Networks Announce New Comedies Going To Series
Networks are going on a shopping spree for new comedies for the television line ups.
IFC has bought “101 Ways To Kill Your Ex” from writers Erin Simon and Kim Karp. The sitcom is all about revenge. After being dumped by their former significant others, a man and woman team up to get back at the people that broke their hearts.
HBO has picked up “Living On Video” from the director of “Fight Club” and “Se7en”, David Fincher. The series stars Charlie Rowe as Robby who lives in 1983 Los Angeles and hopes to become a movie director. He finds himself getting in on the start of the music video industry.
FOX is going forward with a new John Stamos sitcom titled “Grandpa“. Stamos, who’s producing and guest starring on the “Full House” reboot on Netflix, will star in a new comedy series where he plays a ladies man who not only finds out he has a now grown kid that he didn’t know about, but his kid has a kid too. He’s an instant dad and grandpa.
Rob Lowe is immediately back on television after his “Parks and Rec” run. He stars in FOX‘s new sitcom, “Grinder“. He plays beloved TV lawyer Dean Sanderson according to Deadline who moves back home to a small town to take over the family law practice. Unfortunately, he’s got a jealous brother there waiting for him who doesn’t think his brother’s return is a positive thing. Fred Savage returns to TV as Sanderson’s brother Stewart.
Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of a new animated series, “Legends Of Chamberlain Heights“. The new cartoon comedy focuses on three high school freshmen, Jamal, Grover, and Milk. These three guys are legends in their own time. At least they think so. The series is from Brad Ableson of “The Simpsons” and was co-created by Quinn Hawking, Josiah Johnson, Michael Starrbury. The three are real life friends, sports reporters and journalists and former UCLA basketball team bench warmers.
Samantha Bee, who just wrapped up her time on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” is prepping her new series for TBS. She’ll be doing a family sitcom created with her husband and fellow Daily Show member, Jason Jones. Samantha explained the premise of the show to Entertainment Weekly. She said, “The show we’re doing together is a half-hour TV-MA scripted comedy with a family at the center and the basic trajectory of the show—it will be ten episodes—is just seven days on a trip with this family. It’s serial comedy, basically. We are so excited about it. We’re having so much fun writing it.”
NBC has given the go-ahead to three brand new comedies according to the Hollywood Reporter. The network has given the green light to “People Are Talking” which stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (“Saved By The Bell” and more recently “Franklin & Bash”), Tone Bell, Meaghan Rath, and Bresha Webb. The sitcom focuses on neighbors who focus on everything in life until it becomes an obsession.
NBC is also sending “Crowded” to series. It’s about a multi-generational family featuring a retired couple who all of sudden find their home “crowded” again when their adult daughters move home.
Also on NBC is the television return of America Ferrera. TV’s “Ugly Betty” is back in the new sitcom “Superstore”. It revolves around a group of tight knit employees working at a big box store. “Superstore” co-stars Ben Feldman (“Mad Men”).
Adult Swim is adding two new original series to its programming according to Deadline. “TV SUCKS” is created by Brad Neely and is a new quarter hour series filled with sketches, songs and comedy shorts. The network is also adding “Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter” and as you might have guessed, it’s about a man who hunts werewolves while wearing neon.
Based on the 1989 comedy from John Hughes and starring John Candy, ABC has ordered a TV version of “Uncle Buck”. The television version will star Mike Epps. He plays the irresponsible uncle who ends up taking care of his sister’s kid as their new nanny.
Variety also reports that ABC will be bringing “The Muppets” back to TV from “The Big Bang Theory” creator Bill Prady, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and possible hold-out, The Swedish Chef.
There’s also new comedies coming to ABC, starring Ken Jeong as “Dr. Ken,” in a new medical comedy and Martha Plimpton stars in a family sitcom called “The Real O’Neals.”
