Comedy Central stirs in The Onion

Viacom-owned Comedy Central has ordered a pilot for a half-hour scripted comedy series from the satirical news organisation The Onion.

The as-yet untitled series, based on the Onion Sports Network online video series, will follow The Onion’s usual line of parodied news segments, debates and breaking stories.

Onion News Network producer Julie Smith and director Will Graham will jointly executive produce the show.

In 2007, The Onion launched web video news site The Onion News Network, which parodies 24-hour rolling news television channels.

Elsewhere, fellow Viacom video website atom.com is to show a Mad Men parody, Milk Men, to coincide with the advertising industry drama’s third-season finale on Sunday on US net AMC. The four-minute short will star improv comedy troupe Sidecar.