Comedy Central Announces 22 New Projects, Including Show About Jesus
On the heels of the media brouhaha over its censoring 'South Park's' recent "Mohammad" episode (and Jon Stewart's subsequent, um, serenade), Comedy Central is proving that it does have a sense of humor after all. According to a network press release, the cable network has a whopping 22 projects in various stages of development.
And, not wanting to mess with success, the net will remain true to its predilection for sketch, talk and animated offerings. Highlights of its rather full slate include a new twist on Neil Simon's 'The Odd Couple,' a 'Love Line'-type live sex chat with a comic angle, 'Rich Dicks,' a FunnyorDie-based series about two insufferable creeps on the prowl in L.A. and an animated show about Jesus Christ. (That is not a typo.)
While still in development, 'JC' will focus on Christ's attempt to get out of his father's rather large shadow and live like a regular guy in NYC.
"In general, comedy in its purest form always makes some people uncomfortable," Comedy Central's head of original programming, Kent Alterman, told the Hollywood Reporter. "For me, the guiding principle is finding the strongest comedy voices," he said.
Two pilots, 'Highdeas' wherein a comic addresses questions set forth by seemingly stoned people and the sketch comedy series 'This Show Will Get You High,' a new comedian showcase of sorts, are likely to appeal to Comedy Central's core viewership.
While it's busy working on shiny new shows, the net hasn't forgotten its tried and true fan faves and revealed premiere months for some, including 'Futurama' (June), 'Nick Swardson's Pretend Time' (October) and 'The Onion Sports Network' (January).

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