominated comedian Roy Wood Jr. (“The Daily Show”), this 10-episode season will also feature two dynamic team captains — soon to be announced — that will round out the cast, bringing this “Yankee-fied” series to life.
As an Emmy-nominated documentary producer, a WGA-nominated writer and as a correspondent for Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” for eight years, Wood made audiences laugh and learn with his insightful sense of humor, making the news more accessible alongside the likes of Trevor Noah (“Trevor Noah: Son of
Patricia,” 2018) and John Oliver (“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”). The comedian later went on to headline the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2023 (earning the event its highest ratings since 2017), and can even be seen exercising his acting chops with guest appearances in “Confess, Fletch” (2022), “Only Murders in the Building” and “Better Call Saul.” When asked about his next adventure — taking on the massive role of leading a show that carries 35 years of history — Wood shared his excitement with CNN, stating: “It is an honor to be a part of such a hallowed British institution to help make sense of the American institutions of chaos, name-calling, disinformation, reality television and the eight-hour news cycle.”
“Always relevant and topical” (per CNN), “Have I Got News for You” comes from executive producers Jimmy Mulville (“Alas Smith & Jones”), Richard Wilson (“One Foot in the Grave”) and Jim Biederman (“Would I Lie to You”), and makes its debut this Saturday, Sept. 14, on CNN.
Roy Wood Jr. hosts “Have I Got News for You”
Bozeman Montana
What’s Available NOW On
“Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation” - Sing-Along Version (Sept. 8)
A spinoff of the animated youth series “Big City Greens,” this movie, now re-releasing as a special sing-along version, follows the Green family as they embark on an adventurous, outer space-bound vacation. When thrill-seeker Cricket (Chris Houghton) tricks his family into taking a “road trip” in space, chaos in the cosmos quickly ensues. Despite growing frustrations between Cricket and his dad, Bill, the two must learn to appreciate each other’s unique perspectives in order to prevent Big City from being destroyed by an interstellar disaster.
celebrityfacts
“Primos” - Season 1 (Sept. 11)
This coming-of-age animated comedy follows Tater Ramirez Humphrey (Myrna Velasco), an eccentric girl with big dreams who is determined to find out what makes her extraordinary. When her 12 chaotic cousins (“primos” in Spanish) move in for the summer, they help her discover her true self.
“Me & Mickey Shorts”Season 3, New Episodes (Sept. 13)
Mickey Mouse invites preschoolers to laugh and play along as he talks about everyday topics; featuring silly games and challenges. Some of the episodes include helping kids learn how to: prepare for bed, identifying shapes, making music, and what to prepare when packing for school.
“LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy” (Sept. 13)
The entire Star Wars Galaxy gets completely mixed up when an ordinary nerf-herder, Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo) , unearths a powerful artifact from a hidden Jedi temple. He finds himself thrust into adventure in a new, wondrously wild and twisted version of the galaxy where good guys are bad, bad guys are good, and the fate of all depends on Sig becoming the hero who can put all the pieces back together.
Enrico Colantoni of “English Teacher” on FX: Known for drama more recently, encompassing such shows as “Veronica Mars” and “Flashpoint,” he es- tablished himself earlier in sitcoms including “Just Shoot Me!” and “Hope & Gloria.”
Jason Beghe of “Chicago P.D.” on NBC: He had a major movie role in the George A. Romero-directed 1988 thriller “Monkey Shines,” in which he couldn’t use much of his body because he was playing the role of a quadriplegic man.
Colin Mochrie of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” on The CW: He first appeared as a regular on the British version of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” though it took him three auditions to secure the spot; after that edition ended, he joined the American version of the show.
Spell it out
Questions:
trivia quiz
BY STAFF WRITERS
1)David Hasselhoff drove an AI-powered car in the ‘80s series “Knight Rider” — what does K.I.T.T. stand for?
2)Robert Vaughn starred as “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” — what does U.N.C.L.E. stand for?
3)What does “ESPN” stand for?
4)It’s the network that airs classic programs, but what does “MeTV” stand for?
5)Which series title is often abbreviated as “AHS”?
6)What does the network acronym CBS stand for?
7)What does “M*A*S*H” stand for?
8)Which 1960s series features the abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery in its title?
9)His real name is Gordon Shumway but he’s better known as ALF — what does “ALF” stand for?
10)What does “CW” stand for?
Bros. (founding co-owners)
10)CBS Corporation and Warner
9)Alien Life Form
8)“Mayberry R.F.D.”
7)Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
6)Columbia Broadcasting System
5)“American Horror Story”
4)Memorable Entertainment Television
3)Entertainment and Sports Programming Network
2)United Network Command for Law and Enforcement
1)Knight Industries Two Thousand
Answers:
ce l e b rity
Drew Barrymore
OF THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW ON SYNDICATED
Q: Will “The Drew Barrymore Show” be continuing for the new TV season?
A: It is. The syndicated, CBS-distributed weekday talk show actually got an early renewal for a fifth round last January, not long after it began its fourth stanza, which was delayed — as so many programs were — by the writers’ and actors’ strikes. (Barrymore had been enmeshed in a controversy over that situation, since she had planned to put her program back in production while the strikes were ongoing, but she reversed those plans, though a couple of her writers ultimately left.) In fact, the show already has been renewed for a sixth year, which will take it through the 2025-26 season.
Though she’s sometimes criticized over how close she gets to her guests, literally as well as figuratively, the effusive Barrymore’s Daytime Emmy-winning show is a popular stop for celebrities … particularly those she has a personal connection to, often from her acting and producing careers, such as Adam Sandler, Cameron Diaz and Jimmy Fallon (Fallon’s wife, Nancy Juvonen, is Barrymore’s partner in the company Flower Films).
In some cases, Barrymore has been landing daytime-exclusive interviews, such as the session she had early this year with the principal female cast of the FX drama “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” (which included Naomi Watts, Diane Lane and Demi Moore). The host also had a much-reported on-air conversation with Vice President, and current presidential candidate, Kamala Harris.
celebrity q&a
Solution on page
BY ADAM THOMLISON
Spike Feresten
OF “CAR MATCHMAKER WITH SPIKE FERESTEN” ON ESQUIRE NETWORK
Q: What ever happened to Spike Feresten after his talk show ended?
A: The cleverly named “Talkshow with Spike Feresten” ended in 2009 after three years on Fox — the network’s brief attempt at competing in the late-night talk game. After that, host Spike Feresten went back to his old writing game — he came to fame as a writer on “Seinfeld” and “Late Show with David Letterman” — and, at the same time, he became a full-fledged Car Guy. And the car thing takes up more time.
His most notable writing gig was another collaboration with his old buddy Jerry Seinfeld. The two co-wrote and co-produced “Unfrosted,” a jokey history of the Pop Tart that was released on Netflix earlier this year.
Other than that, plus a couple of unsuccessful sitcom pilots, most of Feresten’s time lately has been spent on his persona as a car aficionado.
That includes his series “Car Matchmaker with Spike Feresten,” which aired three seasons on the Esquire Network in the mid-2010s, and it includes his longer-lived podcast, “Spike’s Car Radio,” which has been going since 2016 and is available wherever you get your podcasts. If all this sounds a little bit — or maybe a lot — like his buddy Seinfeld’s own series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” there’s a good reason for that. Seinfeld said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that his idea for his show started with him and Feresten “driving ... in a cool car to get coffee 20 years ago.”
Feresten leans into the similarities on his podcast, which he describes as “cars, coffee and comedy,” and which has often featured Seinfeld as a guest.
David Hasselhoff in “Knight Rider”
BY JAY BOBBIN
The original “Night Court” is in session
Even before the current NBC revision premiered and became one of the biggest broadcast-network successes of recent years, “Night Court” was running in its original form on nostalgia-themed channels. That 1984-92 version concludes a weekend “Binge” workout on Catchy Comedy on Sunday, Sept. 8, with Harry Anderson as Harry Stone, the judge who presides over a New York courtroom typically filled with offbeat characters on both sides of the bench. (Stone is the father of the newer version’s Judge Abby Stone, played by Melissa Rauch.)
Notable in the supporting cast is John Larroquette, who won four Primetime Emmy Awards – all in consecutive years – for his portrayal of the cranky and caustic Dan Fielding, who’s a prosecutor here, but has switched to the opposite legal side as a public defender by continuing the role in the newer edition of the show. Markie Post, Richard Moll, Charles Robinson and Marsha Warfield also are cast regulars.
Puzzle Solutions
more retro rewinds
“Rocky” (AMC, Monday, Sept. 9): The 1976 Oscar winner for best picture has Sylvester Stallone starring in his own script as Rocky Balboa, a supposedly washed-up Philadelphia fighter who gets a surprising chance at a heavyweight championship against titleholder Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). The first four sequels follow immediately.
“Casablanca” (Turner Classic Movies, Wednesday, Sept. 11): You must remember this one … at least if you’re a true movie lover. Humphrey Bogart is unforgettable as cynical cafe owner Rick, who has a dangerous wartime reunion with his former flame Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). One of the most famous films ever made, the 1942 drama is packed with scenes that are immediately recognizable. Paul Henreid, Sydney Greenstreet, Claude Rains and Peter Lorre also star. The movie is shown here as part of a tribute to studio directors, the filmmaker in this case being Michael Curtiz.
“Friends” (TBS, Thursday, Sept. 12): There’s still plenty of emotion in watching “The Last One,” the final episode of this ever-popular sitcom. The familiar characters prepare to go in different directions, some of them as couples … and for those who love the show, it’s hard not to get choked up when the gang of six literally closes the door on the New York apartment where they shared so much. This is the first half of the tale, with the conclusion shown Friday.
Armando Iannucci celebrity update
OF VEEP ON HBO
BY ADAM THOMLISON
Q: Is the guy who made “Veep” doing anything else? I miss his comedic style.
A: You’re right that no one quite has a voice like Armando Iannucci (and if they did, they probably wouldn’t use it to swear quite as much). Fortunately, we’ll be hearing it again soon: the creator of the cynically hilarious HBO series “Veep,” who previously made similar waves in his native United Kingdom
with the similarly foul-mouthed political comedy “The Thick of It,” is indeed working on a new show.
“The Franchise” is also set up at HBO, slated for a premiere later this year. It’s being co-produced by Iannucci’s longtime producing partner, Jon Brown (“Mongrels”), as well as Hollywood heavyweight director Sam Mendes (“Skyfall,” 2012).
The series is about a team of filmmakers who are in charge of cranking out
superhero movies and are forced to ponder whether they’re saving or destroying the movie business. It’s a timely question and the sort of professional ethical quandary that Iannucci likes to explore.
This is his second shot at a post-”Veep” series, after the critically beloved but ultimately unsuccessful “Avenue 5,” which ran for two seasons from 2020 to 2022, also on HBO.
Markie Post in “Night Court”
Max Homa tees off for what he hopes will be his third
Procore Championship victory
The 2024 PGA Tour continues this week, as some of the best golfers in the world tee off at the Silverado Resort. Taking place Sept. 12-15 in Napa, California, the Procore Championship broadcasts every round live on the Golf Channel.
Max Homa has had a standout career thus far with six PGA tour victories under his belt, made even better when he kicked off the year with a historic 447-yard drive at the Sentry — the longest in the PGA Tour’s ShotLink era. Homa’s performance during major tournaments this season has also seen a vast improvement, with the California native securing a tie for third place at this year’s Masters, a significant milestone in his career marking his first top-five finish in a major.
While the season has seen significant improvements for the player, Homa still remains winless and has gone home with a few devastating finishes — landing T70 at the Genesis Scottish Open and T43 at the British Open — some of the worst performances of his career. The bad luck seems to have carried over for at least one more tournament, with Homa’s performance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship landing him dead last at T70, carding three bogeys in Round 1, followed by five bogeys and two double bogeys in Round 2.
Despite racking up some substantial hiccups this season, fans shouldn’t be surprised if he manages to climb his way back up the standings. Homa’s familiarity and past experience at the Procore Championship will surely come in handy. The Burbank local is no stranger to winning in Napa, having won the tournament back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. Whether Homa manages a victory or not, his 2024 season has shaped out to be a thrilling one.
As the PGA Tour heads to the Silverado Resort, all eyes will be on Homa to see if he can make the ultimate comeback to win his third Procore Championship.
Full name: John Maxwell Homa
Birthdate: Nov. 19, 1990 (33)
Birthplace: Burbank, California
Height/weight: 6-1/180 pounds
TOWN & COUNTRY FOODS: BACON CARBONARA
Ingredients (single serving):
2-3 oz dried spaghetti
2-3 slices of Bacon, raw
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp Black pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook dried pasta noodles to label instructions in salted water.
2. Cut bacon into half inch pieces and place in a low-heat medium pan coated with olive oil. Cook slowly until bacon is
crispy and the fat is fully rendered from the bacon.
3. Once noodles are cooked, strain and place in pan with bacon. Turn off the heat and stir until noodles are coated.
5. In a small bowl, stir together egg, black pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into bacon pan. (Pan should be cooled enough that the egg does not cook on contact.)
6. Salt to taste, then top with more fresh grated parmesan cheese if desired.
7. Serve and enjoy!
Comedy/from 2
Most times, that would be the end of the story, but the woman who hosted the party, Eva Gilliam, must have found some amusement in the party antics. That week, Fairbanks stumbled on a personal ad, something along the lines of: “Hey, I kicked you out of my apartment, but do you want to start an improv group? You were funny.”
Fairbanks responded to the ad and joined the comedy troupe, Bob’s Family, which is apparently a reference to “Twin Peaks,” which he has never seen. The troupe, and an ex-girlfriend, led him to Austin, Texas, where he painted signs and windows and worked in screen printing shops until a friend he met through a comedy festival gave him advice on getting into standup. It was something along the lines of starting a set with your second best joke and finishing with your best joke.
“Actually, that’s the best advice I still would give,” Fairbanks said.
Eventually, the comedy overtook any other artistic endeavors. Though his comedy roots are in improv, Fairbanks has been focused on stand-up for more than 20 years. Fairbanks has always been a big fan of jokes — even one-liners. He has a special set he
busts out when back home in Montana.
“There are jokes that I have, I suppose, for Montana,” Fairbanks said. Many of them revolve around Butte. Over the years, Fairbanks said, stand-up comedians seem to have moved away from joke telling. So much of it is crowd work, he explained, where a comedian asks members of the audience what they do for a living or what they had for breakfast and riff on the answers. Although his background in improv serves him well when dealing with the occasional heckler, Fairbanks doesn’t do crowd work.Over the course of the festival, see Fairbanks at the Treasure State Comedy Showcase at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, at Last Best Comedy, at the Attic in Livingston on Friday, Sept. 13, and opening for Reggie Watts at the Emerson on Saturday, Sept. 14.
“I love that there’s a comedy club nearby at least,” Fairbanks said of Last Best Comedy. “Because, like I said, I learned about comedy being a job from a personal ad and then doing improv in the Old Post bar in Missoula.”
For tickets and more information, visit www.lastbestcomedyfest.com and follow the festival on Instagram @lastbestcomedyfest.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Annie and Levin O’Connor perform at Last Best Comedy.
in focus
“The Penguin” (Max — Sept. 19, Limited Series Premiere)
Starring Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, aka “The Penguin,” the DC Studios series continues filmmaker Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” epic crime saga that began with Warner Bros. Pictures’ global blockbuster “The Batman.” Developed by showrunner Lauren LeFranc, the series centers on the character played by Farrell in the film.
celebrityscoop
BY JAY BOBBIN
MARGARET BRENNAN
Margaret Brennan will be facing the nation much more in the near future.
Moderator of CBS’s Sunday public affairs program, “Face the Nation,” Brennan will be continuing her job on that venerable show (which will mark its 70th anniversary in November) while
sportsquiz
BY ALEX HENDRY
Scandals in Sports
Questions: Answers:
1)The “Calciopoli” scandal of May 2006, rocked the Italian soccer world following a deep investigation revealing match-fixing and collusion amongst many teams. Which club was stripped of their 2004-05 Serie A title?
2)Who is the current all-time hits leader in Major League Baseball (MLB) history - currently banned for life due to gambling on his own team?
3)Which Toronto Raptors forward was banned for life by the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2024 for influencing games due to sports betting?
4)Name the MLB franchise that utilized selective field cameras (and banging trashcans) to steal pitching signs enroute to a World Series Championship.
5)Boxing fans were stunned at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul when a clearly defeated Park Si-hun received the gold medal over which American boxer?
6)Who is the most recent player to have been caught using a corked bat in an MLB game?
7)Rosie Ruiz shocked the world when she won the 1980 Boston Marathon only to later be stripped of her victory. What was the reason?
8)Known as the “Pine Tar Incident” - who had their gamewinning home run turn into a game-ending play after umpires reversed the play over excessive use of pine tar?
9)Which cyclist won the Tour de France seven consecutive times but later had all his career records erased due to performance-enhancing drugs?
10)Who scored the “Hand of God” against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup?
remaining in Washington, D.C., and adding another major role for the network’s news department — reporting regularly on the weeknight “CBS Evening News” when Norah O’Donnell leaves the anchor chair after the November presidential election. John Dickerson (“CBS Mornings”) and Maurice DuBois (“CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley”) will also be anchors of the reconfigured nightly newscast, and they’ll be based in New York.
Emmy winner Brennan is no stranger to “CBS Evening News,” having filled in for O’Donnell on many occasions — the two are even slated to moderate a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1. Brennan has hosted “Face the Nation” since 2018, succeeding such notable journalists as Bob Schieffer (“CBS Sunday Night News”), George Herman (“CBS Evening News”), Howard K. Smith (“CBS Reports”) and “60 Minutes” staple Lesley Stahl in that position; as they did, Brennan questions political figures about issues and developments in their arena — and there surely has been no shortage of those in recent times.
Brennan began her television career in 2002 at CNBC as a writer, researcher and guest booker for that network’s business programming. She eventually became a correspondent there and stayed until 2009, when when she moved to Bloomberg Television, Brennan continued reporting business stories, even hosting her own program — “InBusiness with Margaret Brennan” — live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
However, Brennan’s stay at Bloomberg was relatively brief, since she left for CBS News in 2012. A White House correspondent
10)Diego Maradona
9)Lance Armstrong
8)George Brett
half-mile of the race
7)She only ran the last
6)Sammy Sosa (2003)
5)Roy Jones Jr.
4)Houston Astros (2017)
3)Jontay Porter
2)Pete Rose
1)Juventus
and substitute anchor at first, she became extremely well-traveled in her profession, logging miles from Baghdad to Havana. That gave her plenty of cred to become chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News, and she is able to call that background into play frequently during her “Face the Nation” sessions. And certainly, it will remain useful as she assumes her new “CBS Evening News” duties before the calendar year is over.
Birthdate: March 26, 1980
Birthplace: Stamford, Conn.
Current residence: Washington, D.C.
Marital status: Married; she has two children
Other television credits include: “CBS News Sunday Morning,” “60 Minutes,” “CBS Saturday Morning,” “Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “CBS News Democratic Debate 2020,” “Dismantling Democracy,” “Charlie Rose,” “48 Hours,” “CBS Mornings,” “Today” Education: Convent of the Sacred Heart (Greenwich, Conn.), University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Va.), Yarmouk University (Irbid, Jordan)
Her honors include: An Emmy Award for Outstanding News Special, a Fulbright Award, a Wilbur Award
Organizations she belongs to: The Council on Foreign Relations, The Gridiron Club, the University of Virginia’s alumni advisory board, The Smurfit School of Business’s (University College Dublin) advisory board
Dr. Hugh Wright
Ophthamologist
Bozeman Health is proud to expand its services to include ophthalmology and is pleased to welcome Dr. Hugh Wright to Bozeman Health to lead this new service line beginning
Health from Billings Clinic Bozeman, and received his medical degree from Medical University of South Carolina. Wright specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of eye disease, including cataract surgery and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.
Learnmoreatwww.BozemanHealth.org