The Curb Your Enthusiasm star will develop and produce an unscripted slate through his production company Alternate Side Productions.
JB Smoove is taking his improvisational energy to Fox Entertainment Studios. The comedian and actor has signed a multi-year first-look deal with the studio to develop and produce unscripted content across a range of formats and genres through his production company Alternate Side Productions.
Smoove will executive produce all projects generated under the deal alongside his Alternate Side production partners Rick Dorfman and Miles Grose.
Best known for his role as Leon Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm, a show famously built on loose outlines rather than traditional scripts, Smoove has prior unscripted experience hosting Amazon’s game show Buy It Now and hosting and executive producing MSG Network’s One Course With JB Smoove. His additional credits include Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Emmy-winning short-form series Mapleworth Murders, History of the World Part II, and voice work on Harley Quinn.
“Unscripted is where the magic really happens,” Smoove said. “You can’t plan it, you can’t fake it, you just gotta jump in and let it fly. That’s my lane. Partnering with Allison and the Fox Entertainment Studios crew gives us the space to get wild with ideas, find the funny in real life, and bring some shows to the screen that people didn’t even know they needed yet.”
Allison Wallach, head of unscripted programming at Fox Entertainment Studios, expressed equal enthusiasm for the pairing. “JB brings an unmistakable comedic voice and a fearless, spontaneous energy that makes him a natural fit for the unscripted genre. Together with Rick, Miles and the team at Alternate Side Productions, JB has a sharp eye for original concepts and an ability to connect with audiences in a way that feels fresh, energizing and highly entertaining.”
The deal marks the latest in a string of partnerships for Fox Entertainment Studios, which has recently signed first-look deals with Tracee Ellis Ross, Taraji P. Henson, and River Gallo.
Smoove is represented by Authentic Talent and Literary Management, UTA, and attorney Roger Pliakas.