Bottoms Up! ‘Drunk History’ To Become A Comedy Central Series

Raise your glasses, online video fans! Another highly regarded web series is joining the wave of Internet offerings headed to the TV. Funny or Die‘s Drunk History has been ordered to series by Comedy Central, where it will air for eight half-hour episodes this summer.

If you’re not familiar with Drunk History, you’re in for a treat; the now-infrequent series features tanked scholars recounting their favorite historical events while big-name actors act out the resulting monologue, which tends toward incoherence and sloppiness. Series creator Derek Waters recently released a Christmas Drunk History special starring Ryan Gosling, Jim Carrey, and Eva Mendes. It was the first new episode in more than two and a half years, and was clearly a sign of things to come.

Comedy Central has consistently been at the forefront of the web-to-TV movement. The cable channel previously snatched up several top creators from its now defunct Atom.com arm

, and also turned The Onion’s Onion Sports Network into a popular half-hour satirical news program.

As for Drunk History, it was previously featured in HBO’s Funny or Die Presents. “As they always say…history, like revenge, is a dish best served drunk,” said Kent Alterman, Head of Original Programming and Production at Comedy Central.

Funny or Die Presents failed to catch on, lasting little more than a year. Drunk History‘s ubiquity gives it a better chance to stick around; instead of producing another sketch show in a sea of such offerings, Funny or Die are giving us a concentrated effort with enough A-list talent to succeed. As a big fan of the series, I’m pumped. Years from now, I hope to get wasted off of future beer and drunkenly recount the history of what will be known as one of Comedy Central’s flagship programs.