Superhero freaks, red state residents and comic legends are all vying for places on Comedy Central’s program schedule, as part of a new 2006 development slate the network uncorked Wednesday.
The slate, Comedy Central's largest ever, aims to continue targeting young males while enlisting new talent and genres. Projects in development include:
-
Freak Show&/E>, an animated program from David Cross (Arrested Development) and Jon Benjamin (Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist) about freak show performers who are also superheroes.
-
Red State Diaries, in which Lewis Black hits the road to profile Republican-leaning states.
-
Wee on America, a half-hour comedy in which Jackass’ Jason “Wee-Man” Acuna and a co-star take on “full-sized” people around the country in physical and mental challenges.
-
Legends, a series of specials about the careers and lives of comic successes, including the show's first profile, Rodney Dangerfield.
-
Not Another High School Show, in which the team behind the film, Not Another Teen Movie, will spoof teen TV shows.
-
Half Way Home, a half-hour show about the dysfunctional crew at a halfway house.
-
Culture Clash, in which standup comic Nick DiPaolo insinuates himself into cultures he has made fun of in his routines.
-
Case Closed, a scripted spoof of cable crime documentaries.
The new projects join Comedy Central’s previously announced pilots in development – Gay Robot, from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison shingle; Public Nuisance, from Morgan Spurlock; Naked Trucker, from Parallel Entertainment; and a yet untitled project from comedian Sarah Silverman.
Comedy Central, a Viacom-owned MTV network, also inked four script deals:
Teacher’s Lounge will profile awkward junior-high teachers and their drunken principal in suburban Kentucky.-
Doc & Chains will chronicle a scientist and a biker living together after zombies overtake the world.-
Used will tell of the cutthroat world of used car salesman in a half-hour semi-scripted show. The show will take over a real used-car lot and train actors to sell cars.
-
My Secret Public Journal will turn comic Mike Birbiglia’s syndicated radio feature into a TV show, starring the comic as himself in tales of his often less than fortunate life.
Comedy Central averaged 896,000 total viewers in prime time during the third quarter of 2005, down 4% from last year.
