COMEDY CENTRAL'S® NEW SERIES "RENO 911!" LAYS DOWN THE LAW
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, JULY 23 AT 10:30 P.M.
Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney And Thomas Lennon Back At COMEDY CENTRAL
Where They Previously Produced "Viva Variety"
The "RENO 911!" Sitelet On comedycentral.com To Launch On Wednesday, July 2
NEW YORK, July 21, 2003 -- COMEDY CENTRAL walks the line with "RENO 911!," a half-hour unscripted comedy created by and starring Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney and Thomas Lennon as cops patrolling Reno, Nevada. The 13-episode series is a Jersey Television production in association with COMEDY CENTRAL. This hilarious take on the traditional cop drama is a character-driven comedy with soap opera-like twists and turns. "RENO 911!" is set to premiere on Wednesday, July 23 at 10:30 p.m.
"RENO 911!" repeats Wednesday at 12:30 a.m., Friday at 1:00 a.m. and Saturday at 9:30 p.m.
"RENO 911!" gives viewers the chance to witness the men and women of the Reno County Sheriff's department at work and at play, offering a hilarious and unexpected spoof of the traditional cop reality program. With an ensemble cast that features "Viva Variety" and "The State" alumni Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney and Thomas Lennon, "RENO 911!" is a narrative comedy about the adventures and relationships of a local Reno, Nevada precinct. Joining Garant, Kenney and Lennon on the "Reno 911!" beat are Cedric Yarbrough, Niecy Nash, Carlos Alazraqui and Wendi McLendon-Covey.
The series brings viewers into the squad car as the officers swing into action, from responding to 911 calls concerning everything from speeding violations and prostitution to staking out a drug den. Within each episode, viewers are given an insider's view of the "RENO 911!" cops' uncensored opinions, ranging from their most personal feelings to professional critiques of their colleagues.
The team of cops patrolling the mean streets of Reno are diverse in personality and background: Lt. Jim Dangle (Lennon), the squads' fearless leader, a straight-shooting cop who's not completely "straight;" Deputy Trudy Wiegel (Kenney) who's always searching for "Mr. Right" or even just "Mr. Okay;" Officer Travis Junior (Garant), the quiet cop with the big fuse and the lead foot; Deputy Clementine Johnson (Wendy McLendon-Covey), a former topless showgirl/magician's assistant who's always the first to know about a party in Reno; Deputy James Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui), a one-man, 5'4" law enforcement machine; Deputy S. Jones (Cedric Yarbrough), better known as the "Billy Dee Williams" of the stationhouse; and Deputy R. Williams (Niecy Nash) who's got class, sass and a big...firearm.
the debut episode, Lt. Dangle declares the Reno, NV Sheriff Department's zero tolerance policy for offenders, as officers take to the streets to seek out any illicit behavior. Unfortunately, the citizens all are comporting themselves to the letter of the law even the dog walker has his dog license with him. Dejected after a day of unsuccessful crime-fighting, Dangle rear-ends a civilian with his patrol car and realizes, according to the books, he's the only criminal in town.
The "RENO 911!" sitelet on comedycentral.com will launch on Wednesday, July 2. It will feature behind-the-scenes footage, downloads, a photo gallery, a screensaver, IM icons, postcards, and an extensive episode guide. Launching on Wednesday, July 10 is the "Shooting Gallery" game, which includes seven levels of game play. Users must throw the donuts at the bad guys to gain points and advance to the next round. During the course of the game, characters from the show come out to encourage or make fun of the user if he or she misses a shot.
Credits for "RENO 911!" include John Landgraf, Garant, Kenney and Lennon as executive producers and Peter Principato and Paul Young as co-executive producers. Jim Sharp serves as the executive in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.
Jersey Television is headed by Landgraf, working closely with his partners Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher. In the four years of its existence, the company has produced nine primetime comedy and drama pilots, five of which have become television series ("The American"/Embassy/FBC, "UC: Undercover"/NBC, "Kate Brasher"/CBS, "RENO 911!"/COMEDY CENTRAL and "Karen Sisco"/ABC). Landgraf, DeVito, Shamberg and Sher have served as executive producers on all of these projects.
COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 82 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.
