SNL Alums Jay Pharoah, Taran Killam Land Pilots With Showtime
Taran Killam (left) and Jay Pharoah (right)
Fans of Jay Pharoah and Taran Killam may have been bummed to find out that they were leaving Saturday Night Live last week, but both have new opportunities on the way.
According to a report from Vulture, Showtime has announced that both of them have landed comedy pilots for the network. Showtime revealed the news at the Television Critics Association Press tour.
Pharoah will star in a half-hour comedy that is executive produced by Jamie Foxx and Tom Kapinos (Californication). The pilot will be about Foxx's experiences as an up-and-coming comedian, and "will focus on an African-American comic who struggles to maintain his integrity and credibility as he becomes widely accepted by a mainstream white audience," Vulture reports. Foxx will have a recurring role on the show.
Killam will star in a show called Mating, as "a recently divorced guy forced to confront the modern hookup scene." If the pilot is bought for a series, Mating would be Showtime's first comedy anthology program: each season would focus on a different protagonist. The show is executive produced by Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) and Stu Zicherman (The Affair, The Americans).
Just last week, reports surfaced that Jay Pharoah and Taran Killam's contracts with SNL weren't being renewed.
"I had sort of had it in my head I would make this upcoming year my last year, but then heard they weren't going to pick up my contract," Killam said in an interview with Uproxx. "I was never given a reason why, really. I can assume until the cows come home.
While the SNL news may still disappoint, Pharoah and Killam's pilots should be something to look forward to.
