BriTANicK
{{Short description|American Internet sketch comedy duo}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name = BriTANicK
| image = BriTANicK "The Coach" screenshot 3min 6sec.jpg
| caption = BriTANicK in their 2012 short, "The Coach". Brian McElhaney is in bed; Nick Kocher is standing.
| pseudonym =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date =
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| medium = Internet comedy, writing, television
| years_active =
| genre = {{Flat list|
- Internet comedy
- sketch comedy
}}
| subject = Everyday life
}}
BriTANicK ({{IPAc-en|b|r|aɪ|ˈ|t|æ|n|ɪ|k}}) is an internet sketch comedy duo from Atlanta, Georgia, that consists of Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher. McElhaney graduated from the Atlanta International School and Kocher graduated from The Paideia School. They attended New York University together. The duo's videos have been featured on internet video sites including YouTube, CollegeHumor, Cracked, Break, and FunnyOrDie. BriTANicK was nominated by the ECNY Awards as Best Sketch Comedy Group in New York in 2008 and by Comedy Central's inaugural Comedy Awards for best web video.{{cite web |title=[Nominees for] Best sketch comedy group |series=Nominees for the 2008 ECNY Awards |date=2009-02-05 |publisher=The Comic's Comic |url=https://thecomicscomic.com/2009/02/05/nominees-for-the-2008-ecny-awards/ |access-date=2021-05-26 |df=dmy-all}} In 2012, BriTANicK appeared in Joss Whedon's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.{{cite news |title=Much Ado About Nothing premieres this weekend! Come to one of our Q&A's! |website=BriTANicK.com |url=http://www.britanick.com/news/411/much-ado-about-nothing-premieres-this-weekend-come-to-one-of-our-qas/ |access-date=June 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222005216/http://www.britanick.com/news/411/much-ado-about-nothing-premieres-this-weekend-come-to-one-of-our-qas/ |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}
History
Both members of the duo started performing and creating videos while they were students at New York University. They started officially performing as BriTANicK in 2008, when they opened for Robin Williams at the SF Sketchfest. Since then, they have continued to create internet sketches, as well as performing around the country.{{Original research inline|date=November 2014}} They have performed three shows at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York: "Begging for Approval", "The Infinity Prison", and their current monthly live show "The Monthly Mankerthon". Kocher and McElhaney perform sketch regularly at UCB as well as stand-up and improv comedy around New York City.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}} A pilot for a BriTANicK TV show was ordered by Comedy Central in 2014. The pilot, which was ultimately never sold, was written by and starred the duo alongside Natalie Palamides, Maya Erskine, and Jessy Hodges.{{cite web |last1=Goldberg |first1=Lesley |title=Comedy Central Adapting Web Sensation 'BriTANick' (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/comedy-central-adapting-web-sensation-709210/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=10 December 2024 |date=4 June 2014}}{{YouTube|id=_j5-KgZsqMk|title=Cash Grab Episode 16 {{!}} Natalie Palamides and her many bees}}{{cite web |last1=McElhaney |first1=Brian |title=My mom just sent me this— On set of the BriTANicK pilot from a little over a decade ago. 🥹 Unaired pilots shouldn't have this stacked a cast. Also Grant and Ben are in this picture. |url=https://www.instagram.com/bjmcelhaney/p/DACq1_zPubs/ |website=Instagram |access-date=10 December 2024}}
In 2016, Kocher and McElhaney were hired as writers by NBC's Saturday Night Live.{{cite web |first=Megh |last=Wright |date=September 14, 2016 |title='SNL' Hires Seven New Writers for Season 42 |website=Splitsider.com |url=http://splitsider.com/2016/09/snl-hires-seven-new-writers-for-season-42/ |accessdate=August 13, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813055018/http://splitsider.com/2016/09/snl-hires-seven-new-writers-for-season-42/ |archive-date=August 13, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}
Internet sketches
BriTANicK were one of the sketch comedy groups only on Cracked.com and CollegeHumor both, featured regularly.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}. Their sketch "Pillow Talk" features Private Practice's Chris Lowell. They have also been featured as "Kings of DotComedy" on G4's Attack of the Show!.{{cite web |title=BriTaNick, a Sketch Duo |website=G4tv.com |publisher=G4 |url=http://g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/kingsofdotcomedy/66052/britanick-a-sketch-duo.html |access-date=October 29, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813055023/http://g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/kingsofdotcomedy/66052/britanick-a-sketch-duo.html|archive-date=August 13, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}
In the spring of 2020, the duo directed three episodes of Making Fun with Akilah and Milana for Comedy Central digital.{{cite web |last=Kelly-Clyne |first=Luke |date=2020-04-10 |title=You've never seen patty-cake played like this |website=Vulture |language=en-us |url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/04/akilah-hughes-and-milana-vayntrub-pattycake-sketch.html |access-date=2020-11-30}}
Reviews, awards and festivals
BriTANicK has been reviewed in the Charleston City Paper and Time Out Chicago, and was named a Time Out New York "Don't Miss" critic's pick in 2009.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}
The duo has performed in SF Sketchfest, NYC Sketchfest, Chicago Sketchfest, and Piccolo Spoleto in Spoleto Festival USA. In 2008 they won the Seattle Sketchfest Video Contest and NY Comedy Festival's "Web Video Cram-Off". Their sketch, "Academy Award Winning Movie", resulted in coverage on the websites of the Huffington Post and Time magazine as well as praise from Roger Ebert, Joss Whedon, Stephen Fry, and Ashton Kutcher. They were nominated for The Comedy Awards' "Best Viral Original" and the ECNY Awards' "Best Comedic Video".{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}
In 2022 and 2024 they performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2024 they directed Demi Adejuyigbe's performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.{{cite web | url=https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/demi-adejuyigbe-is-going-to-do-one-1-backflip | title=Demi Adejuyigbe is Going to do One (1) Backflip | work=Edinburgh Festival Fringe }}
Personal life
Nick Kocher married Scottish actress Karen Gillan in May 2022 at Castle Toward in Dunoon, Scotland.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-02 |title=Karen Gillan Welcomes First Baby, a Girl, with Husband Nick Kocher: '2024 Thank You for Giving Us Clementine' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/karen-gillan-welcomes-first-baby-220413040.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}}
Filmography
- Searching for Sonny (2011) as Calvin Knight and Gary Noble
- Much Ado About Nothing (2013) as First and Second Watchman
- Balls Out (2014) as Grant and Chance
- How I Met Your Mother (2014) in the episode "Sunrise"
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) as television eyewitness
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.BriTANicK.com}}
- {{YouTube|user=britanickdotcom}}
- {{IMDb name|5794769}}
- {{IMDb name|3537795|Brian McElhaney}}
- {{IMDb name|3304457|Nick Kocher}}
- {{cite AV media |title=interview |series=Sketchfest NYC – Day 2 |website=The Comedy Nerds |medium=podcast |time=15m45s |url=http://www.thecomedynerds.com/2009/06/the-comedy-nerds-at-sketchfest-nyc-day-2/}}
- {{cite magazine |title=Trailer for every Oscar-winning movie, ever |series=Cracked Video |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1971567,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315142249/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1971567,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 15, 2010}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Britanick}}
Category:American comedy troupes
Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni
Category:Entertainers from Atlanta
Category:American Internet celebrities