From the Ottawa Citizen:
Link: Ottawa comic Mike MacDonald dead at 63
The world of comedy was tweeting expressions of sorrow Saturday night at the death of Ottawa comic Mike MacDonald.
No details were immediately available.
A former Brookfield High School student, MacDonald had liver transplant surgery in March 2013. Long known as one of Canada’s top standup comics, MacDonald had battled drug addiction and bipolar disorder in his adult life. Continue reading.
From a media release:
CraveTV, Canada’s premium TV streaming service, announced today that it has partnered with Just For Laughs on three CraveTV Original Stand-Up comedy specials for its streaming audiences in Canada. This marks CraveTV’s first commission of original stand-up comedy, which will stream on CraveTV in 2018 and anchor the streaming service’s popular Stand-Up Comedy Collection. Showcasing homegrown talents Debra DiGiovanni, Darcy Michael, and Graham Chittenden, the specials taped yesterday and today at Toronto’s Berkeley Church during the JFL42 Festival. Now in its sixth year, JFL42 is a pass-based interactive comedy Festival and has established itself as one of the world’s most successful and cutting-edge comedy events. This year’s Festival runs until September 30.
Bell Media and Just For Laughs have a long history of joining forces to bring audiences hilarious hits, such as five seasons of the original stand-up series JUST FOR LAUGHS: ALL ACCESS (Season 5 premieres Saturday, September 30 at 9 p.m. ET on The Comedy Network); six seasons of FUNNY AS HELL hosted by Jon Dore; and numerous original specials like ELLIE KEMPER: UNBREAKABLE COMEDY GALA, NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: CIRCUS AWESOMEUS, JUST FOR LAUGHS PRESENTS: WHITNEY CUMMINGS BLEEP SHOW, SETH ROGEN’S HILARITY FOR CHARITY, and more.
A mainstay of the Canadian comedy scene for 15 years, Debra DiGiovanni is known for her hilarious stand-up comedy and appearances on television series like VIDEO ON TRIAL, Just For Laughs ALL ACCESS, and The Comedy Network original series, MATCH GAME. She was also a finalist on Season 5 of LAST COMIC STANDING. Currently based in Los Angeles, DiGiovanni is a three-time Canadian Comedy Award-winner.
Vancouver-based Darcy Michael has appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montréal for five consecutive years. He also co-starred in two seasons of the CTV original comedy series SPUN OUT.
A familiar face at the Just For Laughs Festival, Graham Chittenden is also a writer on the hit comedy series MR. D. Known for his fresh and clean, but still relentlessly funny style of humour, the Canadian Comedy Award-nominee has also appeared on television series like MATCH GAME, COMEDY NOW!, and MTV SHOWTOWN.
Co-produced by Just For Laughs Television and Counterfeit Pictures, in association with Bell Media’s CraveTV. Executive producers are Bruce Hills and Gilbert Rozon from Just For Laughs and Dan Bennett, Shane Corkery and Anton Leo from Counterfeit Pictures. The specials are directed by Shelagh O’Brien.
From a media release:
Just for Laughs, one of the world’s most acclaimed comedy brands, will receive this year’s prestigious Icon Award as announced by The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television today. The Icon Award will be presented by another comedy icon, seminal comedian Dave Chappelle on Sunday, March 12 at the Canadian Screen Awards, broadcast live on CBC from Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts at 8 pm (9 pm AT; 9:30 pm NT).
Founded in 1983 in Montreal, Just For Laughs has launched the careers of some of the biggest names in comedy including Russell Peters, Jimmy Fallon, Kevin Hart, Louis CK and Dave Chappelle himself. As of late, the festival has added events in Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney and London. The Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival is the most prestigious comedy event in the world, welcoming over 300 artists a year, with an average of 1.7 million visitors to Montreal each summer.
One of television’s leading comedy producers with over 1,000 hours of television standup, scripted and variety programming, as well as the phenomenally successful Gags franchise, Just For Laughs specials and series have aired in over 130 countries, including on all major Canadian, U.S. and International broadcasters including CBC, Comedy, HBO, the CW, Showtime, Fox, BBC Channel 4 and ABC, to name a few.
A true trailblazer and a good friend of Just For Laughs, comedian Dave Chappelle will present this award to JFL founder, Gilbert Rozon and COO, Bruce Hills. Chappelle’s relationship with the festival dates back to 1992 when he did his first set, launching his extraordinary career.
Starting his standup career at the age of 18, Chappelle went on to become one of the most revered and successful comedians in the world. The wildly popular and groundbreaking Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central became a smash hit in the early 2000s for which Chappelle, who created and starred in the sketch comedy series, received two Emmy Award nominations. He recently signed an unprecedented deal with Netflix for three new comedy specials.
Presented by the Academy Board of Directors, the Icon Award marks important achievements in Canada’s screen industry.
From a media release:
The Movie Network announced today the much-anticipated return of the hit Canadian stand-up series FUNNY AS HELL. Hosted by Canadian comic Jon Dore (INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, KROLL SHOW), Season 6 is commissioned in partnership with Seeso, and the Just for Laughs Group. The six-episode half-hour series goes to production at this year’s Just For Laughs festival in Montreal, July 13 – August 1.
Season 6 features an all-star lineup including Ahmed Bharoocha (THE BRIEFCASE), Aparna Nancherla (LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS), Beth Stelling (THE HALF HOUR, Byron Bowers (LUCAS BROS MOVING CO.), Cameron Esposito (MARRIAGE MATERIAL, TAKE MY WIFE), Emo Philips (UHF), Eugene Mirman (DEBATE WARS, BOB’S BURGERS), Ian Abramson (THE PITCH SHOW), James Davis (REAL HUSBANDS OF HOLLYWOOD, CHELSEA LATELY), Janeane Garofalo (DEBATE WARS, WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER), KurtMetzger (INSIDE AMY SCHUMER, HORACE AND PETE), Liza Treyger (HORACE AND PETE, CHELSEA LATELY), The Lucas Brothers (FUNNY AS HELL, LUCAS BROS MOVING CO.), Mary Lynn Rajskub (IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, 24), Sam Morril (Class Act Comedy Album),  Sean Donnelly (MY DUMB FRIENDS Podcast), Sean Patton (BEST BARS IN AMERICA), and ThomasDale (CHELSEA LATELY). Additional comedians will be announced in the coming weeks.
An edgy, no-holds-barred stand up series, FUNNY AS HELL has proved a favoured TV spot among comedians since its inception in 2010. Like previous seasons, Season 6 will encourage the best stand-up comedians in the industry to push the boundaries and have fun in a relaxed, uncensored setting.
Jon Dore is a Canadian comedian and actor. Dore, who  starred in mockumentary-style comedy series THE JON DORE TELEVISION SHOW on The Comedy Network from 2007-2009, has made appearances on  LIVE AT GOTHAM,  HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, and SCARE TACTICS. He is a regular on late night talk shows and was the first stand-up comedian to appear on CONAN. Dore’s feature film credits include the indie drama Gus, opposite Michelle Monaghan, and the comedy film Stag, which picked up two awards for Best Ensemble and Excellence in Filmmaking at the LA Comedy Film Festival. Renowned for his offbeat humor and unique bait-and-switch comedic style, Dore is a favorite on the comedy club and festival circuit. He has had sold-out runs at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal and Toronto, at the Washington (DC), Portland, Vancouver, and Halifax festivals, and more recently at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
FUNNY AS HELL is created and executive produced by Just for Laughs Group. It is co-commissioned by Seeso, from NBCUniversal’s Digital Enterprises and Bell Media. Sarah Fowlie is Director, Independent Production, Comedy, Bell Media. Executive for Bell Media is Chris Kelley. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Tracey Pearce is Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Entertainment Production and Broadcasting, Bell Media.
