IFC Announces Return Of The Larry Sanders Show, The Ben Stiller Show & More

IFC announced today that the network will return The Larry Sanders Show, The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show with Bob and David? and Action to their loyal TV fans in the New Year. The comedy series will join previously acquired viewer favorites Monty Python's Flying Circus, Arrested Development, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared. The new comedies will also complement IFC's January 2011 original series premieres: Onion News Network, the first television series from America's most trusted news organization, and Portlandia, a scripted comedy series from Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.

IFC will air these critically acclaimed and award winning series within a new 90-minute comedy block, which will feature exclusive new interviews with writers, creators and stars of each show along with comedians who have been influenced by them. Each interviewee will give anecdotes and behind-the-scenes commentary and reveal personal stories related to each series. Hosted by comedian Scott Aukerman, founder of the Comedy Death-Ray weekly live comedy show in Los Angeles, the comedy block will launch on Monday, January 3 and air on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10-11:30 pm, et/pt. The debut will feature interviews with actors Andy Dick (The Ben Stiller Show) and Sarah Silverman (Mr. Show).

The Larry Sanders Show (89 x 30)
Premieres Monday, January 3 @ 11 pm; New episodes air Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesday @ 11 pm
Stars Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders in a satirical sitcom that focuses on the running of his TV show, including behind-the-scenes characters and occasional celebrity guests playing self-parodying versions of themselves, including Jeffrey Tambor, Jeremy Piven, Janeane Garofalo and Rip Torn, among many others. The show aired from 1992-1998 on HBO® and won three Emmy® awards and received 56 Emmy® nominations.
The Ben Stiller Show (13 x 30)
Premieres Wednesday, January 5 @ 10:30 pm; New episodes air Wednesdays @ 10:30 pm
The acclaimed series - starring Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Dick and Bob Odenkirk - features comedy segments parodying television shows, movies, commercials, rock musicians, celebrities and other elements of pop culture. Created by Ben Stiller and Judd Apatow, the series won an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program. Writers on the series included Stiller, Apatow, Odenkirk and David Cross, among others. It aired on FOX from September 1992 to January 1993.

Mr. Show with Bob and David (30 x 30)
Premieres Friday, January 7 @ 11 pm; New episodes air Fridays @ 11 pm
The hit series seamlessly blends one sketch into another, specializing in absurdist comedy that targets everything from politics to religion to Generation X. Executive produced and starring David Cross and Bob Odenkirk, the series features comics including Sarah Silverman, Jay Johnston, Brian Posehn, Jerry Minor, Jack Black, Paul F. Tompkins and Tom Kenny. The series aired on HBO from 1995-98.

Action (13 x 30)
Premieres in 4th quarter 2011
A comedy series about Hollywood producer Peter Dragon (Jay Mohr), who is under pressure to bounce back from his last film, a box office failure. The series, which was critically acclaimed for its irreverent look at Hollywood culture, also stars Ileana Douglas as VP of Production at Dragon's Production Company, and Buddy Hackett as Peter's uncle and chief of security. The series aired on FOX during the 1999-2000 season.

Comedy Death-Ray
Comedy Death-Ray is a weekly comedy show held at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Scott Aukerman and BJ Porter, former writers and stars of Mr. Show with Bob and David. The weekly show is a who's who of alternative comedy performers, many of whom are featured in or associated with the four series announced today. Aukerman also hosts Comedy Death-Ray Radio, a weekly radio program that features many regulars from the stage show.

New Year's Sneak Peeks
IFC will offer viewers a sneak peek of Mr. Show and The Larry Sanders Show during special New Year's Eve and Day marathons. Mr. Show will air on New Year's Eve from midnight to 6 am on New Year's Day. IFC will also showcase 24 hours of The Larry Sanders Show beginning New Year's Day at 6 am and ending on Sunday, January 2 at 6 am. More back-to-back episodes of Mr. Show will then air on Sunday from 6 am to 6 pm.

About IFC
IFC creates and champions authentic, original content that is "Always On. Slightly Off." Since 1994, IFC has cultivated television programming that challenges the conventions of storytelling. Today, IFC continues to embrace content with an indie perspective. Original series - headlined by brand-defining scripted and sketch comedy - air alongside an extraordinary collection of films and cult TV shows. Long and short-form original content inspired by music, web, gaming, animation, news, and culture is available on multiple platforms. IFC provides viewers access to must-see festivals and events around the country, like the Film Independent's Spirit Awards and SXSW. IFC.com features exclusive video, podcasts, blogs, news and reviews cultivated and written by industry experts. The network's On Demand offering, IFC Free, gives fans the opportunity to watch select content from IFC whenever they want. IFC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC.