Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac

Johnny Mac covers comedy news including Jim Gaffigan’s Father Time Bourbon winning Best New Bourbon at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for The Caboose Empty Nester Strength (double gold, 97 points), with details on mash bill, proofs, and the $200 retail price. CBS will air a two-hour 20th anniversary primetime special of Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed on Tuesday, September 29, and Funny You Should Ask returns to production August 11 with new CBS late-night episodes starting September 21; the show nears its 500th episode. Seth Meyers’ Day Drinking becomes a Peacock series compilation. Ratings notes compare summer late-night numbers for Kimmel, Fallon, Meyers, and a James Corden after-hours show. Comedy Central announces Stand-Up Selects on YouTube. Mac also recounts a failed YouTube Live due to audio cutting out and reflects on friend Vinnie Pastore’s death, then mentions a trailer for season two of Netflix’s Leanne. 

00:12 Jim Gaffigan Bourbon Win
01:34 Comics Unleashed Anniversary
02:38 Funny You Should Ask Returns
03:46 Day Drinking Goes Peacock
04:48 Late Night Ratings Roundup
05:40 Comedy Central Stand-Up Selects
06:24 Kevin Hart Golf With LeBron
06:44 YouTube Live Audio Fail
08:21 Remembering Vinnie Pastore
13:29 Leanne Season Two Trailer
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.com

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

Johnny Mac covers Gianmarco Soresi posting his Montreal Comedy Festival “State of the Industry” speech with Jay Jurden, highlighting a section packed with jokes about Tony Hinchcliffe and Kill Tony. Mac then fixates on the Sept. 10 Madison Square Garden “New York City Still Rising” 9/11 benefit guest list—Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Ronny Chieng, and Pete Davidson—noting all five also played the Riyadh Comedy Festival last year and calling the coincidence statistically odd, while sharing his personal 9/11 perspective and comparing past lineups. He reports Patricia Heaton backing a petition urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani not attend the 25th anniversary at Ground Zero, plays a Rosie O’Donnell song clip and Ben Shapiro’s reaction, shares a Just for Laughs tribute video to Bruce Hills, notes Comedy Central’s new Daily Show anniversary podcast lineup, mentions rights for an Elizabeth Pryor memoir for a potential Richard Pryor film, and announces Joanne McNally’s 2027 Netflix special “Pinotfile.”
 
00:13 Soresi and Jurden Roast Tony
01:57 MSG 9/11 Benefit Guest List
03:26 Riyadh Festival Coincidence
04:51 Who Else Could Be Booked
06:32 Heaton 9/11 Petition Drama
07:27 Rosie Sings Shapiro Reacts
08:40 JFL Legacy Award Clip
09:31 Daily Show 30th Podcast Shade
10:57 Richard Pryor Biopic Talk
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.com

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

Johnny Mac delivers poolside comedy news, led by Trevor Noah starring in South Africa’s second international tourism marketing push, “Tourism in South Africa with Trevor Noah,” titled “Didn’t Say We Didn’t Tell You,” aimed at attracting foreign visitors amid xenophobic tensions and anti-illegal immigration protests. Chelsea Handler shares strict family vacation etiquette from her 2025 book “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” including acknowledging household staff, being considerate with food and alcohol, staying engaged in activities, and contributing “pleasantness.” Rob Beckett discusses Disney trips, how kids change vacations, Spain travel tips, and a planned Europe road trip ending at Europa Park. In a paid advertorial, Kenan Thompson lists car essentials for parents and recalls his first Toyota 4Runner. Deadline’s “Laugh List” spotlights 10 top unproduced comedy screenplays, including “Daniel Bennett Needs a Friend,” “The Flu Game,” and “Witch Please.”
 
00:24 Trevor Noah Tourism Ad
01:41 Chelsea Handler Vacation Rules
03:26 Rob Beckett Holiday Chaos
04:25 Johnny Mac Travel Style
06:04 Kenan Thompson Car Essentials
07:54 Deadline Laugh List
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.com

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

Johnny Mac shares a clip he believes is from Ziwe’s 2025 interview show in which Kevin Hart is confronted for flying private and says he hasn’t flown commercial in 17 years, arguing his schedule and need to sleep on planes. He then recaps a Baltimore Sun report from the taping of Stavros Halkias’ special, including Baltimore-themed jokes about the Ravens name and Edgar Allan Poe, plus Halkias’ weight-loss material and the logistics of recording four shows in the same outfit. Johnny notes Atsuko Okatsuka is developing a half-hour sitcom about modern marriage, highlights a Hollywood Reporter profile of Maria Bamford discussing self-acceptance, Al-Anon, and performing style, and summarizes a Guardian profile of Mary Beth Barone, including her comments on polarized comedy and criticism of Andrew Schulz. He also covers Nick Kroll’s Comedy vs. Cancer benefit raising over $10 million and previews Montreal’s World’s Smallest Comedy Festival at Hurley’s Irish Pub. 

00:37 Kevin Hart Ziwe Clip
01:53 Private Jet Confrontation
03:32 Stavros Baltimore Special
05:28 Atsuko Sitcom News
06:01 Maria Bamford Profile
06:54 Mary Beth Barone Guardian
08:24 Nick Kroll Cancer Benefit
10:00 Worlds Smallest Fest
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.com

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.

Johnny Mac discusses the Sept. 10 “New York City, Still Rising” 9/11 charity comedy benefit at Madison Square Garden, noting Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson’s involvement and that several announced performers (Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Ronny Chieng, and Davidson) also played the Riyadh Comedy Festival, while wondering if NYC Mayor Mamdani would attend and how he’d be received. He covers comedian Mary Beth Barone’s support of Mamdani and her criticism of Democratic Party leadership. From Just for Laughs Montreal’s State of the Industry, he highlights jokes and commentary from Jay Jurden and Gianmarco Soresi about various comedians and the festival. He then spotlights Seth Simons’ FOIA-based Comedy Fee Tracker database (humorism.xyz) with reported booking fees for major comics. Finally, he gives “buy” recommendations: Mary Beth Barone, Stavros Halkias (new special coming), and Jimmy Fallon, citing a USA Today profile on Fallon’s new short-form microdrama and recent ratings momentum.
 
00:17 9/11 Benefit Lineup
01:50 Mamdani Supporter Spotlight
02:33 JFL Industry Roast
05:10 Comedy Fee Tracker
07:53 Comedy Stock Picks
09:07 Jimmy Fallon Fluff Piece
 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.

Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.com

Daily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  

Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com 

For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month 

John's Substack about media is free.