Comedy Central Picks Up Ugly Americans

Thursday, May 14, 2009
By: Thomas J. Mclean

Comedy Central is betting on animation to bring in the laughs, giving the green light to seven episodes of David Stern’s new series Ugly Americans and developing animated projects from Jamie Foxx, Judah Friedlander and Dan Vebber.

Ugly Americans is based on an idea from illustrator Devin Clark about an alternate New York in which a human social worker helps creatures from horror, fantasy and sci-fi movies adapt to life as ordinary citizens. Stern, a former producer on The Simpsons, developed the project and will serve as executive producer.

"During these tough economic times our viewers need a good laugh now more than ever," said Lauren Corrao, the channel’s president of original programming and development. "With the pick-up of Ugly Americans, our viewers will be able to escape into a fantasy world like they've never seen before."

Ugly Americans is set to premiere in the first quarter of 2010.

Comedy Central also announced a trio of animated projects it’s developing, including:

• The Foxxhole, a workplace comedy from Jamie Foxx based on his satellite radio program.

• Gypsy Cab, in which Judah Friedlander of 30 Rock fame plays a wacked-out taxi driver.

• And The Invadersteins, a series from Futurama and American Dad! producer Dan Vebber about a family of aliens who stay behind on earth after a failed invasion.

Reader Comments

• Michael : Art Director :

  Friday, May 15, 2009

  How about these C list and D list actors stay out of the animation field and give the regular board artists, character designers and people in the industry a shot at making their
  concepts get the greenlight!

• Steven G. : Optical Line Up :

  Friday, May 15, 2009

  Gypsy Cab is a great concept but just the kind development people routinely nix as not being driven (except literally) by the protagonist. It would never have been approved were it not pitched by a recognizable personality attached to a critical primetime hit. I do not know Michael (above) but his words are on the money.

• Wyatt Curtis Maynard, Sr. : Retired :

  Friday, May 15, 2009

  More damn cartoons to wreck the kids\' minds! When I was a youngster, the most \"hip\" cartoon around was \"Gertie the Dinosaur.\" Now they got them \"Smurfs\" and \"Pokemans\" and \"The South Park.\" Don\'t get me wrong, I watched a little bit of that \"He-Man\" after I retired, but it was revolutionary at the time and it had some class. These zombie cartoons will scare my dog Billy, and it\'ll probably make Stuart wet his pants, and that boy is well into thirty years old!