Lewis Black judges pop culture for Comedy

By Kimberly Nordyke

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Comedy Central has picked up a new pop-culture debate series starring Grammy-winning comedian Lewis Black.

The show, titled "The Root of All Evil," aims to put "pop culture on trial," the cable network said.

It features Black as moderator pitting two celebrities or pop culture topics -- such as Paris Hilton vs. Dick Cheney or YouTube vs. porn -- against each other in an open debate setting in which rotating comedians argue over which is more evil. Black will make the final decision.

"I am thrilled to become a part of popular culture by being the self-proclaimed decider of what is evil in our popular culture," Black said. "And by the end of the show's run, I will no doubt have to judge myself."

The actor-comedian -- who performs more than 200 nights a year in the U.S., Canada, Europe and New Zealand -- recently appeared in the films "Man of the Year," "Accepted" and "Unaccompanied Minors." He is working on a second book, expected next year, to follow 2005's "Nothing's Sacred." He won the comedy album Grammy this year for "The Carnegie Hall Performance."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter