Comedy Central Reveals New Programming Slate
Cable Network Green-Lights Several Pilots
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 5/29/2007 5:31:00 PM
Sketch comedies and animation are on tap for Comedy Central as part of its new slate of original pilots announced Tuesday.
Among the new pilots the network green-lit: Night Writer, a short-form comedy from former Saturday Night Live writer T. Sean Shannon; Held Up, a half-hour series in which a bored bank teller is held hostage by two teams of crazy robbers; and an as-yet-untitled animated feature starring Larry the Cable Guy as a misguided but well-intentioned cable-TV-station co-owner.
Also on the docket is Michael Ian Black Doesn't Understand, a sketch show that will feature commentary and studio pieces around a "hot-button" topic each week; and Root of All Evil, in which two people or topics are debated in a courtroom setting presided over by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart star Lewis Black.
The network will also try its hand at urban/ethnic content with three new shows: David Allen Grier's Chocolate News, a fictional magazine show that covers urban pop-culture topics; The JoKoy Project, an animated, comedy sketch and stand-up show that will feature a racially diverse ensemble cast; and The Watch List, a sketch/variety show featuring some of the funniest up-and-coming Middle Eastern-American comedians.
