TBS has greenlit two new comedy series and ordered another to pilot.
Greg Garcia’s “The Guest Book” and Carson Mell’s animated “Tarantula” are both coming straight to series, while Wanda Sykes-vehicle “World’s End” lands the pilot.
Additionally, the Turner comedy station has set Halloween night for the 9 o’clock premiere of Wyatt Cenac‘s “People of Earth.” Plus, TBS is set to air the entire first season of “Search Party” during Thanksgiving week.
“Our new projects, from some of the best creators and producers in the industry, will fit perfectly with the new direction we’ve been taking the TBS brand,” said Brett Weitz, executive vice president of programming for TBS. “Each show brings something fresh and unique to the comedy genre, from the unforgettable characters that Greg has created in ‘The Guest Book’ to the wild, animated absurdities of Carson’s ‘Tarantula.’ We also can’t wait to see how the envelope-pushing audacity of our ‘World’s End’ pilot plays out on screen.”
Here’s the full rundown of TBS’ new projects, all in the network’s own words:
“The Guest Book”
For several years, Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl,” “Raising Hope”) has been writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins in an effort to freak out the next renters. He has always dreamed of having these stories come to life on screen, and now they will in the new TBS original comedy series “The Guest Book.” Garcia brings his quirky, signature single-camera comedy to this anthology series centering on a small town vacation home and its visitors. While the house and cast of characters living in this small mountain town remain the same, each episode will feature a different set of guests renting the house. TBS has ordered 10 episodes of “The Guest Book,” all of which are being written by Garcia.
“The Guestbook” is a co-production of CBS Television Studios and Turner’s Studio T, the in-house studio that produces and owns original content airing on TBS and TNT. Garcia serves as executive producer on the series, which is slated to launch on TBS in 2017.
“Tarantula”
Marking its first original primetime animated series under the network’s new brand, TBS has greenlit “Tarantula,” a half-hour comedy about the residents of the Tierra Chula Resident Hotel (aka “The Tarantula”). The series centers on Echo Johnson, a respected but uncertified tattoo artist who delivers absurd yet introspective monologues. Echo’s poetic ramblings spin tales of misadventures with the other residents, as they partake in party crashing, dumpster diving and other socially dubious acts of mischief.
“Tarantula” is created and written by Carson Mell (“Silicon Valley”). It is a co-production of Rough House Pictures and Turner’s Studio T, with Danny McBride (“Vice Principals”), Jody Hill (“Vice Principals”), David Gordon Green (“Vice Principals”) and Brandon James (“Vice Principals”) serving as executive producers. TBS has ordered an open-ended run for the series, which will join the network’s lineup in 2017.
“World’s End”
TBS has ordered a pilot for “World’s End,” a half-hour comedy pilot written by Jonathan Ames (“Bored to Death”) and starring Hamish Linklater (“The Big Short”) and Wanda Sykes (“Black-ish”). “World’s End” follows Henry Mueller (Linklater), a charismatic high school English teacher who has a breakdown and is committed to a mental institution. There, under the watchful eye of Louise Baldwin (Sykes), he begins to feel “sane.” Henry starts to question the system and the methods used to contain the inmates, ultimately becoming the leader of an inmate revolt. It’s a dark comedy about an asylum that operates like a family, and as in all families, the question of who is sane and who is not is open for discussion.
“World’s End” is based on an original Sagafilm television format. The pilot is a co-production of Electus and Turner’s Studio T and is being executive-produced by Ames, Ben Silverman (“Jane the Virgin”), Stephanie Davis (“Bored to Death”) and Sean Canino (“Jane the Virgin”), along with Alan Poul (“The Newsroom”), who will also direct.