Comedian and author Chris Gethard has signed a deal with IFC in which he will host on-air programming, create exclusive content for IFC.com and develop a show based on his recent book "A Bad Idea I’m About To Do: True Tales of Seriously Poor Judgment and Stunningly Awkward Adventure."
The network has ordered a pilot script of the project, a memoir about Gethard's past that has been previously excerpted on "This American Life." His past misadventures include studying to become an ultimate fighter, accompanying juvenile delinquents to the Scared Straight program, and attempting to beat up his online nemesis.
Gethard will appear in "Iron Man 3" and is shooting Paul Feig’s "The Heat "starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy for 20th Century Fox. Gethard also starred in the Comedy Central sitcom "Big Lake" and appeared in "The Other Guys," starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.
He is a former teammate of "Saturday Night Live" player Bobby Moynihan and "The Office" actor Zach Woods on the Upright Citizens Brigade improve group The Stepfathers.
The IFC calls its new deal with Gethard part of its new "Adopt-a-Comic" program.
"When I told my parents I was being adopted by a television station, they said, 'Why do you need to be adopted? You are 32 years old. We gave you a pretty good, easy suburban life,'" said Gethard. "They don't get how much of an opportunity it is for me that a hip cable network wants to raise me like a human baby."
