Cable network Comedy Central is ramping up for its 2005 season and has made deals with comics Norm Macdonald and Jamie Kennedy, Zap2it.com reports.
The network, in the late stages of the highest-rated season in its history, is also working on a concert film from "Insomniac" star Dave Attell as it basks in the success of "Chappelle's Show," "The Daily Show" and "Drawn Together," among others.
"In comedy, timing is everything, and after coming off such a great year, now is the time for us to invest in more original programming," says Lauren Corrao, head of development and original programming at the network.
Macdonald's program is billed as a "completely different" sketch show, while Kennedy will employ some "undercover" elements, as in his WB series "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," to see how people react in awkward social situations.
Comedy Central is also producing two "Daily Show"-style takes on "Entertainment Tonight," "Access Hollywood" and other showbiz programs, while ex-"Daily Show" correspondent Brian Unger will front "The Hollywood Show" to mock the business of celebrity.
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