Gay network to the rescue

Gay-focussed cable channel Logo has now stepped in to plug the budget shortfall which threatened to end her acclaimed series.

Silverman and fellow executive producers Dan Sterling and Rob Schrab had threatened to walk away from the show after Comedy Central cut their budget by more than 20 per cent, from $1.1million a show to £850,000.

But now Logo – a sister station to Comedy Central – has stepped in, returning the budget to just over $1.1million for each of ten new episodes.

‘We’re happy,’ Silverman said. ‘All we ever wanted was just to make our show. Nothing fancy – just our show.’

She had previously claimed the funding cuts would have compromised the quality of The Sarah Silverman Program.

Comedy Central exec Lauren Corrao told the Reuters news agency: ‘Things were tough on Friday and over the weekend. We very much wanted the show, we just couldn’t come to an agreement for a budget that was acceptable and uncompromising to the producers and that we could afford.’

The third series is now due to air next year – first on Comedy Central, then on Logo, which will be hoping to capitalise on Silverman’s appeal among gay men. Also, her neighbours in the show – played by Brian Posehn and Steve Agee – are a gay couple.

Published: 4 Mar 2009