TBS and Marlon Wayans Prepare to Put Comics Through the Wringer In New Competition Series "Funniest Wins" (working title)
TBS Orders Eight Episodes of New Series from Workaholic/Marlon and Eyeworks USA
TBS is teaming up with comedy heavyweight and WhatTheFunny.com founder Marlon Wayans (Scary Movie, In Living Color, The Wayans Bros.) on a new competition series that's all about the laughs. The network has greenlit Funniest Wins (working title), in which Wayans, along with some of his comedian friends and family members, will set out to find the funniest multi-talented comedian out there today. Funniest Wins joins TBS's popular lineup of comedic competition series, including King of the Nerds, which is currently in its second season on Thursday nights, and Deal With It, which returns for a new season on March 19.
TBS has ordered eight one-hour episodes of Funniest Wins, with plans to launch the series this summer. Funniest Wins is being produced for TBS by Workaholic/Marlon and Eyeworks USA. Serving as executive producers are Marlon Wayans (A Haunted House, A Haunted House 2), Rick Alvarez (A Haunted House, White Chicks) and Lisa Blum (Scary Movie, Legit) for Workaholic/Marlon, and JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Brant Pinvidic and Adam Kaloustian for Eyeworks USA (Extreme Weight Loss, Bar Rescue, Opposite Worlds, My Cat from Hell). Steve Harris (The Jacksons, Mob Wives) serves as producer.
These days, comedy comes in all forms, from sketch to improv and from musical parodies to online shorts. And in this one-click digital age, pretty much anyone and everyone can take a shot at becoming a successful comedian. TBS's Funniest Wins is on a mission to find out who really is the funniest: the overnight sensation getting millions of hits on YouTube, or the performer who's been honing their craft for years.
On Funniest Wins, the goal is simple: Make people laugh, or go home. The new series will open with a group of comedic competitors of various types, including both professionals and amateurs. Each week, guided by Marlon Wayans and a rotating crew of guests, these competitors will learn the ins and outs of a particular comedy style. They will then put what they've learned to the test in that week's main competition. At the end of each round, the field of competitors will narrow as one comic is sent packing.
The season will climax with one winner being selected to receive not only a cash prize but also the chance to star in an online series for Wayans' online comedy destination WhatTheFunny.com.
About Eyeworks USA
Eyeworks USA is one of television's most prolific producers of reality and non-fiction programming, producing shows grounded in the ability of people to change and transform their lives. Current series include Extreme Weight Loss, in season four for ABC; Bar Rescue, in season four for Spike (the network's #1 show across all male demos); My Cat from Hell, in season five for Animal Planet; LA Hair, in season three for WEtv; My Big Fat Revenge, for Oxygen; and new hit Syfy series Opposite Worlds. JD Roth and Todd A. Nelson are also known for producing the first 11 cycles of the award-winning The Biggest Loser for NBC. Other Eyeworks series include Family S.O.S., with Jo Frost for TLC, and TV Land's Forever Young, as well as the long-running, genre-creating franchise for VH-1, Beauty and the Geek.
About TBS
TBS is basic cable's reigning champion among young adults in primetime. Available in 101 million households, TBS features original scripted comedies like Cougar Town, Ground Floor, Sullivan & Son and Men at Work, as well as American Dad!, which will become a TBS original series in late 2014. TBS also features original unscripted series like King of the Nerds, Deal With It and Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host, as well as the upcoming CeeLo Green's The Good Life and Funniest Wins (working title). In late night TBS, is home to the Emmy(R)-winning series CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien, and The Pete Holmes Show. The TBS lineup also includes popular contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy, along with blockbuster movies and championship sports.
TBS is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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