Today, January 16th
“EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE OKAY” PREMIERES AT 8:30PM/7:30c. ON FREEFORM. The story of a goofy, gay, Australian "man-sized baby" (his dad's words) named Nicholas, whose visit to America becomes permanent when dad dies of cancer, leaving him to parent two teenage half-sisters. At times silly, touching—and always sex-positive—the series’ bold new take on the TV family possesses the same quirky originality of creator Josh Thomas’ cult Hulu comedy, “Please Like Me”.
Watch the trailer here; and stream new episodes the day after they air on Hulu and On Demand.
LINCOLN CENTER CELEBRATES TV’s FIRST GENIUS. Few under the age of seventy know the name Ernie Kovacs, though the TV pioneer was as popular in his day as Jackie Gleason and Lucille Ball. His innovative, surreal comedy has been credited as an influence by everyone from David Letterman to the creators of “Laugh In” and “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.” Lincoln Center’s Library for the Performing Arts concludes its year-long celebration of Kovacs centennial (he was born on January 22, 1919) with a mix of material culled from his now famous "Silent Show" (1957), "Kovacs on Music" (1959) and commercials he created for Dutch Masters Cigars.
Click here for FREE general admission tickets. Thursday, January 16, 6:00PM; The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The Bruno Walter Auditorium, 111 Amsterdam Avenue.
Get a taste of Kovac’s absurdist humor with this episode from 1956.
PROHIBITION RATIFIED 101 YEARS AGO, TODAY. We’re not exactly toasting the day that alcohol was taken off the table… but rather, sharing some little-known facts surrounding the doomed-to-fail 18th Amendment.
Prohibition agents earned less than garbage collectors (as little as $1,200/year)—no wonder bribes were so rampant.
With sacramental wine exempt, many people posed as priests and rabbis—driving the demand for it up by 800,000 gallons in a two-year period.
Brewers—who were only allowed to produce “near beer’” (with a 0.5 alcohol content)—supported themselves by finding other uses for their machines, such as producing ice cream and dyes.