Expanding on the semi-successful 2001 movie ‘Joe Dirt,’ TBS is currently working with the film’s main star, David Spade, as well as Pictures Television and Happy Madison Productions, to bring an animated version of the comedy to television, according to comingsoon.net. TBS closed a deal to produce a pilot script, and further follow the life of Spade’s character Joe Dirt, a muscle-car lover with a mullet.

In describing its decision to produce the animated series, Michael Wright, the executive vice president and head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), said “David Spade is a hugely popular comic talent who has created a funny, yet lovable, character in ‘Joe Dirt.’ We look forward to seeing how he and his fellow writers and producers take this character in new directions as TBS continues exploring the world of primetime animation.”

Spade will write the pilot with Fred Wolf, his frequent writing partner who has worked on scripts for ‘Joe Dirt’ and ‘Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star,’ and Donick Cary, who has written for ‘The Simpsons.’ With the help of Doug Robinson of Happy Madison Productions, all three writers will also executive produce the series.

The movie version of ‘Joe Dirt’ was set in Los Angeles, and followed Joe, who worked as a janitor for a radio station. A producer at the station decided to put Joe on the air because he found his white trash way of life funny. The majority of the movie follows Joe recounting his life on the air, while the disk jockey and audience laugh at him. The character’s life was loosely based on one of David Spade’s childhood friends, Mitchell Brunton.

‘Joe Dirt’ is just one movie to feature a friend of actor and Happy Madison founder Adam Sandler. The television show is one of the company’s latest productions, which was founded in 1999 and has released such hit movies as ‘Anger Management,’ ’50 First Dates’ and ‘You Don’t Mess With the Zohan.’

Written by: Karen Benardello