Production & Development VP in Place for Comedy Central International

LONDON: Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has tapped Lourdes Diaz to serve as the VP of production and development for Comedy Central International.

Diaz will be dividing her time between the U.S. and the U.K. Her remit will focus on developing and commissioning scripted content for the bouquet of comedy channels and websites outside of the U.S. Diaz will report to Jill Offman, the managing director of Comedy Central UK and senior VP of international content for Comedy Central. Diaz was previously the VP of prime-time programming at NBC and Universal Media Studios.

VIMN also announced that it has greenlit its first pilot for Comedy Central International, Mummy’s Boys. The multi-camera sitcom will be filmed in front of a live studio audience in London. Produced by Big Talk, Mummy’s Boys will tell the story of three young men whose mom dies suddenly, thrusting them into the world of independence.

Offman commented: “Comedy Central has been growing significantly outside the U.S. over the past few years, as VIMN has delivered on increasing the network’s presence around the world and growing its distribution, brand profile and ratings in key territories. This international approach to commissioning comedy content is a reflection of that success. By adding Lourdes’ track record and comic sensibility to our team, we aim to strengthen relationships with key producers in both North America and the U.K., and offer more content to our audiences across our expanding number of Comedy platforms around the world.”