Though the 2026 movie schedule has already had its share of blockbusters, audiences are going to be able to watch a wealth of big-budget spectacles this summer. One such probable hit is the live-action Moana, starring newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his popular role as Maui. When he agreed to take his part from the animated classic to live action, however, I doubt he thought there’d be as much talk about his Maui wig as there has been, and now Weird Al just made the very unexpected move of trolling him over it.

What Weird Al Said About Dwayne Johnson’s Live Action Moana Maui Wig

There is no shortage of upcoming Disney movies on the docket, and one that’s had people talking is the live action remake of the 2016 hit, Moana. Many fans were impressed with the first teaser, which dropped in November, but there were also a lot of viewers who threw a side eye at the wig Dwayne Johnson (who recently wrapped Jumanji 4) is sporting to play Maui. I’m guessing that one of those people was musical parody king "Weird Al" Yankovic, as he recently took a rather random shot at the star’s look in the new film, after the full trailer debuted. Observe:

OK, Al! Talk about brutal! Look, he’s not wrong that the wig is somewhat Weird Al-adjacent. We all know that if a Weird Al biopic sequel is on tap, the only person who should play him would be a returning Daniel Radcliffe. However, I now can’t get over the idea of Johnson in his Moana Maui wig as maybe a version of Al in, say, a dream sequence being had by Radcliffe’s version of the five-time Grammy winner. What’s that you say? You think that idea is confusing? Guys, it doesn’t have to make sense to be funny!

At any rate, while the singer is known for his curls, as is the animated demigod, Johnson, uh… isn’t. And, this is likely one thing that has really thrown fans off when it comes to him portraying Maui in the flesh. We just aren’t used to seeing him with a mane of free-flowing locks, folks. But, you can rest assured that the team behind Moana did take care when creating Maui’s follicular fortitude in the upcoming film.

What’s The Deal With Dwayne Johnson’s Live Action Moana Maui Wig?

Obviously, Moana has real importance when it comes to showcasing Polynesian culture in a fun way, and while I don’t think the hair will take away from that, it certainly has been a topic of conversation since we got the teaser. We’ve now gotten an even better look at it with the release of the first full trailer, and director Thomas Kail spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how important the wig was, because part of Maui’s “spiritual energy” is about his looks, which includes that gorgeous head of hair. As Kail said of the wig:

Johnson revealed in the same article that, all told, he had “an additional 40 pounds” of prosthetics and hair to deal with while performing, which is wild. Honestly, I think all we need to do is just watch that trailer a few more times, and we’ll get used to seeing the wrestler-turned-actor in his new, relatively hirsute, form. Weird Al’s thoughts on the wig, though, will never cease to be funny.

Minor spoilers for Season 1, Episode 2 of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins are ahead. You can watch the show on NBC or with a Peacock subscription.

When I watched the second episode of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins to air on the 2026 TV schedule, I couldn’t help but think about the movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Now, I realize that’s an odd connection to make; however, it happened after Bobby Moynihan’s character, Rusty, made a joke about the comedic musician in front of Daniel Radcliffe’s character, Arthur. Notably, Radcliffe also played Weird Al in the comedic biopic, so I had to ask Moynihan if that connection was intentional.

Now, in the show, Rusty jokes that Weird Al released a single about Reggie called “Food Poison” and starts singing it. Then, in true mockumentary style, the camera cuts to Radcliffe’s character, who is looking through boxes and unbothered by the singing. It’s a hilarious bit by itself, because the SNL vet's singing is loud and very random. However, it’s even funnier when you remember that the Harry Potter actor literally played Weird Al in a movie. What makes it even better? Well, Bobby Moynihan told me that it was a total accident, explaining:

Now, while the joke clearly evolved, and what we see on screen is Moynihan singing, I love that it started as improv.

Back in 2022, Radcliffe played Yankovic, and Weird was met with praise and love. Truly, it’s a hilarious take on the comedic singer’s life, and it added an incredibly fun movie to Radcliffe’s eccentric and unique filmography.

So, that’s all to say, the odds of Weird Al seeing The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins and this joke about him were much higher than Moynihan had originally realized. Speaking to that point, the Hoppers actor said:

Truly, this is such a happy and serendipitous accident. Like, what are the odds you improvise a bit about Weird Al in front of the actor who played him without realizing it?

Before learning this story, this joke was one of my favorites in the show, mostly because it was done in the presence of Radcliffe and I love Weird. That's because it highlights his comedic skills as well as his ability to commit to a bit.

The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins does that, too. From using Racliffe's stunt training in silly action-packed moments to looking at the camera at the perfect time, he’s giving a comedic performance that is just as great as the ones his legendary comedic co-stars, Tracy Morgan and Bobby Moynihan, are giving.

Overall, I love that all this was highlighted through this totally unexpected moment, too. It showed off Moynihan’s ability to improvise while also being a brilliant callback to the comedic work of Daniel Radcliffe’s past.

Now, to see more of this genius silliness, you can catch new episodes of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Season 2 episode called "Heartbreak and the Refuge of the Downtrodden." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage broke my heart last week with Connor McCallister's rough breakup, and the latest episode had the whole family trying to bring him out of his funk. In the end, however, only he could find his way out of his sadness, and he found an escape in his music.

Georgie's brother-in-law is a bit odd, so it's no surprise the song he debuted for the family, "Do the Axolotl," was pretty strange as well. This all led to Mandy's brother shipping the song off to Dr. Demento, and it has me hoping that a bigger cameo is coming down the way.

Why Dr. Demento Appeared In Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage

Similar to how a Season 1 episode featured Jay Leno hosting The Tonight Show, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage brought in radio DJ Dr. Demento to remind the audience that the series is set in the '90s. While the good doctor – real name Barry Hansen – was only shown from the back, his voice was heard, and he was credited with an appearance in the end credits. I speculate they either had a stand-in play Dr. Demento, since he's aged a couple of decades since the '90s, or they just filmed him from behind to maintain his youthful look.

In any case, Dr. Demento loved Connor's song, and while this could be the beginning of him getting his own spinoff, I think it could lay the groundwork in for a big celebrity cameo.

Will Dr. Demento Introduce Connor To Weird Al Yankovic?

The minute I heard Dr. Demento's name, I had to wonder if this meant Weird Al Yankovic would make an appearance on Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. For readers who don't know the connection, Weird Al rose to prominence with the help of the Dr. Demento Show and was inspired to write and send in music thanks to the syndicated radio show.

Weird Al was already an established name in music by the early '90s, and I can't help but wonder if Dr. Demento's liking of Connor's music may lead to a meeting between the two. This episode featured Connor wondering what he's going to do in his life, and Mandy noting that he's really good at playing instruments. Maybe he'll end up touring as a part of Yankovic's band, or maybe even serve as an opening act?

Should that happen, I would die to see Weird Al Yankovic on Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. He's made a handful of television appearances in the past, and while he may not look exactly like he did in the 1990s, I think it would be possible to give him a guest star spot and do some makeup to make him resemble his younger self.

The Big Bang Theory had a ton of celebrity guest stars during its run, and even Young Sheldon was able to fit a couple of stars in from time to time. Granted, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, being a sitcom set in the '90s, can make celebrity cameos challenging. Still, I'd be willing to suspend disbelief in this instance if it means Connor will rub shoulders with one of the best parody songwriters in the history of man.

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage airs on CBS on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. We still have quite a few episodes to go before the show wraps up its run in the 2025 TV schedule, so enjoy these new episodes while other shows take a break.

For almost 20 years (but just 8 seasons and some movies), Reno 911! has been cracking us up. The creators and core cast members, Thomas Lennon, Kerri Kenny-Silver, and Robert Ben Garant, all started on MTV's The State (along with late-season cast member Joe Lo Truglio), clearly used all their connections to bring in both up-and-coming comedians at the time (like Zach Galifianakis) and established superstars (like Kenny Rogers and Paul Reubens). Here is a list of actors who you may have forgotten played roles in the classic comedy.

Zach Galifianakis

Before he became a household name in The Hangover series, for which he delivered many of the funniest lines in the movie, Zach Galifianakis was a semi-regular contributor to Reno 911!. He played the role of Frisbee, a survivalist with a boatload of kids who lived out by the airport (and thought aliens were invading) in multiple episodes of the show in the early years.

Patton Oswalt

Comedian Patton Oswalt's career started with a slew of funny but small-ish parts in movies like Magnolia, Down Periscope, and Dodgeball. He first appeared on Reno 911! in the show's second season and went on to multiple appearances, playing multiple characters, including appearances in the two movies, Reno 911!: Miami and Reno 911! The Hunt for QAnon.

Paul Reubens

Paul Reubens really needs no introduction. As Pee-wee Herman, he became a Gen X (and all the generations after) icon. Reubens, who died in 2023, played the amazing character Rick, who headed up his own "citizens' patrol" which cracked up audiences, and annoyed the members of the Reno Sheriff's Department.

Paul Scheer

Paul Scheer has made it a habit to star in some of the funniest shows of the last 20 years. Shows like The League, Veep, and Black Monday have made Scheer a household name. HE also played multiple roles in Season 6 of Reno 911!

Natasha Leggero

Natasha Leggero's first role came in one of too-oft forgotten fake reality show Joe Schmo 2 in 2004, the follow-up to the original The Joe Schmo Show. From there, she appeared in the reality show MTV's The 70s House. Leggero parlayed that into three appearances on Reno 911! playing different characters, mostly getting arrested.

Ryan Stiles

Ryan Stiles is certainly most well-known for delivering some of the funniest lines on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, where he's been a cast member going back to the 1990s. He also popped up on Reno 911! as a police officer charged with training the idiots in the sheriff's department on how to go undercover in Season 5.

Jamie Lee Curtis

One of the most surprising cameos in the show's history came in one of the later seasons when none other than Jamie Lee Curtis appeared as Lt. Donna Fitzgibbons, a one-eyed, no-nonsense from Sparks Sheriff's department who Dangle brings in to prank the other members of the squad. She also shares Dangle's sense of fashion.

Keegan-Michael Key

One of the funniest recurring morons the Reno Sheriff's Department has to deal with is the "hypothetical criminal" played by the great Keegan-Michael Key. He appeared a bunch of times over the years as a character who comes with hypothetical crimes he definitely didn't commit. Somehow, he seems to keep getting away with the crimes.

Paul Rudd

The ageless Paul Rudd appeared in five episodes of the show in the final seasons of the original run. He played Guy Gerricault, a very unnerving Lamaze coach for Trudy while she's pregnant. He also appeared in the first movie, Reno 991: Miami as a completely different character.

Rachael Harris

After bouncing around Hollywood for about a decade, working regularly but never really starring in anything, Rachael Harris appeared in Reno 911! as Dangle's ex-wife. She's best known these days for her role as Linda in Lucifer.

Christina Applegate

Christina Applegate has an almost "blink and you'll miss it" cameo as the legendary Terry's wife. It's hard to believe Terry (Nick Swardson) would be married to anyone, especially someone who looks like Christina Applegate.

Dwayne Johnson

There isn't a bigger star on the planet than Dwayne Johnson. The Rock, as he was known in wrestling, seems to have endless energy, with movies starring him being constantly released. One such movie is the first one from this franchise, Reno 911!: Miami, where he plays a cartoonish SWAT team leader. It's a role that suits him perfectly, of course.

Ron White

Stand-up comic Ron White is one of the funniest comedians around and his character on Reno 911!, as a drunk pilot, is exactly the kind of role White was born to play. He's simply hilarious.

Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Before they played Charlie and "The Waitress" in Always Sunny In Philadelphia, real-life couple Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis played twins in a... disturbing...relationship in Reno 911!'s second season. The chemistry they are known for now was on full display in their one hilarious appearance.

Murray SawChuck

Fans of Pawn Stars will recognize Murray SawChuck (or Murray the Magician) as one of the experts Rick brings in when he needs to evaluate the value of a magic prop. He's also well-known for his stage show in Las Vegas. In his appearance on Reno 911!, SawChuck plays a magician who gets pulled over, and then pulls out a bunch of tricks, of course.

Nick Swardson

Without a doubt, the most popular recurring "criminal" on the show is Terry, played by the hilarious Nick Swardson. It's fair to say you probably haven't forgotten his unforgettable appearance across pretty much every season and movie from the franchise, but we had to include him on this list, of course.

Danny DeVito

Did you know that one of the "producers" of Reno 911! is the iconic Danny DeVito? On the show, he has appeared as himself, who is a producer of the fake show that the real show is mockumenting. How meta!

Jim Rash

Jim Rash is best known for playing the hapless Dean in the NBC sitcom Community. He's also an accomplished writer, earning an Oscar nomination for writing The Descendants, starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. He was one of the more "regular" recurring characters, Andrew, in the early seasons of the show, who was arrested, usually in a compromising position, a number of times. He appeared 15 times in total as the wacky character.

Michael Ian Black

Though he was never a full-time cast member of Reno 911!, Michael Ian Black, as a member of The State, is a good friend and regular cohort of many of the cast of Reno 911!. Black appeared in multiple episodes, playing multiple characters on the show, and in the movie, Reno 911!: Miami.

Ian Roberts

Ian Roberts was never part of The State, but he did cut his teeth in another legendary improv group, Upright Citizens Brigade, which he helped found with Amy Poehler, Adam McKay, and Matt Walsh. Heady stuff. He joined the regular cast of Reno 911! in the show's first final season in 2009.

Oscar Nunez

We all know Oscar Nunez from The Office and its sister show, The Paper, where his character, also named Oscar, is the lone crossover character between the shows. Before The Office, Nunez appeared in a couple of episodes in the first season as Captain Dwayne Hernandez. He appeared in a later season as "Spanish Mike" as well. He even popped up in the movie Reno 911!: Miami, as "Jose Jose Jose."

Diedrich Bader

At the same time that Reno 911! was a hit on Comedy Central in the mid-2000s, Dog the Bounty Hunter was a phenomenon on A&E. Naturally, the mockumentary about a police department had to mock the bounty hunter. Enter Diedrich Bader, famous for his roles in Office Space and The Drew Carey Show. Bader played "Tommy Hawk," modeled after the Dog (Dwyane Chapman), right down to the blonde mullet.

George Lopez

Every police department in every city has to deal with the mayor sometimes. When that mayor is a drunk, like George Lopez's character in Reno 911!, he can be maddening for the cops, but hilarious for audiences.

"Weird Al" Yankovic

"Weird Al" Yankovic has the honor that no one else on Reno 911! ever had. The legendary musician and actor got to play a person from real life. Appropriately, it was another musician, Ted Nugent. Of course, it's a completely over-the-top satirized version of the Motor City Madman, but Weird Al's look is dead on.

Seth Green

Sometimes it seems like Seth Green is literally everywhere. This was especially true in the 2000s. Whether it was shows like Robot Chicken, which he also co-created, or Entourage, or, of course, Family Guy, or movies like the Austin Powers franchise and The Italian Job, Green was great. He was also hilarious in his Reno 911! cameo as the ridiculously mean boss of two sheriffs who were undercover as fast food employees.

Rainn Wilson

If we're honest here, Rainn Wilson's appearance in Reno 911! as a murderer taking the sheriffs on a wild goose chase feels like it could almost be his character from The Office, Dwight's brother, or cousin. It's honestly one of the funniest episodes of the whole series.

Debra Wilson

Debra Wilson is probably best known as the longest-serving cast member of MadTV, which included the first 8 seasons of the classic variety show. In addition to a ton of voice work in movies and TV, she's also known for playing Oprah Winfrey in the Scary Movie franchise, and for playing Dominatrix on three episodes of Reno 911! in 2008.

Brian Posehn

Yet another stand-up who played a great recurring character on the show is Brian Posehn. Posehn played Stevie the Coroner in a few episodes in the show's original run on Comedy Central. It's a perfect character for the comic, famous for his deadpan delivery. Who doesn't want a seriously funny, but deadly serious, coroner on a show like this?

Nick Krull

Another actor who plays the absolutely perfect role for his talents is Nick Krull. Krull plays an offensive shock jock who makes his name by saying the most ridiculous things. His take on Cinco de Mayo is as funny as it is offensive.

Scott Thompson

Like others on this list, Scott Thompson is a veteran of a legendary sketch comedy troupe, The Kids In The Hall. He popped up in the show's sixth season in two episodes.

Masi Oka

Masi Oka is most famous for playing the biggest hero on Heroes, Hiro Nakamura. That role earned him an Emmy nomination. He also played a more serious role as the medical examiner, Dr. Max Bergman, in the reboot of the '60s show Hawaii Five-0. Oka got to show off his comedic chops in a couple of episodes of Reno 911! as a Japanese translator.

Jeff Foxworthy

Even some of the biggest Reno 911! fans may have missed this very brief cameo. The legendary Jeff Foxworthy. Not only was it brief, but audiences never actually saw Foxworthy in the one episode in which he appeared in the third season of the show. The "redneck" comedian played Fast Eddie McClintock, the "fastest criminal in Reno, and we only very briefly hear his voice over his CB radio as he speeds away from the sheriffs in his black Trans Am.

In the final two decades of the 20th century, and the early years of the 2000s, MTV was the place to go for all things music, entertainment, and pop culture with all kinds of iconic shows, specials, and music videos. While all-time great cartoons like Beavis and Butthead and mega-popular music shows like Total Request Live will never be forgotten, there are quite a few programs that have simply been lost to time.

Here are 32 MTV shows you’ve probably forgotten about or never knew existed in the first place…

Dial MTV (1986 - 1991)

Though there are certain readers who’ll remember Dial MTV, there’s a large portion of the channel’s audience who either don’t recall the daily music video countdown or were born well after the show ended its five-year run in 1991. For those who weren’t around, just imagine Total Request Live, but with more hair-metal and ‘80s pop.

The Grind (1992 - 1997)

Back when fitness shows were all the rage, MTV put out The Grind, a long-running dance-centric workout series that featured music videos, performances, celebrity guests, and all kinds of dancing. Filmed in various locations around the country, including NYC, Hawaii, Florida, and California, The Grind was something you had to experience.

Total Request (1998)

Before there was Total Request Live, or TRL as it’s been known over the years, there was Total Request. The short-lived show, which was also hosted by Carson Daly, consisted of a daily countdown of videos, but without the insanity, screaming fans, or random celebrity guests that made its successor much-watch TV in the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

MTV Live (1997 - 1998)

In 1997, MTV Live launched and laid the groundwork for TRL the following year. And while it didn’t feature a daily countdown like its successor, Live did have celebrity appearances, music video premieres, reports from MTV News, and allowed the network to show off its brand new studio in the heart of Times Square.

WebRIOT (1999 - 2000)

There have been a lot of great game shows over the years, and while webRIOT may not be on that list, the short-lived series was groundbreaking in its time. Debuting in 1999, the interactive game show allowed viewers to participate in daily trivia contests via the internet, which made it a fun experience during its short run. Oh, and Ahmet Zappa served as the over-the-top and eccentric host.

Next (2005 - 2008)

MTV put out so many dating shows once the genre took off in the 2000s, and one of the most absurd was Next. Basically, a person would go on a series of blind dates with up to five other single people before deciding on who they’d like to see again. The best part was that some of the prospective daters wouldn’t even make it off the bus before the contestant yelled “Next!” and sent them packing.

Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes (1985 - 1987)

Andy Warhol was one of the most iconic and transformative artists of the 20th century, so it should come as no surprise that the pop artist had his own MTV show back in the ‘80s. Lasting two years, Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes featured interviews with musicians like the Ramones and Debbie Harry, and artists like William S. Burroughs and Yoko Ono, which made for wild and unpredictable TV.

12 Angry Viewers (1997 - 1998)

12 Angry Viewers was an MTV music video show that went beyond being a daily countdown. During the show’s admittedly way-too-brief of a run, a group of 12 music fans would watch and rate different videos, with the winner of each episode getting more airtime on the network. Though there were some great moments like when the jury couldn’t get enough of Daft Punk’s “Around the World,” there were others where the panel berated videos into obscurity.

You Wrote It, You Watch It (1993)

Throughout the early-to-mid 1990s, MTV made a few additions to the list of best sketch comedy shows, but it also put out some that have been largely forgotten. Just look at You Wrote It, You Watch It, a short-lived series that had Jon Stewart as the host and members of The State comedy group before they got their own show. Featuring recreations of letters sent by viewers, the show was absolutely bonkers, which makes its fate even more depressing.

Bully Beatdown (2009 - 2011)

Back in 2009, MTV launched Bully Beatdown, a show in which MMA fighters would defend bullying victims by taking on their oppressors in the octagon. Hosted by Jason “Mayhem” Miller, the show ran for three seasons and featured multiple bullies on the receiving end of some gnarly blows.

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)

There have been some great Spider-Man shows over the years, but also some that aren’t remembered as fondly, or at all. This is the case for Spider-Man: The Animated Series, a 2003 cell-shaded cartoon following Peter Parker (Neil Patrick Harris) as he tries to protect NYC from various threats. For some reason, the show never caught on.

Just Say Julie (1989 - 1992)

Hosted by longtime MTV VJ Miss Julie Brown, Just Say Julie combined elements of comedy and traditional music video countdowns to create a unique and hilarious experience. Debuting in the late ‘80s, this Friday night program had everything you’d want: the latest and greatest videos, outrageous comedy bits, and a chaotic energy that was present throughout.

The Sifl And Olly Show (1998 - 1999)

Before Liam Lynch took the world by storm with his 2003 surprise hit song “United States of Whatever,” he co-created The Sifl and Olly Show with Matt Crocco. Combining surrealist, absurdist, and sock puppets, the short-lived series was a hoot back in the summer of 1998. It was lo-fi, it was odd, and it was ridiculous, but this oft-forgotten show about two close-knit friends was something to behold.

Making The Video (1999 - 2009)

From 1999 to 2009, MTV put out Making the Video, a docuseries about the development, production, and release of music videos from the likes of Britney Spears to Sisqo and Blink 182 to Eminem. You’d get so much great behind-the-scenes footage before the video finally premiered, which often made for an engaging and entertaining experience.

Wonder Showzen (2005 - 2006)

Despite its appearance, Wonder Showzen was not a kids program, but instead a parody geared more towards adults. With animated sequences, puppets, kids saying some wild stuff, and so much more, there was one absurd moment after another.

Cartoon Sushi (1997 - 1998)

Following the conclusion of Liquid Television, MTV gave Cartoon Sushi a go. A collection of international cartoons, including one from Magnus Carlsson, the artist behind Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” music video. You never knew what you were going to get, which created a unique and diverse viewing experience.

Fear (2000 - 2002)

Back in 2000, MTV unleashed Fear upon the world. Over the course of two seasons, the show followed groups of strangers as they were tasked with conducting intense and frightening paranormal investigations in old prisons, hospitals, factories, and schools. Creepy, atmospheric, and challenging at times, the show was a great addition to the genre.

Human Giant (2007 - 2008)

Before they were big stars, Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer starred in the short-lived sketch comedy show, Human Giant. Around for just over a year, the hilarious and unique series had some great moments before it came to an end.

A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila (2007)

When it comes to dating competition shows, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequilla is in a league of its own. Featuring both male and female contestants vying for the affection of the internet celebrity, this show was raucous, crude, absurd, and top-notch comedy (both intentional and unintentional).

Austin Stories (1997 - 1998)

Way back in the ‘90s, when Austin wasn’t the megacity or tech capital it's known as today, it was a modest and strange city deep in the heart of Texas. That atmosphere and sensibility were at the center of the short-lived MTV sitcom called Austin Stories. Consisting of only 12 episodes, the cult show followed three locals as they explored the growing city and attempted to make sense of its weird characters.

Al TV (1984 - 1999)

Weird Al was so ahead of his time, and that is seen in his AL TV comedy series. This series of specials was released between 1984 and 2006 and saw the prolific singer-songwriter and polka legend as he showcased videos, worked on bits, and parodied pretty much everything MTV represented at various times in its existence.

Parental Control (2005 - 2010)

MTV was really throwing everything at the wall to see what would stick in the mid-to-late 2000s, which is how we got Parental Control. Over the course of five years, this show allowed parents to set their son or daughter up with new romantic partners in hopes they would dump their current significant other. There were some funny moments, some painfully awkward moments, and others that defied logic or reason.

Totally Pauly (1990 - 1994, 1996)

Did you know that Pauly Shore had his own MTV show? Well, he did. From 1990 to 1994 and then again in 1997, the Bio-Dome and Son in Law star hosted Totally Pauly, which was essentially a combination of an interview show, a comedy special, and a music video showcase.

Undressed (1999 - 2002)

MTV got into the soap opera game before the end of the ‘90s with Undressed, a steamy anthology series about young love, lust, and increasingly risque situations. Controversial at the time, Undressed ran for six seasons and featured up-and-coming actors like Pedro Pascal, Adam Brody, Christina Hendricks, and Katee Sackhoff.

Remote Control (1987–1990)

Remote Control was on MTV for five seasons between 1987 and 1990, and during that time, the show saw countless contestants duke it out to see who knew the most about popular music, movies, and television. With skits, a wild set, and a list of hosts that included Ken Ober and Colin Quinn, there was so much to love.

The Jenny McCarthy Show (1997)

After leaving Singled Out, Jenny McCarthy launched her own sketch comedy show in 1997. The Jenny McCarthy Show, which featured hilarious sketches, hilarious situations, and great musical performances from the era’s biggest bands, was only around for 19 episodes before calling it quits.

Rockumentary (1989–1997)

VH1 had Behind the Music, but MTV had Rockumentary. Though not as self-serious as its counterpart, this long-running docuseries did offer fans a peek behind the curtain of their favorite bands of the era. Metallica, Eric Clapton, R.E.M., Aerosmith, and more were all featured on the program before it ended in 1997.

Rich Girls (2003)

Before there was Keeping Up with the Kardashians there was Rich Girls, a short-lived reality show about Jaime Gleicher and Ally Hilfiger, two mainstays of the NYC socialite scene in the early 2000s. Ahead of its time, this series bounced between the Big Apple and places like Los Angeles, London, and the Hamptons.

The Brothers Grunt (1994 - 1995)

Not all MTV animated shows were a hit, which was the case for The Brothers Grunt, a short-lived cartoon that ran on the network in the mid-90s. Created by Danny Antonucci, who’d go on to make Ed, Edd n Eddy on Cartoon Network before the end of the decade, the forgotten series centered on five humanoids trying to find their brother.

MTV Sports (1992 - 1997)

Hosted by Dan Cortese and Gabrielle Reece, MTV Sports hit when extreme sports were taking over the sports landscape in the mid-1990s. On the air for five years, this docuseries featured everything from skateboarding to basketball and snowboarding to all kinds of watersports. It was radical, it was tubular, and sadly, it’s forgotten.

Diary (1999 - 2014)

Launched in 2000, Diary was a very personal and intimate docuseries that followed the lives of artists like Aaliyah, Jack Black, Hilary Duff, Eminem, and Britney Spears, to name only a few. With the slogan “You think you know, but you have no idea” is something that many remember years later, even if they don’t have any idea about the show.

Room Raiders (2003 - 2009)

Room Raiders is one of those shows that’s probably better off being forgotten. Basically, a person would go through three prospective dates’ bedrooms to learn more about them and see how they live their lives before making a decision.

While he is best known as the maestro of some of the funniest musical parodies of all time, there are also many great "Weird Al" Yankovic appearances in movies and TV shows that any fan of the artist should know about. In fact, a great deal of them happen to be in animated features and series. Take a look back on some of the many notable times "Weird Al" lent his voice to a fun cartoon role.

American Dad (2005-Present)

While "Weird Al" never actually appears in a role on American Dad, he does perform a song written exclusively for a Season 15 episode of co-creator Seth McFarlane's political comedy. When Stan (McFarlane) and a rabbit costume-clad Roger (also McFarlane) plan to sabotage a farm, they come up with an idea for a parody of the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" called "Rabbitage." While the artist himself formally rejects the request for the song, they discover he wrote and recorded it himself anyway.

Bojack Horseman (2014-2020)

One of the most famous examples of "Weird Al" voicing an original animated character is Captain Peanutbutter, the brother of Paul F. Thompkins’ Mr. Peanutbutter, on one of the all-time best-animated TV shows, Netflix’s BoJack Horseman. He was asked to play the recurring character by executive producer and series regular Aaron Paul who had previously portrayed the musician in a fake trailer for his biopic that would later be made into his "real" biopic.

Johnny Bravo (1997-2004)

"Weird Al's" appearance on Cartoon Network's Johnny Bravo was not at all what you would expect, but that is essentially what makes it so perfect. He teams up with none other than comedy legend Don Knotts and a superhero named Blue Falcon to host a Queer Eye-esque TV show called Cartoon Makeover, and their latest client is the titular, bumbling "mimbo" (voiced by Jeff Bennett).

Scooby-Doo And Guess Who? (2019-2021)

Mystery Inc. has crossed paths with multiple celebrities on Scooby-Doo & Guess Who?, including "Weird Al." In the 2019 episode, "Attack of the Weird Al-osaurus," he meets Scooby and the gang when they come to investigate rumors that a dinosaur is terrorizing his camp for teaching children the accordion.

Milo Murphy's Law (2016-2019)

One of "Weird Al's" most underrated animated characters is not a cameo or guest appearance, nor even a recurring stint, but a starring role as the lead in a series. For 40 episodes, Yankovic voiced the clumsy titular teen of the Disney XD original series, Milo Murphy's Law, from Phineas and Ferb creators Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and Dan Povenmire.

Teen Titans GO! (2013-Present)

Yankovic would go wildly against type to play one of the most notorious villains in DC Comics history, Darkseid, for four episodes of Teen Titans Go! In one of those episodes, Cyborg (Phil LaMarr) actually points out how the tyrannical New God sounds strangely like the musical comedian and even sets off an epic standoff when he quips that Darkseid could not be as evil as someone who makes "songwriters look like fools."

Robot Chicken (2001-2022)

"Weird Al" has shown up on Adult Swim's Emmy-winning stop-motion satire, Robot Chicken, a few different times. One sketch actually served as the official music video from his 2006 song, "Weasel Stomping Day," and a later appearance saw him take the place of the Doof Warrior in a send-up of the 2015 action movie favorite, Mad Max: Fury Road.

Voltron: Legendary Defender (2016-2018)

"Weird Al" is part of the Voltron universe, having lent his voice to Netflix and DreamWorks' reboot, Voltron: Legendary Defender. In a Season 2 episode called, "The Depths," he voices an alien named Blumfump, who hides his face behind a jellyfish he wears as a mask and enlists the help of Lance (Jeremy Shada) to stop a brainwashing plot on his planet.

Adventure Time (2010-2018)

Pendleton Ward enlisted the vocal talents of "Weird Al" for three episodes of his hit fantasy series, Adventure Time, as Banana Man. The mechanically handy recurring character gets his name for his resemblance to the yellow fruit.

Gravity Falls (2012-2016)

"Weird Al" has actually played a few interesting animated villains, such as on Disney XD's cult favorite supernatural adventure comedy, Gravity Falls, from creator Alex Hirsch. He voices Probabilitor the Annoying, who is a powerful wizard, but with a crushing weakness of "prime statistical anomalies over 37 but not exceeding 51."

The Simpsons (1989-Present)

One of the few celebrity guests to voice themselves on The Simpsons more than once is “Weird Al” Yankovic — the first being a Season 14 episode in which Marge has Al craft a parody of John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane” called “Homer & Marge” to see their marriage. In Season 19, he parodied a song by Homer’s band, Sandgasm (already a parody of Nirvana), and later performed the series' theme song on the accordion for a Season 34 opening couch gag.

Batman Vs. Robin (2015)

The main conflict of Batman vs. Robin is between Bruce Wayne (Jason O'Mara) and his son, Damian (Stuart Allen), but one of the first, most exciting, and also unsettling sequences in the 2015 DC animated film sees the duo facing off against The Dollmaker. "Weird Al" dons an eerie and unrecognizable voice to portray the villain, who turns kidnapped children into his own army of rabid mutants wearing porcelain faces like masks, just as he does.

Sabrina: The Animated Series (1999-2000)

"Weird Al" would appear in three episodes of Sabrina: The Animated Series, which saw the famous teenage witch from the Archie Comics return to cartoon form. The artist's first appearance saw him perform a song called "Electric Shaver."

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)

"Weird Al" briefly lends his voice alongside the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World cast to star in Netflix's anime-style adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novel series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. The majority of the fifth episode, "Lights. Camera. Sparks?!" is framed as a documentary about the making of a failed movie based on Scott's life and the opening narration is provided by Al.

The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy (2003-2007)

The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy poked fun at Hogwarts' Sorting Hat from the Harry Potter movies by introducing the character, Squidhat. In three episodes, "Weird Al" voices the pink squid who works at Toadblatt's Summer School of Sorcery assigning students to different houses, but also moonlights as a musician. 

Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-2006)

In one episode of the series spun-off from the hit Disney animated movie, Lilo & Stitch, Lilo (Daveigh Chase), Stitch (Chris Sanders), and others go to the Elizabethan Fair, where one of Stitch's cousins, Tank, happens to be. Throughout the day, a minstrel (voiced by "Weird Al") randomly appears to narrate what takes place in a song, much to the characters' chagrin.

Eek! The Cat (1992-1997)

The Season 5 episode of Eek! The Cat called “The FugEektive” boasts two major cameos, one being America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh, who partners with the titular feline (Bill Kopp) for a crime-chasing program. The second major cameo is “Weird Al,” who appears on John and Eek!’s show with a tip to help their search for Sharky the Shark Dog.

Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil (2012-2019)

“Weird Al” is the type of person who can make any situation more fun with his presence alone, which is why casting him as the opposite in an episode of Star vs. the Forces of Evil was a stroke of genius. His character, Preston Change-O, is a seemingly average magician who is revealed to have the ability to, literally, suck the fun out of the room, which is the only way he can create any joy for himself.

Transformers: Earthspark (2022-Present) 

"Weird Al" is also a part of the Transformers franchise, having lent his voice to Nickelodeon's animated series, Transformers: Earthspark. He plays Cosmos — an Autobot who disguises himself as a carnival ride inspired by great sci-fi movies called Cosmic Thunder and can also make himself into a real flying saucer.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2008-2011)

"Weird Al" crossed paths with both Batman and Scooby-Doo in the same episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, in which Mystery Inc. shows up at his concert, which is soon hijacked by The Joker and The Penguin. He also lends his voice to another segment from Season 2's "Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!" as jewelry show organizer Mr. Star.

Firebuds (2022-Present) 

Firebuds is a preschool-level Disney Channel series that combines the heroism of Paw Patrol with the fantasy elements of Cars, following the adventures of children who team up with sentient rescue vehicles. "Weird Al" guest stars as a minivan named Latch, who gets a much-needed boost in confidence from a sing-along session with a musician named Laura (voiced by Lisa Loeb).

Little Big Awesome (2016-2018)

"Weird Al" provides both his voice and his face to the role of Mr. Sun in six episodes of Amazon Prime's children's program, Little Big Awesome. His first appearance as the personification of the center of the Solar System sees him performing a duet with fellow singer-songwriter Aimee Mann as The Moon.

The 7D (2014-2016)

Disney Channel's The 7D is a reimagining of Snow White's Seven Dwarves as the protectors of the land called Jollywood. In an episode called "Shapeshifter," "Weird Al" guest stars as the dastardly villain of the same name.

Wander Over Yonder (2013-2016)

One of "Weird Al's" most bizarre roles (which is really saying something) is Dr. Screwball Jones, whom he voices in two episodes of Disney's Wander Over Yonder. The sentient banana with clownish rainbow hair has the same goal as the titular hero, Wander, to spread joy, but has more maniacal and borderline villainous ways of doing it.

Uncle Grandpa (2010-2017)

No one is better suited to play a polka-playing robot than "Weird Al," just as he does in a Season 2 episode of Cartoon Network's Uncle Grandpa called "Pal.0." However, before the RV's titular computer system busts out the accordion and grows a wavy hairdo, it goes rogue and tries to make the gang "normal."

Wallykazam! (2014-2017)

Nickelodeon’s Wallykazam! follows the adventures of a troll named Wally (Thomas Langston) and his pet dragon, Norville (Dan Bittner), who discover the biggest treat in the world while trick-or-treating in an episode called “Mustache Day.” However, in order to get it, they must complete three challenges invented by their neighbor, Wizard Jeff, voiced by “Weird Al,” who also sings a song about underpants in the episode.

We Bare Bears (2014-2019)

One of "Weird Al's" most despicable villain roles comes from Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears, in which he voices Lewis, who runs a Milk Bottle Knockdown game at a carnival which the bears volunteer to be prizes for. However, when they learn that the game is rigged, meaning no customers will be able to win and adopt them, Grizzly (Eric Edelstein) tries to win their freedom.

Close Enough (2020-2022)

In "Weird Al's" cameo on the Max original animated series, Close Enough, he reveals the secret behind his creative process. It involves sharpening a narwhal tusk, which he then uses to puncture his left foot and use the blood to summon a demon song god named Nishquantazi.

The Brak Show (2000-2007)

On Adult Swim's The Brak Show, in which the eponymous Space Ghost villain becomes the star of his own family sitcom, Brak's father (John Lowe) and Thundercleese (Carey Means) become swallowed by a giant worm. There, they meet Petroleum Joe ("Weird Al"), who is a lonely, perverted six-foot-tall monster supposedly made of oil.

Back At The Barnyard (2007-2011)

In one episode of Nickelodeon's series spin-off from Barnyard, Back at the Barnyard, the farm animals plan a heist. Their target turns out to be "Weird Al," who catches them in the act and attacks them with his gold records.

Mad (2012-2022)

"Weird Al" appears in the 100th episode of Cartoon Network's Mad — an animated adaptation of the classic comedy magazine — as Superman. He specifically voices Henry Cavill's version of the legendary DC Comics character in a spoof of 2013's Man of Steel.

Where's Waldo (2019-2021)

Twice "Weird Al" appears on Peacock's animated series adaptation of the Where's Waldo? books as Wizard Artbeard. The character lives up to his name by bearing a long set of whiskers that look as if it has been dipped in every corner of an artist's palette.

One of the things that makes talk shows so popular is the friendly intimacy they create. As viewers, we all want to feel like we're welcoming the show into our own homes. Obviously, the best talk show hosts drive the conversation, but every great host needs a great foil and that's where the sidekicks come in. Here's our list of the best sidekicks on talk shows, and how each was used to make the show better. 

Ed McMahon (The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson)

The granddaddy of all talk show sidekicks has to be Ed McMahon. For 30 years, McMahon was Johnny Carson's right-hand man on The Tonight Show. He served as the announcer, coining the famous "Heeeeeeeeere's Johnny!" intro to the show, and he also sat on the couch next to Carson's desk for the entire show, mingling with the guests and laughing at Carson's jokes. 

Paul Schaffer (The Late Show With David Letterman)

Paul Schaffer wasn't the first bandleader to be incorporated into the banter of a talk show, but he was the first to be the bandleader AND sidekick. Schaffer was first the leader and keyboard player for the "World's Most Dangerous Band" on Late Night With David Letterman on NBC, then served the same role in the CBS Orchestra when Letterman switched networks and started The Late Show With David Letterman. He was also the guy Letterman bounced jokes off nightly and was a true sidekick in all senses of the word. 

Andy Richter (Late Night With Conan O'Brien)

When Conan O'Brien took over for David Letterman on Late Night, he brought with him comedian Andy Richter. Or, more accurately, head writer Robert Smigel brought in Richter. He was an important member of the cast for the show's first seven years before departing. He would later rejoin O'Brien on his short-lived stint as host of The Tonight Show and again on Conan for TBS, from 2010 to 2021 when that show ended. 

Geoff Peterson (The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson)

By far the most unique sidekick on this list has to be Geoff Peterson. Geoff, you see, isn't a person, he's a robot. A robot that was actually designed by the late Mythbusters host, Grant Imahara. He was the sidekick on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and he was voiced by Josh Robert Thompson.

Guillermo Rodriguez (Jimmy Kimmel Live!)

Guillermo Rodriguez has to be the least likely person to become a talk show sidekick on this list. Rodriguez started as a security guard at the theater where Jimmy Kimmel Live! is filmed and by complete chance ended up as one of the most beloved people on the show as his appearances became more and more frequent and he got more and more comfortable playing bits in skits and commenting on the show's happenings. 

Questlove/The Roots (The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon)

Jimmy Fallon doesn't really have a traditional sidekick on The Tonight Show, instead, he has a whole band. Sure, Questlove is the most prominent member of the house band, The Roots, in respect to the show, but the whole band plays its part as the host's sidekicks. 

Fred Armisen (Late Night With Seth Meyers)

Seth Meyers has the ultimate sidekick in Fred Armisen on Late Night With Seth Meyers. Not only is Armisen a comedian and SNL vet along with Meyers, but he's also a great musician and as such, is both a comedic foil for Meyers AND his bandleader. 

Chuy Bravo (Chelsea Lately)

Chuy Bravo had an interesting road to fame. Unconfirmed legend has it that he fell in love with acting when the Steve Martin movie Three Amigos was filmed in his village in Mexico when he was young. While that may or may not be true, it still took Bravo years to get into the industry, but when he did, he made the most of it as the sidekick on Chelsea Lately for the show's entire run. Bravo died in 2019. 

Stephen "tWitch" Boss (The Ellen DeGeneres Show)

Stephen "tWitch" Boss tragically died by suicide in 2022 just a few months after the show that helped make him famous, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, went off the air. He was a beloved part of the series, serving as both DJ and sidekick, as well as the occasional guest host when Ellen DeGeneres was on vacation. 

John Melendez (The Tonight Show With Jay Leno)

One wouldn't think that a guy with the nickname "Stuttering John" would make for a good announcer, but John Melendez proved that wrong as the announcer and sidekick on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. In addition to traditional announcer duties, Melendez was often a part of skits and other bits on the show alongside host Jay Leno. 

Regis Philbin (The Joey Bishop Show)

It's almost impossible to imagine Regis Philbin as anything other than a host. The television legend set records in his career doing just that, but he started as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show. Throughout the show's brief run (less than three years), Philbin played the role of the young apprentice to the Rat Pack veteran, often as the butt of Bishop's jokes about his young age (though Philbin was in his mid-30s when the show aired). 

Reggie Watts (The Late Late Show With James Corden)

Reggie Watts has the distinction of being the sidekick on not one, but two shows. First, he served as DJ/band leader on Scott Aukerman's mock talk show Comedy Bang! Bang! and left that show to do the same thing on The Late Late Show With James Cordon in 2015, where he remained until the show ended in 2023. 

Max Weinberg (Late Night With Conan O'Brien)

In 1989 Bruce Springsteen broke up his longtime group, The E Street Band, and drummer Max Weinberg was left in the wilderness. After bobbing around for a while looking for a steady gig, he landed a spot as the bandleader for Late Night With Conan O'Brien. At first, he was just that, in charge of the music, as Andy Richter was the real sidekick. When Richter left the show in 2000, Weinberg started filling that role, in addition to playing drums and leading the band.  

Hannibal Buress (The Eric Andre Show)

As sidekick on The Eric Andre Show, Hannibal Buress was unique. He was expressly disdained by the audience (on purpose) and rather than support host Eric Andre, he was often critical of Andre's performance. Like the whole show, it turned the standard talk show fare on its head and it was brilliant. 

Branford Marsalis (The Tonight Show With Jay Leno)

When Branford Marsalis landed the bandleader job on the new Tonight Show With Jay Leno he was already a world-renowned jazz star. The saxophonist served both as bandleader and sidekick, as Leno didn't have a traditional sidekick. It was that second role that Marsalis came to dislike, and it eventually led him to leave the show after just three years. 

Gene Rayburn (Tonight With Steve Allen)

Tonight with host Steve Allen, which aired in the mid-1950s, was the forerunner to NBC's Tonight Show and it set the template for pretty much all talk shows that followed. That template included announcer Gene Rayburn as a sidekick, participating in comedy skits and banter with the host. 

Steve Wilkos (The Jerry Springer Show)

Steve Wilkos is a different kind of sidekick. As head of security in the heyday of The Jerry Springer Show, Wilkos' main job was to break up the endless fights that happened between guests. He was so prominent that his role evolved into one of foil for host Jerry Springer and he eventually parlayed that into his very own talk show. 

Hugh Downs (Tonight With Jack Parr)

Hugh Downs was ubiquitous on television from the 1940s until his retirement in 1999. His first major exposure came as the announcer and sidekick to host Jack Parr on Tonight With Jack Parr, the second iteration of what would become The Tonight Show. Like other announcers in the show's history, Downs served as a comedic foil to the host. 

Steve Higgins (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)

The most recent in the long line of announcers/sidekicks on The Tonight Show is Steve Higgins, who has been in the role since Jimmy Fallon took over as host in 2014. Like the others, he's involved in comedy sketches and banter with the host. He previously served the same role when Jimmy Fallon hosted Late Night. 

Jon Batiste (The Late Show With Stephen Colbert)

Following in the path first taken by Branford Marsalis with The Tonight Show, jazz great Jon Batiste was the bandleader and de-facto sidekick for the first seven years on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, before leaving for other career opportunities in 2022. 

"Weird Al" Yankovic (Comedy Bang! Bang!)

"Weird Al" Yankovic needs no introduction. For more than 40 years he's been a legend in the music industry, known for his hilarious parodies of hit songs. Less well-known to the general public was his brief stint as the bandleader and sidekick in the final season of Comedy Bang! Bang! where he brought his trademark surrealism to an already completely surreal show. 

Edd Hall (The Tonight Show With Jay Leno)

Like Ed McMahon before him, Edd Hall served as the announcer for The Tonight Show when Jay Leno took over for the retired Johnny Carson. While he didn't sit on the couch like McMahon, he was an important part of the show, often participating in comedic sketches and bantering with Leno during the monologue. 

Skitch Henderson (Tonight With Steve Allen)

The first bandleader in Tonight Show history was Skitch Henderson, who led the band for both the Steve Allen-headed show and later in the first few years of the Carson-led show. He wasn't as involved as a sidekick as his successors, and in what few clips that survive, didn't seem comfortable in that role. He left in 1966 to pursue a more serious career as a conductor. 

Doc Severinsen (The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson)

The Tonight Show has had a lot of bandleaders over the years, but maybe the most beloved is Doc Severinsen. Severinsen was in the band on the show from the very first iteration with Steve Allen in 1953, until Johnny Carson retired in 1992, for the last 25 years of which, he was the leader. He also assumed sidekick duties when Ed McMahon was out, or both McMahon and Carson were off and there was a guest host. 

Tom Scott (The Chevy Chase Show)

Tom Scott is an incredibly accomplished musician, having played on albums by George Harrison, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, and many more. He also has the unique distinction of being a bandleader/sidekick on two infamous talk shows by celebrities that didn't last. First, The Pat Sajak Show, and second, The Chevy Chase Show. 

Louis Cato (The Late Show With Stephen Colbert)

When Jon Batiste left The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in the summer of 2022, they wasted no time installing fellow Stay Human musician Louis Cato as the new band leader. Cato has a more traditional approach to being a bandleader and is less of a comedic sidekick as a musical one, often performing full songs with the band and with guest musicians. 

Arthur Treacher (The Merv Griffin Show)

When Merv Griffin developed The Merv Griffin Show, he chose Arthur Treacher as his sidekick, who played the part very much like Ed McMahon played it on The Tonight Show. Treacher was a show business veteran, but found his highest degree of fame sitting next to Griffin and bantering on the show. 

Kevin Eubanks (The Tonight Show With Jay Leno)

Jay never never had a traditional sidekick during his long run as host of The Tonight Show, instead, he used his bandleaders, like Kevin Eubanks, as his bantering partner. Eubanks took over from Branford Marsalis in 1995 and remained there until leaving the show in 2010, a few years before Leno retired himself.

Craig Shoemaker (The Magic Hour)

For eight magical weeks in the summer of 1998, NBA superstar Magic Johnson hosted The Magic Hour in first-run syndication. For about the first three of those weeks, his sidekick was comedian Craig Shoemaker. Shoemaker was fired after publicly calling the show "The Titanic." Turns out, he was right, and the show was canceled a few weeks later. 

Glenn Humplik (The Tom Green Show)

One of the weirdest talk shows of all time was The Tom Green Show on MTV. Host Tom Green, who was never afraid to earn an R-rating, picked his sidekick because it was his childhood friend Glenn Humplik, whose main job, it seems, was to just take abuse from Green. Sure, it was funny, but wow, it was pretty denigrating, also. 

Jimmy Vivino (Late Night With Conan O'Brien)

While Max Weinberg was the bandleader for Late Night With Conan O'Brien, he was often away later in the show's run, touring with Bruce Springsteen. On such occasions, Jimmy Vivino took over. Eventually, Weinberg left the show and Vivino took over the role Weinberg had played as the bantering partner for O'Brien. 

Norman Baker (The Wendy Williams Show)

The Wendy Williams Show was unlike anything else, mostly because of Williams' unique personality. She was mostly a one-woman show, but occasionally bantered with the show's producer Norman Baker. 

Every great host needs a great partner, so as long as there are talk shows, there will be sidekicks to joke with. 

Some were likely surprised when Daniel Radcliffe was cast to play Weird Al Yankovic in the 2022 biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. It's fair to say the actor doesn't look like the satirist he portrayed. And despite having taken on varied roles following the completion of his run as Harry Potter, some may have expressed doubt about his commitment to silly material. However, he ultimately nailed the part, and according to the director Eric Appel, there are a few specific reasons why Radcliffe was the perfect actor for the role. 

Eric Appel recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter for an interview, during which he opened up about making the Weird Al biopic and captured the goofy persona of the satirical musician on screen. He revealed that Daniel Radcliffe was instrumental in capturing Yankovic’s essence, and the filmmaker revealed that he thought the actor was right for the role after seeing some of his lesser known projects outside of Potter. He said: 

Daniel Radcliffe is wonderful in the role and truly dedicates himself to the absurdity of the script. It's quickly evident that he takes the role very seriously, and this can be attributed to the Swiss Army Man star’s love for the subject matter. He was a fan of Weird Al Yankovic’s before playing him, and that plays into the nerdy reason Yankovic wanted him to be cast. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination, and Weird as a whole was well regarded by critics. He doesn’t actually sing in the comedic biopic, which stemmed from a worry the creative team had early on. However, his attitude and character work is fully immersive, so he certainly makes up for it. 

The biopic is one of many post-Potter projects Daniel Radcliffe has chosen that's distanced himself from the famous franchise he was a part of for many years. While once known for playing the lead role in the Harry Potter series, Radcliffe has turned his focus to quirky transformative roles that allow him to experiment as an actor. He played a corpse in Swiss Army Man, a survivalist in Jungle and a grieving widower in the horror for 2012’s The Woman In Black. These choices may have seem odd to fans, but Radcliffe’s interest in wide-ranging parts seemingly made him a perfect fit for the viral star.. 

Weird more than earns its name, as it takes big creative liberties with Yankovic’s origin story. Instead of telling an actual truthful musical biopic, it makes up several details and completely exaggerates the life of the comedian. It's perfectly suited for its subject matter, as Weird Al has made a career of parodying some of the biggest songs of all time. So it makes sense that he would also want to satirize his own story. The Lost City star perfectly captured the tone as leading man, showing off his comedy chops and range as an actor. Appel clearly saw something special in him, and the film was arguably better for that casting decision.

You can see Daniel Radcliffe in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which is streaming now on The Roku Channel. Fans should also check out some of Radcliffe’s other great projects outside of Harry Potter.

For all of the actual song parodies that Weird Al Yankovic has put out into the world, it’s amazing to think of some of the ones that were stopped in their tracks. Promoting his faux biopic, the new movie release Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, the singer revealed yet another song that he just couldn’t get the approval to undertake.

Sadly enough, it would have been a Harry Potter parody, which would have been all the more appropriate now. Speaking with THR on behalf of the Roku Original he co-wrote with director Eric Appel, Yankovic told this amusing tale, and the lesson it taught him: 

It’s rather odd to look back and think that somehow one of the parties involved in the Harry Potter saga thought that a Weird Al song would have been anything short of a magical blessing. It’s a point that stands especially when you look at the film and TV parodies that Al has landed over the years, covering things like Spider-Man, Hamilton, and even Star Wars. But somehow, J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World was a no-go.

Naturally this isn’t the first rejection that Weird Al Yankovic has gotten when it comes to his potential works. In the case of trying to cover Sir Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” Al was rejected because he wanted the proposed “Chicken Pot Pie” to be something more vegetarian.

Then there was Yankovic's single “You're Pitiful,” which was a cover of James Blunt’s hit “Beautiful.” While the artist approved, his record label did not, and in this instance there was already a whole Weird Al song written and recorded. So Al just put it into the world, for free, through his “Close Personal Friends of Al” email newsletter. 

Perhaps if the tides had turned a different way, we’d have been listening to a Weird Al Yankovic parody that covered the Fantastic Beasts saga. Which, if movie franchises are anything like musical artists, would have meant that the series could have gotten “The Yankovic Bump” in popularity. With that sort of juice, it might have helped some folks at Warner Bros. remember the franchise when talking about the potential of future films with J.K. Rowling.

For now, we’ll just have to imagine what a Harry Potter/Weird Al mashup would sound like. Not to mention if there ever is a sequel to Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, this real life incident could become another successful comedic exaggeration to tell that outrageous "life story." Those of you still trying to dream up the scenario mentioned above, take a look at that time Yankovic sent up the Star Wars universe, “The Saga Begins.” 

Should you want to watch Daniel Radcliffe’s unhinged Weird Al performance, you can catch Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on the Roku Channel. Streaming for free, it’s a parody that even the accordion master himself approved of. Plus, it's now even funnier to think of how Harry Potter has technically parodied Weird Al, bringing this story full circle.

“Weird Al” Yankovic and Daniel Radcliffe are wildly famous for completely different reasons. The former became a parody icon for reimagining songs like Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” and Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” and the latter spent his upbringing playing the beloved wizard Harry Potter. And yet, the two collide for the fresh 2022 movie release Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. It’s definitely a different kind of music biopic, but one that still had to ask the same question popular to the genre: to sing or lip-sync? 

When it comes to Weird, it was decided that Daniel Radcliffe would sing on set, but Weird Al would dub a new recording of his voice over the actor. However, when it came to making that decision, Weird Al himself recalls having mixed feelings about it. In Yankovic’s words:  

Sure, Daniel Radcliffe is best known for the Harry Potter films, but the actor is also an accomplished singer, having numerous stints on the West End and Broadway stage, including the upcoming revival of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along. Following Yankovic’s comments to Polygon regarding deciding not to use his voice, Radcliffe jumped in, saying this: 

Daniel Radcliffe sounds like he wasn’t precious about his voice being in Weird, but the man the movie aims to pay tribute to wasn’t so sure. The actor has amazing pipes, but ultimately the production felt it would add to the overall vibe of the movie, which gets super meta in that it parodies his own life and career. In the interview, Radcliffe also shared that a few people have believed it was his voice, even though he thinks it's “so obviously” Al Yankovic. 

Weird has been met with a ton of positive praise from critics and audiences alike. CinemaBlend’s own Weird: The Al Yankovic Story review awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, with reviewer Mike Reyes saying it’s a major “crowd pleaser” that is “the best of everything that Al himself stands for.” 

Before you see Weird, you should know that it is based on a 2010 Funny or Die trailer that was made for a fake biopic that has become viral over the years. Aaron Paul played Weird Al in the trailer, and Paul was supposed to have a cameo in this movie. Olivia Wilde played Madonna ahead of Evan Rachel Wood taking the role for this movie. 

You can check out CinemaBlend’s Weird: The Al Yankovic interviews with Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood and more. The movie is available to stream for free on The Roku Channel. 

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a strange, confusing mess, and that’s what makes it so great. Instead of parodying songs, Weird Al decided to instead parody the entire music biopic genre. With a star-studded cast led by Daniel Radcliffe, this music biopic to end all music biopics is undoubtedly one of the most fun movies of the year.

I enjoyed nearly every moment of Weird Al’s feature-length parody, but here are the things I loved the most.

Daniel Radcliffe Is Funny And Sincere As Weird Al

It’s no secret Radcliffe has done his fair share of “weird” acting roles since the conclusion of Harry Potter. From playing a corpse in Swiss Army Man to a man with guns for hands in Guns Akimbo, Radcliffe has done a lot of films and shows that distinguish him from the Boy Who Lived.

The best part about Daniel Radcliffe’s performance in Weird is the sincerity with which he lip syncs to Weird Al’s music. Somehow it actually becomes believable that we’re looking at the real man, and not a five-foot-five British man in a curly wig. Radcliffe proves yet again in this movie that he’ll give his all to any role, no matter how strange his part may seem.

Instead Of A Parody Song, Weird Feels More Like A Parody Movie

If you’ve heard of “Amish Paradise,” “White and Nerdy,” or “Smells Like Nirvana,” then you know Yankovic’s shtick: he parodies well-known songs by changing the lyrics.

Yankovic applied this same formula to his “biopic” by fabricating an elaborate origin story, a meteoric rise to fame, and a tragic ending. In that sense, Weird is a parody of the entire music biopic genre.

Take a look at the scene where Al first finds the lyrics to “My Bologna,” or the scene where he and his friends record their first song in a public bathroom. The scenes are very reminiscent of scenes from Bohemian Rhapsody, the Oscar winning 2018 Queen biopic. How about the scene where the musician's on-stage rant turns into a psychedelic counterculture experience? It’s a lot like what happened to Jim Morrison as we saw in The Doors.

Yankovic also seems to have parodied some “fake” biopics as well—it was hard to think of anything other than A Star Is Born when Radcliffe’s Yankovic pees himself onstage.

The Polka Party

Weird begins with a little taste of Yankovic’s childhood, where we see his parents forbid him from listening to polka music and beg him to stop being who he is. 

But, asking the kids in Weird Al’s hometown to stop listening to polka is like asking the kids in the Footloose town not to dance. It’s just not going to happen.

After convincing him to sneak out of his house, Al’s friends take him to a “polka party,” where all their classmates are dressed in lederhosen and polka music blasts from the record player. Unfortunately, the party gets busted by the cops, and poor teenage Al has to tell his parents about the debauchery he was wrapped up in.

The “Celebrity” Cameos Are Non-Stop

There are many “celeb” cameos in Weird, especially during the pool party scene. After meeting Wolfman Jack (played by Jack Black), Al meets Pee-Wee Herman, Tiny Tim, Alice Cooper, Gallagher, Salvador Dali, Divine, and John Deacon of Queen—although my favorite cameo is Conan O’Brien as Andy Warhol.

Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson also appears as 1980s Oprah, interviewing Yankovic in his luxurious mansion.

Overly Literal Inspirations For Songs

Throughout Weird, Yankovic finds inspiration for his parodies in some of the most literal ways. For example, this version of the singer/songwriter created “My Bologna” after making a sandwich with his roommate’s labeled deli meat; the inspiration for “Eat It” struck while eating cereal on an acid trip.

I think Yankovic was trying to imply in Weird that viewers don’t really buy it when biopics try to sell us unbelievable origin stories for artists’ songs. Regardless, these overly literal inspirations make for pretty funny scenes.

Evan Rachel Wood Does A Perfect Parody Of 1980s Madonna

The cherry on top of the ice cream sundae that is Weird is Evan Rachel Wood’s performance as Madonna.

In the movie, we learn about the “Yankovic bump,” which is a bump in sales artists would experience after Weird Al parodied one of their songs. Wood’s Madonna is extremely interested in the Yankovic bump, and seduces Al in an effort to boost her own popularity. She gets her “bump” when Al narrowly escapes death in the hospital and awakes ready to turn “Like a Virgin” into “Like a Surgeon.”

Although Yankovic and Madonna only met once in real life, Wood’s Madonna parody and this story perfectly fit into the Weird Al universe.

As Promised, It Gets Weird

One of Weird Al’s biggest fans in the biopic is Pablo Escobar, played by Broad City’s Arturo Castro. Long story short, Weird Al somehow ends up in a Rambo parody instead of a biopic parody.

After a full-blown shootout between Yankovic and Escobar’s men, Yankovic uses one of his platinum records as a throwing star and assassinates Pablo Escobar.

Honestly, I would have been more surprised if this movie didn’t include a twenty minute-long trek into the jungle.

Some Parts Of Weird Are Actually True

Okay, so Weird is not one hundred percent factual. But, according to Yankovic himself, some of the scenes in the movie contained grains of truth.

For example, Yankovic shared in a 2020 interview with The Washington Post that he really did get his first accordion from a traveling salesman as a present for his seventh birthday—although his father didn’t beat the salesman up, and his parents were actually very supportive of his aspirations.

And, Yankovic really did record “My Bologna” in a public restroom. The singer shared an image on Twitter in 2017 of the commemorative plaque his alma mater had, which was hung outside the bathroom where the magic happened.

Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story is available to stream on the Roku channel. You can also stream the movie for free on Roku.com.

It’s here. After months of teasing and trailers releasing and me begging to see Daniel Radcliffe as the legendary Weird Al, the new biographical parody movie, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, has dropped on our television screens for all of us to enjoy on Roku. If you need a little bit of information before tuning into the film, here are six things you should know about the movie before you dig in. 

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story Is About Famous Musician And Parody Artist, Weird Al

As the title implies, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is about Weird Al, -- whose actual name is Alfred Yankovic -- a famous musician who is known for his musical parodies of popular songs -- like “My Bologna” as a parody of “My Sharona,” or “I Love Rocky Road” as a parody of “I Love Rock & Roll.”

The movie parodies the musician’s life in many ways, showing his rise to fame, and how he turned music into comedy with his funny parodies of famous songs. 

It’s Based On A Satirical Trailer From Funny Or Die In 2010

While it seemed inevitable that a movie about Weird Al would end up being made, this version is actually based on a trailer from years ago, according to Cheat Sheet. In 2010, Funny or Die released a fake trailer for a Weird Al movie. It ended up going viral, and now, more than a decade later, an actual film exists, directed by Eric Appel. 

The Movie Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Though Weird Al Also Appears 

You know, out of every person on this planet that I think could portray the famous Weird Al and all his uniqueness, Daniel Radcliffe really is one of the first actors that comes to mind, and he plays Weird Al. Since his rise in the Harry Potter franchise, Radcliffe has done a variety of different films in vastly different genres that can be defined as unique – from playing a guy that has guns stapled to his hands to a literal farting corpse -- that’s right, you read that correctly. If you haven't seen it already, be sure to check out Swiss Army Man.

But the film also stars plenty of other amazing actors and actresses in supporting roles. Evan Rachel Wood of Westworld fame portrays Madonna. Rainn Wilson, known mainly from The Office cast, plays Dr. Demento, a radio broadcaster that first put out Weird Al’s stuff for people, and even Abbott Elementary star, Quinta Brunson, has a small role as Oprah Winfrey. Truly, there are so many great star here.

Weird Al also shows up in the film, but his role isn’t as big as some of the others – however, it is great to see him in his own film and seeming to have the time of his life. 

The Film Is Less A Movie Biography And More A Celebration Of Weird Al’s Life – With Embellishments 

I’ll be honest and say that Weird: The Al Yankovic story is more of a parody of a biographical film than anything else. So don’t go into this film expecting everything to be completely true. Much of his career has included making jokes out of serious or fun songs – so of course this film would be the same. 

However, what I can say is that while it is more of a parody of a biographical film, Weird has no shortage of sheer love of the musician. You can tell this movie was put together by people who love Yankovic’s talent and it’s a celebration of his music and his career, if nothing else. 

But hey, there are at least a few real things in the movie that are true – the rest are just fun embellishments that make this film even more entertaining. 

The Movie Features Several Of Weird Al's Hits

While I know we would all love to hear Daniel Radcliffe sing again (since he actually is a skilled singer, as those who've seen him in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying would know), but in the case of the snippets of performances we get in Weird, the actual Weird Al provides the signing vocals for his music featured in the movie. 

You’ll hear classics like I mentioned before, “My Bologna” or “I Love Rocky Road,” as well as other popular songs like “Amish Paradise” (a parody of Gangster’s Paradise”) or “Like A Surgeon” (a parody of “Like A Virgin”). Weird Al even recorded a new song for the film, called, “Now You Know,” according to his Instagram. It’s a musical, but not really in the traditional sense.

The Movie Is One Hour And Forty-Eight Minutes And Is Rated TV-14

This is less of a fun fact and more of a “need-to-know,” but you won’t need to worry about sitting for hours on end to enjoy this story, as Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is only an hour and forty-eight minutes, so thankfully not too long. And according to Roku's site, the film is rated TV-14. 

What are you looking forward to the most with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story? No matter what, I assure you, you are going to have a fun time. And be sure to check the film out on the Roku Channel on your television. 

Stream Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on Roku.

When Daniel Radcliffe was announced as the choice to portray the wacky, accordion-playing parody musician "Weird" Al Yankovic in the upcoming comedic biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, it’s hard to say whose fans were more surprised. However, the movie’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival seemed to have the audience buying in as much as the actors in their fully unhinged performances, and isn’t “weird” what we’re signing up for anyway? With the movie set to premiere on the Roku Channel on November 4, let’s take a look at what the critics are saying.

Alongside the Harry Potter alum, Evan Rachel Wood stars as Madonna — giving a spot-on impression in the trailer — and Rainn Wilson as Dr. Demento, with apparently a number of cameos that are likely more fun if I don’t list them here. The film intentionally exaggerates the events of the titular artist’s life for the sake of comedy, so let’s see what critics think about the final product, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Mike Reyes rates the movie 4 stars out of 5, saying "Weird" Al fans finally have a worthy successor to UHF: 

CinemaBlend managing editor Sean O’Connell and Mike Reyes broke down the movie after its TIFF premiere, where they discussed Daniel Radcliffe and Evan Rachel Wood’s performances, teased some cameos, and described the whole atmosphere (which included a flash mob). Check out their breakdown: 

Alan Ng of Film Threat echoes CinemaBlend’s sentiments that the less you know about the movie going in, the better. This critic rates Weird 8.5 out of 10, calling it the funniest film he’s seen this year “by far,” promising loads of gut-busting moments: 

Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky rates the movie 3.5 out of 5, saying that the best part of the movie is seeing Daniel Radcliffe having the time of his life, even if the humor does start to get repetitive toward the end. The critic says: 

Vikram Murthi of IndieWire grades the Roku Original a B-, and like many other critics, noted the tonal similarities to Judd Apatow’s 2007 comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. This review states: 

Leah Greenblatt of EW gives Weird the grade of a B, saying its star is fully committed to the role and carries the movie, despite the “celebrity whack-a-mole” of cameos. She says: 

This movie may have started out as a Funny or Die sketch, but, 12 years later, that fake trailer is about to hit our screens. You can check out Weird: The Al Yankovic Story on the Roku Channel on Friday, November 4, and if you’re ready for another trip to the theater, be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what’s coming soon.

One of the most serious genres of movie has to be the biopic. Depicting the life and times of someone notable in pop culture can be a tall order to fill, as getting the vital details right are of absolute importance. Balancing reality and storytelling is just as hard when picking an actor to portray the person that’s being brought to life. But by throwing away all of those worries and concerns, co-writer/director Eric Appel has given the world perhaps the best biopic one could hope for: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. 

In a world where the Accordion is an illicit organ and being different guarantees you’re going to beat the odds, “Weird" Al Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe) shows an industry what it truly means to be weird... or at least that’s what this genre parody leads us to believe. Showing the truthfully false life story of Yankovic, including fabricated struggles with addiction and a relationship with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood), we’re treated to a seriously funny spin on a movie we’ve seen plenty of times before. 

No one involved in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is trying to make fun of or belittle the very serious subjects in the mix. Rather, much like the similarly inclined Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, the practice of the biopic itself is being given a well and proper roasting. Though it doesn’t get as ribald as its predecessor, Weird still takes no prisoners when sending up the genre.

If The Zucker Bros directed Walk The Line, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the movie you’d get.

In a sense, this Roku Channel original takes a similar approach to that of the Elton John biography Rocketman. Just as John’s story employed musical realism to tell the tale of his rise to fame, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is told through a lens that the artist himself has personally approved of – which is to say that Yakovic himself co-wrote the expansion of Eric Appel’s original Funny or Die short. 

Basically, if you let The Zucker Brothers and their Airplane! team write and direct a movie like Walk The Line, Weird is the motion picture that would result (a compliment of the highest order). The lack of preoccupation with “the truth” allows this movie to hew closer to the spirit of "Weird" Al Yankovic’s music and image. It’s also the quickest way to make a really, really funny movie.

No one going into Weird: The Al Yankovic story should expect revelations about the man’s life. There are plenty of resources from which to learn Yankovic’s true story, and a couple of other parodies that lampoon the subject matter as well. What Weird Al fans should expect is a lovingly crafted Twinkie Wiener Sandwich of musical madness and mayhem.

Daniel Radcliffe and Evan Rachel Wood swing for the fences with over the top lunacy, and they do it in style.

For everyone that was in on the joke, the casting of Daniel Radcliffe and Evan Rachel Wood as Weird Al Yankovic and Madonna was already a promising foundation for Weird to rest its accordion on. Actors of serious talent and merit, both Radcliffe and Wood have it in them to let loose when the time calls. Part of the absolute joy this movie provides is in the fact that, in a blazing instance of lunacy, both of them are allowed to swing for the fences with how crazy they get.

Daniel Radcliffe’s Al plays like every other ungrateful, hard living legend that came from rough and tumble beginnings. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story never gives an inch on this obvious fabrication, and neither does Radcliffe’s interpretation. The world may know Weird Al as a fun prankster with a lyrically adept sense of humor, but the reality in this picture shows us an Al that revels in excess to a hilarious extent.

The same praise can be given to Evan Rachel Wood, whose Madonna matches Daniel Radcliffe’s Al when it comes to insanity. Starting out as the usual “bad influence” that leads our hero astray, Weird takes some very interesting liberties with another real-life artist it depicts. Without stooping to anything low or outright defaming, Wood’s Madonna is allowed to get crazy, while introducing some obstacles for “Weird" Al Yankovic to overcome.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the next midnight movie craze waiting to happen, and for all the right reasons.

The same sort of cavalier spirit that made a cult classic out of Weird Al’s previous movie, UHF, is alive, well, and ready to bust out in his long awaited cinematic follow-up. It should be seen far and wide, especially on big screen if available.

Having a streaming home like The Roku Channel is perfect for a film like Weird, as a major studio might have been less inclined to gamble on such a movie. If that wasn’t the case, there probably would have been more creative controls in place to ensure that the movie was ready for the box office. By going a more low-key route, Weird is a movie that is allowed to exist in its best form possible. 

Whether it was intended or not, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the next midnight movie craze waiting to happen at a repertory theater near you. An audience crowd pleaser that ups the ante and never slows down, it really does exemplify the best of everything that Al himself stands for.  

This might not be the true story of Al Yankovic's career, but it's the most authentic story he'd want to tell on the matter at the movies. As such, Weird is a must see for anyone who's loved his music or his comedy. Loud Hawaiian shirts are optional, but that's subject to change if this film enjoys the long life it deserves.

The adage goes never meet your idols, but Encanto songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda sidestepped that warning. Growing up on Weird Al Yankovic’s iconic parody songs helped to inform Miranda as a composer and songwriter. So getting the chance to meet Yankovic after becoming a Broadway success was a childhood dream come true. Or he wanted it to be. Things took a turn as the Tick, Tick… Boom! director recalled ‘pooping the bed” while trying to get the Grammy winner to work with him.

The Hamilton creator opened up about his less-than-stellar first meeting with the Grammy winner during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Miranda was hot off the success of his first hit musical In the Heights when he got the chance to meet his childhood idol. Yankovic was meeting with different writers for a potential Broadway musical. The music composer was giddy to meet the comedy icon and pitch himself for the stage musical. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned once Miranda arrived at Yankovic’s home.  

There’s nothing like self-sabotage to ruin a meeting with your childhood role model. Of course, Bobby Lopez is a great songwriter with accolades to match, but that was Miranda’s moment. But it seemed his nerves and self-doubt got the best of him. He just wanted to impress the “White and Nerdy” singer at this moment but pitched his close friend instead.

Miranda realized he had fumbled the opportunity before leaving Yankovic’s home. The In the Heights composer recalled never having a nervous episode before meeting the comic musician. A wave of self-doubt washed over the filmmaker once he got in his car.

Comparing his car breakdown to a Boogie Nights scene illustrated Miranda's miserable feelings after meeting Yankovic. He felt like blowing the chance to work with the comedy icon ever again. But meeting his idol made him nervous and overexcited. Luckily, he redeemed himself later as the two men became friends. He even hinted at appearing in the musician's star-studded biopic satire Weird.

Despite their horrible meeting, Miranda finally got the chance to work with Yankovic on the medley “The Hamilton Polka” for the Hamilton Mixtape. The comedy legend’s influence on the multihyphenate pre-dated his success on stage and in film. He recalled crafting a song in the style of Weird Al’s parody songs for his high school math class. So the first meeting between the pair was a childhood dream-turned-nightmare for Miranda.

Moviegoers will hear Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work (sans one sacred classic) when the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid arrives in theaters on May 26, 2023. He composed and produced the music for one of 2023’s new movie releases. In the meantime, you can watch the live recording of Hamilton through a Disney+ subscription.

Nothing about the new biopic Weird seems normal. Which is totally by design. After all, legendary Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is stepping into the lead role of Weird Al Yankovic, noted pop-song satirist, for a tongue-in-cheek mockery  of the musician biopic that started out as a short film on Funny or Die but now has expanded into a feature-length punchline. We know that Evan Rachel Wood plays Madonna in the movie, and that Weird will dig into some of the best parodies Weird Al has ever written. But how did the movie successfully secure the famous faces who appear throughout the movie? Fans have Weird Al Yankovic’s rolodex to thank for that one. 

The legendary songwriter has been making the rounds promoting Weird, which will be on the Roku Channel later this year. And during a conversation at New York Comic-Con (covered by EW) about a particular pool scene that features a number of actors portraying famous celebrities from the 1980s, Yankovic himself made it clear that he called in favors to fill that scene with as many recognizable names and faces as possible. Said Weird Al:

That’s how things happen in show business. It’s all about who you know, as much as it is about what you know. And over the years, as he has worked on songs like “Eat It” or “Like a Surgeon,” you know that Weird Al Yankovic has crossed paths with some of the most famous people on this planet. He probably stays really close to them too. Or, as Weird director Eric Appel added to the conversation regarding recruiting famous faces: 

We have no idea how many people made it into the final cut of Weird, but the trailer for the movie looks completely off the rails, and like a really fun time at the movies. We raved about the movie after seeing it at the Toronto International Film Festival, and other critics seemed to echo our sentiments. Perhaps it’s because Daniel Radcliffe is half naked throughout the entire comedy? Or maybe Weird just hits that sweet spot between fact and farce, where some of the biggest laughs can be found.

Find out for certain when Weird hits the Roku Channel on November 4.

When we see Daniel Radcliffe play Weird Al in the Weird: The Al Yankovic Story we can expect to the actor rock some funky fits and epic spectacles. We can also expect to see him sing Weird Al’s greatest parodies and play the accordion. Something you may not expect, he'll be shirtless for quite a bit of the film. Even just in the trailer, we see him “half-naked,” as Radcliffe described it, quite a bit. You can see he is rocking abs in the trailer, and he has explained how he got in such shape. 

In a recent interview with EW, Radcliffe spoke about what prepping for this movie was like. The journalist conducting the q and a, noted that the Harry Potter actor is shirtless a lot in the movie. Radcliffe then went into detail about it, and how he got in such good shape. 

I kind of love that it was his parents who inspired him to get fit. Cross Fit is no joke so it makes sense that Radcliffe’s mom and dad are in such good shape. His parents seem like a great inspiration to exercise, especially with their physical achievments, as Radcliffe described:

That's so impressive, no wonder Radcliffe feels the need to stay in shape. It's an added motivation that he had to be shirtless in this biopic.

Not only is this character “more half-naked” than any other character Radcliffe has played, it also sounds like the weirdest (pun intended) character he’s ever taken on. He went so far as to say Weird might be weirder than Swiss Army Man, which means it’s about to be really wacky movie. 

While Radcliffe got in shape and learned the accordion, his co-star Evan Rachel Wood spent her prep time binge-ing Madonna interviews and music videos to nail her impression of the pop icon. Both Wood and Radcliffe have been praised for their performances in Weird. Our own Mike Reyes said that Radcliffe “reaches new heights of unhinged lunacy” in his review of the film. 

Personally, I can’t wait to see Radcliffe in Weird, and it's a pleasant surprise that he's unexpectedly jacked in the movie (thank you Mr. and Mrs. Radcliffe). Out of the 2022 movie releases, the Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is bound to be a fun one, especially with all this fun behind-the-scenes info about how the actors prepped for the film. You can check Weird out on November 4 on The Roku Channel. 

Sad news hit the world last night when the untimely passing of Coolio at age 59 was announced. An award-winning rap icon, the man inspired his fans, and left some beautiful pop culture moments along the way. Today, the entertainment world is paying its respects, as Ice Cube, Weird Al, and others have posted loving tributes for Coolio. 

Starting things off, actor and fellow rapper Ice Cube tweeted his condolences. He honored the rapper by including some context of how he knew Coolio in reference to his own musical career, in the following bittersweet post:

Of course, with one of Coolio’s biggest hits being “Gangsta’s Paradise,” there were two parties that the world was likely expecting to see tributes from. Weird Al Yankovic was one of those people, as his song parody “Amish Paradise” became a huge hit in its own right, despite not having the original artist’s approval. The matter was eventually squashed, leaving Coolio and Weird Al as friendly parties; a fact remembered in Yankovic’s own tribute below: 

Parody aside, this iconic Coolio track became popular in the first place because of its creation for the 1995 drama Dangerous Minds. “Gangsta’s Paradise” was the hit single from the film’s soundtrack, and even won Coolio several awards, including a Grammy. 

Michelle Pfeiffer starred in the music video, and the film. The experience is something she discusses in her Instagram post bidding her former co-star a fond farewell: 

Known as somewhat of an actor himself. Also known by the name Artis Leon Ivey Jr., the rapper played many parts in movies and TV shows. There was even a point where Coolio was almost a Batman villain, thanks to a deal made to secure his performance in Batman and Robin. Part of his acting experience is what brought All That veteran Kel Mitchell to social media, as he shared the story of how he met Coolio during his guest spot on the Nickelodeon show: 

It’s also worth noting that should you take a nostalgic trip to revisit Nickelodeon’s classic sitcom Kenan and Kel, Coolio was an important part of that project as well. No matter what opportunities presented themselves in front of the camera, or in the recording booth, as was the case with animated series like Futurama, music was still what made Coolio truly iconic. Celebrity admirers like Viola Davis tweeted memories that signaled just as much:

Also on hand to pay tribute to Coolio’s passing was musician and actor Questlove from The Roots. One of 2022’s Academy Award winners, he shared a very simple message of condolences through Twitter that showed nothing but love and appreciation: 

Closing things off is a tweet from actor Lou Diamond Phillips. Most recently known for his role on the Fox drama and fan favorite show Prodigal Son, Phillips took time to lay out a story of how his friendship with Coolio led to some special memories: 

The passing of Coolio is one that is still being felt throughout the world. We here at CinemaBlend send our deepest condolences to the late music icon’s friends and family, as they navigate this period of grief and remembrance.

One of the most unique pop culture icons of any and all eras, “Weird Al” Yankovic has been entertaining audiences around the world for — [checks old calendar] — more years than many of his fans have been alive. And one of the subjects that the expert parodist has returned to time and again across his genre-spanning career has been movies (and he’s no stranger to hopping on-screen himself). So to celebrate Roku Channel’s biopic WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, starring the brilliantly cast Daniel Radcliffe, we’ve rounded up a list of the Grammy winner’s original songs, parodies and other highlights that tie into the world of cinema. 

While they won’t appear on this list, I do think there’s a midnight movie trilogy element to the trio of tracks “Attack of the Radioactive Hamsters from a Planet Near Mars,” “Slime Creatures from Outer Space” and "Nature Trail to Hell." Now let’s start off with a Weird Al classic that isn’t so far off from those fantastical sci-fi stories.

"The Saga Begins" (Running with Scissors)

With 1999’s “The Saga Begins,” Weird Al delivered a pitch-perfect twist on Don McLean’s “American Pie” by laying out the plotline for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. In hindsight, the idea sounds like the ravings of a malfunctioning droid, but it made perfect sense before the prequel’s uneven legacy could be cemented. Ahead of the song’s recording, but after he’d penned temporary lyrics based on internet spoilers, Yankovic was allowed to screen the movie ahead of its release, and reportedly didn’t have to make many alterations to what he’d written. Some would argue that the song holds up better than either Phantom Menace or “American Pie,” and some would also argue that there should be a corner of the Star Wars universe where Weird Al can portray Obi-Wan Kenobi in full.

"Theme from Rocky XIII (The Rye or the Kaiser)" (In 3-D) 

The biggest track from the album “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D (and for much of his career) was easily the Michael Jackson spoof “Eat It,” but don’t let it overshadow the food-punching parody “Theme from Rocky XIII,” set to the tune of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” Granted, this version of Sylvester Stallone’s boxer is far past his prime at this fictional point in the series that obviously doesn’t tie into the franchise’s ever-expanding timeline, but it’s still inspirational enough, especially for those aiming to become deli owners. 

"Gump" (Bad Hair Day)

Even though Forrest Gump initially hit theaters nearly two years before Weird Al’s album Bad Hair Day hit stores, the era-spanning Tom Hanks hit was huge enough that “Gump” didn’t feel wildly out of place in 1996. It perhaps helped that the track it was based on, the ‘95 hit “Lump” from The Presidents of the United States of America, was even more timely than the movie. If you look up “Awesome Ways to Signify The Mid-90s With One Song” in the most needlessly specific dictionary, “Gump” would be atop that list. 

"Spy Hard" (Medium Rarities)

The quality of the film Spy Hard aside, it was a match made in heaven for Weird Al to perform the opening theme to a spoof filming starring comedy genius Leslie Nielsen, and the track itself is as timeless a jam as anything in the artist’s library. Not only is it a fun and playful take on James Bond themes, but it actually boasts the work of conductor Bill Conti, who also composed the music for 1981’s For Your Eyes Only, as well as five of the six Rocky films. While the song doesn’t appear on any standalone albums from Yankovic, it is included in the collection Medium Rarities.

"Gandhi II" (UHF)

Okay, this isn’t a song, as it were, even though there’s music involved. And the “Ghandi II” sketch from Weird Al’s 1989 feature UHF is easily the least timeless entry on this list, given as it’s not overtly respectful regarding anything on display. But it’s a silly idea both on paper and in action to witness this hypothetical sequel to Ben Kingsley’s Oscar-winning 1982 film Gandhi, so here we are. 

"Here's Johnny" (Polka Party!)

This Polka Party song’s subject matter technically plays more into the TV side of things, given that it’s a tribute to The Tonight Show announcer Ed McMahon and his iconic “Here’s Johnny” introduction for host Johnny Carson. But the reason why it makes this list is because it’s parodying the 1986 single “Who’s Johnny,” which was the theme from the sci-fi comedy Short Circuit, with the title referring to the instantly identifiable robot Johnny 5, whose name in the film is inspired by the track itself. 

"Jurassic Park" (Alapalooza)

A track that led to one of the coolest music videos of all time, Alapalooza’s “Jurassic Park” was obviously timed to the release of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, and parodied a song that many of the musician’s younger fans (of any era) may not be so familiar with: Richard Harris’ 1968 single “MacArthur Park.” This and “Spy Hard” in particular highlight Weird Al’s vocal range in ways that stand apart from other songs, and I have to again mention that badass claymation music video, which was crafted by future Kung Fu Panda director Mark Osborne and Celebrity Deathmatch animator Scott Norlund.

"This Is the Life" (Dare to be Stupid)

The 1984 single “This Is The Life” humorously tells the story of a gangster’s “money’s no object” lifestyle, and isn’t parodying any particular artists’ tracks. But while it ended up on the album Dare to be Stupid, it was originally commissioned for the Michael Keaton comedy Johnny Dangerously. Clips from the movie were used in the ridiculous music video, though it doesn’t seem like Keaton and Yankovic shared scenes. That would be the life.

"Amish Paradise" (Bad Hair Day)

The first single off of Weird Al’s ninth album Bad Hair Day was “Amish Paradise,” a parody of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” which was itself a single from the soundtrack to Michelle Pfeiffer’s 1995 drama Dangerous Minds. The song itself isn’t so much related to anything cinematic, but the music video (and album cover) spoofed the video for the source material, which featured Pfeiffer reprising her film role. So it counts. To note, this is probably the most strife-adjacent song in Yankovic’s career, given Coolio’s initial claims that he never gave permission for the parody to exist, though it was all later ironed out with cool(io) heads prevailing. 

"Ode to a Superhero" (Poodle Hat)

Another one of Weird Al’s all-encompassing film summaries, “Ode to a Superhero” is a retelling of Sam Raimi’s first foray into comic book filmmaking, 2002’s Spider-Man, set to the tune of the Billy Joel classic “Piano Man.” I’d love for him to re-lyric this song to lay out the plot for Andrew Garfield’s debut in Amazing Spider-Man movies, and then again for Tom Holland’s arrival as the webslinger for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Perhaps it’s happened somewhere else in the multiverse. 

"Captain Underpants Theme Song" (Film Soundtrack)

As the feature film debut for a kids-geared franchise that adheres to the notion of being as silly as possible, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie nailed it in pulling a theme song performed by Weird Al himself. And I dare say it’s as catchy and memorable as the themes from any other modern day kids movies, Disney musicals included. (I got you, Weird Al.) Plus, George and Harold are known for listening to his music in the book series, which is perfect for this fourth-wall-breaking universe. 

"Lasagna" (Even Worse)

This is arguably the least deserving entry on this list, but I won’t be standoffish about such things. “Lasagna” obviously isn’t about a movie, and the song it’s based on — “La Bamba” as performed by Richie Valens and Los Lobos — is a 1958 recording based on a Mexican folk song. However, the main reason the food-based single exists is because of the 1987 biopic La Bamba, with Lou Diamond Phillips starring as Valens. 

"Yoda" (Dare to be Stupid)

Now we come full circle right back to the Star Wars universe, for another entry from Dare to be Stupid, the sway-worthy single “Yoda.” A parody of The Kinks’ hit “Lola,” Weird Al’s song is a retelling of some of the storyline from The Empire Strikes Back, from Luke Skywalker’s perspective. It’s impossible to avoid singing the little runt’s name along with Yankovic by the song’s end, and this track gets extra cool points for calling Yoda a Muppet, given the Muppet-verse icon Frank Oz was the hand and voice that gave the Jedi Master life. 

WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story is set to make its grand premiere on Friday, November 4, on Roku Channel. So be sure to have your accordion-shaped popcorn tins out and ready to go. In the meantime, head to our 2022 movie premiere schedule to see what else is heading to streaming and theaters before the end of the year. 

2022 has been a wild ride when it comes to the upcoming movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. The year kicked off with Daniel Radcliffe announced as playing Weird Al, and the project has been full steam ahead ever since. Brace yourselves, as the Roku Channel original now has a release date, and it sets the film’s debut pretty soon on the calendar. 

Debuting the news through a new poster advertising the film, Roku revealed that Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will be premiering on November 4th. So those of you who wrote "this fall" on your movie calendars can go ahead and update your notes accordingly. What’s even crazier is that you won’t need any sort of premium subscription to watch the film, which is also confirmed in the announcement tweet below:  

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is a pretty wild project, as it’s basically an exaggerated spoof on the sort of biopic that’s been made time and again. Skewing more towards the approach of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, director Eric Appel’s feature adaptation of his own Funny or Die short is just the sort of weird project Daniel Radcliffe has been known to take as of late. That energy was part of why Al Yankovic picked Radcliffe as his fictional surrogate, and it’s a choice that keeps paying off. 

As if the first look at Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al wasn’t promising enough, the further updates that have come from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story only help build the anticipation to November’s grand debut. News like Westworld’s Evan Rachel Wood being cast as Madonna has proven that the roster of talent recruited is ready to get weird with things. 

All the while, Al Yankovic’s support and participation in the film should be all the approval his devotees should need in order to get on board. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is the closest thing to a spiritual sequel to UHF that we’re going to get for now. Though if this nutty biopic parody takes off, there’s no reason to think that reviving that other Weird Al film for another go isn’t off the table... unless Al himself isn’t interested, in which case that’s a Twinkie wiener sandwich that’s staying in the wrapper. 

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story streams for free (yes, you read that right) on The Roku Channel starting November 4th. If you want to see Daniel Radcliffe getting weird in another context, you can watch him in the Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum rom-com adventure The Lost City. Paramount Plus subscribers can partake in the film at the time of this writing, while all others can rent and purchase the film on physical and digital media. 

Daniel Radcliffe recently celebrated his 33rd trip around the sun, and it’s a little jarring when you think of how far we have come from his days of flying around on a broomstick as Harry Potter. “The Boy Who Lived” might be the one turning another year older, but it sounds like if anybody’s feeling reflective about their age, it’s Weird Al Yankovic — the subject of Radcliffe’s latest “weird” project. The song parody genius shared a sweet birthday message with the actor who is portraying him in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and in doing so divulged a bit of trivia related to their comparative ages.

When Weird Al Yankovic chose Daniel Radcliffe to portray him in the Roku Channel comedic biopic, he apparently had a pretty “White and Nerdy” reason for doing so. But despite the duo being kindred spirits in their love for satirical songwriting, Yankovic took notice of the generation gap that exists between the two, as he wished a Happy Birthday to the actor on Twitter. He wrote: 

It only took a quick fact-check to see that indeed, The Lost City villain was born July 23, 1989, while Weird Al Yankovic’s cult classic UHF premiered in theaters on July 21, 1989. Weird Al’s fun fact is in no way indicating that the polka master hasn’t done anything of note in the past 33 years. Eight of his 14 studio albums were released after Daniel Radcliffe was born, and aside from his music, Weird Al has made numerous cameos in movies and TV shows, served as director on music videos, done voice acting for a number of animated series and much more.

The accordion player didn't have to point out that he's been working longer than Daniel Radcliffe has been alive in order to win the actor's respect, as Radcliffe has shown that he’s taking his job — and Weird Al’s signature Hawaiian shirts — very seriously. The first official look at Radcliffe as Yankovic features the wig used to recreate the Grammy-winning satirist’s curly hair, but the actor felt that growing out his own mustache was the best way to embody his subject. 

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story was actually conceived back in 2010 (for those keeping score, when Daniel Radcliffe was 21), as Eric Appel wrote and directed a Funny or Die movie trailer with the same title. In that trailer, Aaron Paul played the titular character. Paul was actually supposed to make a surprise cameo in the Daniel Radcliffe-led movie, but COVID ruined those plans. The part of Madonna has also been recast since Appel’s 2010 skit. Evan Rachel Wood was picked to play the Material Girl, replacing Olivia Wilde.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will track the musician throughout his long and illustrious career, starting with the early days during his rise to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with parodies of major hits from artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson and Joan Jett, to name a few. The Roku Channel has not announced a release date for the biopic, but while we wait that, be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what films are coming to theaters soon.

One of the more exciting developments in the film world right now is director Eric Appel’s upcoming Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Set to star Daniel Radcliffe as the titular legendary parody artist, the feature is based on a Funny or Die sketch starring Aaron Paul from 2010 – which is a sendup of overly dramatized musical biopics, and remains as funny today as it was twelve years ago.

Given Paul’s involvement with the original project, it probably won’t surprise anybody to learn that he was approached to do a cameo in the upcoming movie – but unfortunately those plans fell apart because the Breaking Bad/Westworld star tested positive for COVID-19 the day he was supposed to report on set.

Speaking with Aaron Paul this morning in promotion of his new movie, Dual (arriving in limited theatrical release this weekend), I concluded the interview by asking for his thoughts about the feature version of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and he effusively explained his personal excitement for the project. He mentioned that he first had the chance to read the script years ago when Eric Appel and “Weird” Al Yankovic were toying with the idea of making the movie, and he anticipates seeing Daniel Radcliffe in the lead role (a part Radcliffe won for a perfectly nerdy reason):

At this point, Aaron Paul segued into his story about the cameo that was not to be. He told me that Al Yankovic invited him to the set of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story so that he could make an appearance in the film that would serve as a nod to the original Funny or Die video. That idea sadly fell apart, however, when he took a precautionary COVID-19 test and was shocked to get a positive result. Said Paul,

I think that probably a lot of people can sympathize with Aaron Paul here, as it would have been amazing to see him pop up in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. His performance in the Funny or Die sketch is fantastic and hilarious – the high point certainly being the moment when he drunkenly berates a crowd, declaring, “You’re all a bunch of slaves!” You can revisit the magic watching the video below:

Aaron Paul may not be in the feature length adaptation, but he is anticipating it as much as anyone, and already has high expectations for it. Lauding the brilliant talent that is “Weird” Al Yankovic, he continued,

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which is being made as an exclusive for The Roku Channel, doesn’t have a release date yet, but Aaron Paul fans everywhere should get excited for Dual. Directed by Riley Stearns, and co-starring Karen Gillan, Beulah Koale, and Theo James, the dark comedy got a positive reception premiering at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and will be arriving on the big screen tomorrow, April 15 (find local listings on Fandango). The film will then be going digital on May 20, and will be available on demand and streaming on AMC+.

To learn more about all of the features set to hit theaters and streaming in what remains of the year, check out our 2022 Movie Release Calendar.

When portraying an iconic entertainer whose musical oeuvre contains a song called “White and Nerdy,” it’d be understating things to say that actually being white and nerdy is a big first step. So it goes with Daniel Radcliffe and his upcoming turn as Weird Al for Roku Channel’s upcoming comedic biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. As logic and fate would have it, the Harry Potter star revealed that it was indeed a public display of his own geeky interests that directly led to him landing a role as the King of Pop…Parodies.

Some might argue that Daniel Radcliffe spending much of his existence so intertwined with the Harry Potter franchise might have been all the resume he needed to at least get a foot in the door for a Weird Al audition. But it was actually an impromptu serenade that the actor belted out on an episode of The Graham Norton Show that sealed the deal, as Radcliffe explained to Jimmy Fallon during his most recent visit to The Tonight Show. 

For those who may be unfamiliar with Tom Lehrer, and there's a likely age-line where that familiarity drops off a cliff, he was a musical satirist in the 1950s and 1960s whose relatively limited output has maintained its popularity and cult status thanks to more popular tracks like “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” and “The Elements.” The latter is set to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Major-General’s Song” from the musical The Pirates of Penzance, and lays out all of the names of the elements. Anyone who has ever enjoyed the knowledge-geared and darkly comedic songs from Animaniacs can thank Lehrer for laying down some of that groundwork.

So it’s perhaps not altogether shocking that the most popular musical parodist of all time would pinpoint Daniel Radcliffe’s “The Elements” a capella as the inspiration for the Miracle Workers star’s casting in the streaming biopic, which boasts Eric Appel as its director and co-writer. (Naturally, Yankovic also co-wrote the pic, and was on-set during the fairly brief production.) And while all we currently have to go on is a first-look pic of Radcliff in Weird Al mode, I dare say everyone involved made all the right choices here. The same goes for Evan Rachel Wood’s guest spot as Madonna, which looks equally excellent.

Now, for anyone thinking that Daniel Radcliffe is only into 60-year-old deep-cut periodic table comedy tunes, let’s not forget that the actor is an admitted superfan of Netflix’s Love Is Blind. Now what kind of role is that fandom going to land him 13 or 14 years from now? While thinking about that one, check out the performance that landed him the role of an Al-time.

At this time, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story doesn’t yet have a release date locked up on The Roku Channel, but fans can check out his return as Ted Nugent in the latest season of Reno 911!, which also features a masterful episode with guest star Jamie Lee Curtis. 

The undisputed king of musical comedy and parody songs is getting his own biopic and the casting choice is amazing. Former Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is playing “Weird Al” Yankovic in the upcoming Roku Channel original movie WEIRD: The Weird Al Story, which itself is a feature-length adaptation of a fake trailer released by Funny Or Die in 2010.

The stellar news reminds of some of the notable “Weird Al” Yankovic movies and TV shows in which the musician was the star - like the 1989 TV industry parody UHF (which he also co-wrote), or the short-lived children’s program The Weird Al Show from the late ‘90s, or when he became the bandleader for Comedy Bang! Bang! However, what I would rather talk about right now are the funniest and most memorable times he made a surprise cameo in a movie or had a smaller guest or recurring spot on a TV show. For instance…

The Naked Gun Movies (1988-1994)

One of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s first movie appearances was in the brilliant detective spoof The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, in which the late, great Leslie Nielsen’s Lt. Frank Drebin believes reporters waiting to see the musician really want his interview outside an airport. Yankovic also showed up in the 1991 sequel, The Naked Gun 2-1/2: The Smell of Fear, as a thug whose police station hold up is unwittingly stopped by Frank simply opening a door. “Weird Al” played himself again in The Naked Gun 3-1/3: The Final Insult, in which Frank and his wife, Jane (Priscilla Presley), pose as the comic and his date, Vanna White, to get into the Oscars.

Spy Hard (1996)

“Weird Al” Yankovic was also involved in Leslie Nielsen’s espionage thriller parody, Spy Hard - in which the comedy legend plays a bumbling secret named Dick Steele (seriously) - but with more than a seconds-long cameo this time. Al appears throughout the extremely cartoonish film’s James Bond-style opening credits sequence, which essentially serves as the music video for the self-referential theme song that he writes and performs.

Halloween II (2009)

Sadly, “Weird Al” Yankovic does not perform any music in director Rob Zombie’s sequel to his brutal, 2007 Halloween remake, but does provide what is easily the film’s funniest moment while appearing on a talk show with Malcolm McDowell’s Dr. Samuel Loomis. When host David Newman (Chris Hardwick) asks the psychologist - promoting his new book about Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) - about accusations of “profiteering off the misery of others,” the musician jokingly interjects, as if assuming the question was about his own song parodies. Loomis, however, does not find it very funny and later scolds his publicist over the embarrassment. 

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2019)

“Weird Al” Yankovic did, thankfully, play music on a TV series that already welcomed such performances regularly and won multiple Emmy Awards for it. On a Season 4 episode of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Greg (Skyler Astin) wants to go all out for his date with Rebecca (star and co-creator Rachel Bloom) and books a hot air balloon ride for the two of them from Bernie (Yankovic). After setting up the appointment, the top-hat wearing clerk gives the gentleman a “word of warning” about there being no way to use the restroom in a hot air balloon with a serenade that uses “Weird Al’s” signature instrument: the accordion.

How I Met Your Mother (2011)

In a Season 7 episode of How I Met Your Mother, Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) tries to find someone to accompany him to a “Weird Al” Yankovic concert. He also claims that he gave the parodist the idea for his 1985 hit “Like a Surgeon,” which borrows from the tune of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” The rest of the HIMYM cast assume this to be a fantasy, until a flashback at the end of the episode featuring “Weird Al” as himself circa 1985 confirms that it was Ted’s fan letter that led to the song’s existence.

The Simpsons (2003-2008)

There have been many amazing celebrity guests on The Simpsons and “Weird Al” Yankovic is one of a few who has leant his voice to Matt Groening’s seminal animated series as himself twice, so far. The first was a Season 14 episode in which a heartbreaking revelation forces Homer to leave his family, so Marge enlists Al’s help with a parody of John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane” called “Homer & Marge.” The second time, in Season 19, he performed a parody of a song by Homer’s own band, Sandgasm - which, itself, is a parody of Nirvana. Parodyception?

BoJack Horseman (2016-2019)

On some rare occasions, “Weird Al” Yankovic has also leant his voice to a few animated characters that are not just fictionalized versions of himself. One of the more notable examples is when he appeared on Season 3 of Netflix’s BoJack Horseman as Captain Peanutbutter - the brother of Paul F. Thompkins’ Mr. Peanutbutter - who would become a recurring character, appearing in two more episodes in Season 6. It was actually executive producer and series regular Aaron Paul who helped get Yankovic on the show, bringing his performance as the musician in the aforementioned Funny Or Die sketch full circle.

Teen Titans Go! (2015-2018) 

One of the more unexpected instances of “Weird Al” Yankovic playing an animated character is the multiple times he leant his voice to Teen Titans Go! as Darkseid - yes, the same ruthless, tyrannical god who appeared in Zack Snyder’s Justice League as played by Ray Porter. Speaking of the Justice League, in an episode in which the young heroes pose as their adult peers to save them from the villain, Cyborg (Phil LaMarr) - in a Green Lantern costume - points out his vocal resemblance to the musical comedian. Darkseid quips that even he is not as evil as someone who makes a living “making songwriters look like fools,” which is actually what leads to their epic standoff. 

Bill And Ted Face The Music (2020) 

A more recent “Weird Al” Yankovic cameo that you might have already forgotten, or maybe even failed to catch in the first place, was in Bill and Ted Face the Music - the long-awaited third installment of the sci-fi comedy franchise starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. The blink-and-you-miss-it appearance occurs during the film’s ending credits as part of a compilation of musicians jamming to the soundtrack. Yankovic posted the brief clip to his Instagram with a mention that this cameo was not a paid gig, but the result of a contest to appear in the film that he, a fan of the original movies, entered for fun.

We have barely scratched the surface of all the fittingly weird “Weird Al” Yankovic appearances to look out for the big and small screen, but these are our favorites. What are yours?

One of the most exciting and highly anticipated films of the year — and that's including not just the appropriately comparable musical biopics, but everything else as well — is no doubt Roku Channel's WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story. (I make that declaration hyperbolically, but with abundant sincerity.) The excitement was already at a zenith just from the fact that Daniel Radcliffe is portraying the parody icon, and looks amazing doing it. But that hype has now jumped up even higher with the latest casting news, which includes Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood as the pop music sex symbol Madonna.  And as you'll see in the first look below, she certainly looks the part.

Perhaps in an effort to avoid the photo leakage that occurred ahead of Daniel Radcliffe's bespectacled first look officially going wide, Roku Channel went ahead and unveiled the initial shot of Evan Rachel Wood's Madonna right there with the casting announcement. Check it out!

The best thing about this image is just how much is happening on Evan Rachel Wood’s person. There’s the veil-esque headband, the make-up, the iconic mole above the lip, the black cross earrings, the abundance of necklaces, the brooches, the bracelets, and the sunglasses. And that’s all just in adornment to that…striking… top with its matching gloves, and the completely contrasting skirt. And it all clashes against the cream-colored lavishness in the background in the best of ways.

It's assumed that Madonna and Weird Al's stories will coincide at some point during the 1980s timeline, as the parodist was building up his fanbase with the release of the album Dare to be Stupid in 1985, with the hit single "Like a Surgeon" as the lead track. But one can only imagine how the dramatized version of events will go. 

Another highly notable new cast member revealed for WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story is The Office vet Rainn Wilson, who will be portraying fellow comedy music legend Dr. Demento, whose radio show played a huge role in bringing Weird Al's music to the masses. I cannot wait to see what he looks like in the role, which seems strangely suiting now that it's a concept worth thinking about.

Aside from those two, fans can look forward to seeing Mare of Easttown's Julianne Nicholson and Dickinson's Toby Huss joining the fun as Mary and Nick Yankovic, respectively. As one might imagine, those would be Weird Al's parents, and it's quite the talented pair of actors set to play them. While I can't recall if they shared the screen together, both Weird Al and Huss have recurred on Reno 911!, with the musician showing up again as Ted Nugent in the new Defunded season that debuted recently on Roku Channel. (With Jamie Lee Curtis serving as another amazing guest star in that show.)

The new film is currently filming in Los Angeles, and fans can only hope that more awesome casting news like this comes soon. Maybe John Mulaney can play Huey Lewis? I dare not make any Michael Jackson predictions, though. 

With no release date yet set, WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story is set to debut on Roku Channel hopefully at some point in 2022. While waiting to see when we can look forward to having “Like a Surgeon” as an earworm once more, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way.

From the moment Daniel Radcliffe was announced as the star of the Weird Al Yankovic “biopic," the world was set aflame with the desire to know what he’d look like in the role. It got to the point where paparazzi recently scored some sneaky behind-the-scenes pictures, prompting a snarky response from the project’s director, Eric Appel. There is a bright side to this small conflict, though, as we’ve now gotten our first official look of Radcliffe in WEIRD: The Weird Al Story. I just hope the director approves of this shot being offered to the masses.

It hasn’t been long since The Roku Channel announced that it was collaborating with Funny or Die to turn the 2010 short WEIRD: The Weird Al Story into a full fledged movie. As production is currently underway, it’s led to leaks both real and fake. While Weird Al himself has manufactured the fake leaks on social media, we now have the real deal for you, and you can check out the first official photo below:

Now it could just be the angle and the lighting, but from what’s on display here, Daniel Radcliffe’s Weird Al looks kind of imposing. There’s a suggestion that in this wild telling of the musical artist’s “life story” he look more ripped than he did as a Rambo clone in UHF. If this look approaches anything like that over the top gag, shown below for dramatic effect, then we’re in for quite the ride: 

As for the actor himself, Daniel Radcliffe sounds like he’s has the exact right attitude to be starring as the lead of WEIRD: The Weird Al Story. Accompanying the first look photo was a statement from the man who helped bring the Harry Potter franchise to life. Radcliffe said about the role,

In the decades since UHF has gone from undeserved failure at the box office to a cult classic that fans still want to see a sequel to, Weird Al Yankovic’s return to the movies has been an idea toyed around with more than once. Now that the world will finally see WEIRD: The Weird Al Story granting him his first writing credit in 33 years, it’s going to be an event for the ages. Casting Daniel Radcliffe sounded like a good idea at the start, but we're even more excited after this first look. 

Now that the hungry public has their peek at the fictitious Weird Al played by Daniel Radcliffe, maybe the paparazzi can take some time off and we can focus on the important questions. Things like, “Will a performance of 'Yoda' with a cameo from Weird Al megafan Mark Hamill be totally out of bounds after the Fox/Disney merger?” or “What makes for a better success montage track: ‘Livin’ with a Hernia’ or ‘Like A Surgeon’?” So long as Radcliffe gets to use those jacked looking arms to get into a fight set to ‘Eat It,’ the rest of the chips can fall where they may. 

WEIRD: The Weird Al Story will debut as an exclusive on The Roku Channel, with no release date currently set. That just means you’ll have time to check out the new movie releases for 2022, with hopes that this new streaming original will be unveiled just in time for awards season. Meanwhile, you can see Daniel Radcliffe playing a delightful looking villain opposite Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in The Lost City, which opens on March 25. 

Daniel Radcliffe’s next big role has nothing to do with Harry Potter, but it sure does feel like magic. Last month the shocking announcement was made that Radcliffe would portray “Weird Al” Yankovic in the upcoming Roku biopic — news that was simultaneously baffling and perfect. Fans eager to see how the actor would transform into the parody song genius got a first look recently, after photos of Radcliffe in costume leaked from the set of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, much to the dismay of the movie’s director.

Eric Appel, who co-wrote the biopic with Weird Al himself and is serving as director, had a sarcastic response after Daniel Radcliffe was photographed on set in a wig to portray Weird Al Yankovic’s trademark curly hair. As the photos began to circulate on social media, the director lamented the way in which the much-anticipated first look occurred, commenting on Twitter: 

I can’t blame Eric Appel for feeling a little snarky. He surely knew how excited fans would be to see the former boy wizard embody the character of the beloved musician, and that first impression is important. I’m not sure how much the Harry Potter fan base overlaps with the Weird Al Yankovic fan base, but I know they’re both rabidly loyal. To not be able to control that first look — and the quality of those first photos — must have eaten at Appel, who said Radcliffe was only partially in costume at the time. 

The reveal might be a bummer, but don’t worry — it’s not real until we hear Daniel Radcliffe sing the polka. 

Weird Al Yankovic fans likely remember that over a decade ago Eric Appel wrote and directed a Funny or Die movie trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which hinted this project might someday come to fruition. The trailer featured Aaron Paul as Yankovic and some other big names in supporting roles, including Gary Cole and Mary Steenburgen as his parents and Olivia Wilde as Madonna. Other than Daniel Radcliffe in the starring role, the Roku project’s cast has not yet been confirmed.

The new project will follow “Weird Al" Yankovic throughout his long and illustrious career, starting with the early days during his rise to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with parodies of major hits from artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson and Joan Jett, to name a few. 

Daniel Radcliffe most recently appeared in HBO Max’s long-awaited Harry Potter reunion special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, and will presumably be back to head up another season of the era-jumping comedy Miracle Workers. While waiting to hear more news about the upcoming biopic, check out what else to watch if you like Daniel Radcliffe, and head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way!

Considering it's only January still, there are no reasons to believe that April Fool's Day has anything to do with the news being bandied about here, but know this: Harry Potter franchise vet Daniel Radcliffe has signed on for a streaming biopic that will dig into the fantastical life and career of Grammy-winning musician and occasional TV star "Weird Al" Yankovic. I feel like I've been waiting my whole life to make such a declaration, and that time has finally come.

WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, as the new feature film is titled, will be a Roku Channel original project, with Funny or Die and Tango set as the production companies. So that should tip fans off that we probably shouldn’t expect anything as Oscar-grabby as some of the biggest music-driven biopics of recent years, such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocket Man. But that only makes it better in my eyes, as the story sounds as if it will stray beyond the boundaries of reality and historical record. (Perhaps somewhat like the Whiplash parody he took part in some years back.)

The new project will star Daniel Radcliffe as “Weird Al" Yankovic throughout his long and illustrious career, starting with the early days during his rise to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with parodies of major hits from artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson and Joan Jett, to name but a few. The project will also dig Yankovic’s “torrid celebrity love affairs” and his “famously depraved lifestyle,” with the announcement calling him both a child prodigy and the “greatest musical legend of all time.” It’s almost as if I wrote the copy myself.

Here’s what “Weird Al" Yankovic himself had to say about the news:

While we may never get a sequel to the bonkers 1989 feature U/H/F, I am putting hopes beyond hopes that WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story will be allowed to feature scenes or moments from that film, possibly with Fran Drescher returning to reprise her role as if nothing were amiss regarding age and time. I also hope the Roku project is able to secure the rights to many tracks from Weird Al's long and glorious career, although there would be a certain amount of glee to be had if the biopic could only use terrible soundalikes. 

There's a decent shot at such rights issues being worked out, as "Weird Al" Yankovic himself co-wrote the feature alongside director Eric Appel. Fans might remember over a decade ago when Funny or Die released a melodramatic Weird Al biopic teaser hinting at such events being expanded upon in the future, with Appel having also written and directed that. And that future is now, although without Aaron Paul behind the mustache.

Daniel Radcliffe most recently appeared in HBO Max’s long-awaited and much-appreciated special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, and will presumably be back to head up another season of the era-jumping comedy Miracle Workers. But he should be busy in early February, as that’s when WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story is set to go into production in Los Angeles.

While waiting to hear more news about the upcoming biopic, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way!

There’s a new Sexiest Man Alive (sorry, Michael B. Jordan), and his name is Paul Rudd! The beloved actor seems very pleased with his new distinction, and his fans are also proud. The announcement from People has also drawn some perfect social media reactions from a plethora of celebrities. “Weird Al” Yankovic was one of the many to share thoughts, and the fan-favorite performer did so with the help of a few hilarious photos in a great post.

Like many people, Weird Al, first and foremost, made sure to congratulate Paul Rudd on his tremendous accomplishment. His Twitter post also included photos, in which Rudd is actually dressed up as the “Amish Paradise” singer for Halloween. No, really, the actor really did channel Al, all the way down to the hair and floral shirt. You can check out the funny snapshots for yourself down below:

Based on this post, one might get the feeling that the singer is taking a bit of credit for the Ant-Man star’s prestigious, new designation. Or he just loves the fact that the current Sexiest Man Alive once cosplayed as him. Either way, this post was a great way to mark the occasion, and it’s so on brand for the viral songwriter. And let’s be honest, Weird Al Yankovic is a national treasure (as many have said), so one can totally understand why the actor would want to dress up like him. 

Unfortunately, the man behind “White & Nerdy” and “Tacky” has yet to be named Sexiest Man Alive himself. The competition is pretty stiff, though, as there are certainly plenty of stars who wouldn’t mind holding the title. In years past, Hollywood titans like wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Harder They Fall’s Idris Elba and NCIS icon Mark Harmon have also held the post. Needless to say, Paul Rudd finds himself in the company of some truly distinguished gentlemen. 

But how exactly does the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero feel about his new title? Well, as humble and laid back as the 52-year-old actor has proven to be, it sounds like he’s ready to take full advantage of his status. He explained that he plans to “own it” and really embrace what comes with it. And apparently, he’s hoping that includes some “sexy dinners” with fellow studs like George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Of course, he’s mostly joking about all of this but, if I were him, I can’t say that I wouldn’t try to indulge in any potential perks.

In addition to this recent honor, the actor has a number of other things to celebrate at the moment. He’s currently looking forward to the release of the highly anticipated sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife, in which he rubs shoulders with icons like Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver. He also has a new television project premiering this month in the form of Apple TV+’s The Shrink Next Door, which pairs him with Will Ferrell. So yeah, I think he’s having a pretty good year. 

Paull Rudd’s Sexiest Man Alive designation is certainly something to celebrate. Yes, the man hasn’t aged a day since starring in 1995’s Clueless, but he also seems to be a very kind person, which is also pretty sexy. With that in mind, fans will likely continue to sing Rudd’s praises in the midst of this accomplishment. And while they do that, maybe they can start a campaign for Weird Al Yankovic to get some serious consideration next time around.

Thanks to his illustrious career, Mark Hamill has solidified himself as a true pop culture icon. To many, he’s known for his portrayal of Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker and his turn as the delightfully villainous Joker in the DC Animated Universe, among other roles. The actor, however, is quite humble when it comes to his work and actually seems to prefer talking up others’ accomplishments instead. This desire was more than apparent when he recently nerded out over “Weird Al” Yankovic, and it’s the kind of positive energy the Internet could definitely use more of. 

“Weird Al” Yankovic recently celebrated his 62nd birthday, and the singer, songwriter and viral sensation was met with a number of tributes. Mark Hamill’s was certainly among one of the sweetest, as the actor took to Instagram to post a lovely message. In the message, he praised the performer for his many years of hard work:

Many would probably agree with the Mandalorian actor’s sentiments, as the humorous songwriter has been putting in work for a while now. In addition to the warm caption, the star also included a number of photos. You can check out the original post down below:

Alfred “Weird Al” Yankovic’s first taste of the entertainment world came in the mid-’70s, during which he served as a radio personality. Near the end of the decade, he recorded what would become the first of his many musical lampoons -- “My Bologna,” a parody of The Knack’s “My Sharona.” By the ‘80s, he had begun producing a steady flow of popular spoofs, with the help of popular tunes from music legends like Michael Jackson and Queen. He would unfortunately hit a bit of a rough patch after his 1989 film, UHF, fell short of expectations. 

Nevertheless, the entertainer found renewed success in the ‘90s and has been a consistent fixture in the musical and acting realms ever since. He’s covered a plethora of tracks over the years, many of which can become serious earworms. I personally haven’t been able to get his “Trapped in the Drive-Thru” out of my head since I first heard it back in middle school. Though the music entertains, it also informs from time to time, as he occasionally uses his tracks to promote worthy causes. 

Mark Hamill is definitely right to give “Weird Al” Yankovic his flowers. The singer consistently puts out work and always seems to fully commit to a project. His wildly creative mind still seems to have plenty of ideas, so I’d assume we still have plenty of new parodies (and humorous sketches) to look forward to in the future. In the meantime, let’s also hope Internet users can take a cue from Hamill and spread a bit of love online now and then.

Though the streaming service Quibi arguably still has a ways to go before it can be considered a mainstream success, there is seemingly no end in sight to its bite-sized original programming slate. Case in point: the always hilarious comedy series Reno 911! returned for the back half of its revival season this week, which means we finally get to see pop culture treasure "Weird" Al Yankovic's rather bizarre impersonation of the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, a situation first hinted at in Season 7's first trailer.

Thankfully, Quibi unveiled a brand new clip showcasing "Weird" Al's take on Ted Nugent, so fans don't even need to wait for the episode to get here in order to see the Grammy-winning musician getting his red, white and blue on. Check it out below!

It's not every day you get to see possibly the world's greatest parody musician digging into an impression of a hyper-conservative hard rocker, but hey, it's 2020, and that clip will likely only be the 45th weirdest thing you see this week. (For instance, KFC's baffling COVID-influenced marketing decision or AT&T's Lily actress getting harassed online.) Still, the video is pretty solid.

Given that Ted Nugent is a well-documented firearm advocate, it makes sense that Reno 911! plays that angle up multiple times in the clip, from the "silencer on a T-shirt gun" gag to having him go onstage and tell the crowd to "suck on his machine gun," which was a line that Nugent used in reference to then-President Barack Obama back in 2007. Perhaps not as big a deep cut as something from the UHF soundtrack's b-side, but certainly a pointed reference all the same. Now let's smash some gee-tars!

The biggest question everyone has now, no doubt, who wins the Quibi Battle of the Bands? Can "Weird" Al Yankovic's turn as Ted Nugent be enough to topple Mark Hamill's country crooner Philip Combs singing about King Kong's dong on Darren Criss' Royalties? My guess is no, but never deny the power of a fake Nuge.

Though Reno 911! initially ended its six-season run back in 2008, comedy justice prevailed, and Quibi made the somewhat surprising decision to bring the former Comedy Central series back for more of the off-kilter goofiness that even earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. (It's actually two if you count Kerri Kenney-Silver's personal nom.) While a little older now, the core ensemble is just as dedicated and spot-on as ever, even when the impeccable Thomas Lennon's Dangle is stealing scenes in his short-shorts.

Reno 911! dropped three episodes for its midseason premiere on Quibi on Monday, August 24, with new episodes releasing daily until Season 7 is complete. Instead of thinking about having to say goodbye again, though, you can stream the original run of episodes on CBS All Access, and then check out our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to keep track of all the other shows hitting the small screen in the coming months.

After 50 years at the forefront of animated monster-debunking and ghoul-thwarting, Scooby-Doo is getting a brand new series, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? The Boomerang exclusive recalls the guest star era of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, only with its bevy of stars coming from the world of current entertainment (and fiction), including Kevin Conroy's Batman! Check out the brand new trailer below and see how many famous faces you can recognize, and then stick around for even more images.

The only problem with this trailer and/or concept? Saying "G-G-G-Gervais!" wouldn't work as well as "G-G-G-Ghost." But I guess that's more of an issue with letter sounds than with Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Otherwise, everything is exactly as it should be!

The minute-long trailer packs in the guest stars, both real-world ones and those from the annals of fiction. We've got Wonder Woman, as voiced by Justice League Action's own Amazonian princess portrayer Rachel Kimsey, and Sherlock Holmes, as voiced by Dragon Ball Z vet Ian James Corlett. (Fun fact, maybe: Corlett voiced Martin Fenwick in Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century.)

2019 Netflix Premiere Schedule: Dates For New And Returning Shows

Then there are all big names from the non-animated world. Pop star Sia is here to hopefully not lose any hair over the ghost-hunting. Houston Rockets beast Chris Paul is dribbling hot dogs, which makes about as much sense as anything else. The aforementioned comedian Ricky Gervais also lends his voice and comedic stylings to Scooby and the gang. (Where is Karl Pilkington, though?!?) There's also funny-woman Wanda "Big Deal" Sykes, the ghost of Abraham Lincoln (voiced by Futurama's John DiMaggio) and more!

Now let's take a look at some of the faces that didn't pop up in the trailer.

Such as Batman, with the iconic Kevin Conroy reprising the role first made famous on Batman: The Animated Series. And this version of the Dark Knight even looks like he stepped from the frames of the classic animated show.

On perhaps the completely opposite end of the heroic spectrum is Steve Urkel, which is perhaps the most inexplicable guest star in this whole shebang. Did Scooby-Doo And Guess Who? do that? Yes, yes it did. So did Jaleel White, who is reprising the Family Matters role that made him a superstar in the 1990s. And what's that? Is that Urkel-Bot? This show thought of everything!

You know what they always say: "You can't solve a good Mystery Inc. case without the likes of Saturday Night Live's Kenan Thompson." I'm not sure who "they" are in this case, but their prophecies have come true, with the All That vet showing up at some point in the season. Something tells me Scooby and Shaggy would be very interested in stopping by a Good Burger restaurant.

Last, but definitely not least, Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? will be bringing parody maestro "Weird" Al Yancovic to its first season. He's being chased by a dino-looking creature in his first image, which obviously recalls his song "Jurassic Park," which aped the Richard Harris track "MacArthur Park."

Yankovic, who used to have his own children's show, hopefully got to add to his episode's musical soundscape. Maybe he and Sia are in the same episode, and they get a duet. Would that be any stranger than them being on a Scooby-Doo show in the first place?

Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? will be the first of the titular character's series to debut on the Boomerang streaming service, with the two previous series having called Cartoon Network a home. And theoretically, the star-studded animated series should be enough to get a decent-sized crowd to join Boomerang as first-time members.

Escape the drudgeries of the miserable and celebrity-free summer heat by tuning into Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? when it debuts on Boomerang on Thursday, June 27.

Quirky satellite cable network IFC has been home to plenty of unusual programming over the years, ranging from original comedies a la Portlandia, to popular films. One of the most fun bits of programming to air on IFC has been late night series Comedy Bang! Bang! which was previously hosted by Scott Aukerman and Kid Cudi. Now, as Kid Cudi steps down, another great bandleader will be stepping in. Weird Al Yankovic shall bring his luscious locks and comedy stylings to IFC as new co-host of Comedy Bang! Bang!.

According to THR, Weird Al Yankovic is a longtime fan of the show. In fact, he has been a recurring guest on the series throughout its run so far. Fans of the dynamic between Kid Cudi and Scott Aukerman may be disappointed that Cudi is leaving, but there’s no better man in all of showbiz to take his place.

Weird Al Yankovic will be joining Comedy Bang! Bang! as bandleader and co-host for the fifth season. Twenty episodes have been ordered and production has been started, so new episodes are expected to hit the airwaves this spring. The series has already been known for subversively reinventing the late-night talk show scene and has attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood for guest appearances; it should be fun to see how Yankovic will interact with these guests now that he’s an official member of the team at Comedy Bang! Bang!

Check out a clip from the show to see Weird Al Yankovic awesomely jamming out on the accordion – yes, the accordion – with Reggie Watts and Jack Black:

For those of us who can’t help but want more of Weird Al Yankovic ASAP now that news of him joining a show has been released, the wait until spring could be rough. Luckily, Yankovic has recently released yet another comedy album. Called Mandatory Fun, it has become the first comedy album in history to debut at the top of the Billboard chart. He’s been a busy man since the first national release of a single back in 1979, what with all of the Grammy-winning and record-setting that he’s managed as a singer/songwriter. We’re just lucky that he has the time to join a show in a regular gig.

Of course, Comedy Bang! Bang! won’t be the first time that Weird Al Yankovic has a regular gig on a show. He starred in The Weird Al Show back in 1997. As The Weird Al Show aired on Saturday mornings on CBS for only a single season of thirteen episodes, we can count on his stint on Comedy Bang! Bang! being more successful…and probably much funnier.

Throughout his decades long career, Weird Al Yankovic has made a career mocking all of the musical trends pop music's had to throw at us. With his Mandatory Fun tour coming to a polka bar near you, he's decided to go for the gold and parody one of 2014's best pictures. Watch as "Weird Al Gets Whiplashed!"

Thanks to College Humor, we're able to see Weird Al trot out a classic method of promotion he's used for quite some time now. As ruthless as J.K. Simmons' Fletcher Henderson is, he still isn't safe from the razor sharp mockery of Weird Al. The only difference is that this time, Al's going to have to dodge a little more than some casually thrown shade from Coolio. That being said, Al gives as good as he gets in this fictional brawl between himself and the merciless musical instructor.

Now for those of you not so familiar with Al's previous shtick of the same variety, you can watch his "interview" with Avril Lavigne, circa the beginning of her career, in the video below.

While his previous interviews have been pretty goofy, and easily pegged as using pre-existing B-roll to his comedic advantage, this usage of Whiplash nearly looks as though they might have gotten J.K. Simmons to come in and film some material for them. It isn't until the end that you can clearly see that the gag is nothing more than the usual self insertion of Al into somewhere he doesn't technically belong. Whether this is a testament to the editing of the College Humor team, or the Whiplash crew for making a quality product that happens to be easily edited, the video does a good job of blurring the fourth wall between Al and his subject.

This is far from the first time that Weird Al Yankovic has dipped into the movie world - though hasn't actually made a film since 1989's cult classic U.H.F. - which in addition to being a funny film in and of itself, houses hysterical movie parodies like Conan The Librarian and Gandhi II. While his big screen days may be behind him, however, the musical well hasn't dried up by a long shot, and Al's albums are a pleasant reminder of the fads we've had to endure in the years between his projects. Still, with videos like this, it'd be nice to hold out hope for at least one more Weird Al movie, whether it continues where U.H.F left off – or if it's something altogether new.

Whiplash is in theaters now, with a Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release set for February 24th. Mandatory Fun is available wherever fine music is found.

In the coming weeks, audiences will be inundated with commercials relating to shopping for the holidays. A few companies put out promotional ads extremely early this year, and of those 2014 holiday commercials, there are a few that have really stood out. Take a look at our favorite picks for 2014 holiday commercials so far. And as usual, let us know if there are any you think we missed!

There’s probably no cuter celebrity couple than Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, who postponed their marriage in support of their gay friends’ right to marry and even got a sloth for a birthday celebration once. Samsung knows how cool those two are, and enlisted the happy couple to put together a holiday commercial following a day putting up impressive Christmas decorations—made easier with a ton of Samsung devices, of course. Bonus points for the matching ugly Christmas sweaters.

RadioShack “Toyland”

RadioShack is selling drones, robot toys and much, much more for the holidays. To make sure you have a good idea of the company’s wares, they hired smash hit music artist Weird Al to sing a brand new holiday jingle about everything you can purchase at RadioShack! There’s fake snow, new holiday music and lots of crazy faces from Weird Al Yankovic. Hell, even the tagline is great: “The holidays are getting weird at RadioShack. And by weird we mean awesome. And by awesome we mean get up to 50% off all smart gifts.” Keep breaking the internet, Weird Al.

Glade, “Feel Anticipation with Kevin Ross”

Christmas carols abound this time of year, but who doesn’t love a little music-based holiday cheer? Glade’s certainly a fan, and this year the company signed on Motown musician Kevin Ross to sing a rocking and pleasant holiday tune promoting the Glade scent “sparkling spruce.” Okay, the actual promotion is a bit of a stretch, but the song’s still pretty sweet.

Kmart “Not A Christmas Commercial”

Unlike a lot of the highly emotional Christmas Commercials, this year Kmart has brought us an unabashedly snarky and clever marketing promotion “not” advocating for Christmas shopping or holiday deals. Instead the ad—which came out this fall—tells buyers that if they are planning for a big event like “maybe your entire family is having a birthday on the same day” to hop on over to Kmart for some great steals. Hilariously, in the background we see Yule logs, elves and one giant-ass Christmas tree. Well played, Kmart, well played.

John Lewis “#MontyThePenguin”

Alright, CinemaBlend is admittedly a US-based site and there are no John Lewis locations anyway near our writers. However, we all agree that John Lewis produces some killer holiday ads, and 2014 is no exception. This year, the company’s holiday ad tells the tale of a young boy who has a penguin as a best friend. However, his penguin buddy wants a female penguin in his life. On Christmas day, he might just get his wish in this touching commercial that admittedly made me tear up a little when I first watched it. Seriously, that’s a company that knows exactly who they are marketing to.

Coca-Cola “Happy Holidays From Coca-Cola”

Alright, Coca-Cola has been a pro at holiday ads for quite a long time. Christmas cheer is old hat at this point, but that doesn’t make the soda company’s 2014 effort any less valid. Set to Jimmy Durante’s “Make Someone Happy,” the classic commercial features Santa’s workshop and a few random gestures of kindness from everyday individuals. The tagline “give a little happiness.” This may not be Coke’s best output ever, but man that company is a marketing machine when it puts together heartwarming ads for the holidays.

Stella Artois “Give Beautifully”

By now, everyone’s seen the Stella Artois commercial with the old-timey piano explaining the company’s roots in Leuven, Belgium. The beer is named after a Christmas star, so this is the prime time of year for the company to advertise, and this year’s cute little “this is how we got the star” story doesn’t disappoint. However, what makes the Stella Artois commercial this year so spectacular is that all of the props were later gifted to people around the globe. The video below, which explains where the Christmas lights ended up, is really great. Stella Artois isn’t just pushing beer when the company says “give beautifully.”

Advertising often amps up during the holidays, with companies shelling out plenty of money to get people to spend, spend, spend. RadioShack is not immune to holiday commercials, but on the bright side they smoothly hired comedic singer Weird Al Yankovic for a strange but excellent holiday ad. Check it out below.

In the commercial, a woman stops in to RadioShack to ask the friendly salesmen about drone heliquads. She seems a bit out of her element in the store, but luckily, Weird Al is behind the counter and he’s about to tell her all about the robot toys available during the holidays. There’s fake snow and plenty of forced energy! Then Weird Al walks the customer through the store, showing her a variety of pretty electronics including toys and camera equipment for her kids and other, stranger, family members (like Bob, who lives at home even though he is in his forties). The man even has a glove for the Parrot Drone to land on. He’s thought of everything!

The song sounds like it is a bit of a spoof of composer Victor Herbert’s famous “Toyland” song composed for the operetta Babes in Toyland, but it’s actually the perfect tune for RadioShack’s big advertisement, which boasts an equally kitschy tagline.

I’m not sure if the ad will help RadioShack with its sagging sales and sad employment outlook, but at least it gives its audience a little holiday cheer.

Honestly, it was extremely smart to hire Weird Al for the gig. The veteran funny singer has been up to some crazy shenanigans lately. His 14th and possibly final album, Mandatory Fun, came out back in July of this year, and immediately started crushing. It’s the man’s first #1 studio album in the US during his career, and “Word Crimes,” based on the Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams song “Blurred Lines,” became his first #1 hit in years. People like the album, and it’s put Weird Al back in the spotlight, leading him into some weird enterprise—like creating spoof songs for this year’s Emmy Awards and now singing about RadioShack.

More holiday ads should take a note from RadioShack and employ Weird Al. We’d certainly be paying attention.

When Weird Al Yankovic's UHF was released back in 1989, the idea of doing a sequel was rather preposterous, given the film's underwhelming performance at the box office. But now that the movie is considered a cult hit, does that mean there's a chance that we could ever see UHF 2? While some fans might want the answer to that question to be "yes," the movie's writer and star is serving up up a hot plate of disappointment.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of UHF's release, Weird Al Yankovic sat down to talk about the film's legacy with Yahoo!, and towards the end of the conversation the idea of a sequel was pitched to the famed comedy singer/songwriter. But while Yankovic does have fond memories of the production and the movie itself, it turns out the idea of UHF 2 isn't something that he is necessarily personally interested in. Said the artist,

This is news that one can imagine that will get a mixed reaction from fans. On the one hand, unnecessary sequels are some of the worst movies being produced in Hollywood, and if there's no real creative motivation behind it you really don't want UHF 2 ruining the legacy of UHF (a legitimately fantastic movie). That being said, the meta humor of Weird Al's film was years ahead of its time, and if put into the context of the internet age, a sequel with the same kind of spirit could be absolutely brilliant.

The best news in all of this, though, is the fact that Weird Al Yankovic isn't entirely over being part of Hollywood. It doesn't sound like there's anything specifically in the works right now, but never say never. Earlier this year he successfully rejuvenated his music career, so who is to say that he can't do the same with Hollywood?

While we sit and patiently wait for Weird Al to make another movie, I would recommend heading over to the Yahoo! interview to read some fun behind the scenes stories about the movie - and go to Page Two to watch a montage of some of UHF's best clips:

If you've been on Facebook or Twitter the past couple of weeks, you've likely been inundated by friends and family posting vids of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Of course, celebs have been getting in on the game too. So we've rounded up our favorites of these vids, toasting those who made their charity driving a joy to us all.

The rules of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge are essentially 1) Confess who nominated you 2) Dump a bucket of ice water over your head 3) Call out three people to take the challenge in the next 24 hours. 4) Donate money to The ALS Association, which is fighting to cure the world of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, A.K.A. Lou Gehrig's disease. Sources vary on whether dumping ice water on yourself excuses you from donating money, but it's a good cause. So regardless of the house rules, just do it if/when you are challenged.

Some of our favorite celebs have not only taken the challenge, but they brought their own spin to it. Here's our must-sees.

Tom Hiddleston

First up, The Avengers star and fangirl sex symbol Tom Hiddleston's video, which is awesome on three counts. 1) His wardrobe choice basically makes this a wet t-shirt contest where we all win. 2) He did in slo-mo to give us all time to savor his sacrifice (and abs). 3) He challenged fellow crushable stars Luke Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch. So he paid it forward, basically.

Taylor Swift

Go big or go home. Several celebs brought their family/friends/entourage/back-up dancers into the challenge, but pop star Taylor Swift donated $100 to ALS for each of the peeps in her vid. She not only showed the cold hard cash, but then got wet and wild in this short and sweet vid that co-stars actress/model Jaime King.

LeBron James

Now onto "King James." At 6'8", Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James is a big, macho man. But throw a big bucket of freezing water on him when he's only got his skivvies to protect him, and hear him scream like a child! Good on you, LeBron. And bonus bravado points for nominating President Obama.

Weird Al

Doing James one better is Weird Al Yankovic. The funny music man who has a massive hit on his hands with his new album Mandatory Fun got silly with his vid, then breaks the fourth wall to challenge President Obama, the Dalai Lama, and the Pope. As the "Tacky" singer says, "Your move guys!"

Post by Chris Pratt.

Chris Pratt

But the best of them all comes from our hero of the summer, Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt. We love him, and here he just gives us more cause. Just watch. We dare not spoil.

You can donate to ALS here.

Did we miss your favorite? Sound off below!

If I could go back in time to when I was a young boy and tell myself that I would be a 31-year-old adult still semi-obsessed with the career of parody extraordinaire “Weird Al” Yankovic, I would give myself the biggest high five. (Or I might think I was a clone now.) His 14th and perhaps final album, the insta-classic Mandatory Fun, was released to a rabid public today, so we thought it’d be a great time to look back on Weird Al’s fondness for the boob tube and present his ten most memorable treks into the world of television.

We’ll go in chronological order to avoid me just jamming all of my favorites up top. It’s quite a capsule of TV’s evolution over the years, from the golden age of sitcoms to cable infomercials. One has to wonder if Netflix and Hulu could possibly exist in a world where they haven’t been humorously jabbed by mankind’s most successful comedic musician. Perhaps a House of Cards riff, with Kevin Spacey singing backup? Anyway, get those hands ready to start clapping.

Ricky

If you or your child is a generation or two removed from the era in which Lucille Ball was the fire-headed queen of comedy – and repeats just don’t do it for you – Weird Al’s self-titled 1983 debut album started off with the only refresher course you’ll ever need. Tony Basil’s 1981 bopper hit “Mickey” is one of the most insufferable songs I’ll ever know, yet it somehow becomes infinitely more tolerable once "Ricky" puts it in the context of an I Love Lucy episode, even with the hammy impersonations. (Fun fact: that’s the legendary voiceover actress Tress MacNeille as Lucy.)

The Brady Bunch

Though the title may have you believe that this is Weird Al’s love poem to the 1970s' most gee-golly blended family, this "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D song is actually about how much he’d rather watch anything but The Brady Bunch. Spoofing the synth-filled “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats, "The Brady Bunch" slowly narrows its focus to the series itself – its second verse is the theme song – but I like to think he’s just going insane rather than showing reverence. It felt like that show would never leave syndication, so I get how he feels.

Cable TV

This Dare to be Stupid track is an amazing trip back to the days before satellite came along and TV became the journey of 1,000 channels. These were the early days of 24-hour crap, and the song narrator loves it, championing midget wrestling, faith healing and Mr. Wizard. (Why isn’t that on Blu-ray yet?) One has to smile at the notion of putting a giant 1980s satellite dish into a car trunk to watch MTV while driving. Now, it’s quite easy to watch anything while driving, though MTV is nothing like it was in 1985.

Here’s Johnny

I completely forgot about the Polka Party! track “Here’s Johnny,” a loving and admiring ode to Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon. It’s a parody of the El DeBarge song “Who’s Johnny,” a 1980s radio staple that also served as the theme for the movie Short Circuit, which had completely overshadowed my memory of Weird Al’s version. It’s a pretty creepy song almost 30 years after it was written, with chills going down the narrator’s spine every time McMahon says the titular line. The 1980s were dark times for everyone.

Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies

While this spoof of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” was popular enough at the time, it came from Weird Al’s widely-panned 1989 cinematic debut UHF. (He wrote and starred, while Jan Levey directed.) The film, currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, has rightfully become a cult classic in the years since. And at least to me, this song and video are both more enjoyable than watching the TV or the film version of The Beverly Hillbillies. Now if they would go back and animate the original episodes in this block style…

I Can't Watch This

In 1992, Weird Al parodied MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This,” and rather than glorifying TV’s biggest offenders, he claims that it’s all crap. Off the Deep End’s “I Can’t Watch This” slams shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos (which is still on the air) and Twin Peaks (which should be back on the air) and pokes fun at infomercials and Judge Wopner. We’d prefer to not draw much attention to him wanting Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert to sit on their thumbs, though I do wonder what this song's narrator would have thought about Richard Roeper.

Bedrock Anthem

1993’s Alapalooza saw Weird Al taking on the Red Hot Chili Peppers with the Flintstones-centered “Bedrock Anthem,” which was featured on the film adaptation. (And was, no surprise, the best part of that mess.) The song, which combines both “Under the Bridge” and “Give it Away Now,” is great and clever and all, but this Yankovic-directed video is the stuff of legend, as it apes the Chili Peppers’ odd visuals and throws them into the world of Bedrock. Peanut butter and jelly rarely go together this well.

Syndicated, Inc.

With the somber melody of Soul Asylum’s “Misery” as its guide, the Bad Hair Day track “Syndicated Inc.” sees Weird Al copping to his addiction to his TV, watching everything from The Munsters to Live with Regis and Kathy Lee. (No wonder he’s losing his sanity.) It’s a groovy song that partly reflects the life of a TV writer, only with non-current shows like Dynasty getting attention. You’ll notice he makes no mention of The Brady Bunch, so he must have gotten some help after that song came out.

Jerry Springer

Forget about God creating rocks so big that he can’t move them. Can Weird Al somehow over-parody a subject that is itself already a hyperbolic parody? He’s a professional, so he comes as close as humanly possible. Case in point: Running With Scissors’ “Jerry Springer,” an absurdity-filled spoof of the Barenaked Ladies hit “One Week.” He doesn’t really present any situations that are beyond the scope of the trash-fest that is The Jerry Springer Show, using transvestites and cheaters as examples of the show’s key guest stereotypes. I don’t miss hearing “One Week,” nor do I miss Jerry Springer’s apex of pop culturedom, so this one is kind of a wash for me.

Couch Potato

As a hip-hop fan, I love it when Weird Al takes on rap songs. Few rappers are more intimidating to copy than Eminem, yet the “Lose Yourself” parody “Couch Potato” is amazingly fluid and gives Weird Al the chance to tackle a slew of TV’s most popular trends, channels and shows, like Da Ali G Show, that undertaker show and Touched By an Uncle. Wait, that last one’s not real…yet. The video above was taken from The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and proves that even in a live format, Weird Al’s chops have only gotten stronger as his career has gone on.

The Weird Al Show Theme

Hey, it’s a bonus eleventh entry! This was the theme for the short-lived CBS series The Weird Al Show, and it's just as fun and zany as anything else he’s recorded over the years. Plus, it’s a fine return to Claymation that Weird Al first experienced in the “Jurassic Park” video from Alapalooza.

Now go celebrate Weird Al Week and buy Mandatory Fun!

It’s a big week for fans of the Grammy-winning parodist “Weird Al” Yankovic, as his 14th and potentially final album has hit stores and digital retailers. (As if any week of Weird Al fandom isn’t a big one.) In promoting Mandatory Fun, his first release in three years, the viral-ready musician is putting out eight videos over eight days, starting with yesterday’s “Tacky”, the “Jack Black wearing a fanny pack” spoof of Pharrell’s “Happy.” Today, he went with another song that seemed like it would never leave radio stations, Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” and he thankfully turned it from a rape-light song of submissiveness to a diatribe against numbskulls who fail to grasp this thing called the English language. It’s called “Word Crimes,” and it’s one of Weird Al’s greatest videos yet!

Seriously, I probably spend around 65% of my social media time internally banging my head at the rampant misuse of words and phrases, especially on the character-limited Twitter. And it’s even worse when seeing “its/it’s” errors and “who/whom” malfunctions in actual news stories and other publications. It’s like the video says, some of this foolish lexicon behavior is fine for a seven-year-old, but any self-respecting adult should have enough education to confidently put words into text documents without making their spellchecker suicidal.

While most Weird Al songs, like “Albuquerque” and “I Want a New Duck,” are fun and strangely timeless, they don’t really offer the brain much to chew on; but “Word Crimes” should be required daily viewing for all Americans. (What petition do I need to sign?) If nothing else is taken away from this video by the majority of those of watch it, let’s try to make it necessary to understand the very easy difference between irony and coincidence – if you heard this song on the same day that you bought a book about grammar, IT’S NOT IRONY! – and to stop using the word “literally” when it’s not needed. That kind of error figuratively makes smoke come out of my ears, but literally makes me want to pull people’s tongues out of their skulls. Dare to be stupid, sure, but know your limits.

Beyond the subject matter, this is a really well put together video. I’m not normally a fan of words taking over the screen in a music video, but it’s all delivered in such a smooth and pleasing way here, and in almost every kind of writing, typing and documenting situation I can imagine. Is there a Font Award we can give this thing? We can have this evil Microsoft Office Clippit present it.

Have you guys run out and bought Mandatory Fun yet? Tell us how you liked it, and stay tuned for more Weird Al videos over the next week.

He’s the guy with more curls in his hair than there are quotation marks in his name. He’s the guy who went from playing the accordion in his bedroom to being the premiere parody musician on the planet. (And yes, that’s a good thing.) He is the incomparable ”Weird Al” Yankovic, and years of adamant anticipation for more of his pop-skewing masterpieces have paid off in spades with the arrival of his new video, “Tacky,” which not only pokes fun at Pharrell’s insanely popular hit “Happy,” but also the neverending stream of society’s most terrible trends. Crocs and Instagrammed food pictures will be mankind’s least remembered obsessions.

“Tacky” premiered on the Al-friendly website Nerdist, whose own Chris Hardwick co-produced the video. Shot on location in and around L.A.’s Palace Theater – which you may recognize from The Big Lebowski – “Tacky” doesn’t even focus on Yankovic for all that long, instead bringing in a handful of comedy stars to lip sync and flashdance their way through ginormous multicolored fashion faux pas. The lineup includes Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho, Eric Stonestreet, Kristen Schaal and Jack Black, all of whom deliver energetic performances in the extended single-shot take. I kind of need Schaal's shirt in my life.

But I’ll leave Jack Black's backward sequined fanny packs to civilization’s most cultured specimen.

You wouldn’t think a song based on awfulness like wearing socks with sandals would be quite this catchy, but that’s what “Weird Al” and his band are best at. It’s no surprise that their writing process for the less-nuanced releases involves a good deal of culminating things – look at all of his glorious food songs – and they pulled out all the stops here, making fun of resumes printed in Comic Sans font, asking women if they’re pregnant or fat, and taking selfies at funerals. Wave of the present, people!

“Tacky” is only the first video to come from “Weird Al” this week, as he’s promoting the July 15 release of his new (and possibly final) album Mandatory Fun by putting out eight music videos over the next eight days. He’ll also be taking part in a Reddit AMA on July 15, giving fans the ultimate excuse to do nothing but experience “Weird Al” all day long! Beyond “Happy,”Mandatory Fun will send up songs like Lorde’s “Royals,” Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” while featuring non-specific parodies of the musical stylings of The Pixies, Foo Fighters and Cat Stevens. It’s never that fun for me (mandatory or otherwise) when I absolutely despise all of the songs “Weird Al” covers, but I’ll suck it up if they make me laugh like “Tacky” did.

Have you pre-ordered your copy of Mandatory Fun yet?

May the 4th be with you! Well, almost anyway. In anticipation of Star Wars Day, CollegeHumor put together a little "audition" session to fill a coveted spot in the cantina band. The artists who try out are all very familiar... "Chris Darthtry"? "Lliz Ph'Air"? "Muark Mcccccccccc' Wrath"? Where have we heard these names before?

Not only did CollegeHumor actually work with Disney and Lucasfilm on the Star Wars cantina set for this video, but as you probably noticed, they also enlisted the talents of a number of artists for the project, including Chris Daughtry, Ben Folds, Liz Phair, Reggie Watts, Mark McGrath, Jordin Sparks, Rick Springfield, Weird Al Yankovic, Lisa Loeb and mc chris.

While Liz Phair protested the galactic war, Lisa Loeb showed up with an extra eye (tucked behind her thick-rimmed three-eyed glasses). Rick Springfield showed up with the Force(field) on his side. And Jordin Sparks went into American Intergalactic Idol-mode.

CH also released a bunch of bonus footage, showing extended cuts of some of the auditions. Because you know you want to hear more of Stormtrooper Ben Folds' bluesy song about killing an Ewok ("You're a monster!")...

Thursday is wet armor night. Or it was, until people started getting too wet.

And here's mc chris trying to prove he's really Boba Fett...

Reggie Watts, Mark McGrath and Liz Phair also got bonus videos, but there doesn't appear to be anything extra for the former Idols (Daughtry and Jordan Sparks) or Rick Forcefield.

Also left out of the bonus round is Weird Al, but there is this oldie but goodie, the "The Saga Begins," Weird Al's Episode I parody, set to "American Pie," originally featured on his Running with Scissors album.

Get the latest on Star Wars: Episode VII here.

May the 4th be with you this Sunday!

Johnny Cash got one. Ray Charles got one. So why the hell has it taken so long for "Weird Al" Yankovic to get his own bio-pic?

Funny or Die has struck again with Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, a trailer for a film featuring the long-ignored path of alcohol and food parodies from the most famous accordion player on Earth. In true Funny or Die exclusive fashion, they have once again managed to wrangle a bunch of top names to appear, including Aaron Paul in the lead role, Gary Cole and Mary Steenburgen as Mr. and Mrs. Yankovic, Olivia Wilde as Madonna, and Patton Oswalt as fellow parody song writer Dr. Demento. Throw in a cameo from the weird man himself, and you have to wonder why he isn't doing this instead of his next project.

Check out the video below.

This is going to make me look like a HUGE nerd, but I'm going to admit it anyway: I have enjoyed the work of Weird Al Yankovic ever since I first heard "Amish Paradise" when I was in middle school. I like "Fat," "Lump," "Smells Like Nirvana," and "White & Nerdy." I've spent more hours than I'm willing to admit watching UHF. It is for this reason that I am ecstatic that he's making a new movie.

Weird Al himself took to his blog to make the announcement, both revealing his plans and giving himself a rather pushy personal Q&A session. It's all part of the Cartoon Network deal announced yesterday. But the deal is apparently for much more than just television programming. Also involved is a feature film. Here's how Weird Al broke down the basic details without giving much away.

1) He is writing the script, which is now in its third draft, though it hasn't been green-lit yet.

2) He will be directing the film.

3) It is not a sequel to UHF (Dammit)

4) It is not about Winston Churchill (Dammit)

5) He will not star, rather it will most likely a teenager. Instead, he will just be "making an appearance."

6) The earliest that production will begin is in the Fall after he is done touring.

That's all we know for now, so I'm leaving you with Wheel of Fish. Don't be stupid like Weaver. Always stick with the red snapper. Feel free to abuse me in the comments section.

Been wondering what Weird Al’s been up to lately? It seems he’s got a deal with Cartoon Network in the works and though he’s been ironing out the details for a while now, he was finally allowed to announce the project he’ll be doing for the network.

It seems he’s been busy over the last couple of years trying to work out a production deal with Cartoon Network. Below is an excerpt from the blog entry he posted today:

Yankovic went on to say that he’s on the third draft of the script. It won’t be a sequel to UHF, nor will it be a documentary about Winston Churchill. He also said he won’t be starring in it but plans to make an appearance in the film, which will most likely center on a teenager, and that he’ll be directing.

Weird Al Yankovic starred in the comedy film UHF back in 1989 and while he’s known for that, I think many of us associate him more with the many musical parodies he’s done over the years. Any true child of the ‘80’s surely sang along to songs like “Fat” and “Eat It” (sung to the tunes of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” and “Beat It.”) Later on it was “Amish Paradise” (a spoof of Coolio’s “Gangstas Paradise”) and one of my own personal favorites, “The Saga Begins,” wherein he turned Don McLean’s “American Pie” into a recap of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

He’s done other stuff since then but I’m pretty sure the last time I’ve seen Weird Al in anything was a production video for Ben Folds’ song “Time.” Al sang backup in that song.

It’ll be interesting to see what comes of the film he’s doing for Cartoon Network.

In the meantime, here's the video for "The Saga Begins." I don't know about anyone else but I'm pretty sure Al's version of Episode I's better than the actual movie.

And here's Amish Paradise. Go ahead and party like it's 1699: