Complete Coverage: TCA Winter Press Tour 2014
Fox is staying in the Andy Samberg business.
The network has partnered with Samberg's The Lonely Island comedy trio (which includes Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) on an alternative comedy development venture.
The Lonely Island will oversee the development of comedy projects that will be incubated through digital platforms such as Hulu (which Fox has an ownership stake) and Roku, with the plan of becoming a fully-formed TV series on Fox, FX, FXX or other networks.
The announcement comes the morning after two big wins at Sunday's Golden Globes for Samberg's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which included best TV comedy and best comedy actor for Samberg himself.
"I’ve admired Akiva, Andy and Jorma’s work for many years, and they share our desire to give creators more independence and the opportunity to take risks," said Fox entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly. "These guys know what it takes to break through–whether online or on air–and they are the perfect partners to help us find the next generation of comedy hits.”
This is Fox's third multi-platform development initiative. Fox launched animation unit Animation Domination High-Def in 2012 and last year partnered with digital studio WIGS.
