MTV Serves Up Laughs With Two All New Comedies 'Popzilla' and 'Disaster Date' Premiering Monday September 28

Sep 22, 2009
By ViacomCBS Staff

Hidden-Camera Comedy "Disaster Date" Airs at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT Followed by Animated Celebrity Spoof Show "Popzilla" at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT

Monday evenings will get a double dose of laugh-out-loud comedy with two all new series beginning with "Disaster Date" which will premiere on September 28 at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT followed by the animated series "Popzilla" at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT.

"Disaster Date" is a half-hour hidden-camera comedy series that will give folks who have been set up on horrific blind dates a chance to get revenge. The revenge-seekers will send their unsuspecting single friends on a blind date, but what their friends don't know is that they are really being set up with an over-the-top actor who will bring their dating nightmares to life. As the revenge-seeking friends watch the entire date from the control room, they direct the actors by feeding them personal information about the dater that is guaranteed to create a disaster. Each date lasts 60 minutes and for every minute the friend lasts, they earn one dollar. Some daters last the entire date, but others will flee screaming before the clock runs out. To preview clips of "Disaster Date" please visit http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/439057/whats-a-recession.jhtml#id=1621987.

The series features a cast of talented young improvisational actors that cycle through the series playing different characters no one would want to date, from "The Momma's Boy" to "The Aspiring Trophy Wife" to "The Hypochondriac Germaphobe." The series is executive produced by Sally Ann Salsano, Joel Zimmer and Pam LaLima. James Bianco is head if production, Brad Kreisberg serves as director and Amy Griggs is executive in charge of production. Heather Olander serves as executive in charge of production for MTV and Noah Beery serves as production executive for MTV.

"Popzilla" will keep the laughter going with this all new rapid-fire half-hour animated comedy sketch show that relentlessly skewers the excesses of pop culture. An alternative gossip celebrity news source, this series will capture parodies on breaking celebrity news as it happens, by taking on the gossip headlines of the day with quick sketches of entertainment news and celebrity drama. Targeting the rich, the famous and even the infamous with victims such as Heidi Klum, Robert Pattinson, Britney Spears and more, no one is safe from "Popzilla." Illustrated with a unique creative voice and style, the use of animation will offer a fresh new look to the world of entertainment news shows. To preview clips from "Popzilla," please visit: http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/438219/rock-band-radiohead-edition.jhtml#id=1621706

Dave Thomas, R.J. Fried, Tim Hendrick, Jared Miller and Kevin Pedersen serve as executive producers for Animax. Series writers are RJ Fried, Sean Clements, Tim Hedrick, Lars Kenseth, Jared Miller Andrei Nechita, Kevin Pedersen and Rich Piepho. Tim Jones serves as production executive for Animax, and Brent Haynes is lead executive for MTV.

About MTV Networks:

MTV is the dynamic, vibrant experiment at the intersection of music, creativity and youth culture. For over 27 years, MTV has evolved, challenged the norm, and detonated boundaries -- giving each new generation a creative outlet and voice that entertains, informs and unites on every platform and screen. On-air, MTV is the number one rated full-day ad-supported cable network for P12-24. Online, MTV.com averaged 8.5 million monthly unique visitors during the first quarter of 2009 -- up +6% from Q4/2008 and up +6% year-over-year. Total video streams for the first quarter of 2009 increased 21% over the same time period last year. And MTV's successful sibling networks MTV2, mtvU and MTV Tr3s each deliver unprecedented customized content, super-serving music fans, college students and young American Latinos like no one else. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Wanna know more? Come on in. . . www.mtvpress.com

Stephanie Berman, MTV Press, +1-212-846-7175
Stephanie.berman@mtvstaff.com