Comedy Central Renews Key & Peele for Season 2

Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Key Just two weeks after its debut, Key & Peele has been renewed for a second season, Comedy Central announced Tuesday. The sketch comedy series debuted Jan. 31 to 2.1 million viewers, the biggest Comedy Central launch since 2009. Check out clips from Key & Peele "Because Key & Peele has been so immediately and universally well received, I was worried if we didn't give the show a quick pick up, people might accuse me of being racist," said Kent Alterman, head of original programming and production at the network. Added stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele: "We are honored, humbled and most importantly contractually obligated to deliver a second season to Comedy Central." The 10-episode second season of Key & Peele is slated to premiere in the fall.

Susan Paley Abramson and Justine Hempe Form New Casting Office

Susan Paley Abramson and Justine Hempe have joined on the new casting venture, Back Stage has learned.Paley Abramson was the casting director for Cinemax comedy "Entourage," which ended its eighth and final season in September. She began on the program being an assistant in the first season, employed by casting company directors Sheila Jaffe and Georgianne Walken. She was marketed to connect for that second season, and also to director when Walken left in 2008. She also ongoing to accrue connect credits on Jaffe's film projects, including "Secretariat" and "Rambo."After Entourage wrapped it's final season, she remained with Jaffe to cast "40," an Cinemax pilot project from "Entourage" author/executive producer Doug Ellin.Hempe would be a longtime connect at work of Margery Simkin. Most lately, she labored with Simkin on Warner Bros.' sci-fi epic "Off-shore Rim," that is presently in-production. Recently she's also done bird-watching comedy "The Large Year," medical drama "Remarkable Measures," and blockbuster "Avatar."Hempe and Abramson both labored with Simkin around the 2005 film "XXX: Condition from the Union."The brand new partners are presently casting the film "Thicker Than Water," among other projects. By Pete Keeley Feb 10, 2012 "Entourage" PHOTO CREDIT Cinemax Susan Paley Abramson and Justine Hempe have joined on the new casting venture, Back Stage has learned.Paley Abramson was the casting director for Cinemax comedy "Entourage," which ended its eighth and final season in September. She began on the program being an assistant in the first season, employed by casting company directors Sheila Jaffe and Georgianne Walken. She was marketed to connect for that second season, and also to director when Walken left in 2008. She also ongoing to accrue connect credits on Jaffe's film projects, including "Secretariat" and "Rambo."After Entourage wrapped it's final season, she remained with Jaffe to cast "40," an Cinemax pilot project from "Entourage" author/executive producer Doug Ellin.Hempe would be a longtime connect at work of Margery Simkin. Most lately, she labored with Simkin on Warner Bros.' sci-fi epic "Off-shore Rim," that is presently in-production. Recently she's also done bird-watching comedy "The Large Year," medical drama "Remarkable Measures," and blockbuster "Avatar."Hempe and Abramson both labored with Simkin around the 2005 film "XXX: Condition from the Union."The brand new partners are presently casting the film "Thicker Than Water," among other projects.

Jim Parsons to host Techfellow Honours

Parsons"The Large Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons will host the 3rd annual Techfellow Honours on February. 22.Presented by Founders Fund, TechCrunch and NEA, the TechFellow Honours provides up-and-coming technology leaders with $100,000 to construct and invest within the next generation of online companies. "The TechFellow Honours recognize we've got the technology community's cleverest stars and welcome them right into a peer group which will expand their potential and achieve," stated Sean Parker, Executive General Partner at Founders Fund. "We are shining a spotlight on people who're around the cusp of getting us something revolutionary, while providing them with the chance to recognize and purchase probably the most exciting online companies in the market.InchParker is one kind of several notable tech moguls about this year's selection committee, that also includes Facebook Boss Mark Zuckerberg.Previous Techfellow those who win include Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey Maria Thomas, former Boss of Etsy and Paul Graham and former Facebook CTO Adam D'Angelo.To learn more visit world wide web.techfellows.com Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Relativity Media prosecuted by Aramid Entertainment

Aramid Entertainment, certainly one of Relativity Media's original traders, filed a suit against Relativity in La Superior Court Wednesday accusing the organization of fraud along with other charges with regards to its handling from the Beverly film financing deal for The new sony Pictures.Complaintant is seeking restitution and damages with a minimum of $44 million. Private equity finance giant Fortress Investment Group can also be one of the accused.Suit, that is introduced as "among the finest heist tales ever told within the movie business," is replete with accusations of wrongdoing and takes particular are designed for Relativity topper Ryan Kavanaugh.Relativity reps didn't immediately react to a request comment.Films pointed out within the suit include Sony's "Anonymous," "21 Jump Street" and approaching Adam Sandler pic "I Personally Don't Like You Father," that has since been retitled "That's My Boy."Suit alleges that Relativity increased too large too quickly, stating that the business's unprofitable purchases of Rogue Pictures and Overture Films brought to some massive overhead its finances could not sustain.More in the future ... Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com

Pilot Season: Pushing Daisies' Chi McBride to Co-Star in CBS' Golden Boy

Chi McBride Pushing Daisies' Chi McBride has arrived a co-starring role in CBS' Golden Boy pilot from executive-producer Greg Berlanti. The main one-hour drama stories one cop's meteoric rise from officer to detective to Police Commissioner. McBride, who lately starred on Fox's Human Target, will portray the youthful and ambitious officer's new partner, Detective Owen. Pilot Season: CBS orders Greg Berlanti drama pilot Golden Boy Nicholas Wootton will write and executive-produce alongside Berlanti, who also provides drama aircraft pilots at Fox (Guilty) and also the CW (Arrow).

Watson May Have Your Voice In My Head

For director David YatesWhile he's been busy the last few years giving the Harry Potter franchise its spectacular (and successful) final run, David Yates has clearly decided that for his next trick, he wants to tackle something a little more grounded in reality, latching on to an adaptation of Emma Forrest's book Your Voice In My Head. But it appears he's not quite ready to cut all the ties to the wizarding world, as he's been in discussions with Emma Watson to star.Deadline reports that Watson is in talks to take the lead of a young woman who attempts suicide, but who is saved by a NY-based psychiatrist with his own issues: he's dying of cancer.There's no word yet on who will take that part, but the hope is that someone on the level of Tom Hanks or George Clooney will be interested.And if she signs, Watson won't be the only connection to Potter, as Warner Bros. is backing the film, after unsuccessfully trying to convince Yates to take on one of its bigger movies, such as Imitation Game or The Stand.The director has a few projects sitting on his To Do list including Al Capone epic Cicero, Jonathan Tropper's farce This Is Where I Leave You and the still-floating-in-the-devlopment-vortex Doctor Who film. But it sounds like Your Voice In My Head will almost certainly be his next gig. Watson, meanwhile, was last seen in My Week With Marilyn and will next crop up in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.

Fox orders Mindy Kaling pilot

KalingFox has purchased a trio of aircraft pilots together with a comedy pilot from "WorkInch star/producer Mindy Kaling and Universal Television. Additionally to starring, Kaling would executive produce with Howard Klein. Project was initially meant for NBC, which passed, opening up for an additional bidders. The untitled pilot is referred to like a youthful "Bridget Johnson"-type physician attempting to navigate both her personal and professional lives. Purchase from the project marks the 2nd amount of time in as numerous days that Universal TV has steered an airplane pilot outdoors of NBC, in conjuction with the studio's modus operandi heading into this development season. CBS introduced another Universal TV order earlier Monday, from Louis C.K. and Spike Feresten. Additionally, Fox has purchased "El Jefe," from David Guarascio and Moses Port, designers from the CW's "Aliens in the usa.Inch Single-camera comedy comes from The new sony Pictures Television. "Jefe" focuses on a man from the wealthy family who may never have made their own way who's thrown in the home and ends up needing to accept his family's housekeeper. The new sony has additionally offered to Fox an untitled drama from Josh Berman and Take advantage of Wright of Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva" in regards to a female physician who's employed by the mafia. Michael Dinner ("Justified") can also be aboard to executive produce and direct. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com