Christ Kattan in development deal at Fox

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Former "Saturday Night Live" star Chris Kattan has signed a TV development deal with 20th Century Fox Television, Daily Variety said Thursday.

The paper said the deal calls for the company either to develop a TV series specifically for Kattan, or to cast him in an existing series.

Studio president Gary Newman said Kattan's physical comedy -- which he used on such "SNL" characters as the exotic dancer Mango and the frenetic simian Mr. Peepers -- makes him a "unique talent."

Kattan told the paper he has an idea for a show.

"It's not going to be sketch comedy," he said. "It's going to be something that's grounded in humanity and yet still is very physical. Instead of Mango, it'll be more Jack Tripper or Basil Fawlty."

Tripper was John Ritter's character in "Three's Company," and Fawlty was John Cleese's character in the British TV comedy "Fawlty Towers."

Kattan said he hopes to employ elements of comedy from those shows -- as well as "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Arrested Development" -- in his Fox project.