or


[07/18/05 - 12:00 AM]
Comedy Central(R) and Parallel Entertainment Strike Multi-Program Blue Collar Production and Development Pact

[via press release from Comedy Central]

Comedy Central� And Parallel Entertainment Strike Multi-Program Blue Collar Production And Development Pact

Agreement Calls For A Third Blue Collar Comedy Tour Concert Film, An Annual Summer Event Franchise, Three Stand-Up Specials Featuring Up-And-Coming Blue Collar Talent And Pilot/Presentation Pick-Up For "The Naked Trucker" Featuring David Koechner And David Gruber

NEW YORK, July 18, 2005 -- COMEDY CENTRAL and J.P. Williams' Parallel Entertainment, the independent management and production company that represents Blue Collar comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy, have reached an agreement with COMEDY CENTRAL on a multi-project development and production pact that will result in a third sequel to the enormously successful Blue Collar Comedy Tour Movie as well as several original specials and a series pilot, it was announced today by Lauren Corrao, executive vice president, original programming and development, COMEDY CENTRAL and J.P. Williams, owner and CEO, Parallel Entertainment.

"Given the extraordinary popularity and ratings success of Blue Collar comedy on COMEDY CENTRAL, this agreement to extend and broaden our relationship with J.P. Williams and Parallel Entertainment was a top priority for the network," said Corrao. "All of us look forward to collaborating with J.P., Jeff, Bill, Ron, Larry and all of the emerging talent being developed for the Blue Collar comedy franchise in the years ahead."

"It has been a wonderful experience working with COMEDY CENTRAL and this has really been a win/win situation for both of us," said Williams "We look forward to building on our past successes and are excited about the new projects we are developing."

COMEDY CENTRAL was the home of the Network Television Premiere of "Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie" which scored big in its debut in November 2003, drawing over 2.1 million viewers and later became the most-watched movie in COMEDY CENTRAL history when 2.9 million viewers tuned in March 2004 during COMEDY CENTRAL's "Redneck Weekend." In February 2005, "Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again" shattered the first Blue Collar movie's ratings delivery when over 6.1 million viewers caught its premiere. "Blue Collar Comedy Tour, One For The Road," will shoot in Washington, DC at the Warner Theater next March with an expected debut date sometime in the second quarter of 2006.

The COMEDY CENTRAL/Parallel Entertainment pact also calls for an annual 1-2 hour summer-themed Blue Collar comedy special event featuring Foxworthy and his regular Blue Collar cohorts as well as three original stand-up specials featuring up-and-coming comics from the Parallel Entertainment stable. In addition, a pilot of the long-running Los Angeles-based stage show "The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show," featuring Dave "Gruber" Allen ("Freaks and Geeks") and David Koechner ("Saturday Night Live") will be developed at the COMEDY CENTRAL Stage in Los Angeles. "The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show" has a country/rock art-house feel, featuring a naked trucker and his ne'er-do-well sidekick, Gerald "T-Bones" Tibbons, backed by a hell-raising band. They sing songs and weave tales of being on the road in pursuit of the American Dream.

J.P. Williams has been the owner and CEO of Parallel Entertainment for the past thirteen years and currently manages the careers of Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy and David Koechner. Williams most notable producer credits include several one-hour specials for COMEDY CENTRAL and HBO as well as "Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie," which has sold more than three million DVDs. Williams also produced the sequel "Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again," which had its world premiere on COMEDY CENTRAL and was the network's third most-watched telecast ever. The sequel has sold more than 2.6 million DVDs since its release on December 7, 2004. He is also an executive producer on the WB hit comedy show "Blue Collar TV" and executive produced a special for the WB Network called "Mobile Home Disasters," which starred Bill Engvall.

COMEDY CENTRAL, 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. COMEDY CENTRAL is a registered trademark of Comedy Partners. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is http://www.comedycentral.com.





  [july 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· BLUE COLLAR TV (WB)
· FREAKS & GEEKS (NBC)
· MOBILE HOME DISASTER (CMT)
· NAKED TRUCKER & T-BONES SHOW, THE (COMEDY CENTRAL)





[01/27/26 - 01:47 PM]
"America's Culinary Cup" Announces the Award-Winning Chefs Invited to Compete for the Biggest Prize in Culinary Television History
The ultimate culinary showdown premieres with a 90-minute episode following "Survivor 50" on Wednesday, March 4.

[01/27/26 - 01:46 PM]
CBS Announces Landmark Crossover Event Between Hit Daytime Dramas "Beyond the Gates" and "The Young and the Restless"
The ambitious storyline will transport six iconic residents from Y&R's Genoa City into BTG's posh gated community, Fairmont Crest, and will air on "Beyond the Gates" in June.

[01/27/26 - 01:45 PM]
CBS Announces the 10 Iconic "Survivor" Episodes Paving the "Road to 50"
Beginning Monday, February 9, the network will present 10 encore episodes from the Emmy-winning series' ground-breaking history showcasing players from the "Survivor 50" cast.

[01/27/26 - 01:23 PM]
NBC Sports' Star-Studded Cast to Present Super Bowl LX Sunday, Feb. 8 on NBC and Peacock, Headlining Biggest Day in Sports on Opening Weekend of "Legendary February"
Super Bowl LX marks NBC's 21st Super Bowl broadcast, and the second on Peacock.

[01/27/26 - 01:01 PM]
Apple TV Renews "Shrinking" for Season Four Ahead of Its Season Three Premiere
Bringing more heart and humor, the series will also see the return of cast members Christa Miller, Emmy Award nominee Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Emmy Award nominee Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley.

[01/27/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of January 19 - "The Rip" Is Right on the Money at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Audiences kept the suspense going as they streamed the murder-mystery thriller "His & Hers," putting the series at No. 1 on the English TV list with 17.2 million views.

[01/27/26 - 11:59 AM]
Hulu Sets Premiere Date and Title for Upcoming Nikki Glaser Comedy Special
"Nikki Glaser: Good Girl" will stream Friday, April 24 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers and internationally.

[01/27/26 - 11:30 AM]
Starz Acquires Critically-Acclaimed Drama Series "The Listeners" Starring Rebecca Hall
Based on the novel by Jordan Tannahill, who also wrote the adaptation, the provocative, haunting drama premiered on BBC One in the U.K. to broad critical acclaim and will premiere in the U.S. exclusively in 2026.

[01/27/26 - 11:01 AM]
Richard Dormer Returns to BAFTA-Winning Drama "Blue Lights" for Season Four
Three years into their jobs as response officers, Constables Grace Ellis, Tommy Foster, and Annie Conlon are operating at their limit, facing a new threat on the streets that the police can barely control.

[01/27/26 - 10:30 AM]
Caitlin Clark to Join NBC Sports as Special Contributor for "Basketball Night in America" Before "Sunday Night Basketball" Debuts February 1 at Madison Square Garden
"I'm really excited to be part of the Basketball Night in America crew this season," said Clark. "Carmelo, Vince, and Tracy are legends of the game and Maria is a true professional. It will be really fun to join them a few times this season."

[01/27/26 - 10:10 AM]
FOX Sports and NASCAR Studios Announce New Original Documentary "We've Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later" Premiering February 12 on FS1
The film is told through exclusive first-person accounts, rare home video, archival broadcast footage, and cinematic storytelling, revisiting the death of seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt and examining the profound ripple effects that continue to shape the sport and its culture 25 years later.

[01/27/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 10 - Meet the Singles - Netflix
Come for the meet cutes, stay for the wedding bells. Hopeful romantics fall in love based solely on their inner beauty in this hit dating experiment.

[01/27/26 - 09:48 AM]
Zorro Is Coming to MHz Choice
Broadly appealing with a light comedic touch, the eight-episode limited series is set to premiere on MHz Choice this summer, launching June 30.

[01/27/26 - 09:24 AM]
CBS News Significantly Expands Its Roster with 19 New Contributors Covering the Worlds of Politics, National Security, Medicine, Health, Happiness, Food, Style and Much More
The new hires were announced today by Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, during an all-hands meeting.

[01/27/26 - 09:01 AM]
"Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen" on March 26th - First Look & Date Announcement
Netflix's limited series comes from the executive producers of "Stranger Things" and the director of "Baby Reindeer."