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TV Land Testing Satirical Show

Oct 11, 2004  •  Post A Comment

Continuing its quest to develop original programming, TV Land is shooting a pilot for a television-centric version of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” sources said.

The untitled project will employ the “Daily Show” format of skewering current events, but will air weekly and focus on entertainment news.

Writer Bill Zehme and comedian Carol Leifer have been tapped to co-host the New York-based show. The Viacom-owned network had no comment on the program.

Ms. Leifer’s credits include writing for and producing “Seinfeld” and executive producing “The Ellen Show.” Mr. Zehme is a Chicago-based entertainment writer and author of “Intimate Strangers: Comic Profiles and Indiscretions of the Very Famous” and “Lost in the Funhouse.”

Last December the Nick at Nite spinoff network announced a commitment to add original programming to its lineup of classic television shows such as “The Andy Griffith Show” and “All in the Family.”

In July, TV Land rolled out its first slate, which included “Alf’s Hit Talk Show,” “Living in TV Land” and “Emmy’s Greatest Moments.”

According to Nielsen, the network’s third-quarter prime-time average was 759,000 viewers, a modest gain from 2003’s third-quarter average of 736,000.