Anthony Jeselnik Sets Comedy Central Series and Podcast in Multiplatform Pact
By Cynthia Littleton
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Comedian Anthony Jeselnik is set to host a new Comedy Central series and launch a podcast under a multiplatform development pact with the Viacom cabler.
The deal calls for Jeselnik to host an untitled half-hour series that will mine the cabler’s vast library of standup material as a “springboard for conversation, insight and humor with well-known comics.” Comedy Central has ordered six episodes.
The former writer for NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” previously worked with Comedy Central as host of “The Jeselnik Offensive,” which ran two seasons. He also toplined the 2013 standup special “Caligula.”
Jeselnik will co-host the podcast with his longtime friend, NFL Network analyst Gregg Rosenthal. “The Jeselnik and Rosenthal Vanity Project” will focus on the pair’s interest in pro football. The podcast will bow Sept. 11 as part of Comedy Central’s Global Podcast Network and incorporate digital video elements for the cabler’s social media platforms.
The new pact also covers Jeselnik’s gig as a judge on the upcoming season of “Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle.”
“Anthony’s sardonic humor and critical eye are a big part of what makes him such an incredible comedian,” said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Comedy Central’s exec VPs and co-heads of talent and development. “Those attributes are also why he’s a perfect fit for the host’s chair in his own series, the ‘Roast Battle’ judge’s chair, and the podcast booth.”