Comedian James Davis is making the leap to a bigger screen.
Comedy Central on Wednesday announced it has ordered a television series created, executive produced and starring the host of its most-watched Snapchat original series. The latter, Swag-A-Saurus With James Davis, features the comic, who likes to say he grew up “hood-adjacent” or a block away from where “shit goes down” in South Central Los Angeles, breaking down popular slang. His forthcoming TV show, which is set to premiere in January 2017, will bring that same unique point-of-view on a weekly basis.
“James is the real deal — smart, funny and immensely likable. He will be a great addition to our diverse talent roster,” Comedy Central president Kent Alterman said in a statement. Added Davis: “I’ve dreamed about this moment since I fell in love with comedy. I’m excited to work with a network that embraces my point-of-view and purpose-driven comedy. I look forward to leaving my imprint on Comedy Central’s already legendary catalogue of great shows. I promise this show will be LIT!”
The still-untitled project was initially conceived by Davis and Doug Karo, with Davis and Brillstein Entertainment Partners’ Alex Murray and Shawna Kornberg serving as executive producers. Without providing too many details, the network is billing the series as a hybrid style of comedy that bridges the gap between “urban” and “mainstream” comedy. Davis is expected to share his perspective on both the world he grew up in and the world he grew up next to.
In comedy circles, Davis is arguably best known for his monthly stand-up show, Urban Dictionary, at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles as well as his regular appearances on Comedy Central’s @midnight With Chris Hardwick. He had been an early writer on CBS’ The Late Late Show With James Corden and popped up with frequency on E!’s Chelsea Lately. Davis has garnered attention for his parodies of both Kobe Bryant and Barack Obama on Funny or Die as well.
News of his series comes as the Viacom-owned network undergoes some growing pains in the wake of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Samantha Bee’s departures. Just last week, Comedy Central announced it was pulling the plug on Colbert Report successor The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore due to meager ratings and lackluster buzz; days later, Amy Schumer confused fans and media types alike when she wrote on her Twitter feed that she was no longer making her Peabody-winning series Inside Amy Schumer. She has since clarified that statement, noting that the show is simply on extended hiatus as she continues with touring and film work. Comedy Central brass remains committed to Schumer as well as other stars on its roster, including Trevor Noah, Chris Hardwick and the prolific pair behind Broad City, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer.
Davis is repped by CAA, Brillstein and attorney Lev Ginsburg.
