Diversity rules at Comedy Central

By Kimberly Nordyke

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter)- Comedy Central is developing a magazine-show parody hosted by David Alan Grier, and a sketch/variety show featuring Middle Eastern-American comedians.

The projects are part of its 2007-08 development slate, which the network unveiled Tuesday. It also includes pilots from former network executive Jamie Tarses and former "Saturday Night Live" head writer T. Sean Shannon.

"David Alan Grier's Chocolate News" covers inherently urban pop culture topics; the correspondents will double as sketch players.

"The Watch List," which premiered as an original series on Comedy Central's Web site, features material from up-and-coming Middle Eastern-American comedians performing what the network described as "edgy, intelligent, race-based comedy."

Shannon's tentatively titled "Night Writer" is described as a shortform comedy show that includes live-action sketches, animation shorts and voice-over stills. It centers on a show writer in the midst of writing, with the events occurring in real time; his distinct point-of-view sets up the comedy, while various characters react to the sketches as they unfold. The comedy is inspired by Shannon's books, "Big Business," "Cough It Up" and "Bum Love."

Also ordered to pilot is "Held Up," a half-hour narrative that centers on a bored bank teller whose life changes dramatically when two teams of crazy robbers hold up his branch. The main characters are held hostage for the entire arc of the series and fall victim to the "comedic version" of the Stockholm syndrome (a psychological response sometimes seen in hostages). Tarses, the former ABC Entertainment president whose executive producer credits include the TBS comedy "My Boys," will serve as an executive producer.

The two pilots join the previously announced "Larry the Cable Guy" animated project, the sketch show "Michael Ian Black Doesn't Understand," and "Root of All Evil," presided over by Lewis Black ("The Daily Show With Jon Stewart").

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter