Comedy Central Picks Up ‘Daria’ Spinoff Series ‘Jodie’ As Part Of Push In Adult Animation

Nellie Andreeva
Updated ·3 min read

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Comedy Central has nabbed animated series Jodie, a spinoff of MTV’s iconic Daria, with Tracee Ellis Ross voicing the main character and executive producing. The series, from creator and head writer Grace Edwards and MTV Studios, will be paired with Comedy Central’s flagship series, South Park.

This is the first major move in a programming shift at Comedy Central focused on ramping up adult animated content and building an original animated slate around South Park. The major programming pivot already was in the planning stages when Comedy Central in late April laid off the majority of its senior programming team.

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Jodie also marks the first MTV Studios series for Comedy Central as the brads are forging closer ties now that they are part of the same ViacomCBS Entertainment & Youth Group overseen by Chris McCarthy. It was one of the projects on the inaugural slate of MTV Studios when it launched in 2018 has been envisioned as one of several Daria spinoffs.

The new series is based on Jodie Landon, Daria’s friend at the fictional Lawndale High. Jodie picks up with her character graduating from college and entering a complicated world.

What Daria did for showing how inane high school was for Gen X, Jodie will do for exploring the trials and tribulations of a first job for a new generation. The series will satirize workplace culture, Gen Z struggles, the artifice of social media and more. With themes of empowerment along gender and racial lines, explorations of privilege, and a wicked sense of humor, Jodie will shine a light on the personal and professional issues young Black women face today.

Daria ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2002 and began as a spin-off of the Beavis and Butthead” franchise. Through its ensemble cast, Daria addressed key issues on the show – race, gender, class and identity – all through the lens of the wry wisdom of its main character, who was credited by cultural critics as a favorite fictional feminist that shaped a generation of women.

Edwards previously served as writer/co-producer for the acclaimed HBO series Insecure. Additional credits include multiple seasons onUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer.

Best known for her role as Rainbow Johnson on ABC’s praised comedy series black-ish, Ellis Ross won a Golden Globe and five NAACP Image Awards for her work on the show.

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