CELEBRITY INTERVIEW: THE DREAM

Napoleon Dynamite to Star in Sitcom

Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of a groundbreaking series, starring Jon Heder as an out of work computer IT specialist, to be co-written by Will Ferrell.

NEW YORK, NY —Comedy Central has ordered an initial run of 10 episodes of a new, untitled sitcom starring Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite," "Blades of Glory") from Gary Sanchez Productions and Debmar-Mercury, it was announced today by Gary Sanchez Productions, Comedy Central and Debmar-Mercury.

Produced by Gary Sanchez Productions, the production company led by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, distributed by Debmar-Mercury, the untitled, multi-camera sitcom for Comedy Central will star Jon Heder as an out of work computer IT specialist who leaves the big city and returns to his small home town, where he moves back in with his parents and younger brother. Ferrell, McKay and Henchy will write and produce the series.

Modeled after previous successful groundbreaking Tyler Perry sitcom ventures from Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, Comedy Central has initially ordered 10 episodes of the Heder sitcom and will then have the option to order an additional 90 episodes upon a successful first-season run. Debmar-Mercury would retain the rights to take the series into syndication after its run on Comedy Central. Prior to this deal, Debmar-Mercury had partnered with Comedy Central in 2003 to distribute the broadcast syndication rights to the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series "South Park."

"Combining the creative genius of the Gary Sanchez gang with the brilliant business model established by Mort and Ira at Debmar-Mercury should ensure many, many great laughs in the years to come on Comedy Central says Michele Ganeless, president, Comedy Central. "With a proven track record featuring some of the most memorable comedy films ever made, we are so excited to be in business with Will, Adam, Chris and Jon," says Lauren Corrao, president, original programming and development, Comedy Central.

"We've always been fans of Jon's," McKay comments. "This deal gives us a chance to take some big creative swings without the risk of testing and focus grouping the show to death."

"We immediately jumped at the opportunity to be in business with this elite team of A-list comedy talents, who are among a handful of people in Hollywood capable of pulling off a project of this magnitude," notes Marcus. Adds Bernstein, "As we expand on a proven business model, we could not be more pleased that Comedy Central chose this concept to serve as its first full-fledged, live-action original sitcom."

David Bernath, Comedy Central's senior vice president, programming, negotiated the deal with Debmar-Mercury's Marcus and Bernstein.

Heder, 31, who came to fame starring as the title character in "Napoleon Dynamite," studied animation at Brigham Young University in Utah and appeared in student-produced short films, including a comedy, "Peluca." It was later expanded into the feature-length "Napoleon Dynamite." Its surprise hit status coming out of the Sundance Film Festival led the film into national distribution and, by the end of 2004, Heder's portrayal of the hapless Napoleon was widely imitated as the movie went on to gross more than a hundred times what it cost to make. Heder's acting career took off. He next appeared in the Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy "Just Like Heaven" (2005) and landed roles in other comedies, including the animated feature "Monster House" (2006) with Maggie Gyllenhaal and the ice-skating farce "Blades of Glory" (2007) with Ferrell.

SOURCE: POP TOWER

MUSIC REVIEW: DREAM-LOVE VS. MONEY

SINCE I FOUND OUT THAT THE DREAM WAS DROPPING ANOTHER ALBUM IN 2009 I DECIDED TO POST A REVIEW OF HIS SECOND ALBUM. PERSONALLY, I LIKED IT OVERALL. HE DEFINITELY HAS BOTH BANGERS & BALLADS THAT I CAN ROCK TO. IF YOU HAVEN’T GIVEN IT A LISTEN TO, DO SO, CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE, & LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS. ENJOY

Over the past couple of years, The–Dream has become, as he repeatedly boasts on Love vs. Money, a "radio killa . . . R&B gorilla." The Atlanta recording studio that the singer — songwriter shares with beat magician Tricky Stewart became a virtual hit factory, churning out tuneful and inventive smashes for the likes of Rihanna ("Umbrella") and Beyoncé ("Single Ladies").

But with his second CD, the man born Terius Nash leaps into another league. These 14 songs draw on pro forma R&B subject matter: sex, sex in VIP rooms, breakup sex, makeup sex. But the combination of classicist songcraft, wild sound collage and a muse that partakes equally of the sensual and the silly makes Love vs. Money far more than just an accomplished genre piece. The most obvious model is R. Kelly, whom Dream name–checks in the swirling slow-jam "Kelly's 12 Play," a tale of a musically enhanced sexcapade. "Sweat It Out" is a hilarious conceit about sex and grooming that begins with Dream cautioning, "Girl, call up Tisha, your beautician/'Cause your hair is gon' need fixin'."

Tricky's beats call to mind both Timbaland and Trent Reznor, filled with blasts of dissonance, jazzlike chord changes, and background shouts and hisses that ricochet across the stereo spectrum, and in the six–and–a–half–minute mini–epic "Fancy," a symphonic multitracked chorale. The end result is genuinely odd: at once avant-garde dance music and radio-friendly pop, sex farce that is genuinely sexy. There isn't a weak song on Money; most of them are unforgettable. "Cupid ain't got shit on me," Dream sings. In 2009, Cupid's not alone.