Fox Short-Com Comedy Hour Means New Opportunities for Comics

FOX will launch THE SHORT-COM COMEDY HOUR in Summer 2013, building on television’s rich past to reinvent comedy for the future. Both a contemporary spin on multi-camera comedy and an alternative development platform, THE SHORT-COM COMEDY HOUR will feature four unique short-form sitcoms – or “short-coms” – in a fast-paced hour-long broadcast. Each short-com will feature both established and up-and-coming actors and comedians in one-act scenes, creating a comedy showcase brimming with today’s best, brightest and freshest voices.

“We are basically ripping open the traditional scripted comedy development process with THE SHORT-COM COMEDY HOUR,” said Kevin Reilly, President of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “Our end goal is to provide distinct comedy voices with a world-class platform to experiment, grow and perfect their ideas and to hopefully build them into mainstream comedy hits in the future. We’re looking forward to seeing what the untapped comedy community has to offer.”

The short-com development process will be as distinct as the end result, featuring hand-picked talent from the world of stand-up comedy. In an effort to open up the traditional development process, FOX will facilitate a creatively open environment for comedy talent to hone their voices and material within the context of their self-produced short-coms.

In addition to airing them as part of THE SHORT-COM COMEDY HOUR, FOX will commission the most fully realized of these scripted vignettes to series, helping to seed the future of the FOX multi-camera brand.

They are currently scouting in Montreal at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.

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New Comedy TV Shows?

 Pilot season is still going as the Networks decide which comedy will move into their TV line-up.

At NBC
Already picked up for a series is the single-camera comedy GO ON, starring Matthew Perry. staffing orders were given to several other comedies.  The single-camera comedies, THE NEW NORMAL and SAVE ME. Another NBC comedy hopeful is 1600 PENN, which just began making staffing offers, moving it closer to a series pickup. Greg Daniels’ comedy pilot FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER was given the same green light. Rumor has it that the Jimmy Fallon-produced multi-camera comedy GUYS WITH KIDS was given a go.

At FOX
The UNTITLED MINDY KALING comedy pilot may be in Fox‘s schedule as a companion to New Girl. Other series orders MAY be, NED FOX IS MY MANNY, and  Steve Levitan-produced REBOUNDING. Other Fox comedy pilots may get in the line-up; LITTLE BROTHER and GOODWIN GAMES, as well as EL JEFE and PRODIGY/BULLY.

At ABC:
Pick ups should include MODERN FAMILY, THE MIDDLE and SUBURGATORY. ...APT. 23 has gotten great reviews and ratings so it'll be picked up by another network if ABC does the unlikely and passes. Tim Allen’s LASAT MAN STANDING has a fan base that will most likely assure it's return as well. COUGAR TOWN isn't set but has other networks flirting with it too, so it will be on - if not ABC - a cable channel.
 New comedies in the mix at ABC.  MALIBU COUNTRY starring Reba McEntire, AMERICAN JUDY, HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS, UNTITLED MANDY MOORE, ONLY FOOLS & HORSES, RED VAN MAN, PRAIRIE DOGS and UNTITLED DAN FOGELMAN are all vying for pick-up.

At  CBS
CBS ordered the MARTIN LAWRENCE comedy and it's getting some buzz. In the running at CBS are the Max Mutchnick and David Kohan’s PARTNERS, the NICK STOLLER comedy, and BERLANTI/MALINS.

AT CW
No new comedies set but word is the network plans to let out several project on an off-season schedule.

In general...
It's a scramble to the small screen and we can only hope the best comedies get on!
PS Also looking promising are the  Louis CK/Spike Feresten project and NBC’s Kari Lizer project.

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