Step into the absurd world of Celebrity Dad Joke Roast, a short-form animated comedy that features hilariously terrible dad joke battles and plenty of backstage drama.
Celebrity Dad Joke Roast is now part of Showrunner.xyz on Discord. Join our community to create your own episodes, or use Showrunner’s character creation tools to put yourself into the story!
About the Show
Meet Skip Burns, a washed-up comedian clinging to his last shot at fame. But this gig is more than just a comeback—it’s a chance to reconnect with his estranged 22-year-old daughter, Sunny Burns, a sharp-tongued barista and aspiring graphic novelist who wants nothing to do with him… until life drags her into the chaos of his show, turning their fractured dynamic into the series’ emotional core.
While celebs trade cringe-worthy zingers onstage, the behind-the-scenes world simmers with ambition, secrets, and surprising heart. Sunny’s friends—Anita, an aspiring actress, and Shamar, a fashion designer with a flair for drama—are chasing creative dreams of their own. Meanwhile, an obsessed superfan named Larry will do anything to join a roast onstage. With every new celebrity cameo, the backstage antics spiral into beautiful, ridiculous chaos.
Character Bios

Skip Burns
Host of “Celebrity Dad Joke Roast”
Roast master, Skip Burns, brings old-school showbiz charm and corny dad joke wit to the stage, setting the tone, before stepping aside to let the celebrities do the pun-ishing. Hosting Celebrity Dad Joke Roast is his last shot at relevance—but more than fame, Skip wants the daughter he abandoned to give him another chance. Even though he hasn’t seen her in…well how long has it been? They could pick up where they left off—couldn’t they? Skip wants to try again, and this time he’s determined to get it right.

Sunny Burns
Barista / Aspiring Graphic Novelist
Sunny Burns is whip-smart, sarcastic, creative, and emotionally intense. At 22, she’s already lost more than most: her mother, her grandmother, and the father who left after her mother died. She channels her grief into the graphic novel she’s writing and illustrating. By day, she works at The Black Hole coffee shop; by night, she draws—and secretly follows everything her father does. She sees things most people miss, feels things too deeply, and pretends not to care because she’s terrified of being left again.
Supporting Cast

Manny Chopra
Camera Operator / Moral Compass
Manny is the kind of guy who doesn’t say much—but when he does, it lands. As Celebrity Dad Joke Roast’s camera operator, he’s seen it all: the flops, the flubs, the roasts that go way too far. He’s a no-nonsense professional, until you get him talking about his kids, then he waxes sentimental. He has 5 daughters, and he loves being a dad.

Larry Fensterman
Superfan
Larry is that guy. The one who’s been to every taping, runs a Reddit thread on hidden meanings in the roasts, and knows the show’s lore better than the crew does. Loud, loveable, and slightly unhinged, Larry attends tapings with his best friends. They watch the roasts like a sporting event, loudly sharing their opinions and critiques.

the Head Writer
Sequestered in the writers room—which is locked from the outside—nobody’s ever seen the show’s writer coming in or going out. There’s speculation that the writer’s kept hidden because he’s a cancelled comedian, or possibly an AI. In the season finale, Sunny discovers the secret of why they stay hidden and she vows to keep it.

Kierkegaard
Cat-philosopher / Sunny’s Confidant
Sunny’s talking cat believes he is Soren Kierkegaard reincarnated. As a feline philosopher, he refuses to chase laser pointers—declaring such pursuits “a distraction from the inward leap.” He has deep thoughts about everything, especially Sunny, whom he considers his greatest existential puzzle.

Shamar Green
Barista / Aspiring Fashion Designer
An aspiring fashion designer, Shamar is stylish, sharp-tongued, and fiercely loyal to his closest friends, Sunny and Anita. He can judge your outfit—and your entire personality—with a single glance. His critiques are so hilarious and spot-on, customers often come in just to get his opinion of their style choices.

Anita Delgado
Barista / Aspiring Actor
Anita is an aspiring actress. Outspoken, outgoing, and emotional, she’s as likely to burst into song as she is to (loudly) set you straight if you disrespect her. She’s been Sunny’s best friend since middle school. They are opposites in every way except for the big huge heart they both have underneath it all.
Episode Guide – Season One
| Episode | Title | Roast Match-Up | Key Story Beats |
| 1 | Pilot | Seth Rogen vs. Albert Einstein | Skip introduces the show and takes viewers backstage. An embarrassing conversation reveals his failings as a father. Einstein and Seth Rogen, get high in the green room before roasting each other on stage. Skip’s long-lost daughter, Sunny Burns, watches the show with mixed feelings. |
| 2 | Latte Love? Maybe Tomorrow | Barack Obama vs. Larry David | Skip hovers outside the café where Sunny (his daughter) works, but can’t go in. She vents about him to Anita & Shamar. Guest stars Barack Obama and Larry David give Skip advice and critique each other’s humor. Skip gets the courage to talk to Sunny. |
| 3 | That’s A Latte to Process | Bo Burnham vs. Jeff Bezos | Skip invites Sunny to a taping. She says no, but changes her mind when she hears the guest star is Bo Burnham. Her friends go with her, they meet superfan, Larry. Sunny is invited backstage to the greenroom. Skip gets an idea when he sees her make coffee for Bo. |
| 4 | You Are Not A Loan | Bernie Sanders vs. Rupert Murdoch | Skip offers Sunny a part-time job. She refuses, but a rent hike forces her to accept. Bernie Sanders is sympathetic. Skip feels awkward and avoids her. Sunny debriefs with her friends. |
| 5 | Brewing Drama | Pete Davidson vs. Bob Ross | Sunny begins to enjoy working in the green room, hitting it off with Pete and Bob. Shamar pitches himself as a stylist. Skip is caught dodging tough questions about the dead celebrities that mysteriously appear on the show. |
| 6 | Behind the Curtain | Gordon Ramsay vs. Bryan Cranston | Skip is bullied by the guest stars. Green room rumors fly as Larry concocts a conspiracy theory about the show’s writer and Sunny decides to investigate. Anita nails an audition |
| 7 | Dogfight | Elon Musk vs. His Dog (Shiba Inu) | The show’s popularity explodes. Skip is recognized on the street and basks in the glow of attention, ignoring Sunny. Elon talks to Skip about the extreme downside of fame. Shiba Inu befriends Sunny’s cat, Kierkegaard. |
| 8 | Roasted and Toasted | Muhammad Ali vs. Will Smith (Chris Rock cameo) | Sunny roasts Skip in public—everyone laughs. It stings. He tries to be real with Sunny, but it’s hard to drop the act. Larry is determined to win the roast contest. Shamar and Anita sneak into the greenroom. |
| 9 | Kernels of Truth | Keanu Reeves vs. William Shatner | Skip finally talks to Sunny about her mom. Real emotion, no jokes. She softens. Sunny finds the hidden backdoor to the writer’s room. Anita and Shamar uncover secrets of their own at The Black Hole coffee shop. |
| 10 | The Final Draft – Part One & Part Two | Oprah Winfrey vs. George Washington \ Surprise Fan Roast | In the two-part series finale, Sunny sneaks into the writer’s room and discovers why the writer’s identity is hidden. Oprah roasts the father of our country wearing something Shamar designed. Skip gives a sincere monologue about fatherhood. A superfan (Larry) gets roasted. Sunny and Skip are finally getting along until the secret of the writers room blows apart their reconciliation. |

