The network announced the news today and confirmed Ari Katcher as a director, who will also executive produce alongside Carmichael and Eli Despres. Per HBO, the comic documentary series will follow Jerrod’s “quest for love, sex, and connection,” chronicling his personal life through a series of encounters with friends, family, and strangers (who doesn’t have a few of those?)
Mining stories from his own life has proved incredibly successful for Carmichael’s brand of uber-personal, idiosyncratic comedy. He got his start on HBO with two comedy specials in 2014 and 2017, respectively: Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store and Jerrod Carmichael: 8 in 2017. But his major break came after his 2019 special Rothaniel, an ingenious, heartfelt hour in which Carmichael comes out as gay in his classic bard-like fashion. The special won Carmichael his first Emmy.
“We’ve loved working with Jerrod over the past 10 years, and to watch him discover new layers of both himself and his comedy,” Nina Rosenstein, Executive Vice President, Programming for HBO, shares in a statement. “Rothaniel resonated with audiences in such a profound way, and his honesty and vulnerability are a perfect fit for this original format.”
Although Carmichael is best known for his stand-up, he’s no stranger to casting a wider, more diverse net in the industry. His 2015 NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show garnered the comic critical acclaim over three seasons, and he’s also tried his hand at dramedy as an executive producer on the Hulu standout Ramy.
