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PEOPLE & ARTSWednesday 20 May 2015

Thursday’s Red Nose Day TV special: Comedy for a good cause

FRAZIER MOORE and a Funeral,” ‘’Notting Nose Day on U.S. shores.
“We thought, wouldn’t it
AP Television Writer Hill” and “Bridget Jones’s be great if we could har-
ness our workforce and its
NEW YORK (AP) — Thirty Diary.” relationships with advertis-
ing clients and talent,” he
years ago, Richard Curtis “I have two careers, at the said recently — “and not
in a way that responds to
suspected two things: Peo- same time,” he says during any specific cry for help,
but for raising children out
ple like to laugh and they a chat Monday morning at of poverty. And do it on an
annual basis.”
like to do good. Manhattan’s Hammerstein The money raised this first
year will go to the Red
Red Nose Day has annu- Ballroom, where the live Nose Day Fund for distri-
bution to charity partners
ally proved him right in the portion of Thursday’s tele- including the Boys & Girls
Clubs of America, the Na-
United Kingdom, where cast will originate. tional Urban League, Save
the Children and United
more than $1 billion has This show will be “very, Way, as well as other
agencies such as charity:
been raised to fight child- very, very different” from water (a nonprofit organi-
zation dedicated to bring-
hood poverty. the typical fundraising tele- ing clean and safe drinking
water to people in devel-
Now Curtis is bringing Red thon, he says. oping nations) and OxFam
America (a global organi-
Nose Day to the United Roughly one-half will be zation that fights poverty
and hunger).
States with a star-studded pre-recorded sketches Supplementing Thursday’s
broadcast are several an-
three-hour TV event air- and other comedy piec- cillary fundraising efforts.
Five million Red Noses
ing Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT es, allowing for slick pro- In this May 11, 2015 file photo, Nick Cannon arrives at the NBC have been purchased by
customers of participat-
on NBC. He promises it will duction techniques and Network 2015 Programming Upfront presentation at Radio City ing retailers. “Today Show”
be funny and entertain- involvement by a wider Music Hall in New York. Associated Press host Matt Lauer set off on
a 230-mile bike ride from
ing while giving viewers range of stars than would and participation by a an audience at the Ham- Boston to New York to spur
donations.
the opportunity to pitch in be possible on show night. dozen “Game of Thrones” merstein. And entertainer Nick Can-
non (host of “America’s
to help kids in the U.S. and Curtis mentions one intrigu- cast members. Those scheduled to ap- Got Talent”) will attempt
to dance nonstop for 24
around the globe. ing spoof: a mockumentary Other pre-recorded bits pear in one fashion or hours as a warm up to
Thursday’s broadcast. His
When he’s not organizing of the rock group Coldplay include such names as Ju- another include Reese day of dance at Manhat-
tan’s NBC Experience Store
Red Nose Day in the U.K. or as it creates a musical ver- lia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Witherspoon, Benedict will stream live on NBC.
com starting Wednesday
prepping its American in- sion of “Game of Thrones,” Richard Gere and Jodie Cumberbatch, Emily Blunt, at 8 p.m. EDT.
“I don’t think I’ve ever
vasion, Curtis is a celebrat- with original songs by Cold- Foster. Martin Short, Ian McKel- done anything for 24 hours
straight except breathe,”
ed writer-director. His films play frontman Chris Martin There will also be live com- len, Paul Rudd, Neil Patrick said Cannon, who will get
just a five-minute break
include “Four Weddings performed by the group edy and music in front of Harris, Hugh Bonneville, every couple of hours and
plans to power his endur-
Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, ance contest with the help
of Skittles.q
Jack Black, Helen Mirren,

Sam Smith undergoes successful Nick Offerman, Sean “P.
Diddy” Combs, John Leg-
end, Keith Urban, John
vocal cord surgery in Boston Mellencamp, One Direc-

tion and “Voice” coaches

BOSTON (AP) — Grammy Adam Levine, Blake Shel-

Award winner Sam Smith ton, Christina Aguilera and

has undergone success- Pharrell Williams.

ful vocal cord surgery at a The hope, of course, is that

Boston hospital. Red Nose Day will become

Massachusetts General an annual event for NBC

Hospital said in a state- and for U.S. viewers, just as

ment Tuesday — the sing- it has long been a tradition

er’s 23rd birthday — that for the BBC and Brits.

he is expected to make a NBC’s embrace of Red

full recovery. Nose Day is largely ex-

The surgery to stop recur- plained by the presence of

rent vocal cord bleeding Paul Telegdy, NBC’s presi-

was performed by Dr. Ste- dent of alternative and

ven Zeitels, who has per- late night programming.

formed the same proce- In this Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, file photo, Sam Smith poses for Telegdy, who previously

dure on Steven Tyler, Lionel photographers upon arrival at the Elle Style Awards in London. worked at the BBC, was
Associated Press well aware of the reach
Richie and Adele.

Smith’s song “Stay With er’s “In the Lonely Hour” vessels in the vocal cord and impact of Red Nose

Me” won Grammys for was named best pop vo- that can rupture and make Day.

song and record of the cal album. it difficult to speak and al- In his current position, he

year and he also was According to the hospital, most impossible to sing. believed NBCUniversal was

named best new artist in Smith’s condition was the Smith’s next live show is a natural home for produc-

February. The British’s sing- result of unstable blood scheduled for July 18.q ing and promoting Red