After his Emmy-nominated turn in FX's Damages, Ted Danson is stepping back into the comedy realm for his next TV job.

Danson has signed on to HBO's pilot Bored to Death, where he'll star opposite Jason Schwartzman. He'll be playing a "pompous" magazine editor in the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Bored to Death centers on Schwartzman's character, Jonathan, a young and not-very-successful writer who also has a drinking problem. His ennui leads him to start placing newspaper ads offering his services as a detective, hoping to emulate the likes of his fictional heroes Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade.

Danson's character is a friend and sometime mentor to Jonathan. Danson last headlined a comedy series in 2006, when he starred in ABC's Help Me Help You; he's also had a recurring part on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, last appearing in 2007.

Danson won two Emmys and was nominated nine other times for playing Sam Malone on the classic sitcom Cheers. He picked up another nomination this year for Damages, where he played a decidedly darker character in tycoon Arthur Frobisher.

He's set to appear in a handful of episodes on the show's second season, which is scheduled to premiere in early 2009.

Comments

"It will be his first foray in to TV comedy since ABC's short-lived Help Me Help You in 2006."

Aren't you forgetting about his recurring role on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"?

PhilipDC | Sep 3, 2008 8:16:50 AM | #

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Apparently I was. Story is updated.

Rick | Sep 3, 2008 1:55:55 PM | #

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RE: "Aren't you forgetting about his recurring role on "Curb Your Enthusiasm?" -- I think Rick was referencing most-recent comedy projects, not painfully terrible excuses for programming like "Curb" was -- and is!

aev | Sep 3, 2008 9:58:12 PM | #

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