Posted in: Current News, Editor's Picks TV News, Movies, Showtime, TV | Tagged: cable, comedy, Dave Holstein, david nevins, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, HRL, jason bateman, jim carrey, Kidding, michel gondry, showtime, streaming, television, tv

Jim Carrey, Michel Gondry Headline Showtime Comedy Series 'Kidding'

After more than 20 years since his first regular series, Jim Carrey (The Truman Show, Man on the Moon) is making his return to series television.

The actor/comedian is set to lead the cast of Kidding, a new half-hour comedy series from Showtime. Created by Dave Holstein (Weeds, Raising Hope) and set to be directed by Carrey's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind), the series has received a 10-episode straight-to-series order from the cable giant. Holstein wrote the pilot and will also serve as series showrunner, with Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Ozark) among the executive producers.

Kidding introduces us to Jeff, AKA Mr. Pickles (Carrey): an icon of children's television. He is a beacon of kindness and wisdom to America's impressionable young minds and the parents who grew up with him — and the face of a multi-million-dollar trademark/licensing empire. But when his entire family – wife, two sons, sister and father – begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairy tale or fable or puppet will be enough to get him through this crisis. Faced with hilarious and heartbreaking stresses from every direction that seem to be growing faster than he can keep them in check, Jeff is left to wonder just how much of his sanity he has to lose to get his life back.

David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime Networks, sees the returning Carrey and Gondry as having the potential to recreate their magic from Eternal Sunshine:

"No one inhabits a character like Jim Carrey, and this role – which is like watching Humpty Dumpty after the fall – is going to leave television audiences wondering how they went so long without him. With his Eternal Sunshine partner Michel Gondry on board to direct, we are on our way to a magnetic, volcanic and emotional viewing experience."

Carrey will executive produce Kidding with Gondry, Bateman, Jim Garavente (Bad Words), Raffi Adlan (The Green Hornet) and Michael Aguilar (I'm Dying Up Here).

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