When The People Reporting The Story Are More Dysfunctional Than The People They're Reporting About... COMEDY CENTRAL Announces The Series Pick-Up Of "American Lives" (The Real Scoop About Local News And The Misfits Who Make It)

"American Lives" Is An Improvised, Half-Hour Narrative Starring Zach Galifianakis, AD Miles, Andrea Savage And Matt Walsh As A Group Of Dysfunctional Fake Newscasters Interacting With Real People

Series To Premiere Summer 2006

NEW YORK, November 16, 2005 -- Les Nessman and Ted Baxter have got nothing on these guys. Local news just got a whole lot funnier (and this time it's intentional). COMEDY CENTRAL has given a series pick-up to DreamWorks Television's "American Lives," it was announced today by Lauren Corrao, executive vice president, original programming and development, COMEDY CENTRAL. The series is scheduled to premiere during the summer of 2006.

Expect nothing traditional as COMEDY CENTRAL delves deeper into the world of the traditional half-hour narrative with the 10-episode order of "American Lives," an outrageous, improvised, single camera show that features a group of dysfunctional fake newscasters interacting with real people and is presented in a documentary-style format. Created by Dan Mazer ("Borat," "Da Ali G Show"), the cast, all improv experts, includes Zach Galifianakis ("Tru Calling," "Comedians of Comedy"), AD Miles ("Stella," "Wet Hot American Summer"), Andrea Savage ("Significant Others") and Matt Walsh ("Upright Citizens Brigade," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart").

Originally commissioned by NBC Universal Television, the pilot features the staff of KSGY-Spokane's "American Lives" hitting the road to shoot a story about body-builders that becomes complicated by an affair between the on-air talent (Walsh) and his new producer (Savage), a creepy director with a digestive disorder (Galifianakis) and a production assistant (Miles) who moonlights as the worst stand-up comedian in the history of the world. All actors are expected to reprise their roles for the COMEDY CENTRAL series.

"Anyone who watches the local news knows that it is inherently, albeit unintentionally, humorous," said Corrao. "With 'American Lives' that humor and the chaos simmering just below the surface is magnified via the complex and unbelievably hilarious KSGY news team as imagined by Dan and performed by the wonderfully talented cast of Zach, AD, Andrea and Matt. Viewers will love the environment this incredible team has created and the stories that they will tell through these outrageous characters."

"There can be no better home for what I hope will be a genuinely groundbreaking show in terms of both content and concept than COMEDY CENTRAL," said Mazer. "I hope that this show will continue the tradition of innovation, risk taking and, above all else, genuinely funny shows established by COMEDY CENTRAL, and furthermore that I don?t cripple the channel either financially or artistically so that in years to come that they can trace the demise of COMEDY CENTRAL or indeed the entire Viacom empire back to the day they commissioned 10 episodes of ?that show by Dan Mazer.'"

"We're thrilled to be in business with COMEDY CENTRAL, a destination unlike any other in comedy and a place where 'American Lives' will have the opportunity to realize its full potential, both creatively and comedically," said Justin Falvey, co-president, DreamWorks Television. Added Daryl Frank, co-president, DreamWorks Television, "Dan Mazer is a truly gifted writer/producer/director whose voice is perfectly suited for COMEDY CENTRAL and 'American Lives' is the ideal vehicle through which to view his unique brand of comedy."

"American Lives" will be produced by DreamWorks Television in association with COMEDY CENTRAL. Mazer, Falvey and Frank are the executive producers with Zoe Friedman serving as the executive in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL. Mazer is represented by UTA and Natasha Galloway.

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. For up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit COMEDY CENTRAL's press-only Web site at www.comedycentral.com/press.