It seems HBO has struck gold once again.
On Wednesday, Deadline announced that HBO gave the green light to a new comedy series called "Crashing." The show's pilot will be directed by Judd Apatow. Apatow is hot off the box office success of "Trainwreck." Apatow also has good standing with HBO right now, as he is heavily involved with the network's "Girls."
With "Girls," Apatow helped launched Lena Dunham's career. Now, with "Crashing" he might be able to do the same with Pete Holmes.
If you haven't heard of Holmes, 36, then you are missing out on a treasure trove of great comedy that extends to television, podcasts, and stage.
Nowadays, some of comedy's biggest stars are plucked from the podcasting world. Pete Holmes is one of them. Holmes hosts "You Made It Weird."
On "You Made It Weird," Holmes invites a wide variety of comedians to talk about life, love, and God. The deeply personal vibe of the podcast could have felt like nothing more than a rip-off of "WTF with Marc Maron" if Holmes didn't take it a step further. Many of Holmes' interviews really do get weird and he has no restraints: some episodes are known to last for over three hours. Yet, they never feel dull or self-indulgent.
If you have ever been lucky enough to see Pete Holmes perform stand-up in person, then you are in for a treat. In his stand-up, it doesn't just feel like he is telling jokes; it feels like he is having a conversation with the audience. Plus, Holmes is somewhat infamous for his gregarious laughter. Sometimes, his laugh will be louder than anybody in the audience.
This isn't Holmes' first shot at television.
Starting in 2013, he hosted the short-lived "The Pete Holmes Show" on TBS. "The Pete Holmes Show" was completely different from any other late night show. Unlike his contemporaries, Holmes never wore a suit, delivered monologues that didn't rely on topical jokes, and sometimes conducted interviews in his pajamas. It felt like a radical new take on a tired formula.
Just watch this monologue in which a Converse-wearing Holmes skips the big news of the day and instead goes on a five minute rant about daylight savings:
Unfortunately, viewers were not ready to make it weird yet, and "The Pete Holmes Show" was canceled in June 2014.
Luckily, America is a land of second chances and both HBO and Apatow saw the huge potential in Holmes.
Like all of his comedy, the scripted comedy "Crashing" will be intensely personal for Holmes.
In the semi-autobiographical show, Holmes plays a "sweet, wholesome" comedian who's wife leaves him. After that, he has no choice but to crash on the couches of "New York’s finest comics." Fans of "You Made It Weird" might recognize this story, as it is very similar to Holmes' real life.
Podcast and television audiences are crossing over a lot now, with sometimes mixed results. However, the recent success of Hulu's "Difficult People," which stars podcast host and comedian Julie Klausner, shows that a podcast following can carry over.
With both Apatow and Holmes involved, "Crashing" already has a huge fan base.
At his best, Apatow is able to use his comedic abilities to let other comics soar. Holmes' comedy is filled with inside jokes, but he is always warm and inviting. He has already done great things for both late night shows and podcasts, so it is about time Holmes gives HBO its next great comedy to play alongside "Silicon Valley,""Veep," and the hopeful ninth season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
SEE ALSO: Why Judd Apatow returned to stand-up after a two decade hiatus
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