by We’re a week away from the transition of CBS All Access into a big relaunch as Paramount+, and the executives at ViacomCBS have given us a lot more to look forward to with today’s teasing announcements.
To wit: Many loved Comedy Central properties from the past decade are getting streaming-only revivals as specials and/or movies, including Inside Amy Schumer, Workaholics and Reno 911!
There are two talk shows currently still in the works for the cable channel we’ve all come to know as Comedy Central — one hosted by Phoebe Robinson, and another by Charlamagne Tha God — but the big pivot to streaming seems to be the mantra for ViacomCBS.
Vulture’s Josef Adalian got MTV Entertainment Group president Chris McCarthy (no relation) to talk turkey about what’s forthcoming in the Comedy Central pivot to Paramount+. McCarthy told Adalian: “We talked to all the talent that we have relationships with and said ‘We’re doing something very special with Paramount+, and we’d love to talk about how we can help deliver something that is unique and a passion play for you, but also helps to reignite your fan base and remind them that this is now the new home [of various legacy series].’ Amy (Schumer) was one of the first to raise their hand and said she was really excited about creating a series of specials.”
The list of projects ordered for Paramount+ includes:
- Five half-hour special episodes of Inside Amy Schumer
- A Workaholics movie set during the pandemic
- A Reno 911! movie called The Hunt for QAnon
- Bonus footage from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah called The Weekly Show
The new streaming platform also has revivals in the works involving Frasier (which Paramount originally made for NBC) and MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head.
Here is the full list of Paramount+ exclusive comedy programming on the way, as announced today:
Frasier – Frasier’s back – and he’s more exactly the same than ever. Kelsey Grammer reprises his role as the Dr. Frasier Crane.
Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies – with both classic and new songs, and a diverse cast, the series is a prequel to the unforgettable musical film, Grease, and tells the story of how Frenchy’s older sister, Jane, founded the Pink Ladies. The series, from Paramount Television Studios, is executive produced by Annabel Oakes (Atypical, Transparent), Marty Bowen (Twilight) and Erik Feig (La La Land).
Guilty Party – a dark comedy starring Kate Beckinsale as a discredited journalist who finds herself in over her head when she latches onto the story of a young mother sentenced to life in jail for murdering her husband – a crime she claims she didn’t commit.
Inside Amy Schumer – the Peabody, Emmy(R) and Writers Guild Award-winning franchise returns with five specials starring Amy Schumer, one of the entertainment industry’s leading forces as a stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer and director.
Reno 911! The Hunt For QAnon – a super-sized event based off the long-running hit, critically-acclaimed Comedy Central series. Most recently, Reno 911! received two 2020 Emmy(R) Award nominations for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series and for Outstanding Actress in A Short Form Comedy or Drama Series (Kerri Kenney-Silver). In 2021, the show is nominated for a Critics Choice Award.
The Game – the popular BET sitcom returns with a mix of original cast and new players, and will offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football.
The Harper House – an animated family comedy that follows an overconfident female head of a household as she struggles to regain a higher status for herself and for her family of oddballs after losing her job and moving from the rich side to the poor side of an Arkansas small town.
The Weekly Show with Trevor Noah (Working Title) – Trevor Noah will star in and produce an initial six episode series looking at stories across the societal landscape and talk with the people behind the headlines: people you know; people you don’t know; and people you didn’t even know you didn’t know.
Younger – Darren Star’s critically acclaimed smash-hit, Younger, follows Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a talented editor navigating the highly competitive world of publishing – while juggling the complications of mixing business with pleasure and facing the lie she created about her age to land her dream job.
Additionally, exclusive original comedy movies that will reignite franchises for new and nostalgia-driven fans alike are expected to arrive on Paramount+ in year one:
Untitled Beavis & Butt-head Movie – Emmy(R) Award-winning Mike Judge reimagines MTV’s seminal, Gen X-defining Beavis and Butt-Head who return for another movie adventure to kick-off the new series.
Workaholics Movie – made-for-streaming movie based off the popular long-running Comedy Central series starring Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, Anders Holm and Kyle Newacheck.
