IFC orders new comedies from Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell

'The Birthday Boys' and 'Spoils of Babylon' get series orders

By Daniel Fienberg Thursday, Mar 7, 2013 1:47 PM

Will Ferrell

Credit: Dan Steinberg/AP

You may not have heard of IFC's "The Birthday Boys" and "The Spoils of Babylon" yet, but know some of the big names behind the two new comedies.

On Thursday (March 7), IFC announced series greenlights for "The Birthday Boys," which comes from Ben Stiller and Bob Odenkirk, and "The Spoils of Babylon," which boasts Will Ferrell and Adam McKay among its executive producers.

IFC has ordered 10 half-hour episodes of "The Birthday Boys," which focuses on the Los Angeles comedy group of the same name. The Birthday Boys include Jefferson Dutton, Dave Ferguson, Mike Hanford, Tim Kalpakis, Matt Kowalick, Mike Mitchell and Chris VanArtsdalen. Odenkirk will also appear on the show.

"The Birthday Boys are too good to just be making viral videos. They are funny enough to fill time between episodes of 'Portlandia,'" Stiller blurbs. "I'm thrilled to be working with Bob Odenkirk again on a TV project. We try to do something every 20 years or so."

The series will be a sketch/variety show in the vein of "Mr. Show" and Monty Python. Odenkirk and The Birthday Boys will serve as co-writers and co-directors.

IFC has ordered six half-hour episodes of "The Spoils of Babylon," which was created by Matt Piedmont and Andrew Steele, with Piedmont directing.

The show is described as "a television adaptation of a best-selling epic novel by fictional famous author Eric Jonrosh." Ferrell will play Jonrosh, though it's unclear how big a role that will be.

"This is a crazy and maybe even a stupid idea," Ferrell blurbs. "IFC is either really courageous or really stupid, which makes them the perfect partner for us."

IFC says that "The Spoils of Babylon" spans three generations, as they compare it to "The Thorn Birds" and "Winds of War." It may sound more like the 1986 comic miniseries "Fresno," which was a take-off on "Dallas," "Dynasty" and "Falcon Crest."

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.