COMEDY CENTRAL(R) Heats Things Up This Summer With All-New Series and Specials as Well as Returning Favorites

COMEDY CENTRAL(R) Heats Things Up This Summer With All-New Series and Specials as Well as Returning Favorites

New Original Series Include "The Gong Show With Dave Attell," "Reality Bites Back" And "Atom TV"

Returning Favorites Include "Mind of Mencia," "Lewis Black's Root of All Evil," "RENO 911!" And "Live At Gotham"

"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" Continues Its Award-Winning "Indecision" Coverage And Hits The Road To Tape At The Democratic And Republican National Conventions

"South Park's" "Imaginationland" Trilogy To Air For The First Time On Network Television As A Feature-Length Movie Complete With Previously Unaired Footage

All-New One-Hour, Stand-Up Specials From Carlos Mencia And Gerry Dee

NEW YORK, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- COMEDY CENTRAL fans get ready! Summer 2008 will be chock full of brand spanking new comedy. From new and returning series ("Reality Bites Back," "The Gong Show with Dave Attell," "Atom TV," "Mind of Mencia," "RENO 911!," "Lewis Black's Root of All Evil," "Live at Gotham") to new specials ("Carlos Mencia* *Performance Enhanced," "Gerry Dee: No Reading Ahead") and special events including "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and the "South Park" "Imaginationland" trilogy airing for the first time on network television as a feature-length movie complete with previously unaired footage, COMEDY CENTRAL is the best place to tune in and cool down in the months to come.

The following are descriptions of new series, new specials and returning series premiering in Summer of 2008:

MAY 2008

"Carlos Mencia* *Performance Enhanced" -- COMEDY CENTRAL Original Stand-up Special Premiere

Premieres Sunday, May 18 at 9:00 p.m.

Filmed in front of a sold-out, packed house at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida, Carlos Mencia returns for an all-new, one-hour COMEDY CENTRAL Original Stand-up Special, with a take-no-prisoners attitude on politics, race and culture. Mencia riffs on his trip to the Middle East, his thoughts on the perfect modern day superhero and how vegetarians are annoying hypocrites.

"Mind of Mencia" -- Fourth Season Premiere
Premieres Wednesday, May 21 at 10:30 p.m.

Shot in studio and on location, "Mind of Mencia" is based on Mencia's unique point of view of the world. The fourth season takes on such topics as the election, the recession and the war, as well as other controversial issues and puts them through Mencia's filter to make them funny and relevant via monologues, man-on-the-street interviews and interaction with the studio audience. Mencia is not afraid to say, in his unique and brutally honest tone, what people are thinking. The new episodes also introduce a recurring animated segment depicting true stories from Mencia's childhood.

"RENO 911!" -- All-New Episodes
Premieres Thursday, May 22 at 10:30 p.m.

The Reno County Sheriff's Department is tuning up their cruisers and calling it in with eight new episodes of "RENO 911!" In the debut episode of the all-new run, the deputies reach out to Jackie, the pickle-throwing hooker, now facing a life-threatening disease. Future episodes feature the Reno cops training a squad of policemen from Baghdad, hiring a Hollywood acting coach to teach them how to go undercover and Lt. Wiegel's estranged father returning from prison and partying at strip clubs with her co-workers. The new episodes include guest appearances by Patton Oswalt, Nick Swardson and Ron White.

JUNE 2008
"Atom TV" -- Series Premiere
Premieres Monday, June 2 at 2:00 a.m.

Atom TV brings together the best online Webisodes from Atom.com and puts them smack-dab on viewers' TV screens. COMEDY CENTRAL couldn't let these gems stay just on the Web. Viewers can check out a side-splitting smattering of the hottest online offerings every week from the comfort of their couch.

"Live at Gotham" -- Third Season Premiere
Premieres Friday, June 6 at 10:00 p.m.

The signal is out, but don't expect any caped crusaders to be answering this call. COMEDY CENTRAL is returning to Gotham every Friday night with enough funny power to make even the Boy Wonder scream "Holy Fart Joke, Batman!" Each hour-long episode of this COMEDY CENTRAL original series will showcase six rising comedians at New York's famed Gotham Comedy Club. The line-up of weekly hilarious hosts for the third season of "Live at Gotham" include Jeff Dunham, Jim Norton, Rich Vos, Ralphie May, Tommy Davidson, Kevin Hart, D.L. Hughley and Daniel Tosh.

"Gerry Dee: No Reading Ahead" -- World Premiere Stand-up Special
Premieres Saturday, June 7 at 11:00 p.m.

Gerry Dee takes aim at overachievers everywhere in this hour of stand-up. From childhood and beyond, this comedian has been leading the charge against those caught reading ahead. Find out how he crushed the dreams of his first grade students in the classroom and on the dodgeball court and his experiences crossing state borders with his Scottish dad. Dee also shares the differences between men and women on their nights out on the town and how, with tape and a little bit of imagination, any pair of boys can make the letter H.

JULY 2008
"Reality Bites Back" -- Series Premiere
Premieres Thursday, July 17 at 10:00 p.m.

Tired of overdosing on reality TV? The prescription is "Reality Bites Back," hosted by comedian Michael Ian Black. An "uber-spoof" on reality, "Reality Bites Back" is a real competition where ten comedians are pitted against one another in episodic parodies of the popular network reality shows. Episodes include "Shock of Love," "The Biggest Chubby," "Almost-American Gladiators," "So You Think You Can Dive?," "Hunting with the Stars" and "The Amazing Disgrace."

"The Gong Show with Dave Attell" -- Series Premiere
Premieres Thursday, July 17 at 10:30 p.m.

COMEDY CENTRAL's bringing back a classic series with a twist! Fan favorite Dave Attell ("Insomniac with Dave Attell") is back and hosting "The Gong Show with Dave Attell." Executive Produced by Happy Madison Productions and Andrew Golder ("Identity" and "Win Ben Stein's Money") in association with Sony Pictures Television, "The Gong Show with Dave Attell" will consist of eight to ten off-beat and hilarious acts that will be judged by a revolving panel of three celebrity judges.

"Reel Comedy: Step Brothers" -- All-New Episode
Premieres Monday, July 21 at midnight

Forget "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," because 2008 is the Year of the 40-Year- Old Slacker. Two 40-year-old slackers, to be exact. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly attempt to avoid adulthood for as long as their parents will let them in the new film "Step Brothers." At midnight, take a sneak peek at the latest comedy from the dudes who brought the world "Anchorman" and "Talladega Nights," then be sure to catch the film in theaters when it premieres on July 25.

"South Park" "Imaginationland: The Movie" -- Network Television Premiere
Premieres Sunday, July 27 at 10:00 p.m.

"South Park" took the world by storm last fall with its historic "Imaginationland" trilogy. Now, imagine the unimaginable as, for the first time on network television, the trilogy will be aired as a feature-length, director's cut film, complete with previously unaired footage created especially for the movie. Watch Stan and Kyle try to stop the United States Army from nuking Imaginationland while Butters leads the resistance from inside everyone's wildest dreams. Meanwhile, a wronged Cartman is out to get Kyle down on his knees to pay his dues. Join Kyle, Stan, Cartman, Butters, Al Gore and Mel Gibson as they follow the terrorists to the gates of hell and make the world safe for everyone's imagination! Watch the trailer for the film here: "South Park Imaginationland." (Please copy/paste the following URL into your web browser) http://www.comedycentral.com/press/press_releases/2008/firstlook- imaginationlandmovie.jhtml

"Lewis Black's Root of All Evil" -- Second Season Premiere
Premieres Wednesday, July 30 at 10:30 p.m.

So much evil, so little time. During the first season of "Lewis Black's Root of All Evil," Lewis Black and his comedic compadres took on everyday evils from beer and weed to Tila Tequila, but, with so many evils to choose from, they had to come back for more! Each week, comedians such as Paul F. Tompkins and Greg Giraldo will debate more of the iniquities dragging America down, with Lewis Black as judge and jury, handing down the final verdict. He might not be able to give "American Idol" any jail time, but at least viewers will be laughing along the way.

AUGUST 2008

"Jimmy Dore: Citizen Jimmy" -- Network Television Premiere Stand-up Special

Premieres Friday, August 1 at 11:00 p.m.

Orson Welles had his masterpiece and Jimmy Dore has his. "Citizen Jimmy" is a new, one-hour stand-up special from the weed-philosophizing political commentator Jimmy Dore. Join Jimmy as he gives the real reason the Clinton sex scandal upset the American public, describes why watching Christian talk shows is dangerous when you're high and explains the paranoia surrounding the Gap. Plus, Jimmy finds a way to make Al-Qaeda less scary by naming a fruity vodka drink after them.

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision '08"

Democratic National Convention Coverage Airs Tuesday, August 26 -- Friday, August 29 at 11:00 p.m.

Continuing a longstanding tradition that dates back to 2000, Jon Stewart and "The Best F*&#ing News Team Ever!" will be back on the political trail for the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions with the Emmy(R) and Peabody(R) Award-winning "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" broadcasting a week of shows from both Denver, CO and St. Paul, MN as part of its ongoing "Indecision 2008" coverage of the race for the White House. "The Daily Show's" coverage of the DNC will be taped at The Byron Theatre in the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at The University of Denver and will air from August 26-29. The show will then head straight to the RNC in Minneapolis/St. Paul and will tape the show at The History Theatre at McNally Smith College of Music with shows from September 2-5.

SEPTEMBER 2008
"The Daily Show: Indecision '08"

Republican National Convention Coverage Airs Tuesday, September 2 -- Friday, September 5 at 11:00 p.m.

(see above)

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

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*All Times ET/PT

Source: COMEDY CENTRAL

CONTACT: Kelly Campbell, +1-310-407-4728,
Kelly.Campbell@comedycentral.com

Web site:

http://www.comedycentral.com/

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