NBC deals with Carolla, Cheadle

Half-hour comedies find home at Peacock

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

Carolla

Carolla

NBC is looking to stock up on laffs, cutting deals for a half-hour comedy starring Adam Carolla, a laffer from "The Simpsons" alum Bill Oakley and a project from Don Cheadle and "Boondocks" creator Aaron McGruder.

The Carolla project will feature the comic as a contractor and father whose life is turned upside down when his wife leaves him. Carolla is set to exec produce the multicamera sitcom along with Kevin Hench, as well as Jimmy Kimmel, Daniel Kellison, Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun.

Carolla and Hench are frequent collaborators, having worked together on Carolla's pilot "Ace in the Hole," which was set up at CBS last year. Hench also wrote the screenplay to the movie "The Hammer," which starred Carolla, and was a producer on previous Carolla skeins "The Man Show" and "Too Late With Adam Carolla."

Carolla's other credits include "Dancing With the Stars," TLC's "The Adam Carolla Project" and voice work on "Crank Yankers" and "Drawn Together." Comedian also knows a thing or two about being a contractor, having worked in the construction industry before his big break as a radio personality on radio station KROQ. Universal Media Studios is behind the project, along with Jackhole Industries and BermanBraun.

As for the Cheadle/McGruder comedy, project revolves around mismatched brothers who reunite to open a private security company.

Universal is producing, along with Cheadle's Crescendo Prods. label (which includes partner Kay Lieberman). McGruder, who's writing, is EP with Cheadle and Lieberman. Project has a script order at the Peacock.

For the Oakley project, scribe will exec produce along with Dave Bartis and Doug Liman. Laffer centers on the youngest judge in a circuit courthouse.

Universal Media Studios is producing, along with Dutch Oven.