The WGA East has penciled in Emmy winner Wanda Sykes for its 2024 Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence. She’ll be presented with the honor during the East Coast presentation of the strike-delayed Writers Guild Awards on April 14 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan.
Sykes, a 17-time Emmy nominee who co-created, writes for and stars on Netflix’s The Upshaws, has nearly 90 films and credits stretching from The Chris Rock Show and The Drew Carey Show and her Wanda at Large to The New Adventures of Old Christine, Black-ish and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Her most recent work includes The Other Two and History of the World: Part II, also writing for the latter.
Her writing credits also include Wanda at Large, The Wanda Sykes Show, Premium Blend, several stand-up specials and the 2002 Oscars.
“Wanda Sykes is a master storyteller with a heart of gold,” Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of WGA East,...
Sykes, a 17-time Emmy nominee who co-created, writes for and stars on Netflix’s The Upshaws, has nearly 90 films and credits stretching from The Chris Rock Show and The Drew Carey Show and her Wanda at Large to The New Adventures of Old Christine, Black-ish and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Her most recent work includes The Other Two and History of the World: Part II, also writing for the latter.
Her writing credits also include Wanda at Large, The Wanda Sykes Show, Premium Blend, several stand-up specials and the 2002 Oscars.
“Wanda Sykes is a master storyteller with a heart of gold,” Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of WGA East,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
“Kevin Can Wait” showrunner Bruce Helford has left the series after just seven episodes have aired, TheWrap has confirmed. Helford is a multi-cam veteran, having created the series “The Drew Carey Show,” “Norm,” “Wanda at Large,” and “George Lopez.” Rob Long will take over on the Kevin James-led CBS sitcom, which recently received a full-season order at the network. Long is best know for his work on “Cheers.” The series opened well in the ratings when it premiered on Sept. 19, drawing 11.1 million viewers and a 2.6 rating. Those numbers have declined sharply over the past six weeks, with Oct....
- 11/2/2016
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
Diversity was the big topic of discussion at the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour panel for HBO’s new comedy “Insecure” on Saturday. Issa Rae, the creator and star of the show, was told that she just may be the first black woman to accomplish that duel success. (It was later recanted; she’s actually the second, after Wanda Sykes‘ “Wanda at Large” 13 years ago.) Rae was asked about how she found her agents and managers in a system that’s famous for its lack of diversity. Also Read: Issa Rae Is 'Insecure' in First Trailer...
- 7/30/2016
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
Hey do you remember Wanda Sykes’ hit sit-com “Wanda at Large”? Yeah, me neither. In the show, produced by Warner Bros Television, premiered on the Fox Network 12 years ago in March 2003 after American Idol, Sykes basically played a variation of herself, a standup comic who is gets a job as a correspondent on a Washington, D.C. political talk show. Needless to say, Wanda's unique outspoken approach turns her bosses and the anchors crazy. Meanwhile on the homefront, Sykes has to deal with her sister-in-law who is living with her while raising two children, one of them played by a very young Jurnee Smollett. And I wasn’t being frivolous when I said it was a hit. It...
- 3/27/2015
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Exclusive: Wanda Sykes Presents Herlarious will air Saturday, July 13 and Saturday, July 20 at 10 Pm on Oprah Winfrey’s Own. The one-hour original comedy specials will be hosted and produced by Sykes and Page Hurwitz’s Push It Prods., in conjunction with Harpo Studios. The shows will be taped in front of a live studio audience at Harpo Studios in Chicago, the former home of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Scheduled to appear are emerging female stand-ups Andi Smith, Gloria Bigelow, Marina Franklin, Tracey Ashley, Carmen Lynch and Dominique Witten. Kym Whitley from Own’s Raising Whitley is among those scheduled for a guest appearance. Sykes also will appear with her guests in a series of comedy shorts that will air throughout each hour. Sykes, Hurwitz and Harpo’s Jill Barancik executive produce. Longtime Sykes collaborators Lance Crouther (Wanda At Large) and Alyson Fouse (The Wanda Sykes Show) are writers on the project.
- 6/7/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Wanda Sykes and Page Hurwitz‘s Push It Prods. has signed a first-look deal with Universal TV’s Alternative Studio to develop and produce non-scripted projects. “We are very excited to be working with NBCUniversal,” said Hurwitz. Added Sykes, “Wait, I thought we were getting The Tonight Show.” Joking aside, Sykes would actually be qualified for that — she hosted and executive produced her own late-night talk show on Fox. She also co-created/executive produced and toplined the Fox comedy series Wanda At Large. Sykes, repped by Wme and attorney Roger Pliakas, is among the top stand-up comedians, with her HBO specials earning multiple Emmy nominations. (She has won three sports Emmys for her work on Inside The NFL.) Hurwitz, repped by Wme and attorney Marc Golden, has a history with NBC — she served as an executive producer on two NBC reality series featuring stand-up comedians, Last Comic Standing and Jerry Seinfeld’s The Marriage Ref.
- 4/18/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
If you’re among the many fans who were heartbroken at the news that iCarly was ending, you’re first break from grieving hits Nick at Nite tomorrow at 8/7c (your second comes at a future date when Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande move to the dual spin-off Sam and Cat).
Hitting the absolute center of the blurry line between Nick and Nick at Nite, Wendell & Vinnie is (in some official, technical sense) reportedly an airing of Nick at Nite, celebrated on the homepage of nickatnite.com, but when you click through to the show’s homepage, you find yourself at nick.com/shows/wendell-and-vinnie.
There’s a certain sense to that, not just because of the timeslot, but because the show itself (insofar as original programming goes) does make it somewhat tricky to point to exactly where Nick at Nite begins and Nick ends. This probably makes even more...
Hitting the absolute center of the blurry line between Nick and Nick at Nite, Wendell & Vinnie is (in some official, technical sense) reportedly an airing of Nick at Nite, celebrated on the homepage of nickatnite.com, but when you click through to the show’s homepage, you find yourself at nick.com/shows/wendell-and-vinnie.
There’s a certain sense to that, not just because of the timeslot, but because the show itself (insofar as original programming goes) does make it somewhat tricky to point to exactly where Nick at Nite begins and Nick ends. This probably makes even more...
- 2/15/2013
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Charlie Sheen's forthcoming sitcom Anger Management now has a showrunner in place, it has been confirmed. Bruce Helford - who has previously created sitcoms for Drew Carey and George Lopez - will serve as lead writer on the show, a co-production from Lionsgate TV, Joe Roth and Evolution Management. Sheen wrote on his official Twitter page that he was "proud to welcome Bruce Helford to Team Sheen". Helford's other previous sitcom credits include Freddie, Wanda at Large and Nikki. He was also executive producer of Roseanne during its fifth season. Anger Management will be loosely based on the 2003 film starring Adam Sandler. It will see Sheen playing (more)...
- 9/23/2011
- by By Kate Goodacre
- Digital Spy
Chicago – Wanda Sykes wants you to know that she still has a mind and a mouth and she’s not afraid to use either. The Emmy Award-winning comedienne known for her work on “The Wanda Sykes Show,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as well as several HBO specials is back on the road after a year that has seen much in the way of personal and professional advances.
After coming out publicly following an anti-Proposition 8 rally in California, Sykes has unleashed an even greater acidity to her already irreverent tongue. The comic recently caught up with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss the accomplishment in producing one’s own talk show, her experience as one of television’s foremost female writers, and why comedy just may be paving the path for equality.
Wanda Sykes.
Photo credit: Coutesy of www.WandaSykes.com
HollywoodChicago: After a year of new shows,...
After coming out publicly following an anti-Proposition 8 rally in California, Sykes has unleashed an even greater acidity to her already irreverent tongue. The comic recently caught up with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss the accomplishment in producing one’s own talk show, her experience as one of television’s foremost female writers, and why comedy just may be paving the path for equality.
Wanda Sykes.
Photo credit: Coutesy of www.WandaSykes.com
HollywoodChicago: After a year of new shows,...
- 6/1/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
After being anceled in 2003, Family Guy was luckily able to come back after strong DVD sales for a fourth season. With a lot riding on the season, Seth MacFarlane and company did not disappoint and are of course still on the air.
Season four was the longest in the show's history with the 27 originally airing and the straight-to-dvd release of Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story later airing as part of the fourth season.
We've put together the largest collection of Family Guy quotes from the season. Here are just some of our favorites:
Peter: Everybody, I got bad news - we've been cancelled.
Lois: Oh, no. Peter, how can they do that?
Peter: Well, unfortunately, Lois, there's just no more room on the schedule. We just gotta accept the fact that Fox has to make room for terrific shows like: Dark Angel, Titus, Undeclared, Action, That 80's Show, Wonderfalls, Fastlane,...
Season four was the longest in the show's history with the 27 originally airing and the straight-to-dvd release of Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story later airing as part of the fourth season.
We've put together the largest collection of Family Guy quotes from the season. Here are just some of our favorites:
Peter: Everybody, I got bad news - we've been cancelled.
Lois: Oh, no. Peter, how can they do that?
Peter: Well, unfortunately, Lois, there's just no more room on the schedule. We just gotta accept the fact that Fox has to make room for terrific shows like: Dark Angel, Titus, Undeclared, Action, That 80's Show, Wonderfalls, Fastlane,...
- 12/2/2009
- by eric@iscribelimited.com (The Barnacle)
- TVfanatic
What's so funny about a warehouse that the government stores its top secrets? Viewers will apparently find out as the SciFi Channel's new executive producer Jack Kenny is named showrunner for "Warehouse 13" as it begins production of its first season. Kenny, a producer on such series such as "Caroline in the City," "Titus" and "Wanda At Large," will take on his second project with David Simkins, who also joined as an executive producer. The two last worked on "Book of Daniel," the highly controversial and short-lived NBC series that aired in 2006 that Kenny created. The series, which begins production next February in Toronto, was created by "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Battlestar Galactica" writer Jane Espenson, "Farscape" creator Rockne O'Bannon, and writer D. Brent ...
- 10/9/2008
- GeekNation.com
Dawn Stern has landed the lead role in the ABC Family drama pilot Nobody, from Desperate Housewives writer Kevin Murphy.
Nobody centers on Jessica Drake (Stern), a mother who gives up her own identity to save the life of her daughter. In doing so, however, she finds that she must pay the price of being erased from the memories of her family and the rest of the world.
Jessica ends up working for a covert ops branch of heaven dedicated to fighting the forces of darkness on Earth -- while continuing to make sure her family is safe.
The pilot starts shooting this month in Vancouver.
Murphy is executive producing Nobody, based on the comic book created by Alex Amado, Sharon Cho and Charlie Adlard. He also is writing the pilot.
Noreen Halpern, John Morayniss, Jason Netter and Ken Levin also are executive producing.
Blueprint Entertainment will produce the one-hour project for ABC Family.
Stern was a series regular on NBC's Viper and Fox's 413 Hope St. She also has appeared on such series as UPN's The Parkers, CBS' The Young & the Restless, Fox's Wanda at Large and ABC's Thieves. Her film credits include The Fugitive and Original Gangstas.
Stern is repped by Robert S.
Nobody centers on Jessica Drake (Stern), a mother who gives up her own identity to save the life of her daughter. In doing so, however, she finds that she must pay the price of being erased from the memories of her family and the rest of the world.
Jessica ends up working for a covert ops branch of heaven dedicated to fighting the forces of darkness on Earth -- while continuing to make sure her family is safe.
The pilot starts shooting this month in Vancouver.
Murphy is executive producing Nobody, based on the comic book created by Alex Amado, Sharon Cho and Charlie Adlard. He also is writing the pilot.
Noreen Halpern, John Morayniss, Jason Netter and Ken Levin also are executive producing.
Blueprint Entertainment will produce the one-hour project for ABC Family.
Stern was a series regular on NBC's Viper and Fox's 413 Hope St. She also has appeared on such series as UPN's The Parkers, CBS' The Young & the Restless, Fox's Wanda at Large and ABC's Thieves. Her film credits include The Fugitive and Original Gangstas.
Stern is repped by Robert S.
- 11/21/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TV One, a channel that targets black viewers, said Monday that it has signed a multiyear agreement with Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution to acquire rights to a slew of theatrical titles and off-network series, including UPN's All of Us and Eve. The deal, which marks the biggest programming acquisition for the network in its two-year history, also includes rights to such series as Living Single, For Your Love, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, The Parent 'Hood, Wanda at Large, All About the Andersons, Fastlane and A Man Called Hawk as well as recent episodes of Showtime at the Apollo. Through the agreement, TV One also is renewing rights to air the comedies Roc and Martin. In addition, TV One has snapped up rights to a range of movie titles, including windows on such films as The Color Purple, Malcolm X, Lean on Me, New Jack City, Purple Rain, Shaft and Superfly. Other movies in the deal include Round Midnight, Rosewood, Boiling Point, Uptown Saturday Night, Strictly Business, Cabin in the Sky, Krush Groove and Sparkle.
- 4/11/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Comedienne Wanda Sykes has nabbed a role opposite Jennifer Lopez in Monster-in-Law for New Line Cinema. Robert Luketic directs, while Paula Weinstein produces with Benderspink. Monster centers on a woman (Lopez) who is set to marry the perfect guy -- until she meets his mother, the world's worst mother-in-law. Michael Vartan is set as the guy, with Jane Fonda playing the mother-in-law. Sykes will appear as Ruby, the mother-in-law's straight-talking assistant. The project -- written by Anya Kochoff, with a rewrite by Richard LaGravenese -- is being overseen by New Line production execs Richard Brener and Magnus Kim. Sykes, well known on the stand-up comic circuit, headlined her own sitcom, Wanda at Large, which was short-lived. She also has appeared on The Chris Rock Show and lent her voice to Crank Yankers. Her feature film appearances include Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and Pootie Tang. Her book Yeah, I Said That is scheduled to be published in the fall. Sykes is repped by WMA and attorney Roger Pliakas at Miller and Pliakas.
- 4/26/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Comedienne Wanda Sykes has nabbed a role opposite Jennifer Lopez in Monster-in-Law for New Line Cinema. Robert Luketic directs, while Paula Weinstein produces with Benderspink. Monster centers on a woman (Lopez) who is set to marry the perfect guy -- until she meets his mother, the world's worst mother-in-law. Michael Vartan is set as the guy, with Jane Fonda playing the mother-in-law. Sykes will appear as Ruby, the mother-in-law's straight-talking assistant. The project -- written by Anya Kochoff, with a rewrite by Richard LaGravenese -- is being overseen by New Line production execs Richard Brener and Magnus Kim. Sykes, well known on the stand-up comic circuit, headlined her own sitcom, Wanda at Large, which was short-lived. She also has appeared on The Chris Rock Show and lent her voice to Crank Yankers. Her feature film appearances include Nutty Professor II: The Klumps and Pootie Tang. Her book Yeah, I Said That is scheduled to be published in the fall. Sykes is repped by WMA and attorney Roger Pliakas at Miller and Pliakas.
- 4/25/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fox Broadcasting Co. has pulled the plug on Wanda at Large. The sitcom featured Wanda Sykes as a comic who lands a gig as an outspoken commentator on a local TV show in Washington. The series from Warner Bros. TV and Bruce Helford's Mohawk Prods. had a promising start as a midseason entry in March in the Wednesday 9:30 p.m. slot behind The Bernie Mac Show. But Wanda hit a ratings wall after a moving to 8 p.m. Fridays this fall. In its last airing on Nov. 7, Wanda averaged a mere 3.8 million viewers and a 1.5 rating/5 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. Fox has already canceled Wanda's 8:30 p.m. companion, freshman sitcom Luis (HR 10/28). The network has filled its holes on Friday in recent weeks with movies and specials. Fox declined comment Thursday.
- 12/5/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fox has pulled the plug on its freshman series Luis after four airings. A total of 10 episodes of the 20th Century Fox comedy starring Luis Guzman have been produced. Production on the series, which aired in the Friday 8:30 p.m. slot, was shut down Monday. For the next two Fridays, Fox will double-pump original episodes of Wanda at Large at 8 and 8:30 p.m.. The network had previously scheduled movies to run on the last two Fridays of the November sweep. Luis, starring Guzman as a doughnut shop owner in Spanish Harlem, opened to poor reviews and ratings. In its four airings, the show averaged 3.6 million viewers and a 1.6 rating/6 share among adults 18-49.
- 10/28/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The green room at the Shrine Auditorium will be awfully crowded at next month's 55th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony. In a break from awards show tradition, Fox Broadcasting Co. and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences have opted to assemble a cavalcade of stars to anchor the Sept. 21 ceremony in lieu of a single host. The comics who hosted the Emmy telecasts during the past three years -- Garry Shandling in 2000, Ellen DeGeneres in 2001 and Conan O'Brien last year -- will be among this year's emcees, along with Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett, Saturday Night Live's Darrell Hammond, Wanda Sykes of Fox's Wanda at Large, George Lopez, Martin Short and Jon Stewart. More stars are expected to be added in the coming weeks.
American Idol's halo shone brightly again last week as Fox's The Bernie Mac Show hit record-high ratings and the network walked away with the overall prize in the key 18-49 demographic for the week ending April 13. A Wednesday Idol lead-in powered the 9 p.m. Bernie Mac to a series-high 6.3 rating/16 share in the demo, with a record 12.9 million total viewers. The afterglow extended to Wanda at Large, which retained 94% of Bernie's demo audience. Add the post-Idol Tuesday drama 24, and Fox had three scripted hits in the demo's top 10. Fox took the week's demo crown (4.1/12), ahead of NBC (3.9/11), CBS (3.5/10) and ABC (2.7/8). CBS again dominated the total-viewer race (11.5 million), followed by NBC (10.7 million), Fox (8.9 million) and ABC (7.2 million). NBC had an unexciting week, sticking to a number of repeats. But the peacock found a bit of heat Tuesday with Cher: The Farewell Tour, the two-hour concert special that easily blew past demo competition on ABC and CBS.
- 4/16/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The return of The Bachelor gave ABC a lift on Wednesday even if the show's first half-hour was overshadowed by Fox's American Idol juggernaut. The Bachelor averaged 10.2 million viewers and 5.0 rating/12 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. The latest installment of the matchmaking franchise opened up with 8.9 million viewers and 4.1/10 at 9 p.m. against the second half-hour of Fox's 8:30-9:30 p.m. edition of Idol (20 million, 9.6/24). The Bachelor perked up to 11.5 million viewers and 5.8/14 from 9:30-10 p.m., even against formidable competition from Fox's 9:30 p.m. sitcom Wanda at Large, which pulled a respectable 13.9 million viewers and 6.6/16 in 18-49 in its second week on the air. NBC had a slow night all around -- even 10 p.m. time slot winner Law & Order (15.5 million, 5.5/15) was down a few notches from its usual Nielsen levels -- but the peacock nonetheless placed second for the night behind Fox (16.4 million, 7.9/20) with an average of 12.5 million viewers and 4.2/11 in the demo. ABC was held to third place for the night after getting off to a slow start at 8 p.m. with a rerun of My Wife and Kids (8.7 million, 3.2/9) and running a distant third at 10 p.m. with reality series All American Girl (5.5 million, 2.6/7). CBS also had a lackluster night with Star Search, 60 Minutes II and a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation rerun adding up to a nightly average of 10.1 million viewers and 3.0/8 in 18-49.
Wednesday's sitcom premiere Wanda at Large rode the long coattails of American Idol as Fox piled up another weekly win in the key 18-49 demographic. Thanks to its Idol boost, Wanda -- starring comic Wanda Sykes as a Washington-based news personality -- easily won its 9:30 p.m. slot with a 6.4 rating/15 share in 18-49, according to figures from Nielsen Media Research. That was Fox's highest-rated comedy premiere in the demo in more than two years. Perhaps helped by tactically surrendering an hour of its typically low-rated Thursday lineup to unrated war coverage, Fox ended up carrying the week ending March 30 in 18-49 (4.3/11), followed by NBC (4.1/11), CBS (3.5/9) and ABC (2.8/7). Fox has ranked No. 1 in the demo eight out of 12 weeks since the start of the year. With seven of the 15 most-watched shows, NBC won in total viewers (11.2 million), followed by CBS (10.5 million), Fox (9.6 million) and ABC (8.4 million).
A one-hour American Idol and the debut of sitcom Wanda at Large led Fox to a nightly victory Wednesday, while the latest incarnation of The Bachelor was slow out of the gate for ABC. The 8:30-9:30 p.m. edition of American Idol (19 million viewers, 8.7 rating/21 share among adults 18-49) proved a solid launch pad for the 9:30 p.m. premiere of Wanda (14.3 million, 6.4/15), according to Nielsen Media Research. CBS' Survivor: The Amazon (16.7 million, 6.3/16) was relocated to the Wednesday 8 p.m. hour this week to make room for the network's NCAA basketball coverage. In its overlapping half-hour with Fox's Idol, Survivor won the total-viewer contest by a nose, but Idol prevailed in adults 18-49.
- 3/28/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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