Comedy Central Announces New Projects From Naomi Ekperigin, Matteo Lane, and More

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Along with big announcements that Comedy Central is bringing back beloved puppet series Crank Yankers, and turning David Spade’s Hollywood Minute into a real late night show that doesn’t give a fuck about politics, there were big announcements about new series coming soon, and some exciting projects in development.

Brand new series South Side is premiering this summer and the network released a first look at the new show today.  The series set in the South Side of Chicago stars Lil Rel Howery, Nathaniel “Earthquake” Stroman, Jeff Tweedy, LisaRaye McCoy, Kel Mitchell and Ed Lover and follows two friends who just graduated community college … so now they’re ready to take over the world! But until they do they’re stuck at Rent-T-Own, a retail-rental crossroads where the South Side’s vast ensemble of characters come together. Despite the obstacles of inner-city life, these friends and their co-workers all strive to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. Brought to life by local Chicagoans, both in front of and behind the camera, this show gives viewers an authentic portrayal of what life on the South Side is all about. South Side is written by Bashir Salahuddin (Glow) and Diallo Riddle (Marlon). Salahuddin, Riddle, and Michael Blieden – all Late Night with Jimmy Fallon alumni – are executive producers. Bashir Salahuddin and Riddle star in the series, alongside Sultan Salahuddin and Chandra Russell.

There’s also renewal news– The Other Two from former SNL head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider is getting a second season. The series stars Drew Tarver as a 28-year-old actor struggling to get better auditions than “Man At Party Who Smells Fart,” and Heléne Yorke as his 30-year-old sister, who is struggling in general. As the two work toward finding themselves, their lives are completely upended when their 13-year-old brother, ChaseDreams played by Case Walker, becomes incredibly famous overnight. The Other Two also features Molly Shannon, who plays the siblings’ fame-ready mother, Ken Marino as ChaseDreams’ newly-hired manager and Wanda Sykes as Chase’s publicist. The series airs Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

And we’re pretty excited about a few things Comedy Central has in development. Three scripted projects are in the works with some really great young talent behind them.  New York favorite Matteo Lane is behind The Chameleon, a series about an extraordinarily talented, yet chronically broke entertainer who unwittingly stumbles into a world of covert operations and international espionage, where he’s finally offered his big break … as the government’s most fabulous spy. He’s working with co-creator Jared Lapidus.  From Naomi Ekperigin and Andy Beckerman, a show based on their lives follows an interracial couple in a wild polyamorous affair with their careers. Ekperigin stars in the series, in addition to writing the pilot with Beckerman.  And finally, Samantha Irby‘s successful book Meaty is the basis for another scripted series about navigating through failed relationships, an identity crisis, her sexuality and a recent Crohn’s disease diagnosis.

And finally, word that stand-up series The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn and Open Mike Eagle is still on the way.

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