Ben Karlin signs deal with HBO

Former Daily Show and Colbert Report producer/writer Ben Karlin has signed a major deal with HBO to create TV shows, specials, and movies for the network. He's also working on a big screen comedy for HBO.

Karlin, a former editor at The Onion (wow, some nice gigs under his belt, eh?), left the two Comedy Central shows last year so he could spend more time with his family and because it was interfering with the quality of his work. He has now formed a production company that will be run by producer Will Reiser.

Karlin says that when his reps asked him what he wanted to do next, he said "not TV. They said 'HBO,' and I had to admit, they had me there."

He also has a book coming out in February 2008 titled Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me.