WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel switch spots for a show about comedy.Last week's challenge
Start with the name of our special guest MACK ASTIN. Add a letter and you can rearrange the result to spell a five-letter word for what Harry Houdini was known for, and a five-letter word for things he often used. What are the words?
Answer: If you add a G, you can spell MAGIC and TANKS.
THIS WEEK'S CATEGORY: COMEDY
On-air questions: Tonight, comedian Demetri Martin is playing at The Egg in Albany. The writer, actor, comedian, and director is a Conan and Daily Show alum who recently directed and starred in his first feature film, Dean. He also had a Comedy Central series called Important Things. In honor of Martin’s gig, this week’s show is all about comedy.
1. Earlier this year, President Trump went after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York for crying “fake tears” in blasting the White House’s travel ban. Coming to Schumer’s defense was what distant relative and former Last Comic Standing contestant, who said “I know Chuck Schumer and he cannot act, trust me. He can barely smile on cue.”
2. The winner of the first Grammy Award for spoken comedy recording in 1959, comedian Shelley Berman died this year at age 92. In addition to teaching writing at USC for more than two decades, Berman had a recurring role as Nat David on what HBO series?
3. After four highly regarded comedy specials on HBO beginning in 1996 — Bring the Pain, Bigger and Blacker, Never Scared and Kill the Messenger — which standup got a reported $40 million for two Netflix specials due this year?
4. Depending on how you count, Saturday Night Live has had 16 different Weekend Update hosts. Fill in the blank: Dennis Miller, Kevin Nealon, Norm Macdonald, ________________, Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. As a hint, this solo host has also helmed shows called Remote Control and Tough Crowd.
5. A South Carolina native, what standup who shot to fame as Tom Haverford on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” won an Emmy for writing on his Netflix series “Master of None” in September, which he then brought to In-and-Out burger?
Extra credit
1. ABC television announced it is bringing back a 222-episode sitcom that last aired in 1997 for an eight-episode run in 2018. Which standup, who was roasted on Comedy Central in 2012, was listed ninth on the network’s list of 100 greatest standups?
2. What seven-time Academy Award nominee played standups in a 1982 Martin Scorsese film and a 2016 Taylor Hackford film?
This week's challenge
Start with the phrase THE COMEDY STORE. Rearrange the letters and you can spell a six-letter tool associated with agriculture, and an eight-letter instrument associated with cars. What are the words?
ANSWERS
On-air questions
1. Amy Schumer (her father is a cousin of Chuck Schumer’s)
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm (he plays Larry David’s father, who memorably didn’t tell Larry that his mother had died)
3. Chris Rock (The Hollywood Reporter says the $20 million per special is a new record)
4. Colin Quinn
5. Aziz Ansari
Extra credit
1. Roseanne Barr
2. Robert De Niro (The King of Comedy, The Comedian)
