WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Critically acclaimed IFC comedy series “Brockmire” will be the focus of a 2017 NAB Show Super Session. “Brockmire” executive producer and series star Hank Azaria, series star Amanda Peet, and IFC president Jennifer Caserta will appear onstage to discuss the “slightly off” new comedy series Monday, April 24 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. NAB Show, April 22-27, is the world’s largest convention encompassing the convergence of media, entertainment and technology.
“Brockmire,” which premieres April 5 on IFC, follows a famed major league baseball announcer (Azaria) who has an on-air breakdown shortly after discovering his beloved wife’s serial infidelity. A decade later, Brockmire finds himself calling minor league baseball games for a team owned by Jules (Amanda Peet).
In an innovative example of The M.E.T. Effect at work, “Brockmire” originally appeared as a viral short video on the award-winning digital comedy platform Funny Or Die. During the “Brockmire” session at NAB Show, the panelists will share that backstory and discuss what it takes to bring a series from concept to completion, as well IFC’s commitment to delivering offbeat, unexpected comedies, fan-favorite movies and comedic cult TV shows while reaching audiences through multiple platforms.
“From ‘Portlandia’ to ‘Documentary Now!’ IFC has built a distinct and memorable comedy brand in recent years, and we are delighted to welcome ‘Brockmire’ to NAB Show directly after its series premiere,” said Chris Brown, NAB executive vice president, Conventions and Business Operations. “Hank Azaria, Amanda Peet and Jennifer Caserta are true experts in their respective fields, and it will be a pleasure to have them on our stage.”
Tony Award nominee and five-time Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria is a multifaceted performer in film, television and on stage, as well as a respected director and comedian. Recently he received a 2016 Emmy win for his work on Showtime’s “Ray Donovan.”
In 1997, Azaria played the scene-stealing Guatemalan housekeeper Agador Spartacus in Mike Nichols’ “The Birdcage.” He had previously won critical acclaim as television producer Albert Freedman in the 1994 Academy Award-nominated film “Quiz Show.” Some of Azaria’s notable film credits include “Lovelace,” opposite Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard; “Love and Other Drugs,” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway; and the 1998 adaptation of “Great Expectations,” opposite Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow.
As a vocal artist, Azaria is highly regarded as one of the best, with more than 20 years as one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series “The Simpsons.” Azaria brings to life a list of characters too numerous to mention, though he may be best known as the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu, Police Chief Wiggum and Comic Book Guy. He has been nominated for six Emmy Awards and has won four for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his work on “The Simpsons,” and he brought many of his beloved characters to the big screen in 2007’s “The Simpsons Movie.”
Amanda Peet is an accomplished and versatile actress who is known for her diverse choices in film, television, and theater. She is best known for her starring roles in commercial and critically acclaimed films, including the Nancy Meyers’ romantic comedy “Something’s Gotta Give” with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, Burr Steers’ edgy dramedy “Igby Goes Down” alongside Jeff Goldblum, and “The Whole Nine Yards” with Matthew Perry and Bruce Willis.
In 2016, Peet stared in the HBO comedy series “Togetherness,” created by Mark and Jay Duplass. In recent years, she could be seen in Leslye Headland’s “Sleeping With Other People.” She also starred in The WB’s hit drama “Jack and Jill,” Aaron Sorkin’s “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” the Emmy winning drama “The Good Wife,” and NBC’s romantic comedy “Bent.”
Recently named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business” and among the “Most Powerful Women in Cable,” Jennifer Caserta has proven that comedy is serious business as president of IFC. Caserta is a key architect in the evolution of IFC, leading a successful rebrand effort in 2010 that transformed IFC from a niche indie film channel to a fully advertiser-supported destination for sharp, smart comedy. Through her dozen-year tenure with IFC, she has earned an industry-wide reputation for developing multi-platform marketing initiatives and innovative partnerships, and for shaping programming and overall brand identity. Today, defined by its “Always On. Slightly Off” sensibility and its growing slate of edgy, original programming, IFC continues to build audience share, critical acclaim and pop culture relevance.
The “Brockmire” session at NAB Show will take place Monday, April 24 from 3:15-4:15 p.m. on the South Main Stage (S222).
News media registration is available here.
About NAB
NAB Show, held April 22-27, 2017 in Las Vegas, is the world's largest convention encompassing The M.E.T. Effect, the convergence of media, entertainment and technology. With 103,000 attendees from 166 countries and 1,700+ exhibitors, NAB Show is the ultimate marketplace for solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities, NAB Show is where global visionaries convene to bring content to life in new and exciting ways. For complete details, visit www.nabshow.com.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association
for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests
in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education
and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities,
strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital
age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
