With programming that includes Chappelle's Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park, and The Colbert Report, Comedy Central is no longer just another basic-cable channel. The network is coming off its best year ratings-wise to date and has announced five new programs it hopes will continue the positive trend.
The five shows ordered to pilot expand Comedy Central's slate with a mix of animation, sketch comedy, and scripted programs, and feature the talent of Michael Ian Black, Larry the Cable Guy, and Lewis Black.
Night Writer comes from the mind of T. Sean Shannon, the former head writer of Saturday Night Live. It's art imitating life as the show focuses on a television writer and features short sketches. The program is based on Shannon's books Bum Love, Cough it Up, and Big Business.
Redneck comedian Larry the Cable Guy will get animated in a to-be-titled cartoon. The comedian will live up to his name and play a co-owner of a cable TV station who has different opinions on programming than the straightlaced female co-owner.
Comedy Central pokes fun at Stockholm Syndrome in Held Up, a show about a disenchanted bank teller whose branch gets robbed. The robbers--dressed up as Batman, the Three Stooges, James Bond, and Spider-Man--will keep the cast of characters hostage the entire series, with the main characters eventually becoming fond of their captors.
Root of All Evil is a fake courtroom drama that sees two people or topics going head-to-head. The Daily Show's Lewis Black will serve as the show's judge and hear a rotating group of comedians explain why their "client" is the root of all evil. Topics on tap include Dick Cheney versus Paris Hilton and "chick flicks" versus video games.
Michael Ian Black of Stella and The State fame will host and star in Michael Ian Black Doesn't Understand, a sketch show that tackles one "hot-button topic" each week.
Comedy Central is also moving forward with three shows that have been given presentation deals: the urban pop culture magazine show David Alan Grier's Chocolate News starring the former In Living Color actor, the Middle Eastern-American comedy show The Watch List, and an untitled project starring comedian JoKoy.
Comments (19)
more cartoons
too bad they didn't bother to pick up that series Christopher Titus was doing for them
I love Lewis Black, but will watch the new show with hesitation. The pitch for the show sounds like it will cease to be entertaining after the first few eps. As for Larry? He needs to go away. He's not funny. Without his hick accent, even his rave fans would disband. And MIB's show sounds an aweful like "Tracy Takes On..."
"Night Writer" would be good if it hadn't been beaten to the punch by...I dunno...Studio 60 and 30 Rock.
Larry the Cable Guy sucks.
root of all evil would make a better sketch than a whole show.
And Larry the Cable guy animated series? sheesh, you'd think Comedy Central would have better taste and brains with where to invest in original series.
Lewis Black will be great! :D
I love Michael Ian Black!! I can't wait for that. He's great on all those I love the 80s specials.
I don't see anything on the list that I plan to watch :(
Some sound promising. Others just don't sound funny.
I completely agree with tviq; more (smart) comedy, please!
I welcome any new comedy in the face of this tiresome reality show phase.
Larry the Cable Guy...No thank you...Love Lewis Black, but that show sounds hideous....No to Michael Ian Black, as well...Held Up and Night Writer sound like something to catch though.
Lewis Black and Michael Ian Black absolutely, the rest I don't think so.
hahaha so0o coolz
All sound pretty good except for the Lewis Black one, Root of All Evil, simply because Lewis Black is just loud and obnoxious, not funny.
I don't know bout Larry but everything else sounds worth a peek or glance at. I don't expect much out of these types of shows because Comedy Central isn't one of the key stations to pull off regular programming so who knows. I think they need to stick with just stand up specials and shows that are a hit now(southpark, colbert, daily show and the like) I'll check the out but frankly they will just be funny for bout 10 minutes or so then canceled in a few weeks after premiering. Prove me wrong please I need something new to laugh at, even a cheap laugh.
Sounds nice I like comedy central but Lewis Black not that funny.
They sounds like they could be good
dissapointed