Comedy Central has really done a bang up job over the last few years with their programming. The additions of Key & Peele, Nathan For You, and Broad City have proven to be commercial successes at the network, and each instantly formed their own rabid fan base. Comedy Central probably saw the same potential in public access TV hit, The Chris Gethard Show, which already had a rabid fan base. Late last year, The Chris Gethard Show pilot was ordered by Comedy Central. Unfortunately, Comedy Central decided against a series pickup.
Gethard posted his thoughts on the network’s decision yesterday: “Anyone who was at the pilot will tell you that we did it in the exact voice we’ve spent years building. That’s the thing I’m most proud of. There wasn’t a moment when we at TCGS sat down and tried to figure out what they wanted to see. We only ever discussed how to translate what we usually do in a full hour down to a half an hour in a genuine way. And very much to their credit, Comedy Central allowed us to do that.”
For the time being, Gethard will thankfully keep TCGS going, adding, “TCGS will end not when someone drops an axe on us, but when we want it to end.” Other networks have reportedly shown interest in the show, but Gethard, more importantly, has taken the show back to its home at the NYC public access channel known as the Manhattan Neighborhood Network.
While I’m not privy to the big decisions made in conference rooms at Comedy Central, with The Minority Report with Larry Wilmore set to replace at The Colbert Report next year probably narrowed the chances, at the very least, for a TCGS series pickup. However, the recent proliferation of comedy across so many cable channels makes it easy to see Chris Gethard and company at places like IFC, FX, etc.
Where would you like to see The Chris Gethard Show?
Fuse has Billy on the Street, so I feel like that could be a good fit!
I think the best place for TCGS would be a network that would care about producing a quality piece of comedic entertainment and not simply a vehicle for ad revenue.
Perhaps with a successful lead in to give it an anchor. IFC could be a good fit, with the likes of CBB, Maron, and Garfunkel & Oates. FX also has a reputation for irreverent comedies. Adult Swim, even.
And it may seem like a stretch, but I think with the success of shows that have good lead ins, like Comic Book Men and Hardwick’s shows, AMC and BBC America would also be good fits for TCGS.
TBS has Conan and Pete Holmes. Their respective audiences would sync well with the wild and crazy TCGS crowd, I think.