Tom Papa Lets the Load off His Back in His Latest EPIX Comedy Special "Tom Papa: Human Mule"

World Television Premiere Friday, December 9, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT, 7C

NEW YORK -- Premium TV Network EPIX(R) announced today that it will showcase the bold comedic musings of Tom Papa in his new stand-up special Tom Papa: Human Mule. A regular on Late Night TV, Papa tours theaters internationally, is host of the hit podcast and Sirius XM show, Come to Papa, and has been seen in numerous TV and film roles. The EPIX Original Comedy Event Tom Papa: Human Mule will make its World Television Premiere on EPIX on Friday, December 9, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT, 7C.

Tom Papa: Human Mule is a one hour comedy special that was filmed at the Hanna Theater at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio on July 9, 2016. Papa returned to one of his favorite cities to showcase a hilarious fresh take on some of his favorite themes including family life, the difficulties of being a person, and the challenges of life in our country today. Join the conversation about Tom Papa: Human Mule on Twitter with #HumanMule.

"I'm really excited to do another special with EPIX," said Tom Papa. "They've been a great partner and like me so much that they're even willing to shoot this one in Cleveland."

"Tom Papa's humor lends insight on thoughts we've all had, but may not have dared to express," said Mark S. Greenberg, President & CEO of EPIX. "I am excited to hear about Papa's latest antics and the hilarity that ensues in what will mark his second special with the network. EPIX comedy specials are one of our most popular genres, and there is no doubt that Papa's special will contribute, once again, to the high-quality collection. "

Tom Papa: Human Mule is Papa's second EPIX comedy special. Tom Papa: Freaked Out, directed by Rob Zombie, premiered on the network in 2013.

With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country and has found success in film, television and radio as well as on the live stage. On the small screen, Papa was seen alongside Clive Owen in two episodes of The Knick, he co-starred with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon in Behind The Candelabra, and he guest starred on The Jim Gaffigan Show and Inside Amy Schumer. He was seen in Chris Rock's film, Top Five, he starred opposite Matt Damon in the Steven Soderbergh film, The Informant, and he appeared in Analyze That opposite Robert DeNiro.

Tom Papa: Human Mule is an EPIX Original Comedy Event produced by Comedy Dynamics, directed by Jay Chapman and written and performed by Tom Papa. Brian Volk-Weiss, Cisco Henson, Tom Papa, Dave Becky, and Josh Lieberman are the executive producers. Ross Bernard is the executive producer for EPIX and Valerie Bishop Pearson is the producer for EPIX.

For photos and more information about EPIX programming visit: http://press.epixhd.com.

EPIX is known for its all-star roster of stand-up specials. Previous featured headliners include: Russell Brand, Craig Ferguson, Michael Ian Black, Marc Maron, Wanda Sykes, Lewis Black, Patton Oswalt, Louis C.K., Jenny McCarthy, Dennis Miller, Sherri Shepherd, Eddie Izzard, Jim Norton, Lisa Lampanelli, Jim Breuer and Jim Jefferies. EPIX's commitment to the craft of comedy also includes the EPIX Original Documentary "The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall," a revealing special that brings together the biggest names in comedy to tell the inside story of America's first comedy club.

About Comedy Dynamics

Comedy Dynamics is the largest independent stand-up comedy production company in North America, producing amongst other things, Join Or Die with Craig Ferguson, MTV2's Wild 'N On Tour, Coming To The Stage, and has worked with a wide-range of established and emerging comedic talent including Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, Jim Gaffigan, Katt Williams and many more. Eight albums produced between 2013-2015 have been Grammy-nominated, one of which, Louis C.K. Live At Madison Square Garden, won Best Comedy Album in 2016.

About EPIX

EPIX is a premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases and biggest classic film franchises, plus original programming including series, documentaries, comedy and music specials - all available on TV, on demand, online and across devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of "TV Everywhere." It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation(R), Android phones and tablets, and Roku(R) players. EPIX is also available across Chromecast, Apple(R) iPhones(R) and iPads(R), Android TV and more and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).