Are you Kidding? Nope!Jim Carreyis set to make his return to television for the first time since he was onIn Living Colorback in the early 1990s.Deadlinereports that Carrey is set to star in the new comedyKiddingfor Showtime, which will be a half hour series. The new comedy reunites Carrey andEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minddirector Michael Gondry, who is locked in to direct the 10-episode series.
Jason Bateman ofArrested Developmentfame will serve as an executive producer on the project. The official synopsis forKiddingseems to be tailor-made forJim Carrey’s comedic talentsand looks like it could take a dark turn as well. Here’s what Showtime had to say about the show.
" Created by Dave Holstein (Weeds,Raising Hope) and to be directed by Gondry,Kiddingstars Carrey as Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles, an icon ofchildren’s television, a beacon of kindness and wisdom to America’s impressionable young minds and the parents who grew up with him - who also anchors a multimillion dollar branding empire. But when this beloved personality’s family - wife, two sons, sister and father, begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairy tale or fable or puppet will guide him through the crisis, which advances faster than his means to cope. The result: a kind man in a cruel world faces a slow leak of sanity as hilarious as it is heartbreaking."
Carrey will also serve as an executive producer alongsideJason Bateman, Jim Garavente (Bad Words), Raffi Adlan (The Green Hornet), and Michael Aguilar (I’m Dying Up Here). Dave Holstein will write the pilot and will serve as the showrunner as well. David Nevins, President and CEO of the Showtime network shared his excitement for the project in a statement. The statement also served as a welcome back to television message to Carrey. Nevins had this to say.
“No one inhabits a character like Jim Carrey, and this role, which is like watching Humpty Dumpty after the fall - is going to leave television audiences wondering how they went so long without him. With hisEternal Sunshinepartner Michel Gondry on board to direct, we are on our way to a magnetic, volcanic and emotional viewing experience.”
The show looks as if it can be mutually beneficial for all parties involved. Jim Carrey returning to TV could be exactly what the actor/comedian needs to be introduced to a new audience and a whole new generation. Jim Carrey became a star thanks to the hit TV showIn Living Color. Carrey started as a comedian slugging it out on various stages, living in his car for a time, and playing small bit parts in movies. It wasn’t until he was cast as a series regular onIn Living Colorfrom 1990 to 1994 that he became nationally noticed. 1994 saw Carrey jump from TV to the big screen withAce Ventura: Pet Detective,The Mask, andDumb and Dumberand turn into a mega star. Carrey was an unstoppable force after that string of hits all released in one year.
Jim Carrey has also been exhibiting some bizarre behavior lately that have led many to speculate about depression from personal problems that have been following him for the last few years. HopefullyKiddingwill help to get Carrey back to the entertainer that everybody knows that he can be. In other Jim Carrey news, Netflix has just picked up the rights to his documentary,Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond, about his experiences playing the late comedian Andy Kaufman.
