FOX Ties Up with Andy Samberg’s The Lonely Island

LOS ANGELES: FOX has entered into a strategic alliance with The Lonely Island to form a new alternative comedy development venture.

Through the new venture, The Lonely Island will oversee the development of comedy projects that will be incubated through digital platforms such as Hulu and Roku. The ultimate goal is for the projects to become full series for FOX, FX, FXX or other networks.

The Lonely Island is an American comedy group formed by Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone.

“This is FOX’s third alternative development venture, and I’m ecstatic that we’re launching it with comedic geniuses The Lonely Island,” said Kevin Reilly, FOX’s chairman of entertainment. “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. 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.”

“Andy, Jorma and I are super excited to work with Mr. Reilly and everyone at FOX to make innovative and cool TV shows that might not otherwise make it through the normal development process. Reilly has given us a sandbox to play in, and we’ve brought our shovels, buckets, towels, sunblock, some old Grisham paperbacks, a Luna bar…wait…what was I talking about again?” commented Schaffer.

“It’s vital that we foster more experimentation both on and off the FOX lot, so we can take more shots at identifying hits. We are committed to providing The Lonely Island all the support they need for success,” added Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, the senior VP of multiplatform programming for FOX.