Fox Buys Liberal Redneck Comedy Starring Trae Crowder

Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to a half-hour single-camera comedy starring comedian Trae Crowder, best known for his stage persona the Liberal Redneck. Inspired by Crowder’s personal life, the untitled project hails from Warner Bros. TV and Rob Thomas’ studio-based Spondoolie Productions.

The comedy will be written by Crowder and John Enbom, who co-created cult Starz comedy series Party Down with Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd. In the Trae Crowder project, worlds collide when Trae, based on Crowder’s Liberal Redneck character, returns to his conservative Tennessee hometown to start a job at an energy research facility with his California-born wife in tow. Enbom executive produces with Thomas and his frequent collaborators Etheridge and Danielle Stokdyk. Crowder co-executive produces.

Crowder became a breakout star with his Liberal Redneck videos, which have gone viral on Facebook since launching in May, generating more than 60 million views and landing Crowder a weekly correspondent feature with the New York Daily News. Crowder, who grew up in trailer parks in rural Tennessee, saw his video criticizing the North Carolina “bathroom bill” exploding with more than 26 million views on Facebook. He has been profiled on ABC’s Nightline and CNN’sTonight with Don Lemon; he was a season-finale guest on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher; and he also got the attention of WBTV, which signed him in a development deal that resulted in the Fox comedy project. You can watch a video of Trae/The Liberal Redneck taking on Trump back in June below the post.

Crowder, along with his comedy touring partners, Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester, co-authored The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin’ Dixie Outta the Dark, published last month by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The trio of political satirists and stand-up comedians are touring nationally in clubs and theaters as the wellRED comedy tour. Crowder is repped by Arsonhouse Entertainment, Super Artist Agency and attorney Bradley Garrett.

Thomas is the writer/executive producer behind one of the highest-profile projects at the CW this season, a series based on The Lost Boys movie. He, along with Stokdyk and Dan Etheridge, also executive produces drama project Criminal Magic at the CW. Thomas is repped by UTA and attorney Jeanne Newman.

http://deadline.com/2016/12/fox-buys-comedy-liberal-redneck-comedian-trae-crowder-1201863081/