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      Forget the Punchline. It’s the Setup to These Jokes That’s Tricky.

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      Ronny Chieng, Gary Gulman and other comics are experimenting with long buildups that can be audacious … when they work.A joke can be broken down into two sections: The setup, which isn’t necessarily funny, and the punchline, which better be.Facing a crowd that’s looking to laugh, comics tend to want to get to the payoff as quickly as possible. But there is a rich tradition of jokes that move in the opposite direction, where part of what’s funny is that the setup keeps going and going, long past what you expect.The most famous example might be the Aristocrats, the rare joke that inspired its own documentary. An old bit, it begins with a setup about family members trying to get an agent to book their act and its humor tends to be fundamentally dirty and gratuitous. But in the last year, some of the most ambitious new hours have used the long setup to develop more rarefied kinds of jokes, formally inventive, experimental and very funny.Witness the magnificently unusual joke midway through Ronny Chieng’s recent special, “Love to Hate It” (Netflix), which begins with him trying to find common ground with the MAGA movement, saying its supporters have a point that the country has problems. Slowing his aggressive rat-a-tat delivery, he lists evidence of decline — bad health-care outcomes, wealth inequality — and just when you expect a punchline to lighten the mood, he gets even more serious.Ronny Chieng kills with the long form in “Love to Hate It.”NetflixAdopting the tone of a politician, he says that we did not fulfill the implicit promise that if you worked hard and played by the rules, you could make it. At this point, the comedy seems to have ground to a halt. It’s also when Chieng’s pace shifts, from slow and deliberate to pointedly sped up as he rapidly unspools a grand unified theory. The tempo of his hard-to-follow chatter, which covers tax and trade policy, among other economic minutiae, indicates a departure from logical argument and a venture into the ridiculous. It recalls how everyone from Stanley Kubrick to Benny Hill has used fast forward to create comedy.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      HBO Ends Partnership With ‘Sesame Street’

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      The venerable children’s series must find a new home after about a decade on HBO and its streaming service, Max. Old episodes will be available through 2027.“Sesame Street” is relocating.Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit company that makes the venerable children’s educational program, is looking for a new distribution partner after Warner Bros. Discovery decided not to renew its agreement to air new episodes of the show on HBO and its streaming platform, Max.Max said the decision was part of a broader corporate shift away from children’s programming. The 55th season of “Sesame Street” — featuring Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster and other colorful Muppets — will be the last to arrive on Max, in January. Old episodes will remain available through 2027.“Based on consumer usage and feedback, we’ve had to prioritize our focus on stories for adults and families,” a Max spokesman said. “And so new episodes from ‘Sesame Street,’ at this time, are not as core to our strategy.”Sesame Workshop partnered with HBO in 2015, granting the premium cable outlet a nine-month window of exclusivity for new episodes. Under the agreement, the episodes were later broadcast for free on PBS, which has aired “Sesame Street” since 1970.The deal provided a significant cash infusion for Sesame Workshop, which expanded its production schedule to 35 episodes a year from 18. It is unclear which platform might pick up the series, but contenders could include Apple TV+ (which aired three seasons of “Helpsters,” another Sesame Workshop children’s series), Netflix and Amazon.“We will continue to invest in our best-in-class programming and look forward to announcing our new distribution plans in the coming months,” a spokesman for Sesame Workshop said in a statement.Sesame Workshop and HBO have been accused of contributing to inequality by allowing families who can afford premium cable to get new episodes of the show before others. In 2022, nearly 200 episodes of the show were pulled from Max.“HBO is holding hostage underprivileged families from having access to timely first-run episodes of perhaps the single most educational children’s franchise in the history of electronic media,” Tim Winter, who was then the president of the Parents Television Council, said in a statement in 2019. More

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      in Music

      Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie Give a Surprising Education in Opera

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      “Paris & Nicole: The Encore,” a sequel to “The Simple Life,” is a comedic lark about creating an opera, with enlightening lessons along the way.It was a sight I certainly didn’t expect to see this year, or ever: Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie sitting down with Thomas Adès, one of the greatest living composers, to learn about opera.Adès is a longtime fan and admirer of them, he tells the camera in “Paris & Nicole: The Encore,” a sequel to “The Simple Life” now streaming on Peacock. The women come to him with a tune, which he echoes at the piano. Can he, they wonder, just write their opera?He tells them, with evasive politeness, that he’s not sure he’s the right person for the job. Before leaving, they ask him how long it takes to write an opera. One to five years, he says.They have less than a month.It’s an enlightening moment, one of many it turns out, in “Paris & Nicole,” a three-episode lark about Hilton and Richie reuniting to write an opera based on their decades of friendship. This art form, they learn with jaws dropped, isn’t easy. In fact, as the series shows in a surprisingly effective opera education, it’s unbelievably hard.Still, they are determined. Hilton and Richie, visibly mature and mostly shaking their Y2K-era ditsy personas, set out to compose an entire opera using just one word: sanasa.As fans of “The Simple Life” may remember, Hilton and Richie have often sung “sanasa, sanasa” at each other, to the tune of Elvis’s entrance music. You could generously describe it as having the nonsense of Dada yet the communicative power of a wordless Meredith Monk vocalise. They have seen the song as a vibe check, or an exclamation of joy.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Chappell Roan, Kai Cenat, Shannon Sharpe Are Among Our Breakout Stars of 2024

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      Audacious, original and wielding a clear vision, the stars who rose to the top in 2024 pushed boundaries and took bold, even risky, choices. Here are 10 artists who shook up their scenes and resonated with fans this year.Pop MusicChappell RoanIt’s almost incomprehensible to think that last year, Chappell Roan still had time to work as a camp counselor.It’s not that she hadn’t been pursuing pop. Her debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” was released in 2023. One of its now-hit singles “Pink Pony Club” was released back in 2020.But it was this year that all the pieces coalesced: Her album hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart and No. 1 in album sales; her extravagant drag-inspired persona, 1980s-influenced pop sound, soaring vocals and edgy performances have become wildly viral; she outgrew her tour plans; and her dance-along anthem “Hot to Go!” was even featured in a Target ad and played at sporting events.All the while, her lyrics tackle queer issues frankly. Her track “Good Luck, Babe!” — about a relationship between two women that collapses because one is, as Roan has put it, “denying fate” — was one of the biggest hits of the summer.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      in Television

      Tales of Messy Romances, Plus 6 Things to Watch on TV This Week

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      Watch how “The Ultimatum,” “Laid” and “Virgin River” test relationships in different ways. Get into the holiday spirit with Josh Groban.Between streaming and cable, there is a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that air or stream this week, Dec. 16 to Dec. 22. Details and times are subject to change.Roses are red, violets are blue. What if I don’t want to marry you?Instead of couples counseling, some people use the reality show “The Ultimatum” as an outlet to tell their partners what aspects of their relationship they aren’t happy with. The process is really anything but simple: one person in the relationship issues the other an ultimatum — they either need to get married or break up. From there, they separate, start canoodling with other people and choose a different match to start a “trial marriage.” After that, they either reassess their original decision or stick to it. Though it is by no stretch of the imagination a successful model for solving relationship problems, it does make for great television. The finale is airing this week, and the whole season will be available to binge-watch. Streaming Wednesday on Netflix.In most romantic comedies, before committing to love, the heroine has to ask herself, “Am I the one causing the problems?” In “Laid,” Ruby (Stephanie Hsu) finds herself asking that question but for a different reason: She discovers that the people she slept with are dying in odd and unclear ways. And now she must track down her past lovers to stop the mysterious cycle. Cue Taylor Swift: “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” Streaming on Peacock on Thursday.From left: Nicola Cavendish, Gwynyth Walsh, Christina Jastrzembska, Teryl Rothery and Zibby Allen in “Virgin River.”NetflixAfter five long seasons of rooting for Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson), the time is finally here. The sixth season of “Virgin River” will follow all the pre-wedding festivities for the happy couple, including the bachelor and bachelorette parties and the rehearsal dinner. But as Mel and Jack are settling down, it just means that everyone else’s love lives are getting more topsy-turvy. Streaming on Netflix on Thursday.Light up the Christmas tree and turn on the amp’Tis the season to watch Gracie Abrams, SZA and Benson Boone sing their hits in a holiday-themed show. For the 10th year, iHeart Radio Jingle Ball tour has been making its way around the country and bringing a special to TV so you can join in on the fun at home. Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ABC.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Virgin River,’ ‘Laid’ and More: What to Watch on TV This Week

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      Watch how “The Ultimatum,” “Laid” and “Virgin River” test relationships in different ways. Get into the holiday spirit with Josh Groban.Between streaming and cable, there is a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that air or stream this week, Dec. 16 to Dec. 22. Details and times are subject to change.Roses are red, violets are blue. What if I don’t want to marry you?Instead of couples counseling, some people use the reality show “The Ultimatum” as an outlet to tell their partners what aspects of their relationship they aren’t happy with. The process is really anything but simple: one person in the relationship issues the other an ultimatum — they either need to get married or break up. From there, they separate, start canoodling with other people and choose a different match to start a “trial marriage.” After that, they either reassess their original decision or stick to it. Though it is by no stretch of the imagination a successful model for solving relationship problems, it does make for great television. The finale is airing this week, and the whole season will be available to binge-watch. Streaming Wednesday on Netflix.In most romantic comedies, before committing to love, the heroine has to ask herself, “Am I the one causing the problems?” In “Laid,” Ruby (Stephanie Hsu) finds herself asking that question but for a different reason: She discovers that the people she slept with are dying in odd and unclear ways. And now she must track down her past lovers to stop the mysterious cycle. Cue Taylor Swift: “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” Streaming on Peacock on Thursday.From left: Nicola Cavendish, Gwynyth Walsh, Christina Jastrzembska, Teryl Rothery and Zibby Allen in “Virgin River.”NetflixAfter five long seasons of rooting for Mel (Alexandra Breckenridge) and Jack (Martin Henderson), the time is finally here. The sixth season of “Virgin River” will follow all the pre-wedding festivities for the happy couple, including the bachelor and bachelorette parties and the rehearsal dinner. But as Mel and Jack are settling down, it just means that everyone else’s love lives are getting more topsy-turvy. Streaming on Netflix on Thursday.Light up the Christmas tree and turn on the amp’Tis the season to watch Gracie Abrams, SZA and Benson Boone sing their hits in a holiday-themed show. For the 10th year, iHeart Radio Jingle Ball tour has been making its way around the country and bringing a special to TV so you can join in on the fun at home. Wednesday at 8 p.m. on ABC.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Season 1, Episode 5 Recap: Mother Inferior

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      A sister with history shows up at the emperor’s palace. Not everyone is pleased. Nor should everyone be.Season 1, Episode 5: ‘In Blood, Truth’It is a time of revelations. In this week’s episode of “Dune: Prophecy,” character after character learns some shattering truth about another — or the audience is clued in to something previously unknown about a familiar face. It’s about time, too. In a show this focused on plot and lore, at times to its dramatic detriment, the characters involved in both deserve a real turn in the spotlight.The first mystery to be solved is the question of Constantine Corrino’s parentage. As the emperor’s son from outside his marriage, he enjoys a privileged place at court but not his father’s respect. Only his sister, Princess Ynez, recognizes his potential; after all, as a child, he volunteered to come with her when she was kidnapped by rebels, just to protect her. That shows some mettle.Clearly, he got it from his mother. This turns out to be a member of Valya and Tula’s inner circle from their rebellious youth, Sister Francesca (now played as an adult by Tabu). Having traveled to the imperial capital on Mother Superior Valya’s request, she seeks to shore up Constantine’s position by maneuvering him into commanding the emperor’s fleet. Sure, he is wildly underqualified, but when has that ever stopped an autocrat from saying, “You’re hired”?Meanwhile, the imperial sword master and undercover rebel agent, Kieran Atreides, narrowly escapes discovery by Desmond and his crack forces. During a sweep of the city’s underworld, they storm the nightclub owned by Kieran’s Fremen ally from Arrakis, Mikaela, for being a known rebel hot spot. It’s a move the rebels have been waiting for: Mother Superior Valya, the real authority to whom Sister Mikaela answers, has instructed her to booby-trap the place with explosives. Mikaela and Kieran escape and blow the place sky high … but Desmond survives. Rather conveniently, he also finds Mikaela’s Sisterhood robe, proving a link between the sisters and the rebels.There’s still the pesky problem of Emperor Javicco and his disrespect for Constantine to resolve. Even as Francesca reluctantly — or “reluctantly”? — rekindles her romance with the emperor, Constantine lucks into discovering Kieran’s involvement in last week’s rebel plot to blow up the palace. Whether this is because of unseen meddling by Francesca or because of ludicrously poor operational security by Kieran is unclear, but as with Desmond’s discovery of Mikaela’s robe, pivotal evidence falls right into key characters’ hands with some dubious regularity on this show.Regardless, Kieran is carted off to the suspensor cells, and Constantine gets his big promotion. That this only drives his sister, Ynez, closer to her Atreides lover is beside the point.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Is Getting a Four-Episode Revival on Disney+

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      The return of “Malcolm in the Middle,” which aired from 2000 to 2006, will follow Malcolm as he helps his parents celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, Disney+ announced.One of America’s wackiest families is making a comeback.“Malcolm in the Middle,” the hit television show from the early 2000s, will get a revival on Disney+ with four new episodes, the company announced on Friday. Frankie Muniz, who played Malcolm Wilkerson, helped tease the comeback in videos posted on Disney+ social media accounts.“I have been waiting for this moment for 18 years,” Muniz said in one video, referring to the show’s finale in 2006. “Let’s find out where Malcolm and his family are now.”The post also featured videos of Bryan Cranston, who went on to star in “Breaking Bad,” and Jane Kaczmarek, who will be reprising their roles as Malcolm’s parents, Hal and Lois.“What a delight that I get to yell at that kid again,” Kaczmarek said. “We are very, very excited about coming back together.”According to Deadline, Linwood Boomer, the show’s creator, will be a writer on the four episodes. Ken Kwapis, one of the directors of the original show, will direct all four episodes.The new episodes follow Malcolm’s return home with his daughter to help his parents celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.It’s unclear whether Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan, who played Muniz’s brothers on the show, will reprise their roles. Sullivan, who played the youngest brother, Dewey, left Hollywood after the show ended.“Malcolm in the Middle,” which aired on Fox from 2000 to 2006, tracked Malcolm, a young genius, navigating life with his dysfunctional family of scheming, bickering brothers and unconventional parents.In just its second week, the show became the most-watched comedy on television at the time, drawing 23.2 million viewers, The New York Times reported in 2000.Unlike other sitcoms at the time that were filmed with multiple cameras in front of a studio audience, “Malcolm in the Middle” was produced like a movie and used a single camera for a more realistic look. It also lacked a laugh track.But beyond aesthetics, “Malcolm in the Middle” was built on a cast of characters that were unpredictable and funny, with Malcolm often serving as the narrator and speaking directly to the camera.The show was nominated for 33 Emmys and won seven times in categories including outstanding directing for a comedy series and outstanding writing for a comedy series.Muniz largely stepped away from acting after the show ended and went on to become a professional racecar driver. But in interviews over the years, Muniz teased about the possibility of a “Malcolm in the Middle” reunion, saying his co-star Cranston was working on reviving the show.Variety reported that a premiere date has not been set. More