Upright Citizens Brigade regular Chris Gethard has been tapped to replace Jon Heder on the upcoming Comedy Central comedy “Big Lake.”
Heder dropped out of the show last week – just two days before production was set to start – over creative differences.
To find Heder’s replacement, Gary Sanchez Prods. Partners Adam McKay and Chris Henchy didn’t have to look far: Gethard appears in the upcoming summer feature “The Other Guys,” which was written by McKay and Henchy and directed by McKay.
McKay, Henchy and Gary Sanchez partner Will Ferrell are behind “Big Lake” (working title), along with fellow exec producer Lew Morton. Comedy Central has already ordered an initial 10 episodes of the series, with an option for 90 more.
It’s also a “Saturday Night Live” reunion of sorts: Gethard has written for the latenight sketch staple, and will star opposite “SNL” alums Horatio Sanz and Chris Parnell.
Gethard stars as a man chasing big dreams — even as he loses his job and moves back in with his parents. Sanz will play one of his pals, an ex-convict, with Parnell as another friend, a burned-out teacher.
Together, Gethard, Sanz and Parnell attempt to save their hometown — until they ultimately fail in each episode.
Gethard’s other credits include writing for the Onion News Network and the book “Weird New York.” He recently attracted media attention for organizing an unusual event at the Upright Citizens Brigade – in which he flew a random YouTube user to New York and centered an entire show around him.
Gethard has also appeared on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and laffers “The Knights of Prosperity” and “Hope and Faith.”
