Scripted twosome for MTV

MTV will premiere two new original sitcoms in June, and has greenlit another new series following filmmaker Andrew Jenks (Room 335) as he shadows complete strangers.

The two new comedies are The Hard Times of RJ Berger and Warren the Ape. The former is a half-hour, single-camera coming-of-age comedy “that follows the awkward life of a late-blooming loser.” Exec produced by David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith, the first season will consist of 12 episodes.

The latter, again with 12 episodes, is a parody of the celebrity reality format, centring on a D-list celebrity puppet, whose character is a brash, cantankerous, out-of-work actor.

Warren the Ape is executive produced by Sean Baker, Spencer Chinoy, and Dan Milano; George Plamondon and Betsy Schechter for Picture Shack Entertainment; and Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri for Freestyle Entertainment.

“Our viewers expect reinvention and creative diversity from MTV, and these new series give them a peek at the broad spectrum of new ideas, tones and formats we are focusing on to break beyond just reality TV,” said Tony DiSanto, president of programming for MTV.

Meanwhile, The World of Jenks will air this summer and follows the eponymous filmmaker as he follows various people around, getting a glimpse into their day-to-day lives. The World of Jenks is executive produced and directed by Jenks; Mike Powers, Brent Haynes and Brooke Posch are executive producers.

Over at sister channel VH1, a March 14 air date has been set for new reality series Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty, produced by RDF USA. In the series, Simpson travels around the world to meet everyday women.