Syfy teams up with SNL duo for topical toon

US cablenet Syfy has ordered a late-night animated series from Saturday Night Live (SNL) producer Broadway Video and Bento Box Entertainment (Bob’s Burgers).

Will Forte

Alien News Desk is a weekly, half-hour topical animated series set in an extra-terrestrial newsroom.

Voiced by SNL alum Will Forte and Heidi Gardner, a current SNL performer, the 12-episode series will cover up-to-the-minute news and commentary about the “inscrutable humans of planet Earth.”

It is set to debut in early 2019 and will be executive produced by SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, alongside SNL producer Erik Kenward.

SNL: Weekend Update head writer Dennis McNicholas will serve as executive producer and showrunner, with Scott Gairdner (Moonbeam City) co-executive producer.

Joel Kuwahara and Scott Greenberg from Bento Box Entertainment will also serve as executive producers. Andrew Singer will executive produce for Broadway Video, with Katy Jenson acting as co-executive producer.

“The expansion into original animation and late-night marks the next step in the evolution of Syfy and builds on the successes we’ve had bringing new, younger viewers to the network,” said Chris McCumber, president, entertainment networks for NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment.