National Lampoon Not Happy About Proposed Television Series Inspired By Documentary

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The story of the satire magazine, the National Lampoon is getting a third telling, but not everyone is happy about it.

Deadline is reporting that A+E Studios will adapt their National Lampoon documentary, Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead, into a scripted television series. The documentary, which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival last year, portrays the early days of National Lampoon magazine, founded by Douglas Kenney and Henry Beard. National Lampoon is arguably one of the most recognizable names in comedy, having been a hugely popular counterculture magazine before turning its focus toward film, producing cult-classics like the Vacation series and Animal House.

The series will be a scripted, fictionalized depiction of National Lampoon in its heyday, with magazine co-founder Matty Simmons on board as a consulting producer, indicating the show will be part fact and part fantasy.

If this is all sounding a little familiar, that’s because it is. This is the third National Lampoon project to be announced.  In addition to the original documentary, Director David Wain, partnered with Netflix, just wrapped up production on A Futile and Stupid Gesture, a biopic about National Lampoon and its founders, starring Last Man on Earth’s Will Forte as Douglas Kenney, Harry Potter and Ex-Machina’s Domhnall Gleeson as Henry Beard, Community’s Joel McHale as Chevy Chase, Kroll Show’s Jon Daly as Bill Murray, Undateable’s Rick Glassman as Harold Ramis, and Broad City’s John Gemberling as John Belushi.

But Deadline reports that National Lampoon President Alan Donnes is not happy with the announcement, and is threatening legal action.  He says that A+E has “zero rights to make such a series” or to use the National Lampoon name.  He also says that he has not been approached by anyone about permission to make the series. He added “Our early days are our early days. We are very protective of the rights and intellectual properties owned by the company.”   Deadline says that an insider told them A+E isn’t worried, and says although the Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead doc inspired the idea for the series, no real events or personas from the National Lampoon history will be used.  The working title for the series is Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead.

The release dates for both upcoming NL project have yet to be announced, but comedy fans interested in the early days of one of comedy’s most famed institutions have a lot to look forward to in the coming months.

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Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler

Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.