For the last two years, comedian Jimmy Pardo has made it a Thanksgiving tradition to host a 12-hour comedy chat show -- all in the name of charity. The host of the award-winning podcast "Never Not Funny" will once again stream the marathon "Pardcast-a-thon" on Friday, Nov. 25 at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST). The show will be performed before a live audience at the ACME Theatre in Los Angeles and will be streamed for free on the show's website. (Read about last year's show here.)
A nationally touring comedian and Los Angeles crowd-pleaser (he's especially popular at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater), Pardo has recently held the "day job" of opening for Conan O'Brien, first on "The Tonight Show" and currently on "Conan." He also hosts Pardo Patrol, a backstage interview series, on TeamCoco.com. Last Thursday, he took a turn as a guest on "Conan" to spar with O'Brien (who has appeared on "Never Not Funny" twice) and to promote the upcoming Pardcast-a-thon.
This year's charity podcast currently is expected to see the likes of Sarah Silverman, "Conan" sidekick Andy Richter and over twenty other "surprise" guests from comedy, TV and film, according to a spokesperson for the show. The charity Pardo is supporting, Smile Train, raises funds for surgeries to correct children with cleft lip and palates in developing countries. In the past, Pardo's show has raised over $55,000 for Smile Train.
For all 12 hours of the broadcast, Pardo will be accompanied on air by "Never Not Funny" producer Matt Belknap and regular guest Pat Francis. The podcast, which is in its fifth year, has been named an Editor’s Pick by Esquire and "The #1 Relatively Obscure Thing You Need to Be Paying Attention To" by GQ.