Writer Claire Zulkey is bringing the funny back to the Hideout for another round of her excellent Funny Ha Ha series. Funny Ha-Ha rounds up Zulkey’s funny friends for a reading of pieces they’re particularly proud of and a few performance pieces. Low-key literature plus a dash of multimedia from Zulkey’s husband, Steve Delahoyde, equals big laughs at the Hideout next Wednesday. more ›

As L.A.-filmed, Chicago-set television show ER winds down it's 15th and final season, several actors from the show, including original cast-member Noah Wyle, were in town this week to film some final scenes for future episodes. The show has, from time to time, filmed certain scenes here, but now that the popular drama is winding down, the city took the time to honor the show by declaring yesterday "ER Day." With ER coming to the end of its run, it's also time for us to figure out where the show ranks in terms of Chicago-set shows. Our knee-jerk reaction is to place it somewhere below Perfect Strangers but above Family Matters. (Punky Brewster is our favorite.) more ›

Mo Ryan, the Trib's genius TV critic and FOC*, poses an excellent question, one for the ages: "Why [have] some of the lamest sitcoms ever been set in Chicago?" more ›

Chicagoist made the trek from CTA's Roosevelt Station to Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island to check out the free seats on the beach in order to experience the outside of Chi-town's newest venue and to hear Modest Mouse, of course. Arriving early, we staked out a prime location where we could clearly see the big screen TVs. Outside the venue on the beach there is fantastic people watching, our gorgeous skyline, and the sound... more ›