Adam Mckay

"Matt Braunger. You know what I like about him? And here's a sign that I'm 43 years old. First off, he really makes me laugh. But also, I can watch him with my daughter. My 10-year-old daughter really likes him too. And in a smart way, she gets it. And he's not, like, filthy dirty. He's very likeable and fun, and yet it's smart at the same time. You know where I've seen Matt Braunger? I literally go on YouTube and I get all his videos, and we sit and watch him. I've never seen him live.

IFC is out to prove that big things can come out of small, quirky shows. Sparked by the success of "Portlandia," the series poking gentle fun at Portland, Ore., and its offbeat residents that has charmed both critics and viewers, the basic cable network has enlisted A-listers Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller as it aggressively ratchets up in hopes of becoming a leader in alternative comedy fare. Ferrell, who is currently filming the sequel to his hit "Anchorman," and frequent partner Adam McKay, are executive producers of "The Spoils of Babylon," which will be produced by Funny or Die, their comedy video website that is an outgrowth of their production company.

REAL men eat yogurt parfaits. That might be the conclusion after sitting down to breakfast with writing partners Adam McKay and Will Ferrell, two 6-foot-plus white-bread guys in khaki shorts, who also happen to be the director and star, respectively, of the upcoming "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," a cheerily demented look inside the world of NASCAR racing, in which the women are hot, the men dumb, and the racing cool.

Kristen Wiig is joining the cast of Will Ferrell's "Anchorman" sequel. Knights of Columbus, that's kind of a big deal! "Just found out Kristen Wiig officially on board for Anchorman 2. Cannonball!" director Adam McKay confirmed Monday on Twitter. "Anchorman" costar Christina Applegate (a.k.a. Ron Burgundy's lady love) corroborated the story with her own Tweet. "woohoo! That's so great," Applegate responded, later quipping , "So excited Kristen Wiig has joined our cast for anchorman2.

Last week, Will Ferrell became the latest "real" celebrity to star in a homemade-looking Internet video. "The Landlord" is a genuinely funny two-minute movie in which Ferrell plays a layabout who is accosted by his angry landlady. The catch: Pearl, the landlady, is played by a 2-year-old. "I want my money!" she shrieks at Ferrell's character, then taunts him with a string of unprintable invectives.

Before comedian Ken Jeong cracked into pop cultural consciousness as Hollywood's newest cameo king, he didn't crave movie stardom. The raging Asian guy seen venting spleen and spouting invective in several of the last few years' high-grossing gross-out comedies wasn't even a professional joke-teller by trade. Before a casting coup landed Jeong an enviable spot on the batting order for some of movie comedy's heaviest hitters -- Judd Apatow, Todd Phillips, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay among them -- Jeong's day job didn't involve making people laugh at all. Unless prescribing pain medication for, say, an angry patient with a herniated disc is your idea of funny.

From a story once passed down in the oral tradition comes a version transmitted by repetitive audio-visual assault in "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. " The notorious folkloric tale about lost little siblings encountering the worst kind of sugar-coated bad news has been given a jokey R-rated once-over by Norwegian writer-director Tommy Wirkola, whose calling card as a purveyor of wink, wink, splatter, splatter entertainment was the 2009 undead Nazis romp "Dead Snow. " There's little to suggest, however, that shifting from zombies to witches has shaken his love of obliterating bodies by any means necessary.

JAZZ Billy Cobham Born in Panama, raised in New York and a resident of Switzerland for more than a quarter-century, the drummer and his inspirations are nothing if not worldly. Cobham, a founding member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, takes his jazzy ? and jazz fusion-y ? stylings to the stage of the Catalina Bar & Grill for a four-night engagement at the historic Hollywood jazz club. Catalina Bar & Grill. 6725 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. 10 p.m. $20. www.catalinajazzclub.

Kristen Wiig is joining the cast of Will Ferrell's "Anchorman" sequel. Knights of Columbus, that's kind of a big deal! "Just found out Kristen Wiig officially on board for Anchorman 2. Cannonball!" director Adam McKay confirmed Monday on Twitter. "Anchorman" costar Christina Applegate (a.k.a. Ron Burgundy's lady love) corroborated the story with her own Tweet. "woohoo! That's so great," Applegate responded, later quipping , "So excited Kristen Wiig has joined our cast for anchorman2.

A former head writer on "Saturday Night Live," Adam McKay is set to make his feature directing debut with "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," co-written by McKay and the film's star, Will Ferrell. The two began working together on "SNL," and McKay is quick to point out that he considers Ferrell, star of "Elf" and "Old School," a "legitimate writer" and that the script came from long sessions locked together in a hotel room.

From a story once passed down in the oral tradition comes a version transmitted by repetitive audio-visual assault in "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. " The notorious folkloric tale about lost little siblings encountering the worst kind of sugar-coated bad news has been given a jokey R-rated once-over by Norwegian writer-director Tommy Wirkola, whose calling card as a purveyor of wink, wink, splatter, splatter entertainment was the 2009 undead Nazis romp "Dead Snow. " There's little to suggest, however, that shifting from zombies to witches has shaken his love of obliterating bodies by any means necessary.

The holidays provide an opportunity for comedians and other celebrities to let loose their funny on social media. In honor of Thanksgiving 2012, here are Ministry of Gossip's hand-picked top 10 Turkey Day celebrity tweets: -- "Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! I'm grateful for each & every one of the 3,354,714 of you. (Except @KrazyMike15)" --  Rainn Wilson ("The Office," "Super," "Juno") -- "I bet those pilgrims didn't shower before Thanksgiving dinner either. " -- Jim Gaffigan ("My Boys," "It's Kind of a Funny Story")

Will Ferrell, who honed his impression of President George W. Bush on "Saturday Night Live" and crossed over to make a career in movies, was named Thursday to receive the nation's top humor prize from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Ferrell will be honored Oct. 23 with the 14th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, an honor that previously has gone to Bill Cosby, Steve Martin and Tina Fey, among others. Ferrell starred for seven seasons on "Saturday Night Live.

"Matt Braunger. You know what I like about him? And here's a sign that I'm 43 years old. First off, he really makes me laugh. But also, I can watch him with my daughter. My 10-year-old daughter really likes him too. And in a smart way, she gets it. And he's not, like, filthy dirty. He's very likeable and fun, and yet it's smart at the same time. You know where I've seen Matt Braunger? I literally go on YouTube and I get all his videos, and we sit and watch him. I've never seen him live.

Despicable Me Universal, $29.98/$34.98; Blu-ray, $39.98/$49.98 The computer-animated "Despicable Me" follows a supervillain named Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) as he tries to restore his standing in the evildoers' community ? an effort complicated by the arrival of three adorable orphans. The movie's sentimental side is pretty pat, but Gru's various capers are wittily staged, and any scene involving his tiny yellow minions is pure slapstick gold. "Despicable Me" is recommended for parents who want to introduce their kids to actual comedy.

JAZZ Billy Cobham Born in Panama, raised in New York and a resident of Switzerland for more than a quarter-century, the drummer and his inspirations are nothing if not worldly. Cobham, a founding member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, takes his jazzy ? and jazz fusion-y ? stylings to the stage of the Catalina Bar & Grill for a four-night engagement at the historic Hollywood jazz club. Catalina Bar & Grill. 6725 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. 10 p.m. $20. www.catalinajazzclub.

Though last rites have been administered more than once, the situation comedy is the most resilient of television formats. Time-honored and stable, it is also highly adaptable, ranging easily in attitude from the sincere to the ironic, in form from the classical to the postmodern. The sitcom also has the practical merit of being comparatively economical and easy to make (which does not mean, of course, easy to make well), and after having been largely driven from the screen by reality shows and police procedurals, it is creeping back in around the edges.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg play mismatched detectives in Adam McKay's absurdist comedy "The Other Guys," but they're not an odd couple in the classic buddy-cop tradition in which the by-the-book officer endures the reckless behavior of his wild-card partner. No, in "The Other Guys," which opens Friday, Ferrell and Wahlberg both play the same thing — freaks. They're incompatible only because their peculiarities don't mesh. Wahlberg's New York City police detective Terry Hoitz wants to hit the streets, fight crime and "fly like a peacock."

A Funny or Die viral video is getting a chance for a television crossover. The comedy website said Wednesday that a pilot for "Undercover Karaoke" has been ordered by TBS. Funny or Die will produce the potential series, and co-founders Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will contribute to it. The show will be based on a video in which the singer-songwriter Jewel donned a disguise of a prosthetic nose, wig, glasses and butt padding, and sang under...

Though last rites have been administered more than once, the situation comedy is the most resilient of television formats. Time-honored and stable, it is also highly adaptable, ranging easily in attitude from the sincere to the ironic, in form from the classical to the postmodern. The sitcom also has the practical merit of being comparatively economical and easy to make (which does not mean, of course, easy to make well), and after having been largely driven from the screen by reality shows and police procedurals, it is creeping back in around the edges.