07.09.09 HEDER IN MCKAY/FERRELL-PRODUCED SITCOM

Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades of Glory) will star in a new Comedy Central sitcom next year.  The as-yet untitled series will be produced and written by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Anchorman).

Comedy has ordered a 10 episode first season, with the option to purchase an additional 90 episodes after the initial run… Heder will play the lead role as a computer IT specialist who leaves the big city to move home with his parents.

Ferrell, McKay and Chris Henchy will write and produce the series, which will premiere in 2010.  [B&C]

This is promising, I think.  Napoleon Dynamite was such a huge character in pop culture that it limited Heder’s range as much as it projected his career.  He’s stumbled a bit with his follow-up roles on the big screen, so maybe what he needs is a TV series to create a character who we don’t expect to say “GOSH!” every time he opens his mouth.

Or not.  Who knows.  Ferrell and McKay still make boatloads of cash even when they mail it in, so this could just as easily be lousy.  And who can blame them?  I mail it in all the time, and I don’t even make boatloads of cash.  More like rubber duckies of loose change.