News

Budd Friedman, comedy club pioneer and founder of the original Improv comedy club, has died. He was 90. Friedman died Saturday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife, Alix, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Friedman founded the original Improv in New York City in 1963, giving early career breaks to comedians and acting superstars like Jay Leno, Bette Midler, Richard Pryor and more.

He opened his second location in Hollywood in 1975, just three years after Johnny Carson moved “The Tonight Show” from New York to Los Angeles, marking the brand’s first expansion. Friedman and his partner, Mark Lonow, would go on to open 22 Improvs across 12 states before selling the company in February 2018 to Levity Entertainment Group.

His comedy clubs also helped provide a platform for superstars like Adam Sandler, Richard Lewis, Dick Cavett, David Steinberg, Steve Landesberg, David Brenner, Lily Tomlin, Freddie Prinze, Gabe Kaplan, Chris Rock,...

Budd Friedman, the Broadway producer who founded The Improv comedy club franchise and kickstarted the careers of some of Hollywood’s biggest comic voices, died of heart failure Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 90 years old.

“The comedy world lost a giant today,” the Hollywood Improv wrote in a statement Saturday evening. “In 1963 he changed the world of comedy by creating the first comedy club for the masses to come together in laughter. In 1963 he changed the world. He went global. He was a pioneer. He was a gentleman. He was a luminary.”

The comedy world lost a giant today.

In 1963 he changed the world of comedy by creating the first comedy club for the masses to come together in laughter.

In 1963 he changed the world.

He went global.

He was a pioneer.

He was a gentleman.

He was a luminary. pic.twitter.com/l1pA38AGww

— Hollywood Improv (@HollywoodImprov...

Budd Friedman, the comedy club pioneer who founded the original Improv in New York in 1963 and gave early career breaks to the likes of Jay Leno, Robert Klein, Bette Midler, Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman, has died. He was 90.

Friedman died Saturday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife, Alix, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Three years after Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show departed Manhattan for Burbank, Friedman opened a Hollywood outpost of the Improv on Melrose Avenue in 1975 in his first expansion of the brand.

There were 22 Improvs across 12 states in February 2018 when Friedman and partner Mark Lonow sold the company to Levity Entertainment Group, whose investors included Irving Azoff.

At his flagship New York hotspot, located at West 44th Street and Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, Friedman also employed Rodney Dangerfield as an Mc, Elayne Boosler...

Howard Lapides, a longtime manager and CEO of Lapides Entertainment who produced Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and The Man Show, died Thursday. He was 68.

Clients of Lapides over the years included Dr. Drew Pinsky, Tom Green, Adam Carolla, Carson Daly, Jimmy Kimmel, Tom Chapin, Kennedy, Mark Dicarlo, Christopher Darden and many others.

Lapides started out in radio at age 16 at Wysl-fm in Buffalo, NY. While attending Emerson College in Boston, he got his start producing and working on air at area stations. After graduation, Lapides worked for five years with Baton Broadcasting of Canada, doing both programming and on-air work for Cklw in Windsor and Cfgo in Ottawa.

After his radio stint, Lapides went on to become one of Canada’s most successful concert promoters. Together with promoters Michael Cohl and Donald Tarlton (Donald K. Donald), he promoted every major act in Canada for 10 years.

In television, Lapides became...

Blu-ray Review

Blazing Saddles

Directed by: Mel Brooks

Cast: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens

Running Time: 1 hr 33 mins

Rating: R

Own “Blazing Saddles” 40th Anniversary on Blu-ray 5/6!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPIP9KXdmO0

Plot (courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Video): Blazing Saddles stars Cleavon Little as an unlikely sheriff in the town of Rock Ridge, Harvey Korman as the villain, Madeline Kahn as a Marlene Dietrich-style chanteuse, Gene Wilder as the wacko Waco Kid and Brooks himself as a dimwitted politico. Once the lunatic film gets started, logic is lost in a blizzard of gags, jokes, quips, puns and outrageous assaults upon good taste or any taste at all. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards– Supporting Actress for Kahn, Best Editing and Best Song.

Movie: Right now there is only one Western comedy worth talking about, and it is Blazing Saddles. Yes, this...

I don’t own Blazing Saddles. I know. That’s insane. Don’t worry, that will change May 6.

Here is the news release from Warner Bros.:

On May 6, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) will commemorate the four-decade birthday of the great comedy classic Blazing Saddles, by releasing a new 40th Anniversary Blu-ray highlighted by a new featurette Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks’ Wild, Wild West in which Mel Brooks reflects on his own movie-making chutzpah, Blazing Saddles‘ lasting cultural impact on audiences of all generations, and alongside co-stars Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn, proves why his film is, without a doubt, the funniest and most outrageous film ever made. Blazing Saddles 40th Anniversary Bu-ray will also include 10 quotable art cards with funny quotes and images from the film, plus vintage extra content including Brooks’ commentary, cast reunion documentary, and “Black Bart,” the 1975 television pilot inspired by the movie.

On September 17th, SNL‘s Andy Samberg is going to try to sell you on cop comedy, and it’s about as tough a game as coming up with a Brooklyn Nine-Nine Review. I suspect he’s going to manage it, but it’s the kind of show that you’re going to want to know what you’re in for. You have to go a long way to find something worthy of comparison that doesn’t make this show sound like Scrubs P.D., and when you go that far back, the comparison may not make a lot of sense.

In a recent interview, show creators Dan Goor and Michael Schur (of Parks & Recreation – which gives an idea of the feel) mentioned Barney Miller, and that’s actually the best show I can think of to try to put Brooklyn Nine-Nine in a neat cubby, but that needs some explanation in itself.

Reinhold Weege, who introduced a much-needed and slyly influential note of absurdity to 1980s TV with the creation of Night Court, has died of unspecified causes. He was 62. (Weege died on Dec. 1, though sadly, we only became aware of it now.) A former newspaperman who broke into comedy with a staff job on Barney Miller, Weege's tastes were unquestionably shaped by that show and its well-defined ensemble, the assemblage of strange cases passing through Greenwich Village's 12th Precinct, and particularly the otherworldly characters like Steve Landesberg's Arthur Dietrich. (Among many others, Weege was responsible for ...

Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011

Price: DVD $159.99

Studio: Shout! Factory

New York City's 12th Precinct is abuzz in Barney Miller.

Airing on ABC TV from 1974 through 1982, Barney Miller remains one of television’s liveliest New York-based situation comedies of the 1970s. That said, Barney Miller: The Complete Series has a lot of life pumping through its veins!

The classic show is set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village, a colorful, bustling place filled with a mix of cops, detectives and administrators of a whole lot of ethnic and racial types (Puerto Ricans, Jews, African-Americans, Asians, Poles, you name it).

Hal Linden stars in the series as the titular Barney Miller. As the precinct’s captain, Barney somehow manages to maintain order over this group of inner-city law enforcers, who are undeniably good at their jobs but are always looking for something else to do. (A little gambling,...

Rapper and music producer Nate Dogg has died this week at the age of 41. He came to prominence in the ’90s through his association with hip-hop megastars like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Warren G.

His unique vocal style made him known even outside the realm of hip-hop, and he was well-respected in the music industry. Nate’s health took a hit in 2007 when he suffered a heart attack and stroke. As he recovered from the first stroke, a second stroke left him with paralysis and memory loss. It is believed that his death was a result of complications from the two strokes.

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Related Articles at Snark Food:Breaking: Hip-Hop Star Nate Dogg Suffers Second StrokeMary Kate Olsen Preggers? Please!Teena Marie dies unexpectedlyFidel Castro Dead for Real This Time?Steve Landesberg dies of cancer...

'The King's Speech,' "Modern Family," "Boardwalk Empire," Colin Firth and Natalie Portman were among the big winners at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles Sunday night, and we have the show highlights! Get the complete list of winners Here! The Movie Accolades 'The King's Speech' players were named Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture over such competition as the thespians of 'Black Swan,' 'The Fighter,' 'The Kids Are All Right' and 'The Social Network.' Taking the stage alongside stars Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, a jubilant Geoffrey Rush told the audience, "It shouldn't be called the SAG award, it should be called the uplifting award." Moments earlier, the king's wealth was shared with Firth, who was named Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of King George VI, besting Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall,...

I have to confess my age in writing this particular review, because Johnny Carson was off the air by the time I was watching late night television (or rather, watching and appreciating it). For my generation, the names headlining the late night shows were and, with a little bit of controversy, remain Jay Leno and David Letterman. In my case, I had to familiarize myself with Carson through YouTube clips years after he’d retired. Tonight, the most complete compilation of episode’s from Carson’s 30-year-long career as host, starts 4 years into his career (1965) and spans up to 1990 (4 years short of his final bow) in a 15-disc set featuring some great moments and some of the best guest appearances (with a particular focus on comedians for this set, it would seem). It’s doubtful we’ll ever see a full set, just because the undertaking of committing that much...

Steve Martin is on Twitter. In the past few days, he's written short and sweet reminiscences on the passing of Blake Edwards and Steve Landesberg. But Martin has spent the better part of the last few days filing reports from what appears to be jury duty, at an Ashton Kutcher pace. The punchline: Martin isn't on jury duty at all, per his spokesman. But his Twitter site-- www.twitter.com/stevemartintogo--is quite funny, as you'll see below. And he has presented the possibility that it might be possible to Twitter one's way out of the jury pool. Report From Jury Duty: guy I thought was up for murder turns out to be defense attorney. I bet he murdered someone anyway. Report From Jury Duty: Prosecuting attorney. Don’t like his accent. Serbian? Going with Innocent. We’re five minutes in. Report From Jury Duty: I’m cracking up defense with my jokes.

It’s always sad when a beloved actor dies, but even more sad when nobody seems to remember why he was beloved in the first place. Actor Steve Landesberg, who had a long and lucrative career in both television and film, passed away earlier in the week after a long battle with cancer.

A lot of online obituaries are trying to jog people’s memories of Landesberg by referring to him as “the guy who played the pediatrician in Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” but few seem to be keen to point out that he was best known for his role as Detective Dietrich on long-running show Barney Miller. Barney Miller was a great show (at least for its time), and even those who are too young to remember the original are certainly familiar with it through syndicated re-runs. Rest in peace, Steve.

This content is copyrighted by Snark Food.

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Related...

Ellen Dolan to appear on Selling New York

The excitement of New York City’s high-end real estate market, with its unique, often incredible urban dwellings, returns to Hgtv in the compelling second season premiering on Thursday, January 6. Future episodes feature celebrity clients, including soap actress Ellen Dolan of the recently canceled As The World Turns who turns to Warburg Realty to help sell her Tribeca loft as soon as possible.

CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff Expected To Leave At The End Of Season

While the decision is not final, sources indicate that Ostroff is leaning heavily in that direction and is expected to make it official early next year.

A Christmas Surprise On The Bold And The Beautiful

On December 22, cancer victim Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery) will purchase the show's hipster hangout Insomnia Café and then, on Christmas Day, she'll hand the keys over to Dayzee (Kristolyn Lloyd), the...

... Television will get a lot more handsome and rugged in early February, as FX has announced the return date for Justified. The drama, starring Timothy Olyphant as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, will be back for its second season on February 9. Season 2 will see Raylan tangling with new groups of bad guys and the addition of Jeremy Davies (Lost) to the cast. Yes, please! [FX via press release]

... Actor Steve Landesberg has passed...  More >>...

The actor best known for playing intellectual Detective Arthur P. Dietrich on Barney Miller has died. Steve Landesberg had been battling cancer for some time.

Landesberg was born in November of 1945 in New York City. He was reportedly discovered by Bill Cosby during open auditions for The Tonight Show. A veteran of stand-up at places like the Improv and a member of the New York Stickball Team improv group, Landesberg had a long career in television, movies, commercials, and on the stage.

On the small screen, he made guest shots on series like The Golden Girls, That '70s Show, Ghost Whisperer, Law & Order, The Rockford Files, and Everybody Hates Chris. He also worked quite a bit in voice overs, acting on shows like American Dad!, Capitol Critters, Dinosaurs, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

After guesting several times...

The actor best known for playing intellectual Detective Arthur P. Dietrich on Barney Miller has died. Steve Landesberg had been battling cancer for some time.

Landesberg was born in November of 1945 in New York City. He was reportedly discovered by Bill Cosby during open auditions for The Tonight Show. A veteran of stand-up at places like the Improv and a member of the New York Stickball Team improv group, Landesberg had a long career in television, movies, commercials, and on the stage.

On the small screen, he made guest shots on series like The Golden Girls, That '70s Show, Ghost Whisperer, Law & Order, The Rockford Files, and Everybody Hates Chris. He also worked quite a bit in voice overs, acting on shows like American Dad!, Capitol Critters, Dinosaurs, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

After guesting several times...

Steve Landesberg may have been best known for his role as the intellectual and sometimes annoying Detective Sgt. Arthur Dietrich on the long-running 1970s cop comedy "Barney Miller."

But younger audiences knew him too - for a slew of recent parts such as the doctor on the 2008 hit movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

The veteran actor died Monday at age 65, his agent, Jeffrey Leavitt, told The Associated Press. The cause of death wasn't released.

Landesberg appeared in dozens of TV shows, his curly haired, bespectacled face easily recognizable. Recent credits included "Everybody Hates Chris," ''Just Jordan," ''That 70s Show" and "American Dad."...

Emmy winning composer-musician Lance Horne will be releasing his new CD First Things Last on January 11, 2011. Featured on his CD are local favorites Cheyenne Jackson, Alan Cumming, and for the alternative set, Amanda Palmer.

Dreamworks Animation is set to make a movie of the comic Maintenance. I don’t know the work, but based on a tiny bit of reading, this doesn’t seem like it’s going to be targeted at kids.

Far From Heaven is headed to the stage, and it’s got some major players behind it. It reminds me that I really need to go back and watch the movie again. I think I may have matured enough to change the boredom I felt seeing it many, many years ago.

Greg In Hollywood has named Darren Criss his New Star of the Year. I agree with his reasoning, because while I was aware of A Very Potter Musical,...

Actor/comic Steve Landesberg has passed away. He was 65. The funnyman died on Monday, December 20, according to his agent Jeffrey Leavitt. He had reportedly been battling cancer.

Landesberg started his career as a stand-up comedian in New York before landing his most famous role as Detective Arthur Dietrich in hit TV sit-com "Barney Miller" in 1975, with the show running until 1982.

He went on to appear in other TV series such as "The Cosby Show", "Golden Girls" and "Ghost Whisperer", as well as parts in movies including "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Wild Hogs".

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Ross Landesberg, and a daughter, Elizabeth.

Filed under: Reality-Free, TV News

Steve Landesberg, who played dry, intellectual detective Arthur Dietrich on the classic ABC sitcom 'Barney Miller,' has died.

Landesberg passed away in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. He was 65.

Aside from his role on 'Barney Miller,' Landesberg was also a veteran stand-up comic and writer. He wrote several episodes of the Starz series 'Head Case,' and played Dr. Finkelstein on the show. He also had a regular role on 'Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers' and made appearances on 'The Golden Girls,' 'Ghost Whisperer,' 'That '70s Show,' 'American Dad,' 'Harvey Birdman, Attorney-At-Law,' 'Law & Order,' The Rockford Files' and many others.

His last role was in a 2009 episode of 'The Cleaner.'

 

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Actor/comic Steve Landesberg has passed away. He was 65.

The funnyman died on Monday, according to his agent Jeffrey Leavitt. He had reportedly been battling cancer.

Landesberg started his career as a stand-up comedian in New York before landing his most famous role as Detective Arthur Dietrich in hit TV sit-com Barney Miller in 1975, with the show running until 1982.

He went on to appear in other TV series such as The Cosby Show, Golden Girls and Ghost Whisperer, as well as parts in movies including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Wild Hogs.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Ross Landesberg, and a daughter, Elizabeth.

Comic actor Steve Landesberg lost his battle with cancer early Monday morning at a hospital in Los Angeles. The actor, who was best known for playing Det. Arthur Dietrich in the '70s sitcom "Barney Miller," was 65.

His agent told TMZ that he had been battling the disease for a while.

Landesberg famously played the intellectual Dietrich on the long running cop comedy from 1975 to 1982. He got his start in the comedy business in 1969 as a stand-up comic in New York clubs. He also appeared in guest roles on "The Golden Girls" and "That '70s Show."

Younger fans may know him through his role in the 2008 comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" as pediatrician Dr. Rosenbaum.

Actor Steve Landesberg has died, he was 65 years old. Mr. Landesberg passed away Friday morning from cancer, after a prolonged fight with the disease. "It is with great sadness to report the loss of my friend and client Steve Landesberg," his agent Jeffrey Leavitt said in a press statement. "Working with Steve was an honor both personally and professionally. My heart goes out to his family. He will be missed." Mr. Landesberg was exceptional in the role of the unmotivated psychiatrist, Dr. Myron Finklestein, in Starz' "Head Case." The series was a brilliant ad lib ensemble headed by actress Alexandra Wentworth. His character shared office space with Wentworth's character Dr. Goode, and they made great TV comedy...

Steve Landesberg, best known to television audiences as Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich on the '70s sitcom "Barney Miller," died today following a long battle with cancer. He was 65 years old.

Landesberg joined the regular cast of "Barney Miller" in its second season, distinguishing Dietrich from the rest of the Greenwich Village police station's motley crew of detectives by making him the intellectual straight man and a likable know-it-all. Although movie buffs may recognize Landesberg from his recent appearance in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in which he played Peter Bretter's pediatrician, the veteran character actor portrayed Dietrich on the classic ABC sitcom until the end of the series' run in 1982. Landesberg even reprised the role for the short-lived "Barney Miller" spinoff "Fish," a vehicle for fellow castmember Abe Vigoda.

Born November 23, 1945, in New York, NY, Landesberg's father owned a grocery store, and his mother was a milliner. Landesberg started out in show business doing stand-up, and he also performed with an improvisational group called The New York Stickball Team.

After "Barney Miller" went off the air, the actor did extensive voice-over work, as well as making numerous guest appearances on a variety of television series including "The Golden Girls," "Seinfeld,""Everybody Hates Chris," and a featured guest appearance in an episode of A&E's "The Cleaner." His most recent regular role was Dr. Myron Finkelstein on the Starz original comedy "Head Case," for which he co-wrote seven episodes.

Landesberg is also credited with the quote "Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense."...

Veteran actor Steve Landesberg died Friday from cancer after a long career as a stand up comic and actor in films like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and the acclaimed TV sitcom “Barney Miller.” According to “Deadline” Landesberg passed away in New York and is survived by his wife Nancy and his daughter. Landesberg received multiple Emmy nominations for his role as Detective Arthur Dietrich on “Barney Miller,” which ran on ABC from 1975-82. Landesberg recently appeared on an episode of the A&E drama “The Cleaner.”...

Veteran actor Steve Landesberg died Friday from cancer after a long career as a stand up comic and actor in films like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and the acclaimed TV sitcom “Barney Miller.” According to “Deadline” Landesberg passed away in New York and is survived by his wife Nancy and his daughter. Landesberg received multiple Emmy nominations for his role as Detective Arthur Dietrich on “Barney Miller,” which ran on ABC from 1975-82. Landesberg recently appeared on an episode of the A&E drama “The Cleaner.”...

Actor Steve Landesberg died Friday of cancer. While Landesberg had a long career as a stand up comic and most recently appeared in the films Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Wild Hogs, he's best known for playing Det. Arthur Dietrich on the cop sitcom Barney Miller, which ran on ABC from 1975-82. He was nominated for Emmys several times for a character that put his deadpan wit to full advantage. Landesberg passed away in New York. He is survived by his wife Nancy and his daughter.

Steve Landesberg, the veteran character actor who played Arthur Dietrich on TV's "Barney Miller" and more recently starred in "Forgetting Sarah Marhsall," has died. He was 65. Landesberg died of cancer, according to TMZ. Landesberg's agent did not respond to TheWrap's requests for confirmation. Landesberg joined "Barney Miller" in the show's second season and remained a key figure there, playing the bookish and widely knowledgeable detective Dietrich. His post-"Barney Miller" career included roles on "The Golden Girls," "Seinfeld," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Head Case" and others. He played a pediatrician in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." "Barney...

Just about nobody's dry humor was drier than Steve Landesberg's.   Landesberg, the deadpan comic who earned three Emmy nominations for the 1970s sitcom Barney Miller, has lost a battle to cancer, reports said today. He was 65.  Landesberg played Det. Arthur Dietrich on the 1975-1982 cop comedy. The standup standout was just 30 when he won the world-weary role. After Miller, Landesberg didn't do series regular work again until Conrad Bloom, a short-lived comedy starring future Royal Pains doc Mark Feuerstein.  Later, Landesberg played Ryan Reynolds' father in an episode Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, did voice work for Adult Swim's Harvey Birdman, and...

Steve Landesberg -- famous for his roles on "Barney Miller" and more recently "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" -- has died ... this according to the actor's agent who spoke with TMZ. We're told Landesberg died of cancer early this morning.  He had been battling the disease for a while. Landesberg played Dr. Rosenbaum -- the pediatrician -- in "Sarah Marshall."  But he was more famous for his role as Det. Sgt. Arthur Dietrich on the TV show "Barney Miller,...

Head Case revolves around a therapist who works with celebrities in Los Angeles. The performers sometimes have to deal with big professional disappointments, like when their TV shows are cancelled. Unfortunately, the actors on the Starz series now have firsthand knowledge of how that feels.

Alexandra Wentworth stars as Dr. Elizabeth Goode, an unapologetically frank therapist. Her unconventional methods have made her the "It" counselor in Hollywood and her practice has thrived. Regular performers on the series also include Steve Landesberg, Michelle Arthur, Candace Dean Brown, Rob Benedict, and Aris Alvarado.

The Starz series debuted in April of 2007 as 10-minute vignettes and evolved into half-hour episodes. Head Case became a showcase for performers who wanted to play themselves and get some "tough love" onscreen. Those that have been "helped" include Andy Dick, Greg Grunberg, Jeff Probst, Tori Spelling, Tom Sizemore, Jason Lewis, Sean...

The cast and crew of the A&E hit series, "The Cleaner," have paid it forward by giving their time and efforts to help others. The season two finale of "The Cleaner" will air Sept. 15th at 10p/9c on A&E. The finale will see William (Benjamin Bratt) help an old friend (Richard Lewis), who chooses heroin and speed over his wife (Annabelle Gurwitch) and two kids, commit to getting clean. Meanwhile Pk (Whoopi Goldberg) attempts to wrangle some of the other addicts William has helped recently for a surprise party in honor of William's ten-year-sober birthday. Guest stars include Gary Cole, Janina Gavankar, Steve Landesberg, Paul Schulze, Jeanette Brox, Michael Beach, Dionysio Basco and Joy Bisco.

"The Cleaner" is coming to an end on Tuesday, September 15 with its second season finale episode called "Trick Candles". A & E has been generous enough to give a five minutes sneak peek to the episode which will feature guest appearances by Richard Lewis, Gary Cole and Whoopi Goldberg.

In his last quest this season, William must help an old friend (Lewis), who chooses heroin and speed over his wife (Annabelle Gurwitch) and two kids, commit to getting clean. Meanwhile Pk (Goldberg) attempts to wrangle some of the other addicts William has helped recently for a surprise party in honor of William's ten-year-sober birthday.

Other guest stars include Janina Gavankar, Steve Landesberg, Paul Schulze, Jeanette Brox, Michael Beach, Dion Basco and Joy Bisco.

Benjamin Bratt who stars as William is one of the honorees of 2009 Alma Awards in the category Actor - Drama. He will have to battle it out with...

The best comedies of late on the smallscreen are coming to an end tonight on Starz. This makes me very sad. "Head Case" and "Party Down" are truly original, hilarious shows that feature fiercely talented ensemble casts. "Head Case" is headed up by the brilliant Ali (Alexandra) Wentworth, who leads a cavalcade of top stars through an exercise of improv and comedic thinking on their feet. My favorite moment hands down from this season has to be the Dr. Myron Finkelstein (Steve Landesberg) Hasidic kidnapping and subsequent "torture" annoyance scene, which sets up tonight's episode where Dr. Goode travels back to New York City to get Finkelstein out of his .mistaken identity. trouble. While there, Dr.

Starz channel owns Friday night for comedy. Their bright spot original comedy series are "Head Case" and "Party Down." Starz has sent over some clips for tonight's episodes. "Case" stars improv comedian Alexandra Wentworth as Dr. Elizabeth Goode, a narcissistic $450-an-hour therapist whose own issues trump her famous clients she treats in Beverly Hills. Unscripted and improvised episodes feature Goode (and her office-mate Dr. Myron Finklstein, played by Steve Landesberg) violating every ethical Doctor-patient rule. Goode entertains her "patients" Macy Gray, Jerry Seinfeld, Janeane Garofalo, James Denton, Paulina Porizkova, Kevin Nealon, designer Isaac Mizrahi and magician Lance Burton this season. On this week's "Head Case," Kevin Nealon realizes he might need to see a real doctor, not a...

Starz network show "Head Case" is one of the best comedies on television. The unscripted show is a poke in the kishkas to the cloistered, indulgent world of the already self-absorbed celebrities who need someone to unload on, and the overpaid gurus that service them. Enter Dr. Elizabeth Goode, (Alexandra Wentworth), an Ivy-league narcissistic Wasp-y psychiatrist who uses each clients' $450.00-an-hour session as a window into her own set of issues de jour. The judgmental and argumentative Dr. Goode has an A to D-list roster of luminaries who seek answers, and wind up leaving with more questions. "Head Case" was launched in 2007 as a ten-minute segment. The genuinely funny, unscripted series has grown into a real...