by What’s happening in the comedy world these days…
- You knew it was happening before it happened, but Community creator Dan Harmon is back running his show for the NBC sitcom’s fifth season in 2013-2014. Chris McKenna, who also left before the fourth season, also is returning as an executive producer.
- OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has ordered a second season of Raising Whitley, which follows comedian/actress Kim Whitley.
- WEtv has renewed Joan & Melissa for a fourth season, presumably allowing us to see the celebrations of Joan Rivers’ 80th birthday on cable TV.
- Miramax and Screen Gems have teamed up Kevin Hart and Josh Gad for an untitled buddy comedy in which Hart’s “best man” services come under the employ of groom-to-be Gad. Hilarity will ensue.
- Jim Carrey has one movie moving forward, another stalling. Warner Bros. no longer is interested in a Dumb and Dumber sequel, apparently. Meanwhile, Relativity is relatively good with pairing Carrey with Owen Wilson on an action comedy directed by Jared Hess and based on a screenplay by Emily Spivey. It’s got an armored car driver who goes in on a bank robbery. Producers include Lorne Michaels and John Goldwyn, plus Danny McBride and Jody Hill.
- Speaking of Lorne, two more items in which he’s the e.p….
- Amy Ozols will be the producer for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon when it debuts next winter on NBC. She had been a writer for Fallon. Producer Mike Shoemaker is sticking with the Late Night franchise when Seth Meyers takes over the later time slot — Shoemaker and Meyers have a Hulu series together, as well as their previous working relationship at SNL.
- Two other former Fallon writer/performers, Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin, have a new half-hour pilot in the works with HBO. The pilot will place them in Atlanta as aspiring reporters. Dave Flebotte will serve as showrunner, with Andrew Singer co-executive producing.
