Comedy Done Seriously

                                                                   
As you may have read, beginning tonight, The Daily Show will kick off a week long series called Operation Silent Thunder: The Daily Show in Iraq.

Rob Riggle, former SNL player, current Daily Show correspondent and Major in the Marine Corps Reserve (public affairs division, natch) went to Iraq earlier this month as part of a USO tour. In between doing stand up comedy in 120 degree heat and posing for pictures and questions, Riggle managed to shoot a few field pieces for the show.

This is a huge undertaking for the comedy net. As Marisa Guthrie noted last week, the major news networks are spending a fortune on safety and security of their staff/infrastructure in the country. Even though Riggle and his two Daily Show colleagues were they for only a few days, and even though they were part of a USO show, this is the sort of thing can get a network exec (and a popular talk show host) more than a bit nervous.

 
                                
                             Daily Show correspondent Rob Riggle, at a miltary base in Iraq (Photo-Kevin Bleyer)

Keep your eyes (and RSS feeds) tuned on BCBeat for an update later this week.