Comedy Central Writes New Script

‘Big Lake’ Another Attempt To Broaden Channel’s Series Lineup

By R.Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 7/26/2010 12:01:00 AM

Comedy Central, already known for its stand-up comedy, animated fare and satirical news shows, will turn to the traditional scripted comedy genre this summer to make its audiences laugh.
The Aug. 17 launch of scripted comedy series Big Lake marks a shift in strategy toward more narrative shows to supplement current hits like popular animated series South Park; stand-up showcase Comedy Central Presents; and late-night satire show The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, said Kent Alterman, head of original programming and production.
While Comedy has experimented with scripted comedies in the past — most recently last year’s Michael & Michael Have Issues and Krod Mandoon and The Flaming Sword of Fire, as well as Emmy nominee The Sarah Silverman Program — the network has yet to develop a breakthrough, live-action scripted series.
“When it’s done right, a signature [scripted] series can really propel a network and ignite viewership, but it’s an area that Comedy Central hasn’t really developed much of historically,” said Alterman, who produced scripted series Strangers With Candy for the network in 1999. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us. When you do a scripted series, you have an opportunity to create characters that can evolve and the audience can get invested in and have some real longevity for the series.”
Big Lake, produced by the Will Ferrell and Adam McKay-headed production company Gary Sanchez Productions, stars Chris Gethard (a member of the Upright Citizens Brigade improv troupe) as a discredited financial whiz kid who finds himself crashing on his parents’ couch drumming up get-rich-quick schemes after he loses all of his father’s retirement fund.
“Big Lake is interesting in that it’s a very traditional-looking sitcom but with a contemporary, off-center comedic sensibility,” Alterman said.
While Alterman would not project how well the show will perform, he did say the 10-episode rollout will balloon to an additional 90 shows if Big Lake can meet an unspecified ratings number. The show will go up against heavy competition on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. — am hour that includes such top-rated shows as TNT’s HawthoRNe and USA Network’s White Collar — but Alterman believes it provides an alternative to cable dramas, particularly for the network’s targeted 18-to-34-year-old male viewer.
“There’s competition every night, so at a certain point there’s only so much you can control,” he said. “We’re hoping that Big Lake will continue our efforts to create programming that resonates with that [young male] audience.”
The network also has a second scripted series in the works dubbed Workaholics — which follows three friends fresh out of college who live and work together as telemarketers — that will premiere in January 2011, and is looking at several other scripted projects.