COMEDY CENTRAL(R) Renews Hit Series 'Tosh.0' for a Third Season

NEW YORK, April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Daniel Tosh takes his acerbically twisted comedy and his love-hate relationship with the Web to the next level as COMEDY CENTRAL orders a third season of the weekly hit series "Tosh.0," it was announced today by Kent Alterman, head of original programming and production COMEDY CENTRAL.  The third season of "Tosh.0" will consist of at least 29 episodes and premiere on Wednesday, January 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.

"Tosh.0" is currently in its second season which consists of 25 episodes (nine aired from January 13 through March 10, 2010) with new episodes returning on Wednesday, June 2 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT helmed by newly appointed executive producer Charlie Siskel.  The second season of "Tosh.0" is averaging 1.8 million total viewers and is the most watched show in its timeslot among Men 18-24 and Men 18-34.  Since the first season, ratings have enjoyed a meteoric rise in the following demos: Persons 18-49: +83%; Men 18-34 +85%; Men 18-24 +84%.

The multi-platform hit has also resonated among viewers on the Web - following him on Twitter, becoming a fan of the show on Facebook and flocking to the "Tosh.0" blog, which has grown into one of COMEDY CENTRAL's most-visited properties with an average of 660K Unique Visitors per month (Source: Omniture SiteCatalyst).  Even when the show is on hiatus, fans of "Tosh.0" continue to seek out the blog's original content, including the current "Casual Bracket 2010," a challenge to nominate Tosh's next signature wardrobe choice when the show returns this summer to which Tosh will almost certainly pay no heed.

"I haven't seen the show yet, but I understand Daniel is very funny," said Alterman.  "I would like to publicly thank him for making me look smart."

"I am beyond thrilled about Season Three of 'Tosh.0,'" said Tosh.  "COMEDY CENTRAL has been like a father to me; they pretend to support my comedy and I am pretty sure they have slept with my mom."

"Tosh.0" premiered on June 4, 2009 and features the razor sharp humor and biting commentary from comedian Daniel Tosh and delves into all aspects of the Internet from the absolutely absurd to the incredibly ingenious in this weekly, topical series.  The series also features viral clips of the week and original videos created by and starring well-known actors and comedians.  Each episode features the segment "Web Redemption," which gives subjects of infamous viral videos (i.e. Phillies Fan and Make It Snow Girl) a second chance to redeem themselves from the embarrassment with which they've become synonymous.

Recently, Tosh inked a multi-level deal with COMEDY CENTRAL to shoot an original one-hour stand-up special which will air in 4Q to be subsequently released with extended material on DVD and CD.  He will also embark on a national stand-up tour which will kick-off in the fall.  Tosh has a long history with COMEDY CENTRAL having hosted the network's "Live at Gotham" stand-up series and performed on "Premium Blend" and "Friday Night Stand-Up."  Tosh has also been featured on the all-comedy channel in a half-hour stand-up special "COMEDY CENTRAL Presents…" (2002) and on his first hour-long stand-up special, "Completely Serious" (2007).  His premiere CD, "True Stories I Made Up," was released in 2005 through COMEDY CENTRAL Records.

Charlie Siskel is an Emmy®-nominated executive producer, writer and director.  His most recent credits include COMEDY CENTRAL's "Important Things with Demetri Martin," Showtime's "La La Land" and the documentary "Religulous" with Bill Maher and Larry Charles.  Previous credits include COMEDY CENTRAL's "Crossballs," Bravo's "The Awful Truth with Michael Moore" and Moore's documentary "Bowling for Columbine."  Siskel is a former lawyer.

"Tosh.0" is executive produced by Tosh and Siskel.  Gary Mann is the executive in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 98 million homes nationwide.  COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of VIACOM Inc.'s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks.  COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is www.comedycentral.com.  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.

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products.  The company's portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 400 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, SPIKE, TV Land, Atom, GameTrailers and Xfire.  

SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications