It was a night of comedy on the Sunset Strip as Hollywood came out to celebrate the premier of Byron Allen’s new show, "Comics Unleashed". Held on set at the Sunset Gower Studios, celebrity guests, industry VIP’s and the media celebrated the premiere of the ‘ultimate comedy show’. Guests mingled among the show’s set as they nibbled on tempting delicacies while catching up with old friends and making some new ones.
Allen was joined by his celebrity friends including Brooke Burns of ‘Pepper Dennis, comedienne Judy Tenuta of ‘Material Girls’, who also appears on the first episode of "Comics Unleashed".
Byron Allen brings his experience as both a TV veteran and a successful standup comic to produce the new reality-comedy hybrid called "Comics Unleashed", which now airs weeknights on ABC. 
Stand-up comedy gave me my start in this business and I’ve always enjoyed the backstage comedy with other comedians before and after we took the stage", said Allen. "Comics Unleashed" will bring those hilarious conversations to households worldwide and laughter to viewers each night. In each half-hour episode, Allen and a group of famous comics will face a live audience and address current topics, but how they’ll do so is anyone’s guess. What you can count on, however, is that these professional funnymen and women will dish up their unique, unscripted outlook on the world. Already slated to appear are Dane Cook, Howie Mandel, Norm MacDonald, Jon Lovitz, Carol Leifer, Pauly Shore, Brad Garrett, and many more.
"Comics Unleashed" would lead the charge against our latest collective folly: the glut of reality programming on air today. Amid the current cacophony of increasingly complicated reality programming, the idea of launching a new show with no elimination challenges or big money prizes may seem crazy, but what would comedy be if 
it weren’t just this side of insane? Make no mistake about it, these comics are not amateurs desperate for their 15 minutes of fame or grasping for entre into the public consciousness. Rather, they’re professionals who’ve earned their notoriety the old-fashioned way: by winning over audiences with nothing more than a set of well-chosen words and their own wit and insight night after night onstage. Their body of work speak for themselves. "Comics Unleashed" gives viewers the opportunity to check out these uproarious talents in a different light, without the safety net of cue cards or anything resembling a script. Instead, you’ll get to see them at their peak as performers, storytellers, and plain old jokers unleashed.
The chorus of side-splitting voices and opinions on "Comics Unleashed" may not be the norm right now, but the program will give you a glimpse into what typically happens backstage before comedians hit the stage. In the process, their singular takes on the world may also make you cheer, laugh, and even think.
In more ways than one, Allen will anchor each show. Audiences will see him in front of the camera playing host, mediator, and of course, commentator. But behind the scenes, it is Allen’s vast range of experience in the industry that helped bring this show to air.
Audiences may best remember Allen as a cohost on "Real People", but his comic credentials stretch back much further. As a teenager, he was already playing standup clubs in Los Angeles, and it didn’t take long for him to garner professional attention. Comedian Jimmy Walker hired him as a writer, and in these duties, he joined the likes of David Letterman and Jay Leno. Even before he graduated from high school, Allen wowed the viewing public with the first of many appearances on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson". Since 1993, he has hosted "Entertainers with Byron Allen", which he also executive produces. In addition, he remains a regular on the standup comedy circuit.
Shot in HD, "Comics Unleashed" will mark the first time stand-up comedians sit together in front of a live audience to engage in uproarious panel conversations initiated by Allen.
The first comics slated to appear include Dane Cook, Howie Mandel, George Wallace, Jon Lovitz, Carol Leifer, David Brenner, Pauly Shore and Brad Garrett.
Other celebrity friends that joined the party were Christopher ‘Kid’ Reid, Beth Grant of "Jericho", "Little Miss Sunshine", Domiziano Arcangeli of "iThe Seer" and HBO’s "Coupled with Love", Cameron Goodman, Malcolm Danare of "CSI: Miami", Kristen Holt of "American Idol", Wendy McLendon-Covey of "Reno 911", Jillian Murray of "Win a Date With Tad Hamilton", Jennifer Cambra of "Girl Talk with Tom Green", 10-year-old rapper Lil’ Ace and comedian Rodney Perry.
"Comics Unleashed", the new nationally-syndicated comedy series by Entertainment Studios, premiers on September 25th. , "Comics Unleashed" will also be seen on all the military bases around the world. "Comics Unleashed" is positioned to reinvigorate the syndication landscape that is currently plagued with limited programming due to increased reality series and fewer available comedies entering the syndication marketplace. The half-hour daily comedy strip is Allen’s latest and most personal addition to the Entertainment Studios brand, setting station group deals with Sinclair Broadcast Group and one of the largest with Clear Channel.
Photography by Kyra Lausmann.
