Showtime renews Ray Donovan and Masters Of Sex, orders series from Jim Carrey and Common

Showtime has renewed two of its most popular dramas, Ray Donovan and Masters Of Sex, for fourth seasons. Showtime President David Nevins announced the renewals at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, calling them “signature series” for the network and lauding Ray Donovan star Liev Schreiber, who nabbed an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. “They are emblematic of what Showtime stands for: quality, premium programming that you cannot find anywhere else on television,” said Nevins.

The network also announced a pair of new series, one of which will be written by Masters Of Sex co-producer Dave Flebotte. That series, I’m Dying Up Here, is a one-hour dark comedy set within the Los Angeles stand-up comedy scene in the ’70s. Jim Carrey will executive produce the series, which Flebotte adapted from the nonfiction book by William Knoedelseder, and the pilot will be directed by Warm Bodies and 50/50 director Jonathan Levine.

The other series, which remains untitled, has its own celebrity executive producer in Common, who joined forces with writer Lena Waithe for a “relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story of a young African American male in which just growing up can be a matter of life and death.” The show will be set in the south side of Chicago, where Common and Waithe grew up, which gives the show “an unparalled authenticity,” according to Nevins. Clark Johnson is attached to direct the pilot.