Tracy Morgan TBS Series Peek Grabs Huge Reaction at Upfronts; Media Buyers Given First Look at Louis C.K. – Albert Brooks Series

Today during the Media Upfront presentation, ad reps and the media were treated to a look at what’s coming soon for the various Turner networks including TBS, TNT, truTV, CNN, and other properties, but grabbing the biggest reactions from the crowd were two promo pieces involving Tracy Morgan. One was a promo piece for ad buys with Tracy, and the other, a short preview of Morgan’s brand new original series coming to TBS. Morgan looks great in the new series, titled The Last O.G. with a cast that includes Cedric the Entertainer, Taylor Mosby and Dante Hoagland. In the preview, Tracy is seen sitting on a stoop asking what the hell happened to Brooklyn? The world can’t get enough Tracy. Comedy crowds have been going crazy for his touring show, his special just came out on Netflix yesterday, and even a crowd of media suits were thrilled to see him on screen showing that Morgan has nearly universal appeal.

We got a “sliver” of a look at Louis C.K.‘s next project with Albert Brooks. It’s an animated series called The Cops for TBS about two cops in Los Angeles. There wasn’t enough to form any opinions, but we’re still excited to see Albert back to entertaining adults with comedy, and there’s never going to be a Louis C.K. project that we aren’t interested in checking out.

Exciting comedy projects are forthcoming from Turner all over their channels. Daniel Radcliffe and Owen Wilson will star in a new series called Miracle Workers on TBS with Radcliffe cast as a pro-humanity angel, and Wilson playing God and not feeling the love for Earth. Lorne Michaels is executive producing the animated series, Close Enough. And Snoop Dogg is going to host a reboot of the 70’s game show sensation, The Jokers Wild , and it actually looks like a lot of fun. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee is obviously coming back (she was a huge hit opening up the Upfronts), and so is Angie Tribeca, The Detour, and Wyatt Cenac starrer, People of Earth, plus, one of our favorite comedic dramas this year- Search Party with Alia Shawkat, and John Early.

truTV is continuing its commitment to comedy and to its existing cornerstone shows like The Carbonaro Effect, Impractical Jokers, and Adam Conover‘s Adam Ruins Everything. 

New shows on truTV includes Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks, which will launch later this year and provide a refreshing new take on traditional stand-up comedy; the scripted comedy I’m Sorry, from Andrea Savage which got a big push this morning with an extended clip; and the live live LIVE show, The Chris Gethard Show which, if you read this site, needs no explanation.  At Home with Amy Sedaris hasn’t started filming yet, but a promo clip from Sedaris got the second largest reaction from today’s crowd. But the show we’re most interested in seeing previewed was oddly absent from the Upfront presentations-  Bobcat Goldthwait‘s Misfits & Monsters.

On Adult Swim, there’s a bunch of new series coming and a new special from political comedian Jena Friedman. We have no idea what that’s about or how it will fit in with Adult Swim, but according to press materials, the single half-hour will probe culture in politics in America today from Friedman’s “unapologetically feminist point of view.” Friedman just released a really strong first hour on Seeso in 2016 titled American Cunt. No idea if this signals the start of original comedy specials on Turner properties. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill will be featured voices on a new animated stop motion show titled The Shivering Truth.

Other highlights from the Upfronts included Samantha Bee letting brands know that her controversial show can be challenging for brands, but promising not to go too far, Kevin Reilly letting the audience know that they have five of the top fifteen original comedies on cable and their shows are routinely making best of lists, and the announcement of something called the Omni Channel which we assume will become clearer in time. There was a lot of love at the Upfronts for beloved animated series Rick and Morty, Mike Tyson Mysteries had a sizeable preview, and James Corden came out to rap with Turner exec Kevin Reilly.

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