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Carlos Mencia Can Sit Back And Count The Beans... COMEDY CENTRAL Signs Provocative Comedian To Multifaceted Deal Including Nationwide Stand-Up Tour, One-Hour Stand-Up Special And Renewal Of Hit Series "Mind Of Mencia"
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New Season To Consist Of 13 Episodes And Will Premiere In March '06
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Mencia To Headline Tour As Well As Host A One-Hour Stand-Up Special
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Uncensored Season One DVD To Be Released In Conjunction With Second Season
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NEW YORK, October 31, 2005 -- COMEDY CENTRAL has signed Carlos Mencia to a multifaceted new deal that will see comedy's newest breakout star hit the road on a nationwide tour, tape a one-hour stand-up special and host a second season of "Mind of Mencia," cable's highest-rated new comedy series this summer, it was announced today by Lauren Corrao, executive vice president, original programming and development.
"Carlos' visceral, take-no-prisoners comedy instantly struck a chord with our audience turning 'Mind of Mencia' into one of the most successful new comedies of the year. We are thrilled to renew the series for a second season and continue to build our relationship with Carlos, both on and off the screen," said Corrao.
In continuing his relationship with COMEDY CENTRAL, Mencia will shoot a one-hour stand-up special for the network and host a major, live-performance tour in over 30 markets across the country in 2006. The second season order of "Mind of Mencia" is for 13 episodes, which will premiere in March 2006. "Mind of Mencia" is executive produced by Mencia and Emmy Award-winning producer Robert Morton ("Late Show with David Letterman"). In addition, COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment will release the "Mind of Mencia" uncensored season one DVD which will include bonus material such as deleted scenes, outtakes, and never-before-seen backstage "diary" footage.
Since its premiere on July 6, "Mind of Mencia" has proved to be a ratings success for COMEDY CENTRAL. For its first season, consisting of 13 episodes, "Mind of Mencia" averaged 1.4 million total viewers and averaged a .84 P18-49 rating. It also won its timeslot among men 18-24 and ranked second overall with men 18-49 and men 18-34.
Shot in the studio and on location, "Mind of Mencia" is based on Mencia's unique point of view of the world including such topics as ethnic stereotypes, race relations, immigration, war, patriotism, capitalism and family with brutal honesty and unrelenting provocation. The show includes Mencia's comments on pop culture and current events, man-on-the-street interviews, commercial parodies, as well as interaction with the studio audience.
Known for his unflinching and hilarious opinions, Mencia is able to connect with a diverse audience by pointing out society's hypocrisy, which has made him one of the most successful comedians in the country. His critically-lauded debut album, "Take A Joke America," was released in 2000, while his latest CD, "America Rules," was recorded live and features an hour of material that deals with the events of September 11. In addition, StudioWorks Entertainment released his first retail DVD, "Carlos Mencia: Not For the Easily Offended ? Live in San Jose" on June 14, 2005.
Mencia's film credits include "Three Amigos Live In Concert" and the independent films, "Outta Time" and "29 Palms." His television credits include guest-starring roles on "The Shield" and "The Bernie Mac Show," as well as two solo HBO specials and appearances on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "HBO's Loco Slam" and "Comic Relief VI." Already well-known by COMEDY CENTRAL viewers, Mencia's half-hour special, as part of the "COMEDY CENTRAL Presents" franchise, consistently performs well and his video clips are among the most requested stand-up clips on comedycentral.com.
Executive producer Robert Morton's credits also include "The Chris Rock Show," "John Leguizamo's FREAK" and COMEDY CENTRAL's "Weekends at the DL." Lee Kernis and Tim Sarkes from Brillstein-Grey also serve as producers. Zoe Friedman is the executive in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL. Prior to receiving a series commitment, Mencia performed two "pilot presentations" at the COMEDY CENTRAL Stage, located in Hollywood, a developmental laboratory for the network.
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
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