Comedy Central Welcomes More Creatives of Color

By Tiarra Mukherjee Mar 13, 2019

With a batch of new series from a diverse range of voices, Comedy Central is attempting to expand its audience beyond the core of young, White male viewers that are drawn to staples like “South Park.”

Kent Alterman, president of Comedy Central, told The New York Times that the upcoming slate is an effort to continue growing the network’s audience, and also part of a “conscious attempt to reflect the world we live in.”

Examples of shows representing more diverse points of view include “South Side,” a series shot on location in Chicago. The series, which debuts in June, features local non-actors in speaking roles and as extras in an attempt to allow Chicago to speak for itself. The show was created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle and features an all-Black writers room.

Debuting in June is “Alternatino,” a sketch show starring “Broad City” alum Arturo Castro that parodies American stereotypes about Latinx culture. Castro also writes the show, and he looks to bring a diverse millennial perspective to network.

A third new series, “Awkwafina,” is Comedy Central’s first on-air show with an Asian-American lead (Ronny Chieng’s show is only available via streaming). Created by and starring actor and comedian Awkwafina, the show is written entirely by women—a first for Comedy Central.