TBS Rings Up '10 Items or Less'

Zap2It.com | July 12, 2008

The cast of '10 Items or Less'

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Comedy will inaugurate late-night block

TBS is making a push for the type of TV viewers that stay up late to watch "The Daily Show" or Adult Swim by creating a late-night programming block of its own.

The cable network will kick off its late-night efforts with the semi-scripted comedy "10 Items or Less" in November. It also has several other projects in development, including a puppet-hosted talk show and pilots featuring "MADtv" alum Frank Caliendo and former Kid in the Hall Kevin McDonald.

"10 Items or Less," which premieres Monday, Nov. 27, stars John Lehr (who's also an executive producer) as a not-all-that-successful businessman who moves back to his hometown to run his family's supermarket. Partially improvised comedy ensues, with a cast that also includes Jennifer Elise Cox ("Lovespring International"), Chris Payne Gilbert, Greg Davis Jr., Roberta Valderrama and Kirsten Gronfield.

TBS has also finished a pilot for "The Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del," a talk show with a puppet cast (and flesh-and-blood guests) from the Jim Henson Company. The Caliendo sketch project will be built around the long roster of impressions he honed on "MADtv."

Additionally, the network has ordered pilots for "Off the Road with Andrew Daly," in which Daly ("The Showbiz Show") takes a humorous stab at Charles Kuralt-style Americana and "What News?," a pilot about a hapless local news team that stars McDonald and is executive produced by Sean Hayes ("Will & Grace").

TBS also has its first scripted prime-time series on the way later this year: "My Boys," which the network hopes will be a good companion piece to "Sex and the City." It stars Jordana Spiro ("Must Love Dogs"), Jim Gaffigan ("That '70s Show") and Kyle Howard ("Related").