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Fall TV previews 2011: Sneak a peek at NBC's "Whitney" pilot

NBC will debut new sitcom, Whitney, at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays (8:30 p.m. Central/Mountain) after The Office in Fall 2011. This means moving Parks and Recreation back to 8:30 p.m. and pushing 30 Rock to midseason due to Tina Fey's pregnancy.

The pilot for Whitney was created and written by Whitney Cummings, who also stars in it alongside fellow stand-up comedian Chris D'Elia as a self-described "happily unmarried couple." When NBC made the series order last week, both Cummings and D'Elia told me a little bit about their parts on the sitcom.

Here's what Whitney had to say about Whitney to the NBC cameras:

 

And now watch the full trailer and individual clips for the pilot episode...

Before the upfronts: Up front with Whitney Cummings + Chris D'Elia about their new NBC sitcom, "Whitney"

By far the belle of the ball among the early network TV pickups for Fall 2011 is comedian Whitney Cummings, who went two-for-two on the pilots that she had a hand in writing and producing.

NBC has ordered Whitney to series, which Cummings wrote the pilot for based on her stand-up act and starred alongside fellow stand-up comedian Chris D'Elia (most recently seen in Glory Daze on TBS). Then this afternoon, CBS ordered Two Broke Girls to series, which Cummings co-created and co-executive produced with Michael Patrick King. But Cummings is just behind the camera on that series, leaving Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs to play the broke girls working at a Brooklyn diner.

I got Cummings and D'Elia on the line to talk about Whitney, the new NBC series they'll be introducing to advertisers and the media on Monday.

From Whitney herself:

"It's amazing! What can I say?????? It's obviously phenomenal. So excited to have gotten Chris for it. I wrote for him in mind and to be working with him every day is going to be a blast. I had Loni Love in the pilot as well. So the key for me is just surrounding myself with amazing comedians and staying honest and trusting my instincts because it seems to be working. 

NBC was so amazing about letting me do what I wanted to do -- the show is crazy edgy, provocative, and untraditional. They didn't limit me at all and encouraged me to stay true to what I do with my stand-up."

And about getting two TV shows picked up in one pilot season? "It's surreal to say the least," Cummings told me.

From Chris D'Elia, whom I asked: From what I've read, you play her boyfriend. Live-in boyfriend? Do you have to, er, I mean, get to kiss her? Ha. What's the background on your character? And how close is the TV Whitney going to be to her real personality?

"I play Whitney's live-in boyfriend and yeah I'm assuming that we have to kiss haha. That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do. I play a guy who sold a huge video website and has some dough. He wants to be with Whitney forever but the two aren't so sure about the institution of marriage. The real Whitney shines through in her character. That's why she's so good in this. I'm very fortunate to be working on TV right now and I'm extremely happy I get to work with my close friend Whitney. She's keeping me employed!"

 

IFC renews "Todd Margaret" for David Cross; "Glory Daze" over at TBS; Chris D'Elia + Whitney Cummings

Quick roundabout from the trades...

It was much to be expected, but IFC officially has renewed The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret for a second season. Six new episodes starring David Cross will debut in October.

TBS, on the other hand, has decided not to give Glory Daze a second chance. The comedy followed college frat boys in the 1980s, and also featured Tim Meadows as a professor and Chris D'Elia as an older stoner student.

D'Elia, however, just booked himself a part as half of a couple with Whitney Cummings in the NBC sitcom pilot that she's starring in (as well as writing/executive-producing). Should be interesting to see how they play together on camera!

As seen on TV: Chris D'Elia, Al Madrigal, Wendy Liebman, Neal Brennan, Mike E. Winfield

More than a few stand-up comedians have been on the late-night TV in the past couple of weeks, and lest I fail to fulfill my duties to give you comprehensive coverage, I should get us all caught up with some of these new/additional TV credits.

Last week on Lopez Tonight, Chris D'Elia joked about his own voice, comparing it to an old Japanese man, and then wished he could talk and laugh more like gangsters and rappers.

 

Last week on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Al Madrigal may have missed his mark on the stage floor, but he makes some valid points about his neighbors in Los Angeles.

 

The week before that, Wendy Liebman appeared on Ferguson's program. Wait for her classic joke about her age.

 

In late November, Mike E. Winfield made his network TV debut on Late Show with David Letterman. It may look like he's always smiling, but that's not how he feels based on how his wife treats him. And don't ask him about his afro. He's heard your silly questions before. Roll it.

 

Around the same time, Neal Brennan went on Lopez Tonight and made a pitch for a sketch he would have done had Dave Chappelle not left him and Chappelle's Show behind. Brennan warns the audience: "Now, don't be babies," before making his pitch, as if the audience is going to get up and walk out to Africa or something. Too soon?

 

Meet the New Faces, Class of 2009, at Montreal Just For Laughs

Are these the names you were looking for? The 2009 Montreal Just For Laughs comedy festival presents the "New Faces" for the industry to discover, fawn over and scrutinize. It looks to be a very strong class, just from the faces and names I already have come to discover, fawn over and scrutinize right here on The Comic's Comic.

So here they are! The New Faces perform in two groups tonight, Wednesday and Thursday -- this year at the Cabaret Juste Pour Rire (much closer to the rest of the action than the far-out Kola Note). Send your wishes of well to the following comedians...photos and links after the jump!