EPIX in Development on New Comedy

NEW YORK: The premium service EPIX is working with Media Rights Capital (MRC) and Larry Charles on a new half-hour single-camera comedy series, ICON.

The development of the script for ICON will be overseen by Charles, whose credits include Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Charles will also direct the pilot for the series, written by Dan Lyons, a technology consultant for Newsweek, and the creator of the popular Fake Steve Jobs blog. The satirical series centers on a fictional Silicon Valley CEO whose ego is a study in power and greed.

Mark Greenberg, the president of EPIX, said “A comedy series by Larry Charles is the perfect complement to the original comedy specials being produced by EPIX. His incomparable sense of humor, along with Dan’s insight will have hilarious results that we can’t wait to see.”

“Larry is the ideal candidate to bring this concept to television,” added Joe Hipps, VP of production and creative affairs at MRC Television. “MRC is thrilled to be partnering with EPIX to deliver what promises to be a smart, satirical and entertaining series.”

“We are attempting to do nothing less than a modern Citizen Kane," Charles quipped. "A scabrous satire of Silicon Valley and its most famous citizen. We needed a bold environment to nurture such a vision. One that was free of pre-conceived ideas. And EPIX made it clear they were that place. They asked us to make their home our home. And we have.”