Grier to star in new Comedy Central show

NEW YORK, March 26 (UPI) -- U.S. actor David Alan Grier is to star in and executive produce a faux magazine TV show, Comedy Central announced Wednesday.

"David Alan Grier's Chocolate News" is expected to debut early next year.

Grier is best known for his roles in the TV sketch comedy series "In Living Color," the sitcom "Life with Bonnie" and the films "A Soldier's Story," "Boomerang" and "Little Man."

Comedy Central said it is also working on a second new series, an "uber-spoof" of the reality genre from 3Ball Productions -- the producers of hit reality series "The Biggest Loser." That show is expected to join the lineup this summer.

"We are thrilled to be moving ahead with these two totally unique series that bring fresh new concepts and distinctive points-of-view to Comedy Central, which will appeal not only to the channel's core audience but to fans of David's and fans of the reality craze," Lauren Corrao, the network's president of original programming and development, said in a statement. "David brings a new, urban outlook to the magazine-show parody that will be a perfect complement to our current programming and 3Ball Productions is the ideal partner to turn the reality genre upside down from the inside out."