Comedy Central Sets Up In-House Studio, Inks First-Look Deals

Comedy Central has revealed Comedy Central Productions (CCP), a new studio-production arm, which is launching with first-look development deals already in place.

The idea behind CCP is to partner with comedy’s best writers, producers and on-screen talent to develop compelling, premium comedy content and bring it to market via distribution partners and buyers on all TV and digital platforms.

First-look deals are secured with Paulilu, the production company from Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs, who served as executive producers and writers on Broad City, with Downs also co-starring; Anthony King, Tony Award-nominated writer of the hit musical Beetlejuice, and writer and executive producer on franchises such as Silicon Valley, Search Party and Comedy Central’s upcoming Robbie; and Irony Point, run by Daniel Powell and Alex Bach, with credits such as Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central), I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix), The Break with Michelle Wolf (Netflix) and Ugly Americans (Comedy Central). Stuart Miller, an executive producer on the upcoming series Klepper (Comedy Central) who also served as co-executive producer on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central), is also signed to a deal.

“For years we’ve been successfully expanding the trustworthy Comedy Central brand beyond linear, extending to digital, social, podcasts, radio and live events. The next logical step is to establish Comedy Central Productions,” said Kent Alterman, president of Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land. “By leaning into our development expertise and production capabilities, and by partnering with some of the smartest and funniest talent in comedy, this is another way we can thrive. And putting more great comedy in the world couldn’t hurt.”

The CCP development deals join existing development deals for the Comedy Central network with Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, Roy Wood Jr., Jim Jefferies and Chris Distefano.