Spike TV Announces All-star Comedy Tribute “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only” – Airs on SPIKE TV Nov 16

Sure, sure. It’s a TV special honoring Eddie Murphy…but it’s one of those all-star comedy tributes to EDDIE MURPHY. Very much like when NBC did the Dean Martin roasts. This one will celebrate 30 years of Murphy’s groundbreaking career. I’m not embarrassed to say I’ve been a long time Murphy fan and still feel there was a missed opportunity to have him as host of the Academy Awards earlier this year.

If you missed, check out his interview with James Lipton on Inside The Actor’s Studio. One of the best episodes too!

Spike TV, in conjunction with Don Mischer Productions, will celebrate the career of Eddie Murphy with the first-ever televised tribute to the comedic icon, “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only.” Vernon Lynch will serve as an Executive Producer on the project. The event will tape on Saturday, November 3 at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles and will air on Friday, November 16 on Spike TV.

The exclusive Spike TV special event marks 30 years since the release of the groundbreaking stand-up concert film “Delirious,” and the classic film “48 Hrs.,” which featured the breakout performances that made him one of the biggest superstars in the world.

“Eddie Murphy: One Night Only” will pay homage to Murphy’s journey from a 15-year-old aspiring comedian, to the record-breaking “Raw,” which remains the highest grossing stand-up film of all time, to his indelible characters and impressions from “Saturday Night Live” such as Buckwheat,Gumby, Mr. Robinson and James Brown.

Murphy’s friends and co-stars from many of his unforgettable films including “48 Hrs.,” “Trading Places,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Coming To America,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Shrek,” and his Golden Globe winning and Academy Award nominated performance in “Dreamgirls,” among others, will be featured.  The two-hour show will also include short films, musical performances, sketch comedy and will culminate in an appearance by Murphy.

“Eddie’s impact on comedy is immeasurable,” said Casey Patterson, Executive Vice President of Event Production for Viacom Media Networks Entertainment Group.  “At 19, he changed the face of sketch comedy forever on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and within four years released “48 Hrs,” “Delirious,” and “Beverly Hills Cop” making him one of the biggest stand-up and movie stars in the world, all before the age of 24 and he’s never stopped evolving, innovating and entertaining.”

Spike TV has been an industry leader in original event programming honoring male icons and heroes from the worlds of comedy, sports and entertainment. Recent honorees at various signature events include Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Robert DeNiro, Clint Eastwood, Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Robert Downey Jr, LeBron James, Adam Sandler, Kobe Bryant and more.

Don Mischer, Casey Patterson, Charlie Haykel, and Vernon Lynch serve as Executive Producers for “Eddie Murphy: One Night Only” with Juliane Hare as Producer.

For more information and photo highlights from the groundbreaking career of Eddie Murphy, fans can go to the event site at eddie.spike.com

Don Mischer is an internationally acclaimed producer and director of television and live events.  He has been honored with 15 Emmy^® Awards, a record 10 Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, 2 NAACP Image Awards, a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting and Europe’s prestigious Golden Rose of Montreux.  This past January, Mischer was also honored by the Producers Guild of America when he received the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television.

Vernon Lynch is a creative consultant for Eddie Murphy Productions whose credits include  “The Making Of Delirious” special, “Eddie Murphy Delirious 25^th Anniversary DVD,” and “Eddie Murphy’s Greatest Comedy Hits.” Lynch and his producing partner Jeff Dyson recently founded the production company Lynch-Dyson Entertainment. Together they are the creators and Executive Producers of “Hollywood Exes” on VH1.