IFC takes new slice of Onion News

US cable network IFC will bring back its irreverent mock current affairs series Onion News Network for a second season.

IFC announced a new 16×30′ season of the show as part of its 2011/12 season launch, which also included four new original series and two more in development. The show has been garnering both critical acclaim and strong ratings, the network said.

Area Man Productions produced season one, though its not clear if the prodco is back for the second, which is executive produced by Will Graham and Julie Smith and IFC’s Debbie DeMontreux, Christine Lubrano, Jennifer Caserta and Evan Shapiro. It premieres in October.

Elsewhere, IFC has greenlit Commercial Kings (10×30′), a Reveille-produced docu-comedy series will debut in June, and follows filmmaking and comedy duo Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal across America as they produce commercials for local businesses.

Executive producers for Reveille are McLaughlin, Neal, Howard T Owens, Todd Cohen, Heather Schuster, Joke Fincoen and Biagio Messina, along with DeMontreux, Lubrano, Caserta and Shapiro. Paul Cockerill is producer.

44 Pictures’ non-fiction series Young, Broke and Beautiful (6×30′) follows alternative culture enthusiast Stuart Schuffman (aka Broke-Ass Stuart) across US as he searches for hidden, cheap and guarded secrets not included in guidebooks. Sam Erickson executive produces, along with the IFC execs. It debuts in June.

Docu-comedy Whisker Wars (7×30′) is from FremantleMedia-owned Original Productions and looks into the world of competitive facial hair growing. Thom Beers and Philip D Segal executive produce along with the same four from IFC. It debuts in August.

Bullet in the Face (6×30′), a coproduction from filmmaker Alan Spencer and Just for Laughs’ Muse Comedy Productions is another docu-comedy and tells the story of a psychotic criminal turned cop. Spencer executive produces with JFL’s Michael Prupas and Bruce Hills with the IFC team. Jesse Prupas and Evi Regev produce for a 2012 TX date.

IFC is also developing an untitled variety project from Comedy Death-Ray’s Scott Aukerman and Pointless, a comedy improv show.