Streaming May 24 and Broadcasting
June 21, New Series Showcases Six
Comedians Located in Diverse Regions Across the U.S. Telling the
'Stories Behind the Laughs'
LOS
ANGELES, April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- PBS
SoCal, Southern California's
flagship PBS station, announced today a new comedy-documentary
series ROOTS OF COMEDY WITH JESUS TREJO. Part comedy, part social
commentary, part travelogue, the series follows the host,
Mexican-American comedian Jesus
Trejo, as he embarks on an emotional odyssey and telling the
"stories behind the laughs," revealing how the most memorable
comedy traces back to the roots of a community with themes that are
central to the series. Along his journey, Trejo visits six U.S.
regions (Denver, Portland, Minneapolis, Austin, Los
Angeles and Chinle,
Arizona) where he meets with six rising comedians who
explore the mosaic of our nation through the lens of stand-up
comedy. The six episode series with 30-minute episodes is executive
produced by Jesus Trejo,
Juan Devis and Danny Lee, and co-produced for PBS by PBS SoCal
and BIPOC-production studio CALICO in association with the National
Multicultural Alliance. A special early release of all six episodes
of ROOTS OF COMEDY WITH JESUS TREJO will stream for free on the PBS
app and PBS.org starting Fri., May
24. The series will also be available to stream on the PBS
YouTube channel, following the television broadcast premiere on PBS
stations across the country on Fri., June
21 at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT.
"Our hope is that ROOTS OF COMEDY WITH
JESUS TREJO will spark conversation and inspire viewers," explained
PBS SoCal Chief Content Officer Tamara
Gould.
Host and Executive Producer Jesus Trejo is a Los Angeles-based comedian, actor and writer.
Born and raised in Long Beach,
Trejo's first hour stand-up special "Stay at Home Son" recently
premiered on Showtime. He is currently a Staff Writer on Hulu's
"This Fool" and also the host of "Tacos Con Todo," a web series in
which he navigates the LA taco scene with celebrity guests. Also an
author of two upcoming children's books, Trejo was named in
"Variety's Top 10 Comics to Watch" in 2017 and is a paid regular at
the Comedy Store in Los
Angeles.
"No matter where you live or what your beliefs are, our love of
laughter is something we all have in common," commented
Jesus Trejo. "Laughter opens our
ears and our hearts--and once people are listening, who knows what
they might be inspired to do?"
"Our hope is that ROOTS OF COMEDY WITH JESUS TREJO will spark
conversation and inspire viewers," explained PBS SoCal Chief
Content Officer Tamara Gould. "With
the series' unique ability to blend levity, reality and education
on multiple platforms, our goal is that viewers will find some of
the nation's toughest challenges a little more accessible, allowing
audiences to connect more deeply with their own communities."
ROOTS OF COMEDY WITH JESUS TREJO episodes are slated to air as
follows (subject to change):
"Ali Sultan" Premieres on Fri., June
21 at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT
In Minneapolis, Jesus Trejo meets Yemeni comedian Ali Sultan. Ali opens up about his mental health
struggles, weaving humor and vulnerability into a narrative of
resilience and self-discovery, highlighting how comedy has helped
his well-being.
"Vanessa Gonzalez" Premieres on Fri.,
June 21 at 10:30 p.m. ET/
9:30 p.m. CT
Jesus Trejo follows Austin-based rising comedian Vanessa Gonzalez on a Texan adventure back to
her hometown of Laredo. Vanessa
shares the humor of her childhood as the daughter of
first-generation, Mexican American border patrol agents.
"Eeland Stribling" Premieres on Fri.,
June 28 at 10 p.m. ET/
9 p.m. CT
Jesus Trejo travels to Denver to meet a comic whose life on the river
is as important as his life on stage. Eeland Stribling strives to find true life
balance in the outdoors of Colorado where he often calls on his
experience as a wildlife biologist.
"Tatanka Means" Premieres on Fri., June
28 at 10:30 p.m. ET/
9:30 p.m. CT
Exploring Chinle, Arizona,
Jesus Trejo connects with Native
American comic and actor Tatanka
Means. Tatanka delves into his upbringing on the
reservation, using humor to illuminate the enduring challenges
faced by Indigenous communities nationwide.
"Adam Pasi" Premieres on Fri., July
5 at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT
In Portland, Jesus Trejo meets Samoan comedian Adam Pasi. The only ever two-time winner of
Portland's Funniest Person
competition, Adam takes Jesus behind the scenes, showcasing the
grind it takes to become a successful comic while performing for
his parents for the first time.
"Sierra Katow" Premieres on Fri., July
5 at 10:30 p.m. ET/
9:30 p.m. CT
In Los Angeles, Jesus Trejo embraces the hometown vibe, teaming
up with actor/comedian Sierra Katow.
A fourth-generation Chinese and Japanese American, Sierra and Jesus
together weave culture, history and humor against the vibrant
tapestry of L.A.
The comedians to be included in the series are as follows (in
alphabetical order by last name):
- Vanessa Gonzalez – Austin, TX – In 2022, Vanessa Gonzalez was named one of "Variety's Top
10 Comics to Watch" and she was just voted this year's "Best
Stand-Up Comic in Austin" by The
Austin Chronicle for the second year in a row. She's been featured
on TruTV's "Laff Mobb's Laff Tracks," HBO's "Entre Nos" and Comedy
Central's "Stand-Up Presents" as well as "A Little Late with
Lilly Singh." You can currently
catch her on "Comedy Chingonas" on Max, "This Joka" on the Roku
Channel and performing live opening for Chelsea Handler on the 2023 "Little Big Bitch
Tour." Gonzalez recently did a guest star role on "Lopez Vs. Lopez"
for NBC. Prior to that she had guested on "The Garcias" for MAX."
Recent work includes her comedy album "My Birthday's Tomorrow" and
her podcast with Micheal Foulk "I'm Not Busy."
- Sierra Katow – Los Angeles, CA – A standup comic, writer, and
actor, Katow recently released her debut comedy special, "Funt,"
with Comedy Dynamics on April 2nd.
She can be seen playing Evangeline on both seasons of Mindy Kaling's "The Sex Lives of College Girls"
on Max. Previously, she starred in "The G Word with Adam Conover" on Netflix and voiced characters
in Disney's "Raya and the Last Dragon." She has been featured on
"Last Comic Standing" (NBC), "Last Call with Carson Daly" (NBC) and "Just For Laughs'
Straight Up Stand Up." Most recently, she was a writer/co-producer
for an unannounced Comedy Central series. In the past, she has
developed projects for FXX and SK Global and written for "Exploding
Kittens" (Netflix), "Close Enough" (Max), "Earth to Ned" (Disney+),
"Eureka!" (Disney+), and more.
- Tatanka Means – Chinle, AZ – Tatanka
Means is an award-winning actor and stand-up comedian. He
represents the Navajo,
Omaha, Ihanktonwan Nations and is
an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. His most recent work
includes FX's critically acclaimed series "Reservation Dogs" and
Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the
Flower Moon." Means stars in the upcoming highly anticipated
Kevin Costner Western epic "Horizon"
and "Wind River: Rising" directed by Kari
Skogland, the sequel to Taylor
Sheridan's acclaimed 2017 film, "Wind River," as well as the
much anticipated A24 horror film, "Opus", alongside Ayo Edebiri and John
Malkovich. Aside from acting, Means performs stand-up comedy
throughout Indian Country spreading laughter and speaking to Native
youth about healthy living and sobriety wellness.
- Adam Pasi – Portland, OR – A Northwest comedy mainstay and
the only ever two-time winner of Helium's annual "Portland's Funniest Person" contest, Pasi is
of Samoan descent and is memorably BIG in all the right ways. His
big and passionately hilarious stances in his comedy, undeniable
charm and personality, intense stage presence and large, loveable
stature make him a memorable performer. He has been featured at
national comedy festivals such as Laughing Skull, Bridgetown, Limestone and the Big Sky Comedy
Festival. Pasi can be recognized from his roles in "Portlandia."
Recently he toured the country with Skweezy Jibbs on the CAPS LOCK
LIVE Tour as well as headlining his own shows.
- Eeland Stribling – Denver, CO – Eeland
Stribling is a wildlife biologist and an outdoor educator.
He's a regular at Comedy Works, the Improv and clubs around the
country. Besides telling jokes and teaching about wildlife, he also
is a fly-fishing legend. Stribling is the creator and owner of
"Comedians On the Fly." He also recently won New Faces at Comedy
Works and was the recipient of the AAWMAD (African-Americans Who
Make A Difference) award in Denver.
- Ali Sultan – Minneapolis, MN – Ali
Sultan is a Yemeni-Ethiopian comedian seen on Comedy
Central's "The Late Show with Stephen
Colbert." He filmed his half-hour comedy special in
Dubai for Comedy
Central Arabia and won the "Best in The Midwest" competition at
Gilda's LaughFest. Sultan's Dry Bar Comedy special has over a
million views on YouTube.
ROOTS OF COMEDY WITH JESUS TREJO is funded by grants from the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Wyncote Foundation and the
Frieda Berlinski Foundation.
The series is co-produced for PBS by PBS SoCal, CALICO and the
National Multicultural Alliance. Jesus
Trejo and Juan Devis
executive produce along with CALICO's Danny
Lee and Justin Yungfleisch as
well as PBS SoCal's Tamara Gould.
The series is directed by Donny
Jackson. Wendy Llinás is the executive in charge for
PBS.
For images and additional up-to-date information on this and
other PBS programs, visit PBS PressRoom
at https://pressroom.pbs.org/programs/r/roots-of-comedy.
Join the conversation on social media using #RootsOfComedyPBS
and tagging @pbs.
Follow us on social at @pbssocal.
About PBS SoCal
PBS SoCal uses the power of public media for good, strengthening
the civic fabric of Southern
California and providing our community with an essential
connection to a wider world. As a local, donor/member-supported
non-profit organization, PBS SoCal manages 7 channels — including 2
primary broadcast channels, PBS SoCal and PBS SoCal Plus as well as
5 digital subchannels. With a commitment to make content available
anytime and anywhere for free, PBS SoCal is reaches nearly
19M viewers in the region with
programming that reflects the diversity of Southern California and showcases the full
schedule of beloved and trusted PBS content spanning Education,
News, Environment and Arts & Culture. PBS SoCal programming is
available to viewers over-the-air, on all key streaming platforms
via the free PBS App and PBS KIDS App. PBS SoCal also sparks the
sharing of ideas at in-person cultural events and community
conversations as well as prepares children for kindergarten and
beyond by bringing bilingual, hands-on learning experiences to the
community for free.
About CALICO
The brainchild of filmmaker Danny
Lee, CALICO is a 100% BIPOC-owned, award-winning production
company dedicated to culturally authentic + impactful storytelling
through inventive filmmaking. In TV + film, CALICO has produced
projects for HBO, Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Showtime, ESPN, PBS,
Uninterrupted, Starz, Spotify, Complex, and more. CALICO is also an
MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) certified company.
About National Multicultural Alliance
The National Multicultural Alliance (NMCA) comprises five distinct
and separate organizations — Black Public Media (BPM), Center for
Asian American Media (CAAM), Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB),
Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), and Vision Maker Media
(VMM). With primary funding from the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting, the NMCA is a leader in the diverse independent film
and digital media field. Having developed and provided production
support for a wealth of broadcast and digital media content for
more than four decades, the NMCA has contributed to the nation's
appreciation of diverse cultures and storytelling. The programs it
supports enjoy multi-platform distribution on PBS, and to schools
and libraries. Its member organizations provide production
training, professional development, and mentorship for the
advancement of filmmakers of color. The NMCA also collaborates on
national series and specials for public media, and it works with
public television stations to launch community engagement
initiatives. For more information,
visit https://nmcalliance.org/.
Media Contact
JP Shields, PBS SoCal, 747-201-5886, JPShields@pbssocal.org,
pbssocal.org
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SOURCE PBS SoCal