News

“Group Therapy,” an intimate exploration of mental health from some of the comedians who’ve shared their darkest — and funniest — life struggles on stage, is now streaming on Prime Video, TheWrap can reveal exclusively.

The feature-length documentary from Emmy-nominated filmmaker Neil Berkeley chronicles a group therapy session — led by actor Neil Patrick Harris — with Tig Notaro, Mike Birbiglia, Gary Gulman, Atsuko Osaka, Nicole Byer and British comic London Hughes, as they discuss the relationship between their professional and mental health journeys.

Notaro shares her devastating cancer diagnosis; Birbiglia jokes about his bizarre sleepwalking nightmares; Gulman shares his lifelong battle with depression; Japanese comic Atsuko Osaka talks about her mother’s schizophrenia; Nicole Byer jokes that she loses her keys a few times a day because of Adhd; and Hughes dealt with insecurity and lack of opportunity as a young Black comic in the UK.

Nicole Byer and Tig Notaro in...

Exclusive: Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights to family sci-fi adventure Xeno, produced by Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat.

Lulu Wilson (Annabelle: Creation), Wrenn Schmidt (For All Mankind), Paul Schneider (Lars And The Real Girl) and Omari Hardwick (Power) star in the film written and directed by Matthew Loren Oates and produced by Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley and Luke Kelly-Clyne for Hartbeat, with Shana Marie and Jesse Jensen for Tabooma.

In the completed film, a teenage girl and a terrifying alien form a powerful bond after a chance encounter in the desert, sending them on an adventure that questions the nature of good and evil. As government agents close in, the girl discovers the alien is not the extraterrestrial she expected. Compelled to protect her new friend, she uncovers a secret that could change the fate of both their worlds.

Producers worked with The Henson Company to build the film’s alien creature.

2024 Back That Year Up with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson returns for a third annual special highlighting the biggest moments of the year. The end-of-year special will stream on Peacock on Monday, December 23.

Following the success of their Paris 2024 Summer Olympics series, Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson, the comedic duo will close out the year with their unfiltered humor as they recap the past year of pop culture, sports, social media, and politics.

The special will feature guest appearances from the year’s most talked about celebrities, including Nate Bargatze, Mookie Betts, Kenny G, Blake Griffin, Jon Hamm, Jonquel Jones, Seth Meyers, mgk and Rashida ‘Sheedz’ Olayiwola.

“We’re back baby! It’s been a wild year, and we are going to end it with a Bang,” said Kevin Hart. “Get ready for another season of ‘Back That Year Up’ with me and Kenan – the holidays wouldn...

All Kevin Hart wants to do is become a bonafide action star, but his unfortunate luck always seems to have other plans. In Season 3 of the Roku Channel‘s Die Hart series, playfully titled Die Hart 3: Hart to Kill, Kevin Hart goes on the run after getting blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. Roku’s Die Hart 3: Hart to Kill trailer is jam-packed with action, big-name stars, laugh-out-loud comedy, and unpredictable shenanigans.

Kevin Hart plays a fictionalized version of himself in Die Hart 3: Hart to Kill, which finds the actor teaming up with Jackson Pepper (J.K. Simmons), “one of the all-time great directors,” for the break Hart’s been looking for. Pepper is game to give Hart his shot, but only under one condition: Pepper wants Hart to put him out of his misery. After the meeting goes awry, Harts goes on the run before...

Today, Roku, America’s #1 TV streaming platform, revealed that Kathryn Hahn and J.K. Simmons will join season three of the Emmy Award nominated Roku Original series Die Hart. Tony Cavalero and Anna Garcia will also come on board as cast members for the new season. The series will premiere exclusively on The Roku Channel on Friday, December 13.

The new cast members will join series veterans Kevin Hart and Nathalie Emmanuel, both of whom were nominated for Emmy Awards for their outstanding performances in seasons 1 and 2. In the series’ third season, Kevin Hart is done with the action — what he really wants is critical success. But acclaimed director Jackson Pepper’s (Simmons) help hurts, thrusting Kevin and Jordan (Emmanuel) onto the wrong kind of “most wanted” list.

Simmons will play Jackson Pepper, one of the all-time great directors, a force of nature who is serious, intense, thorny, and unpredictable. Hahn will...

Roku has revealed that Kathryn Hahn and J.K. Simmons have joined the third season of the Emmy Award-nominated Roku Original series Die Hart.

Tony Cavalero and Anna Garcia will also come on board as cast members for the new season. The series will premiere exclusively on The Roku Channel on Friday, December 13.

The new cast members will join series veterans Kevin Hart and Nathalie Emmanuel, both of whom were nominated for Emmy Awards for their outstanding performances in the first two seasons.

In the third season, Kevin Hart is done with the action — what he really wants is critical success. But acclaimed director Jackson Pepper’s (J.K. Simmons) help hurts, thrusting Kevin and Jordan (Nathalie Emmanuel) onto the wrong kind of “most wanted” list.

Simmons will play Jackson Pepper, one of the all-time great directors, a force of nature who is serious, intense, thorny, and unpredictable. Kathryn Hahn will...

Kathryn Hahn and J.K. Simmons are among the new cast members added to Season 3 of Kevin Hart’s “Die Hart.”

Tony Cavalero and Anna Garcia have also joined the third installment of the action comedy series, which premieres Dec. 13 on the Roku Channel.

“Die Hart” stars Hart as a fictionalized version of himself alongside Nathalie Emmanuel. John Travolta and Josh Hartnett were Season 1 regulars.

In Season 3, “Kevin Hart is done with the action — what he really wants is critical success,” according to the logline. When he teams up with Jackson Pepper, “one of the all-time great directors” played by Simmons, Hart is launched onto “the wrong kind of ‘most wanted’ list.”

Hahn plays Jillian Avery, “a recognizable Oscar-winning movie star at the peak of her profession.” Cavalero is Agent Fisher, “a focused, intense, and easily agitated FBI agent with a deep secret.” And Garcia’s character Pearl is a “sweet and clueless aspiring actress,...

Kevin Hart’s Roku comedy Die Hart is expanding its cast with Season 3.

Kathryn Hahn, J.K. Simmons are joining the series along with Tony Cavalero and Anna Garcia.

They will join Hart and Nathalie Emmanuel, both of whom delivered Emmy nominated performances in the first two seasons. But, according to Roku, “the series’ third season, Kevin Hart is done with the action — what he really wants is critical success. But acclaimed director Jackson Pepper’s (Simmons) help hurts, thrusting Kevin and Jordan (Emmanuel) onto the wrong kind of ‘most wanted’ list.”

As mentioned, Simmons will play Jackson Pepper, one of the all-time great directors, a force of nature who is serious, intense, thorny, and unpredictable.

Hahn will take on the role of Jillian Avery, a recognizable Oscar-winning movie star at the peak of her profession. Cavalero will play Agent Fisher,...

Peacock has revealed the trailer and key art for the fourth season of Kevin Hart’s weekly celebrity talk show Hart to Heart, which will premiere on June 20.

In a series of conversations, A-list talent join Kevin Hart to reveal their honest, unfiltered, and unexpected true selves. It’s a place where the public will see the human side of our most well-known celebrities and world influencers. Each episode will be packed with meaningful conversation, open-dialogue, and a lot of heart.

This season, Hart will gather with a new batch of celebrity guests to have hour-long conversations about their life journeys, careers, and never-before-heard memories.

This season’s guests include industry powerhouses Ben Affleck, George Lopez, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Samberg, Judd Apatow, and Niecy Nash.

The third season of Hart to Heart featured guests Bill Maher, Dr. Dre, Dwayne Johnson, Issa Rae, J.Cole, John Cena, Mark Cuban, Sofia Vergara,...

An array of successful comedians share experiences from their mental health journeys in the trailer for the documentary feature Group Therapy.

Director Neil Berkeley’s film hails from Kevin Hart’s company Hartbeat and is set to premiere June 6 at the Tribeca Festival. Group Therapy features stand-up comedy stars sitting down for a group therapy session hosted by Neil Patrick Harris to discuss memories from childhood and how mental health relates to their professional journeys. The movie includes group dialogue, personal revelations and archival stand-up moments.

The cast includes Tig Notaro, Nicole Byer, Mike Birbiglia, London Hughes, Gary Gulman and Atsuko Okatsuka.

“To be clear, I am not a therapist,” Harris quips in the trailer. The star adds, “I think stand-up seems wrought with so much insecurity.”

In explaining how her mental health helped inform her career, Notaro shares, “I found myself making jokes about these different things that I...

Hulu has revealed the official trailer and poster for Prom Dates, the coming-of-age comedy film that will debut on the streaming service on Friday, May 3.

Prom Dates follows best friends Jess and Hannah, who made a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact.

But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.

The film was directed by Kim O. Nguyen and written by D.J. Mausner (Baroness Von Sketch Show). It was produced by American High and Hartbeat.

The movie stars Julia Lester (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series), Antonia Gentry (Ginny & Georgia), Kenny Ridwan (The Goldbergs...

Exclusive: The cast for the American High and Hartbeat Hulu movie Prom Dates has been set with Chelsea Handler and Best in Show‘s John Michael Higgins, but also Julia Lester, Antonia Gentry, Kenny Ridwan, Jt Neal, Jordan Buhat, Zión Moreno, and Terry Hu. The movie will hit the service this spring.

The Kim O. Nguyen directed, D.J. Mausner scripted movie follows best friends Jess and Hannah (Gentry and Lester), who make a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact. But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.

Producers are Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps and Molle DeBartolo...

Exclusive: Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat and The Hideaway Entertainment will partner to produce Can You Hear Me?, a new thriller scripted by Taylor Anthony Hopkins (The Last Reverie) and Luke Kelly-Clyne. Set to direct the pic, which is currently casting, is Emmy and DGA Award nominee Dean Israelite (Little Wing).

Can You Hear Me? follows a telephone scammer who learns that his nephew has been kidnapped and must collect a sum of money to get him back. Financed by The Hideaway Entertainment, the film’s producers are Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley, Patricia Braga and Luke Kelly-Clyne for Hartbeat, along with Jonathan Gray, Matthew Rhodes and Kristy Grisham for The Hideaway. Ty Walker and Kevin Healey are exec producing for Hartbeat, along with Ryan Cassells for The Hideaway. Jen Cox serves as co-producer, with production to kick off this summer.

“‘Can You Hear Me?’ furthers Hartbeat’s commitment to...

Following the renewal of American High’s first-look deal with Hulu Originals, the streamer has pre-bought rights to Prom Dates, a new coming-of-age comedy from American High and Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat.

News of the project comes following the August debut of Hulu and American High’s most recent feature collaboration, the Oz Rodriguez coming-of-age comedy Miguel Wants to Fight.

Helmed by veteran TV director Kim O. Nguyen, Prom Dates follows best friends Jess and Hannah, who made a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact. But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.

Hulu has picked up “Prom Dates,” a coming-of-age comedy film produced by Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat as well as American High.

“Prom Dates” follows best friends Jess and Hannah, who made a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact. But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.

The movie, which has already been shot, was directed by Kim O. Nguyen, repped by 3 Arts, from a script written by D.J. Mausner (“Baroness Von Sketch Show”). Producers include Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps and Molle DeBartolo for American High; Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley and Luke Kelly-Clyne for Hartbeat; and...

Kevin Hart describes teaming up with Chris Rock for the documentary on their short stand-up tour as the “story about two separate journeys, but somehow align and end up at the same intersection at the top.” The duo co-headlined five shows in 2022, and Netflix’s Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only provides a peek behind the curtain into the lives of Rock and Hart.

“In a first-of-its-kind documentary, Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only will give audiences a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of two comedy titans,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “This exclusive film follows Hart and Rock as they give first-hand accounts of their early lives, struggles, triumphs, and their unbreakable brotherhood.

The 2022 five-night arena tour produced by Live Nation kicked off on July 21st at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY, followed by stops at Prudential Center in Newark, Madison Square Garden in New York,...

Netflix will follow along Chris Rock and Kevin Hart for a week as they perform in four sold-out New York shows in a new documentary, the streamer announced Wednesday.

“Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only,” which will premiere Dec. 12 on Netflix, will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look into the comedians’ combined tour. Fans will go back to the beginning as Hart and Rock “give firsthand accounts of their early lives, struggles, triumphs and their unbreakable brotherhood,” according to the official logline.

“This is a story about two separate journeys, but somehow align and end up at the same intersection at the top,” Hart said in the documentary’s teaser. “I said, ‘why don’t we do something together — what do you think about doing New York?'”

“I’m excited for this week, not just because of the arena factor,” Hart continued, while Rock added, “I’m just excited to hang out with you!

Kevin Hart and Chris Rock embarked on a stand-up tour together last year.

The duo did five shows – Rock Hart: Only Headliners Allowed – across New York and New Jersey last July.

Netflix will now air a documentary following the pair on this tour. The doc – Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only will air on December 12.

The doc will go behind the scenes of the tour and follow the pair as they give first-hand accounts of their early lives, struggles, triumphs and their brotherhood. It is directed by Hip Hop Uncovered director Rashidi Harper.

Hart, Bryan Smiley, and Luke Kelly-Clyne will produce for Hartbeat, Rock for Cr Enterprises and Malcolm Spellman, Oby M. Okoye, and Rashidi Harper for The 51B.

Thai Randolph, Jeff Clanagan, Mike Stein, Dave Becky, and Kevin Healey will exec produce with Jc Del Barco and Ty Walker serving as co-executive producers.

CAA Media Finance and UTA brokered...

Peacock’s going all-in on Kevin Hart on July 6, 2023. The streaming service is celebrating the actor’s birthday with the launch of two of his projects: the standup special Kevin Hart: Reality Check and season three of Hart’s talk show, Hart to Heart.

Hart’s standup special was shot in front of a sold-out crowd in Las Vegas and includes his take on relationships and fame. Peacock describes the one-hour special as providing audiences with genuine humor, candid conversations, and hilarious tall-tales.

Peacock offers this synopsis: “Things are about to get real in this unforgettable night of comedy. Comedian Kevin Hart is as funny as ever as he processes his growing family, fame, mentions on Black Twitter, and more. Hart returns for his first stand-up special in three years with a bang, performing from Resort World in Las Vegas while cracking up a live sold-out crowd through candid conversation.

While we wait for Lulu Wilson’s return as a teenage Nazi-slayer in The Wrath of Becky, Deadline reports today that Wilson will also be starring in the upcoming film Xeno.

Omari Hardwick (Power) and Trae Romano (Stargirl) are also on board. Matthew Loren Oates (Farewell Bender) wrote the script and is directing Xeno.

In the film, “a teenage girl befriends a terrifying alien that crash-lands in the desert near her home. As government agents close in, the girl protects her dangerous new companion while also dealing with her depressed mother and the mother’s abusive boyfriend.”

Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley and Luke Kelly-Clyne will produce for Hartbeat, alongside Oates and Shana Marie, with Thai Randolph, Kevin Healey and Ty Walker exec producing for Hartbeat.

Deadline also notes that The Henson Company will build the film’s alien creature!

Lulu Wilson got her own John Wick with the Becky franchise...

Annabelle: Creation and Becky star Lulu Wilson, who is soon to be seen in The Wrath of Becky, has signed on to star in the alien invasion film Xeno for writer, director, and VFX Artist Matthew Loren Oates. Deadline reports that Wilson is joined in the cast by Omari Hardwick (Power) and Trae Romano (Stargirl).

Set to start filming in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 8th, Xeno will see Wilson taking on the role of a teenage girl befriends a terrifying alien that crash-lands in the desert near her home. As government agents close in, the girl protects her dangerous new companion while also dealing with her depressed mother and the mother’s abusive boyfriend.

Kevin Hart is producing the film through his company Hartbeat. Hartbeat’s Bryan Smiley and Luke Kelly-Clyne are also producing, alongside Oates and Shana Marie. Thai Randolph, Kevin Healey, and Ty Walker serve as executive producers for Hartbeat,...

Exclusive: Lulu Wilson (The Wrath of Becky), Omari Hardwick (Power) and Trae Romano (Stargirl) are set to star in Xeno, a new film that writer, director and VFX Artist Matthew Loren Oates (Farewell Bender) will direct for Kevin Hart‘s Hartbeat, from his own script.

In the film poised to enter production in Albuquerque on May 8th, a teenage girl befriends a terrifying alien that crash-lands in the desert near her home. As government agents close in, the girl protects her dangerous new companion while also dealing with her depressed mother and the mother’s abusive boyfriend.

The Xeno announcement follows news that Hartbeat is developing the comedy The Backup, produced by and starring Keke Palmer, for Universal Pictures, as well as a feature adaptation of Danielle Nicolet’s short Black Karen, which emerged from Nicolet’s time as part of Hartbeat’s Women Write Now screenwriting fellowship.

Kevin Hart,...

Kevin Hart and MotorTrend have moved the second season of “Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew” to The Roku Channel.

The unscripted series first debuted in 2021 on MotorTrend+ and MotorTrend TV. “Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew” follows Hart and his friends, the “Plastic Cup Boyz,” as they dive into America’s evolving car culture. Throughout the first season, the group of friends began as just mere car enthusiasts and slowly turned into a legitimate car club.

In Season 2, Hart and his crew open their own car restoration garage in Atlanta. The new car aficionados begin to learn even more about car culture as they work together to open and operate their own brick and mortar location.

“We’re proud to call this series a Roku and MotorTrend Original, look forward to utilizing the power of the Roku platform to broaden its reach potential and share it with the millions of...

Die Hart saw Kevin Hart living his dream of being an action hero in the hit comedy series that started as a launch title for the failed Quibi streaming service. The show found a new home at The Roku Channel, and much like Cobra Kai, it found new life as a success on a wider streaming platform. The show was renewed with a sequel season titled Die Hart 2: Die Harter. That season became a hit when it premiered on Roku, so prepare for season 3 which could very well follow with the title Die Hart with a Vengeance.

Deadline reports that Die Hart 2: Die Harter premiered to record numbers on The Roku Channel, which has led to a season 3 renewal. Season 2 became the No. 1 Roku Original TV series weekend premiere of all time by both unique views and streaming hour engagement. Hart released a statement that said, “Die Hart...

Kevin Hart‘s comedy series Die Hart has been renewed for a third season at Roku on the heels of a record-breaking premiere weekend for Season 2.

Die Hart 2: Die Harter debuted on March 31, nearly doubling the first season’s opening weekend audience. It became the No. 1 Roku Original TV series weekend premiere of all time by both unique views and streaming hour engagement, according to the streamer.

“Die Hart is one of my favorite projects to act in and produce. I am so excited to get back to set to shoot season three,” Hart said in a statement Thursday. “My fans are the best and their reaction to season two fuels Hartbeat to keep raising the bar on this show. Watch out for what comes next, we are going bigger and better!!”

In Die Hart 2: Die Harter, Kevin now wants to cement his legacy as the greatest action star of all time,...

Kevin Hart announced his latest project, Celebrity Prank Wars, on Wednesday following a viral bit joking about Nick Cannon and the various women who are mothers to his children.

The show, which premieres April 6, will see the duo take their “friendly feud” up a notch, with Hart and Cannon branching out to also include some of their famous friends.

Episodes will see stars “planning and perpetrating some of the wildest and most viral pranks on each other,” according to the network, with co-hosts Cannon and Hart selecting the winner of each prank war. Each prank is expected to be more elaborate than the next. The show’s celebrity participants will include Anthony Anderson, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Lil Duval, Big E, Fantasia, Tiffany Haddish, Taraji P. Henson, Lil Jon, Kofi Kingston, Ludacris, Joel McHale, Killer Mike, Chance the Rapper, T-Pain, Robin Thicke, T.I. and Xavier Woods.

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Discovery+’s Million Dollar Wheels, the unscripted series exec produced by Jamie Foxx, is getting a linear launch on sibling linear network TNT in the latest example of corporate synergy at Warner Bros. Discovery.

The Propagate-produced series, which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the cutthroat and elite world of celebrity luxury and supercar dealers, will launch October 24 on TNT.

Fall TV Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming

It comes eight months after the series debuted on the Discovery streaming service.

It’s not clear whether Million Dollar Wheels is the first Discovery original to launch on one of the Turner networks, but it’s unlikely to be the last.

The car show features the likes of Kim Kardashian, J. Balvin, Tom Holland and TikTok star Tayler Holder as well as the rarest Rolls Royces, Ferraris, McLarens and Maybachs in the world.

The move comes after Deadline...

Kevin Hart’s “Die Hart 2: Die Harter” has added John Cena, Ben Schwartz and Paula Pell to its cast. Additionally, Nathalie Emmanuel is set to return to the series.

“Die Hart” and the upcoming second season follow Hart as he plays a fictional version of himself. Tired of being the comedic sidekick, he decides to train at an action school to become a leading man.

The second season of the Roku comedy began production on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Here’s a logline for Season 2, which includes more about the new roles: “After achieving his dream of becoming a bona fide action hero in ‘Die Hart,’ Kevin Hart now wants to cement his legacy as the greatest action star of all time. He’s developed a concept for a revolutionary movie where the action is so unscripted and unexpected that even Kevin won’t know what’s coming next. But...

Kevin Hart’s “Die Hart” action-hero spoof is bringing in some fresh faces for Season 2 of the Roku original comedy: John Cena, Ben Schwartz and Paula Pell have joined the cast of “Die Hart 2: Die Harter,” the streaming company announced.

In addition to the new cast, Nathalie Emmanuel will reprise her role in Season 2. Eric Appel returns to direct with Tripper Clancy returning as writer. Production of “Die Hart 2: Die Harter” has begun in Atlanta. The series will stream free (with ads) on the Roku Channel but a premiere date has not been set.

In “Die Hart” Season 1, which co-starred John Travolta, Hart played a fictionalized version of himself who ultimately achieved his dream of becoming a bona-fide action hero. In the second season, Hart now wants to cement his legacy as the greatest action star of all time. He’s developed a concept for a revolutionary movie...

Exclusive: Nicole Byer (Nailed It!), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Jessica Lowe (Minx) and Andrew Lewis Caldwell (Danger Force) will lead the ensemble cast of Comedy Central’s original movie Cursed Friends from Propagate and Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue. The film premieres October 8 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt.

The supernatural comedy also stars Joey Fatone, James Austin Johnson, Nikki Glaser, Kathy Griffin and Nicole Richie, along with Ken Marino and Rob Riggle, with an appearance by Arnett.

Written by Aaron Eisenberg and Will Eisenberg, Cursed Friends follows four thirtysomething childhood friends who wake up on Halloween following a drunken reunion to realize that a predict-your-future game of M.A.S.H. (Mansion Apartment Shack House) that they played in 2002 is starting to come true for them in hilarious and disturbing ways. They must band together to help each other escape the wild fates that have turned their lives upside...

Exclusive: Comedy Central has set up Out of Office (working title), a workplace comedy film from The Office executive producers Ben Silverman and Paul Lieberstein. The movie, which is set to premiere this summer, is a co-production of MTV Entertainment Studios, CBS Studios and Silverman and Howard T. Owens’ Propagate.

Described as an original take on a modern workplace comedy, Out of Office stars Ken Jeong, Leslie Jones, Jason Alexander, Cheri Oteri, Jay Pharoah, Milana Vayntrub, Oscar Nuñez, Paul F. Tompkins, Jim Rash, Tony Rodriguez, Emily Pendergast, Chris Gethard, Christopher Smith, Elaine Carroll, Carmen Flood, Jean St. James, Rebecca Lee, Janine Poreba, Monte Markham, Ryan Radis and Shantira Jackson.

Written and directed by Lieberstein, the film is an ensemble comedy about the blurring lines between working from home and would-be/should-be private life. The story centers on a young woman who finds that keeping her job is somehow tied to...

Exclusive: Kevin Hart is continuing to grow his production businesses.

The comedian’s HartBeat Productions is expanding its reach into unscripted and alternative scripted content with the launch of HartBeat Independent, a new in-house division run by former Big Breakfast chiefs Luke Kelly-Clyne and Kevin Healey.

The new unit will create both scripted and unscripted film and television projects to be wholly developed, financed, and distributed by HartBeat and will focus on feature films, hidden-camera shows, docu-series, social experiments, game shows, competition series, sketch series, and hybrid comedies.

The production arm will also be responsible for creative oversight, production, and delivery on HartBeat Studios’ deficit-financed projects.

Kelly-Clyne and Healey will serve as Co-Heads, having joined from Propagate, where they previously oversaw the company’s comedy studio, Big Breakfast. They will report to Hartbeat Productions President Bryan Smiley.

The pair have overseen series including Netflix’s Prank Encounters with Gaten Matarazzo,...

Big Breakfast, the Propagate-owned production company behind series including truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything, has set a new top table.

Jason Schrift, former co-exec producer of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, has been named President, while Luke Kelly-Clyne, who was formerly President and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Healey are exiting the business.

Schrift was part of the launch team of Kimmel’s late-night ABC comedy and more recently was an exec producer on the Alec Baldwin/Kelsey Grammer multi-camera comedy from Modern Family’s Chris Lloyd and Vali Chandrasekaran that had received an ABC straight-to-series order but was subsequently passed on.

Schrift left Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2018 and other credits include ESPN’s Homecoming with Rick Reilly, ABC’s The Alec Baldwin Show and HBO music doc series Shangri-La with Rick Rubin.

He previously had an overall deal for scripted and unscripted television with NBCUniversal.

“We are thrilled to bring Jason...

Exclusive: TruTV has handed a pilot order to Seoul Hunters, a sketch comedy show from Cathy Shim (Reno 911!) and Robert Ben Garant, Big Breakfast and Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owen’s Propagate. Shim and Garant also star, along with up-and-coming comic Peter Kim (Fairfax) and popular Korean comedian and trot artist Kim Young-chul (Knowing Bros).

Co-written by Shim, Garant and Kevin Healy and directed by Garant, Seoul Hunters is described as a cutting-edge comedy hybrid set in the world of a paranormal Korean ghost-hunting show, featuring both Korean-American and South Korean comedians in single-camera sketch pranks.

Shim and Garant executive produce with Big Breakfast’s Luke Kelly-Clyne and Healey, along with Propagate’s Silverman, Owens, and Drew Buckley. Mills Presents’ Mike Mills and Mat Baxt and David Regal also serve as executive producers.

Shim and Garant most recently co-created and produced the Comedy Central pilot Chasers,...

Kevin Hart and his famed comedy crew The Plastic Cup Boyz will star in Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew, the MotorTrend Group announced today.

With production already underway, the eight-episode, original automotive series looks to launch this fall exclusively on the MotorTrend App, the leading subscription service dedicated specifically to the world of motoring.

In Muscle Car Crew, renowned actor, comedian and producer Hart will offer a lighthearted look into the world of car collecting, as he and his crew aim to launch their own automotive club.

“Fans will have a ball experiencing this classic car journey through the eyes of Kevin Hart and The Plastic Cup Boyz,” said Alex Wellen, president and general manager of MotorTrend Group. “It’s a 101 course on everything we love about car culture with the hilarity and humility that only Kevin and his crew can bring to storytelling.”

“We’re excited to partner...

NBA star Blake Griffin is to front a prank show for TruTV.

The WarnerMedia-owned cable network has ordered Double Cross with Blake Griffin. The show, which will air in 2021, is produced by Propagate Content’s comedy shingle, Big Breakfast and Mortal Media.

The twist in this prank show is that it offers a service to those who are all too often the victims of a prank. Each week, Griffin conspires with people who are tired of being the victim to help them get revenge on their unsuspecting prankster – by pulling off the ultimate double cross.

The series is executive produced by Griffin, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Kevin Healey, Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein.

The network is producing the series in consultation with local authorities, the unions and medical experts.

“Growing up, my parents always taught me to stand up for myself. If someone takes your favorite toy,...

NBA star Blake Griffin is teaming up with truTV to help prank victims enact some sweet revenge.

The WarnerMedia cable network ordered “Double Cross With Blake Griffin,” which will debut in 2021. Per the network’s description, the Detroit Pistons star “conspires with people who are tired of being the victim to help them get some sweet revenge on their unsuspecting prankster – by pulling off the ultimate double cross!”

TruTV is producing this series in consultation with local authorities, the unions and medical experts.

“Growing up, my parents always taught me to stand up for myself. If someone takes your favorite toy, you take it back… And if someone crosses you… you assemble a team of professional actors, concoct an elaborate story, set up twelve hidden cameras and you cross them right back,” said Griffin. “Who knew I’d be hosting a show about it years later! Looking forward to causing...

Exclusive: CBS All Access has landed for development Remote, a remote workplace comedy from Ben Silverman, Paul Lieberstein and Big Breakfast, I have learned. CBS TV Studios will produce.

Remote was one of the first Covid-relayed TV projects to emerge just a couple weeks into the initial safer-at-home orders in mid-March that saw offices around the country close and employees switch to working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

By end of March, Lieberstein and Silverman, former executive producers of one of the most popular workplace comedies ever, The Office, had started work on Remote with Big Breakfast, a comedy banner under Silverman and Howard Owens’ Propagate Content. I hear the project was recently taken put, landing at CBS All Access and CBS TV Studios.

“So many of us are jumping on daily Zoom meetings — for work and beyond,” Silverman told Deadline back in April. “We are in a new...

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix reveals a first look at Season 2 of “The Umbrella Academy,” and Showtime will host a virtual concert on June 21 benefitting the Equal Justice Initiative.

Casting

Nickelodeon has signed an overall deal with 13-year-old social media influencer and hip-hop artist Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High. Nickelodeon and High will work together to develop programming across multiple platforms, create music initiatives and build a consumer products business spanning across fashion, accessories and publishing. High has been rapping, singing, writing and producing since the age of five and has already impressed the likes of Nick Cannon and Le’Veon Bell. She became the youngest female rapper to sign a recording contract with Fresh Rebel Muzik/Empire at age 11 and released her debut album “Tha Cheat Code” in September 2018.

Dates

Amazon Prime Video announced that Jim Gaffigan‘s newest stand-up comedy special, “Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist,...

Ben Silverman and Paul Lieberstein helped set the gold standard for workplace comedies with “The Office,” and now the former executive producers are teaming up to create a “remote workplace comedy” that is directly inspired by the ongoing global health crisis.

Deadline reported that the series will center on a “wunderkind boss who, in an effort to ensure his staff’s connectedness and productivity, asks them all to virtually interact and work face-to-face all day.”

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“So many of us are jumping on daily Zoom meetings — for work and beyond,” Silverman told Deadline. “We are in a new normal and are personally navigating ways to remain connected and productive at work and in our home lives. With the brilliant Paul Lieberstein at the helm,...

Exclusive: What would a workplace comedy look like in the current environment of offices around the world closed and employees working remotely under stay-at-home mandates to slow the spread of the coronavirus? Ben Silverman and Paul Lieberstein, former executive producers of one of the most popular workplace comedies ever, The Office, are taking inspiration from the current situation for a remote workplace comedy series in the works at Big Breakfast, a comedy banner under Silverman and Howard Owens’ Propagate Content.

“So many of us are jumping on daily Zoom meetings — for work and beyond,” Silverman said. “We are in a new normal and are personally navigating ways to remain connected and productive at work and in our home lives. With the brilliant Paul Lieberstein at the helm, we think we have a series that not only brings humor and comfort during this troubling time but will also be an inventive...

Exclusive: CBS Television Studios has signed a first-look production deal with Propagate, the company led by Ben Silverman and Howard Owens. The agreement covers scripted projects from Propagate as well as subsidiaries Electus and Big Breakfast, across all platforms.

Under the pact, Propagate already is developing several new shows, including a re-imagining of Zorro with a female protagonist from Alfredo Barrios Jr. (Magnum Pi) and drama Home from writer Jorge Reyes (Queen of the South) — both at NBC — as well as an untitled project from Writer Melissa Scrivner-Love (Fear the Walking Dead) at CBS.

Zorro, written and executive produced by Barrios Jr., is a modern-day retelling of the Zorro mythology that follows Z, a female descendant of the warrior bloodline who will go to great lengths to protect the defenseless in her community.

Written and executive produced by Reyes — who hails from Buffalo — Home follows the Candelarias, a wealthy Puerto...

Comedy Central today announced a digital series order for Bobby Moynihan’s Loafy and a new season order for Blark and Son, from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. The network ordered eight new short-form, digital episodes of each series, along with a linear pilot script for both Loafy and Blark and Son.

The new digital episodes will roll out across all Comedy Central digital and social platforms in 2020.

Loafy is an animated comedy about a weed-dealing manatee who runs a drug empire from his water tank at the Center Park Zoo. Bobby Moynihan voices the main character, and he also serves as creator, writer, and executive producer of the series. Loafy is executive produced by Luke Kelly-Clyne’s Big Breakfast, a recent acquisition of Propagate Content.

Created by Ben Bayouth, and developed with head writer Adam Aseraf, Blark and Son is a short-form comedy about an overly manly,...

Comedy Central is adding to its digital lineup. 

The cable network has ordered web series Loafy starring Bobby Moynihan and given another season to Stoopid Buddy Stoodios' Blark and Son with an eye for adapting both projects into linear TV shows. 

Loafy, which hails from Propagate Content's Big Breakfast, is an animated comedy about a weed-dealing manatee that runs a drug empire from his tang at the Center Park Zoo. The Saturday Night Live alum is the creator, writer and executive producer on the series, along with Big Breakfast head Luke Kelly-Clyne. He also voices the main character.

In addition ...

Pop TV has set 10 Pm Friday, September 20, for the Season 2 premiere of Hot Date, its sketch-comedy series from Electus and Luke Kelly-Clyne’s Big Breakfast and executive producer Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Productions.

Inspired by the CollegeHumor digital series, Hot Date stars husband-and-wife comedy duo Emily Axford and Brian K. Murphy as heightened versions of themselves trying to figure out this thing called love. Season 2 will be set in a new city, New Orleans, and focus on the many eccentricities the Big Easy has to offer – from gluttonous, bourbon-induced debauchery, to haunted Airbnb’s and more – while remaining centered on relational comedy. Emily and Murph also are planning a wedding and must attempt to navigate the various stresses that come with taking their relationship to the next level.

Guest stars for the show’s sophomore run will include Randall Park, Margaret Cho and Thomas Lennon.

“Hot Date skewers the...

CollegeHumor, Big Breakfast and Adaptive Studios have teamed on Downbeat, a six-episode mid-form mockumentary digital series that will premiere on CollegeHumor YouTube channels beginning March 24. A new episode will launch each Sunday.

Conceived and created by Graham Wallace & Luke Kelly-Clyne, the series is described as an experiment in the world of character studies — a series where each episode follows the life of one compelling, down on their luck musician. Each episode will capture a slice of life for a different well-intentioned, yet misguided, individual – or group of individuals – hoping to find success and respect in the music business. From a thirty-five-year-old cruise ship diva who hoped for something more, to a tech whiz who’s created a truly awful personalized music app, to a pretentious children’s singer-songwriter frustrated that audiences “miss” the depth behind her seemingly simple lyrics,...

Pop has picked up a 10-episode second season of Hot Date, the original sketch comedy series from Electus’ Big Breakfast and executive producer Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Productions, inspired by the popular CollegeHumor digital series. The renewal was announced Wednesday by Pop president Brad Schwartz at TCA.

Starring husband and wife comedy duo Emily Axford and Brian K. Murphy, Season 2 of Hot Date will be set in a new city, New Orleans, and focus on the many eccentricities “The Big Easy” has to offer – from gluttonous bourbon-induced debauchery, to haunted Airbnb’s and more – while remaining centered on relational comedy. “Emily” and “Murph” are also planning a wedding and must attempt to navigate the various stresses that come with taking their relationship to the next level.

Hot Date is produced by Big Breakfast, an Electus company, with Drew Buckley, Chris Grant, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Sam Reich, Spencer Griffin and Matthew Pollock serving as executive producers.

Exclusive: IMDb is moving further into original content production with two new short-form comedy series – "Special Skills" hosted by SNL alum Jay Pharoah, and "UnMade", featuring comedians including Nick Cannon, Tig Notaro, Rainn Wilson, Weird Al, Reggie Watts and others. Both are produced by Electus’ Big Breakfast and are set to launch in early 2019.

Co-created by Luke Kelly-Clyne and Steve Marovitch, UnMade will follow comedians as they share the inspirations, plots and stories behind their projects and scripts that never saw the light of day. In each five-to-eight-minute episode, a celebrity guest will reveal a pitch or screenplay for an early passion project they were never able to get off the ground. These ambitious, often misguided and always hilarious ideas are then given a second chance, brought to life via a team of actors and a professional production crew. UnMade guest stars include Nick Cannon, Rainn Wilson, Tig Notaro, “Weird Al” Yankovic,...

IFC is developing five comedy projects for series consideration, including one from exec producer Margaret Cho and another from Funny or Die.

The shows in the running at IFC are Almost Asian, which chronicles the life of a mixed-race millennial in Los Angeles; Annika Erotica, following a young Colorado pastor who harbors a secret passion for writing erotic novels under a pen name; Art Thieves, an adventure comedy following three misfit criminals who fancy themselves to be the Robin Hoods of the art world; Beth, about a happily agoraphobic man and his uneasy journey back to the outside world; and The Middle Passage, a satirical and politically provocative sketch comedy. Read details about the projects below.

The projects join two other previously announced series in development: How to Rig an Election and Ngo. All seven are vying to join the recently greenlighted Sherman’s Showcase and Year of the Rabbit on the schedule,...

Electus-owned production studio Big Breakfast has elevated producer-director and writer Luke Kelly-Clyne to head of development. The promotion comes on the heels of Freeform’s development announcement for dark comedy, Pippa Smith: Grown-Up Detective, produced by Big Breakfast and executive produced by Joss Whedon.

In his new role, Kelly-Clyne oversees the company’s scripted and unscripted projects across networks and platforms including IFC, Freeform, Facebook, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, truTV and others.

“Luke has been integral in expanding and diversifying Big Breakfast’s slate – everything from scripted comedies and sketch series to new game show formats and other unscripted programming – while forging partnerships with respected names in comedy and other genres,” said Electus COO Drew Buckley in making today’s announcement. “Luke’s creative vision and energy is a real asset to Big Breakfast as the studio leans into producing premium comedic content for a range of buyers, while leveraging...