It hasn’t even been 24 hours since Andy Samberg shockingly won a Golden Globe for Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the network is already making moves to ensure that he stays there. The network announced today, ahead of its Television Critics Association Press Tour panel, that it has signed a multi-year development deal with Lonely Island, the comedy trio that includes Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone.
The group is best known for its hilarious Digital Shorts that aired on Saturday Night Live during Samberg’s tenure with the show. These included viral hits like “Jizz in my Pants,” “D**k in a Box” and “I’m On A Boat.” TheWrap reports that the trio’s new company will be tasked with developing new content first for Fox’s Hulu and Roku channels, which would lead to a series on Fox, FX or FXX.
“These guys know what it takes to break through – whether online or on air – and they are the perfect partners to help us find the next generation of comedy hits,” Fox Entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said in a statement, reports Deadline.
Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, Senior Vice President of Multi-Platform Programming for Fox added that it is key to “foster more experimentation both on and off the Fox lot, so we can take more shots at identifying hits.”
Lonely Island also released two albums, 2009’s Indedibad and 2011’s Turtleneck & Chain, which earned a Grammy nomination. Samberg is only a year removed from SNL, but is already having success. Not only did he win a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical series, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine took home Best Comedy/Musical series. The show is only in the middle of its first season and a special episode will air after the Super Bowl.
image: Fox