Showtime Orders Steve Carell-Produced 'Laughing Stock'

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Showtime is going into business with Steve Carell.
 
The former star of The Office will executive produce Laughing Stock, a new comedy series hosted by David Steinberg featuring interviews with some of what Showtime topper David Nevis dubbed the “best comedic minds of the last five decades.”
 
The 10-episode half-hour interview series will feature one-on-one interviews exploring the art of comedy with such talent as Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Larry David, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Ellen DeGeneres and Judd Apatow. Steinberg will executive produce in addition to his duties as host.

"We have gathered a monumental assortment of comedic legends, and their contemporary protégées,” Carell said in a statement announcing the news. “It's enlightening, fascinating, but more importantly, it's funny."
 
Added Steinberg: "What makes our show unique is you will see the comedian's connections to each other and to those who have influenced them in the past. It's like getting a look at a comedy tree of the last five decades.”

The series will debut on Showtime early next year.
 
Nevins, speaking Thursday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills, also announced that new comedy series House of Lies, starring Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, will premiere Sunday, Jan. 8 at 10 p.m. between the season premieres of Shameless and Californication.
 
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