San Francisco Sketchfest Announces Initial 2020 Lineup

The San Francisco Comedy Festival is going to break in the new decade with some laughs from Jan. 9-26, 2020. Comedians will be performing in venues across the city in events ranging from live performances, discussions, panels, improv, immersive comedy experiences and more.

The lineup is billed as Sketchfest’s most eclectic yet, and will showcase the Bay Area premiere of “Freestyle Love Supreme,” the Broadway improvised hip-hop extravaganza created by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale. The one-of-a-kind comedy ride is based on audience suggestions, ensuring a unique and vibrant show.

Tributes will be made to a number of comedians and films, as well. 1985 was a huge year for comic movies, as many are celebrating landmark anniversaries in 2020, including The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Airplane!. There are some mashups you never would have seen coming, like Fred Armisen (Portlandia) taking the stage with country singer Brad Paisley, and some cast debuts, as Netflix’s new original series Medical Police will make its world premiere, with its stars and creators present.

The massive lineup will be bolstered by additional shows and performers to be announced soon. Tickets go on sale on Sunday, Nov. 24, at 1 p.m. ET here.

The full list of guests and events (so far) is below.

Speakers, Panels, and Discussions:

– Busy Phillips
– Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz tribute to The Monkees
– Crispin Hellion Glover, performing Big Slide Show, Part 1, presenting 15th anniversary screening of his film, What is it?
– Sandra Berhard will discuss her work in and present screening of Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy
– George Wallace in conversation with fellow comic Patton Oswalt
– Robert Klein discussion
– Kevin Nealon (Saturday Night Live), discussion
– Brian Regan Q&A
– Michael Ian Black, Jon Glaser, Bobcat Goldthwait, Kristen Schaal, and Sarah Vowell in conversation with and honoring Eugene Mirman, followed by screening of Mirman’s documentary It Started as a Joke
– Conversation about The Chris Gethard Show
– Special guests Margaret Cho, Sherilyn Fenn, Ray Wise
– Maria Bamford, opening night show
– Recording of IHeartRadio podcast “Stuff You Should Know”
– Centennial of late Ernie Kovacs will be celebrated with a screening and panel including Edie Adams’ son Josh Mils comedians Dave Foley, Dana Gould and Wayne Federman
– Judge John Hodgman
– The Upright Citizens Brigade ASSSSCAT with Matt Besser, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh
– ”The Thrilling Adventure Hour,” an immersive comedy experience
– ”Benson Movie Interruption,” hosted by Doug Benson
– ”Riffapalooza” with Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy, Mary Jo Pehl & Jonah Ray
– Paul F. Tompkins at the California Academy of Sciences
– ”Celebrity Autobiography” in its 12th year at Sketchfest with Scott Adsit, Rachel Dratch, Laraine Newman
– Dana Gould’s staged reading adaptation of Ed Wood’s cult classic ”Plan 9 From Outer Space” with Paget Brewster, Jeffrey Combs, Bill Corbett and Dave Foley

Films:

– Tony Shalhoub, Kevin Pollak, 20th anniversary screening of Galaxy Quest
– The Rocky Horror Picture Show 45th anniversary, actors Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell, Patricia Quinn and host Peaches Christ
– Airplane! 40th anniversary, actors Robert Hays, filmmakers Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker
– Clue 35th anniversary, actors Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp and filmmaker Jonathan Lynn.
– Metropolitan 30th anniversary, “Barcelona” 25th anniversary, filmmaker Whit Stillman and actors Tushka Bergen, Chris Eigeman, Carolyn Farina and Taylor Nichols.
– Uncle Buck 30th anniversary screening followed by a recording of Macaulay Culkin’s “Bunny Ears Podcast” with guest Thomas Lennon.
– The Journey of Natty Gann with actors Meredith Salenger, Ray Wise in conversation with Patton Oswalt
– Just One of the Guys with actors Joyce Hyser and Sherilyn Fenn
– Re-Animator with Jeffrey Combs and Dana Gould.

TV:

– World premiere of Netflix Original Series Medical Police with stars Rob Huebel, Erinn Hayes, Sarayu Blue, creators David Wain, Jonathan Stern and Krister Johnson
– 20th anniversary celebration of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants with Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Rodger Bumpass and producers Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller
– Panel spotlighting Netflix’s Archibald’s Next Big Thing with Tony Hale, Adult Swim’s Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell with Chris “Casper” Kelly, Eddie Pepitone, Craig Rowin, Matthew Servito, Dana Snyder, Dave Willis and Henry Zebrowski; Freeform’s Everything’s Gonna Be Okay with Josh Thomas
– Futurama Live
– Pinky and the Brain 25th anniversary with Maurice LaMarche and Rob Paulsen,
– Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears cast and creators

Music:

Comedy and guitar-focused residency at The Chapel with Fred Armisen, country singer Brad Paisley, Bill Frisell, and Prince and the Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin
– Jonah Ray and “Weird Al” cover band “You Can’t Call me Al”,
– Bill Frisell’s HARMONY
– ”Wheels Off” with Rhett Miller
– San Francisco-based ensemble The Red Room Orchestra will recreate the soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, celebrate the 30th anniversary of David Lynch’s Wild at Heart and Twin Peaks