Comedy Central/Nicole Biesek
Veteran Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. has signed a first-look development deal with Comedy Central that covers content for television and new media. Under the pact, Woods will headline his third one-hour stand-up special for the network and will also write and star in an original digital series titled The Night Pigeon.
Separate from the new pact, Comedy Central has given a pilot green light to Woods Jefferson County: Probation, from Trevor Noah & Aaron McGruder. The project, which had been in the works at Comedy Central for a year, will film in Woods hometown of Birmingham, Alabama this May.
Written by Wood and Aaron McGruder (Boondocks), Jefferson County: Probation is based on Woods early life. It stars him as a probation officer willing to bend the rules to help the clients he monitors, much to the chagrin of his partner and everyone else in his life.
The pilot is executive produced by Wood, McGruder, Trevor Noah, and Mainstay Entertainments Norman Aladjem and Derek Van Pelt. Millicent Shelton (Black-ish, Insecure, The Walking Dead) will sirect.
The pickup of Woodss third Comedy Central special follows the success of his first two. The second, Roy Wood Jr.: No One Loves You, premiered as part of Comedy Centrals Stand-Up Month in January and notched a .27 P18-49 L3 rating, making it the networks highest-rated original stand-up premiere since his February 2017 one-hour, Roy Wood Jr.: Father Figure (.31).
Wood will write and star in the digital series The Night Pigeon. It tells the story of a black superhero with minimal powers fighting the biggest villains in his community, The Gentrifiers.
“Roy is the ultimate multi-hyphenate,” Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Comedy Centrals EVPs and co-heads of Talent and Development,.said a statement. “His top-notch skills as a stand-up comic, performer, writer and producer continue to amaze us – and he does it all while being one of the kindest humans in the business. His wry, observational humor speaks to social and political change and were so excited to have Roy join an incredible roster of talent who have chosen to make Comedy Central their home.”
Woods pact joins Comedy Central talent deals with Trevor Noah, Abbi Jacobson and Illana Glazer, Jim Jefferies, Chris Distefano, Bill Burr and Al Madrigal, and Anthony Jeselnik.
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