Comedy Central picked up David Alan Grier’s magazine-news-show spoof, David Alan Grier’s Chocolate News (working title), as well as reality-show spoof series Reality Bites (working title). The shows join Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire in getting picked up by the network.
Chocolate News and Reality Bites were first unveiled by Comedy earlier this month, though it had not decided at that time which shows would be receiving a series pick.
"We are thrilled to be moving ahead with these two totally unique series that bring fresh new concepts and distinctive points of view to Comedy Central that will appeal not only to the channel's core audience, but to fans of David's and fans of the reality craze," said Lauren Corrao, president of original programming and development, in announcing the pickups.
"David brings a new, urban outlook to the magazine-show parody that will be a perfect complement to our current programming, and 3Ball Productions is the ideal partner to turn the reality genre upside-down from the inside out," she added.
According to the network, Grier’s show will be an unabashedly biased approach to the magazine news show, tackling such topics as steroid use in little leaguers and an operation to separate black and white conjoined twins. David Alan Grier’s Chocolate News will premiere in the first quarter of 2009.
Each episode of Reality Bites will be a spoof of a popular reality show, such as “Are You Smarter than a Monkey?,” “Almost American Gladiators” and “The Amazing Disgrace.” At the end of the competition, one comedian will be left standing and will be crowned “Last Comic Standing.” Reality Bites will premiere this summer.
