COMEDY CENTRAL's® Hit Sketch Series "Key & Peele" Renewed for Second Season

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Voters will determine whether he'll stay in the White House, but the viewers have spoken and they want Obama (and Luther) back for more.  COMEDY CENTRAL has renewed its breakout sketch series, "Key & Peele," for a second season, it was announced today by Kent Alterman, Head of Original Programming and Production, COMEDY CENTRAL.  The second season of "Key & Peele," which is created by and stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, will consist of 10 episodes and premiere in fall 2012.

"Because 'Key & Peele' has been so immediately and universally well received, I was worried if we didn't give the show a quick pick up, people might accuse me of being racist," said Alterman.

"We are honored, humbled and most importantly contractually obligated to deliver a second season to COMEDY CENTRAL," said Key and Peele.

Scoring COMEDY CENTRAL's best launch since 2009, "Key & Peele" drew 2.1 million total viewers to its series premiere and also resonated among young men, earning a 2.6 men 18-34 rating and a 3.3 men 18-24 rating to finish as #1 in its time slot with both demographics across all of television.  For the night, the inaugural episode of the new hit series finished behind only "Tosh.0" in all of television for Tuesday Prime among men 18-24.  In addition, #KeyAndPeele was the #1 trending topic on Twitter during its premiere play.

Best known for their impressive ability to do improv, conjure up original characters and celebrity impressions, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele star in "Key & Peele," a new series in which these fresh, relevant comedic actor-writers, used to being on the outside looking in, examine life in a provocative and irreverent way, through a combination of filmed sketches and live stage segments. Whether it's satirizing the President, spoofing Nazis, or ordering up some soul food, "Key & Peele" will showcase their chemistry, camaraderie and unique point of view, born from their shared background and experiences growing up biracial in a not quite post-racial world.

Credits for the series include Key, Peele, Ian Roberts, Jay Martel and Joel Zadak as Executive Producers. Gary Mann and Monika Zielinska are the Executives in Charge of Production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

Available in 99 million homes nationwide, COMEDY CENTRAL (www.comedycentral.com), the only all-comedy network, is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIAB).  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 and follow us on Twitter @ComedyCentralPR for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) is home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in more than 160 countries and territories.  With approximately 170 media networks reaching more than 600 million global subscribers, Viacom's leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, Spike TV and Tr3s.  Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world's most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.

SOURCE COMEDY CENTRAL Corporate Communications