Last summer, Jon Heder (pictured here with a goat) was cast as the lead in a Comedy Central series written and produced by comedy heavyweights Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. It seemed like the right career move after a series of movie roles in which his hair did most the acting. But no: Heder has pulled out of the project two days before shooting (like your dad should have).

Heder’s decision to ankle the show came just two days before the show’s March 31 production start. In a briefly-worded statement, the actor said he ultimately didn’t approve of his character’s direction…

Heder’s departure leaves what was to be an ambitious series committment up in the air. Comedy Central had ordered an initial 10 episodes of the series, with an option for 90 more… [It] also comes just two weeks after Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz joined the cast. [Variety]

Good for Jon! With his star power and track record, he has every right to demand control of his character’s direction. That kind of selectivity is what gave us cinematic gems like The Benchwarmers, School for Scoundrels, and When in Rome. Just who the hell is this “Will Ferrell” person and what does he know about comedy anyway?

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.