27 Jun Netflix Teams With Legendary Comedy Director Marty Callner for “The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up”
The initiative includes first annual induction ceremony in Los Angeles with permanent home at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY
Los Angeles, June 27, 2019 …Netflix, in partnership with award-winning comedy producer/director Marty Callner and Funny Business, Inc., announced today “The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up” , which will pay tribute to the legends of stand-up comedy. The centerpiece of the collaboration is the inaugural induction ceremony, which will be available on Netflix in 2020. The special will be executive produced by Callner and Randall Gladstein, partners in Funny Business, Inc., and manager/producer David Steinberg.
“Stand-up comedy is more than funny jokes — these artists shape our culture, teach us, and challenge us about the world and ourselves,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix . “We’re honored to partner with Marty, Randall, David, and everyone at the National Comedy Center as we celebrate the greats in this field, create a space for comedy lovers to come together, and share the induction ceremony with Netflix members everywhere.”
The Hall and surrounding initiative were created by the much honored Callner and Gladstein, who have worked together for 35 years, producing iconic comedy and music broadcast events on six continents. Callner directed the first-ever stand-up comedy special titled “An Evening with Robert Klein,” for HBO and directed the first comedy specials of the greats like Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and the late George Carlin, bringing Carlin’s infamous “seven words you can’t say on television” to television.
“Stand-up comedy is an art form all its own,” said Callner. “Stand-ups have a unique ability to make us laugh and to make us think. Often their social commentary mixed with humor makes them the most effective voices of the moment. It is long overdue that they be recognized with The Hall, where generations to come can appreciate their work forever.”
The Hall will live inside a brand new wing of the $50 million state-of-the-art National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York. The National Comedy Center is the United States’ official institution dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations, as formally designated by the U.S. Congress in 2019. The Hall will offer a curated experience and interactive exhibits allowing visitors to explore the archives, including rare performances and interviews, memorabilia and personal effects from the legends of stand-up.
“As the country’s official cultural institution dedicated to the art form of comedy, the National Comedy Center is honored to partner with Netflix, Marty Callner, Randall Gladstein and David Steinberg to become the permanent home for the legends of stand-up comedy,” said Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center Executive Director. “We look forward to welcoming comedy fans from around the world as we share the stories of the artists who had an enormous impact on comedy, and in turn, our culture – in a new wing of our museum complex devoted to these brilliant comics.”
About Marty Callner
Marty Callner comedy and music productions have been nominated for more than 40 Emmy Awards. Most recently, Callner has directed comedy specials for Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Whitney Cummings, Dane Cook, George Lopez and John Leguizamo. He is also the creator of the award winning HBO series “Hard Knocks” which is entering its fourteenth season.
About David Steinberg
Manager and producer David Steinberg is one of the most prominent names in the comedy management field, having worked with Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Robert Klein, Marty Callner, Martin Mull, David Letterman and Martin Short, among others. As a writer and producer, he has worked on everything from the Academy Awards® telecast, to the ESPY Awards, to comedy specials, many of which received Cable Ace, Emmy, Writers Guild of America and Grammy awards and honors. He also helped develop classic films like “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Let’s Throw Mama from the Train.”
About Netflix
Netflix is the world’s leading internet entertainment service with over 148 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.