It's Lewis at His Acerbic Best With the Network Television Premiere of 'Lewis Black: Stark Raving Black' One-Hour Stand-Up Event Debuting on Saturday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT

May 17, 2010
By ViacomCBS Staff

On Tuesday, June 15, 'Lewis Black: Stark Raving Black' Will Be Released Uncensored on DVD By COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Feature an Extended Version With 35 Minutes of Additional Stand-Up Not Aired on COMEDY CENTRAL Also Includes Feature Length Documentary 'Basic Black'

The Stand-Up Event Will Also Be Available on Tuesday, June 15 on CD By COMEDY CENTRAL Records and Download-To-Own on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Zune and PlayStation Store

Lewis Black uses his natural talent for hiding subtle comedy inside explosive outbursts to full effect in this new one-hour stand-up event. Compelled by his passions and discontentedness with the absurdities of the world, he erupts in hand-shaking, body-trembling motion spewing of diatribe-laced dialectic comedy. The network television premiere of "Lewis Black: Stark Raving Black" debuts Saturday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on COMEDY CENTRAL.

Shot at the historic Fillmore Theatre in Detroit, "Stark Raving Black" features Black serving up his biting social and political commentary on current events. Black guides his audience through a catalogue of the woes of the world such as the absurdities of aging (60 is NOT the new 40!) to the pitfalls of becoming a "mainstream" comedian to the insanity of Washington and Wall Street. He carefully controls his performance with the same mastery of craft as a musician does, from blistering to blithe, in the turn of a word.

On Tuesday, June 15, "Lewis Black: Stark Raving Black" will be released nationwide on DVD by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment, CD by COMEDY CENTRAL Records (marks the Grammy-winning label's 100th release) and download-to-own including iTunes and Amazon Video On Demand. In addition, the special will be available in standard and high definition versions on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Zune and Playstation Store.

"Lewis Black: Stark Raving Black" DVD is uncensored and features an extended version of the stand-up event (35 minutes not aired on COMEDY CENTRAL) and the 70-minute documentary "Basic Black." Also included is a 70-minute documentary on Lewis Black's life and career titled Basic Black. The documentary gives an intimate portrait of what it's like to "lick every inch of the ladder" on the way to becoming one of the most successful comedians in America.

Lewis Black is one of the most prolific and popular performers working today. He executes a brilliant trifecta as stand-up comedian, actor and author. Receiving critical acclaim, he performs over 200 nights a year to sold-out audiences throughout Europe, New Zealand, Canada and The United States. He is one of few performers to sell out multiple, renowned theatres, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City Center and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 98 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of Viacom Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is www.comedycentral.com. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs visit Press Central, COMEDY CENTRAL's press Web site at www.comedycentral.com/press.