Tuning In

Comedy’s triple threat

Comedy Central is forging ahead with three new pilots, including an unscripted series inspired by a 1999 documentary, MediaWeek.com reports.

Mark Borchardt and Mike Schank, the hilarious Milwaukee duo of the 1999 documentary “American Movie,” are the focal point of “Mark and Mike,” which picks up where the film left off. The series follows the loquacious Mr. Borchardt as he tries to secure distribution for “Scare Me,” a low-budget horror film that he wrote and directed over a period of three years.

Also in the works are “American Body Shop” — which shares its improv pedigree with Comedy Central’s Reno 911 — and an untitled sketch comedy/variety hybrid featuring DeRay Davis, a past winner of the network’s nationwide stand-up competition.

Stars shine on ‘Today’

Janet Jackson — who, according to the tabloids, has been spending time on the treadmills to shape up for the release of her new album — will have plenty of time to tone those once famous abs before she closes out the annual “Today” show concert series, the New York Daily News reports.

The pop star, who turns 40 on Tuesday, will bring down the curtain on “Today’s Toyota Concert Series” Sept. 29.

Now in its 11th year, the popular performance showcase kicks off Friday with the suddenly hot Barry Manilow. Others scheduled to take the stage at Rockefeller Center include the Go-Gos (May 19), Jimmy Buffet (May 26), James Blunt (May 29), Brad Paisley (June 2), Natasha Bedingfield (June 9), Earth, Wind & Fire (June 16), Phil Collins (June 23), Rascal Flatts (June 30), Pink (July 7), Sheryl Crow (July 12), KC & the Sunshine Band (July 14), Chicago (July 28) and Chris Brown (Aug. 11).

Fox ITunes in

Fans of “24” and “Prison Break” no longer have to rely on their VCRs or TiVo.

Fox TV is teaming with Apple Computers’ ITunes to sell episodes from its television division through Apple’s Internet download service, Reuters news agency reports.

The move makes Fox the latest major American network to reach a deal with Apple’s service.

Along with “24” and “Prison Break,” other shows, including FX’s “The Shield,” became available yesterday at $1.99 per episode. ITunes — which allows downloads for watching on the computer or on an IPod — also has started to sell episodes of older series such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Lost in Space.”

TV’s other major networks, including Walt Disney’s ABC, General Electric’s NBC, and CBS Corp. already sell shows on ITunes. They also redistribute some programming over the Internet and maintain their own Web sites.

The Fox move came as no surprise. James Gianopulos, co-chairman of News Corp.’s Fox Filmed Entertainment, in December told the Reuters Media and Advertising Summit that Fox would be open to a deal with ITunes.

Story Continues →