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MTV CONTINUES TO DIVERSIFY SLATE WITH TWO NEW ORIGINAL SCRIPTED COMEDY SERIES
"The Hard Times of RJ Berger" and "Warren the Ape"
To Premiere June 2010
PASADENA, CA (January 15, 2010) � MTV will premiere two new original scripted
comedy series, "The Hard Times of RJ Berger" and "Warren the Ape," in June,
dimensionalizing the network's programming slate of reality, movies, specials and
documentaries. The new scripted series add to MTV's new roster of programming
created around authentic and unexpected characters. "The Hard Times of RJ Berger" is a
half-hour, single camera, scripted, coming-of-age comedy that follows the awkward life
of RJ Berger, a late-blooming loser struggling to navigate the minefield of being fifteen,
and provides a glimpse into classic teenage milestones. "Warren the Ape" is a parody of
'the life of a celebrity' reality show, surrounded around a D-grade celebrity puppet,
Warren "The Ape" Demontague, who's character is a brash, cantankerous, out-of-work
actor attempting to clean up his act, patch up his relationships and scramble his way back
into the Hollywood limelight.
"Our viewers expect reinvention and creative diversity from MTV, and these new series
give them a peek at the broad spectrum of new ideas, tones and formats we are focusing
on to break beyond just reality TV," said Tony DiSanto, President of Programming for
MTV. "Our commitment to the scripted genre has never been stronger. And with 'The
Hard Times of RJ Berger' and 'Warren The Ape,' along with the many scripted projects
in the development pipeline, we are focused on the right concepts coupled with the right
execution and talent to define our brand in this arena."!
THE HARD TIMES OF RJ BERGER
The Hard Times of RJ Berger portrays the hilariously-hellish lives of a deeply unpopular
15 year-old named RJ Berger (Paul Iacono) and his scheming, sex-obsessed best friend,
Miles Jenner (Jareb Dauplaise). For RJ, other than pining after the girl of his dreams,
Jenny Swanson (Amber Lancaster), receiving daily beatings from the meanest jock in
school, Max Owens (Jayson Blair), and evading the stalker-ish advances of Lily Miran
(Kara Taitz), there really isn't much excitement in his life. That is, until his anatomical
gift is accidentally exposed to the entire school. In a single moment, RJ goes from
anonymous to infamous, and for the first time in his life, he feels a tiny sliver of
confidence. A coming-of-age comedy about a high school sophomore, the series is a part
"The Wonder Years" and part "Superbad."
The first season will consist of 12 episodes. Each episode will also incorporate a stylized
animation sequence, identifying the show with pop culture and video games. The series
was created by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith.
The Hard Times of RJ Berger is executive produced by David Katzenberg and Seth
Grahame-Smith. Tony DiSanto, Liz Gateley, Michelle Klepper and Justin Levy are the
MTV executives in charge of production.
WARREN THE APE
Warren the Ape is a parody of "the life of a celebrity" reality show. Warren the Ape is
about the trials and tribulations of a D-grade celebrity puppet who is attempting to clean
up his act, patch up his relationships and scramble his way back into the Hollywood
limelight.
Warren "The Ape" Demontague is a brash, cantankerous, out-of-work actor. Having had
a brief taste of success on the former sitcom "Greg the Bunny", Warren's life has been in
a downward spiral ever since the show got cancelled. Over the past few years, Warren
has paid more attention to drugs, booze and women than his career, which as of late has
mostly consisted of a series of seedy exploitation films, obscure industrials, low-rent
theatre productions and a regrettable string of skin flicks.
The first season will consist of 12 episodes. The series was created by Sean Baker,
Spencer Chinoy, and Dan Milano.
Warren the Ape is executive produced by Sean Baker, Spencer Chinoy, and Dan Milano;
George Plamondon and Betsy Schechter for Picture Shack Entertainment; and Kevin
Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri for Freestyle Entertainment. Liz Gateley, Brent Haynes
and George McTeague are the MTV executives in charge of production.
"The Hard Times of RJ Berger" and "Warren the Ape" were both showcased at the TCA
conference in Pasadena today.
About MTV Network:
MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 28 years,
MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries -- giving each new generation a creative outlet and
voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV is the number one rated full-day
ad-supported cable network for P12-24. Online, MTV.com averaged 8.5 million monthly unique visitors during the
first quarter of 2009 -- up +6% from Q4/2008 and up +6% year-over-year. Total video streams for the first quarter of
2009 increased 21% over the same time period last year. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and
MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young
American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of
the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.
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