Comedy Central has greenlit production of seven episodes of FREAK SHOW, an animated half-hour narrative about a band of freak show performers and second-rate superheroes, slated to premiere in late 2006 or early 2007.
From the minds of David Cross (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, MR. SHOW) and H. Jon Benjamin (DR. KATZ: PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST, HOME MOVIES), FREAK SHOW chronicles the adventures and misadventures of a band of freaks secretly employed by the U.S. government. When the Freak Squad is not busy undertaking low-priority missions for the Pentagon, pitting them against the world's most notorious second-rate villains, they take up their alternate lives as performers in America's last independently-owned traveling freak show Bob and Helen Hartsdale's Funtyme Freak Show. Missions too insignificant for A-list superheroes fall into the hands of the Freak Squad.
The Freak Squad is comprised of: Tuck and Benny, The Siamese Twins (special power: separation); The Bearded Clam (special power: emits blinding bitch juice); The World's Tallest Nebraskan (special power: can shrink up to six inches smaller); Primi, The Premature Baby (special powers: pinpoint projectile vomiting and explosive, corrosive diarrhea); and Log Cabin Republican (special power: cellular transformation into Burly Bear).
"I just want to thank God for giving me this chance to shine and spread his word through 2D cell animation," said Cross. "I truly believe that this voyage on which we are about to embark will, in the future, make me some money." Benjamin said, " FREAK SHOW is the culmination of 37 years of hard work and brute labor and finally seeing it come to fruition is an amazing anti-climax. That said, I look forward to providing brand new horizons for television in America."
In the pilot episode, the Freak Squad travels to a remote island under embargo by the U.S. and controlled by the evil General M'Dinka Magoobi. Their mission is to replenish the president's store of perry nuts, his favorite, which can only be found on Magoobi's island. Using their individual and combined powers, the Freak Squad escapes the clutches of General Magoobi, secures their objective and saves the president from going nutless.
Cross and Benjamin will exec produce and voice various characters. Lou Wallach and Dan Powell will serve as execs in charge of production for Comedy Central. FREAK SHOW is produced by Radical Axis (AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE, SQUIDBILLIES).
"We've been chasing David and Jon for years and it was worth the wait," said Lauren Corrao, evp, original programming and development, Comedy Central. "After one of the funniest pitches we heard all year, they have delivered a pilot that's high in concept and hilarity. What other show on television features an animated premature baby superhero?"
Cross is represented by Brillstein/Grey, ICM and attorneys Gendler and Kelly. Benjamin is represented by CAA.
Comedy Central (www.comedycentral.com), the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 87 million homes nationwide. Comedy Central is owned by Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of MTV Networks.
