Comedy Central has announced that they will turn Drunk History, the popular Funny or Die web series, into a half-hour comedy TV show.

The series will consist of historical reenactments; told by drunk storytellers and acted out by various celebrities. The eight episodes will begin airing this summer.

Here’s the press release:

History At Its Finest! COMEDY CENTRAL(R) Greenlights “Drunk History” To Series

Executive Produced by Creator Derek Waters, Director Jeremy Konner and Gary Sanchez Productions’ Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy and Owen Burke

Series Picked Up for Eight Episodes and Slated to Premiere This Summer

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 5, 2013 — Put down the books and grab a drink! “Drunk History” is moving to COMEDY CENTRAL. “Drunk History,” a weekly, half-hour series where historical reenactments by A-list talent are presented by inebriated storytellers, has been ordered to series, it was announced today by Kent Alterman , Head of Original Programming and Production, COMEDY CENTRAL. Produced by Gary Sanchez Productions and executive produced by creator and star Derek Waters , Writer and Director Jeremy Konner , along with Gary Sanchez Productions’ Will Ferrell , Adam McKay , Chris Henchy and Owen Burke , the series is set to premiere eight episodes this summer.

“As they always say… history, like revenge, is a dish best served drunk,” said Alterman.

“Will and I have always believed booze brings out truth. Sometimes that truth involves hitting on airport bar janitors or eating cheese fries at 4 a.m. But in this case, we hope that truth will shine on our nation’s history,” said McKay.

Based on the award-winning and wildly popular web series, “Drunk History” follows the drunken and often incoherent narration of historical moments. Creator and star Waters, along with an ever-changing cast of great actors that have participated to date, will lead viewers from town to town across the country, presenting the rich histories that every city in this land, both great and small, have to offer. Seth Cohen and Ian Friedman are the Executives in Charge of Production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

After millions of hits on YouTube and Funny or Die, “Drunk History” is based on the award-winning web series originally created by Writer and performer Waters and directed by Konner. Following storytellers’ drunken narration, Waters and Konner filmed reenactments of historical events starring A-list actors including Jack Black, Jim Carrey, Michael Cera, Zooey Deschanel, Ryan Gosling, John C. Reilly, Jason Ritter and Danny McBride. A “Drunk History” short produced for the HBO series “Funny or Die Presents,” starring Ferrell as Abraham Lincoln and Don Cheadle as Frederick Douglass , received The Jury Prize for Best American Short Film at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Available on-air, online and on-the-go, COMEDY CENTRAL (www.cc.com) is the #1 brand in comedy and is owned by, and is a registered trademark of, Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and VIAB).

Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB) is home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms in more than 160 countries and territories. With approximately 170 media networks reaching more than 600 million global subscribers, Viacom’s leading brands include MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV Land, Spike TV and Tr3s. Paramount Pictures, America’s oldest film studio and creator of many of the most beloved motion pictures, continues today as a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. Viacom operates a large portfolio of branded digital media experiences, including many of the world’s most popular properties for entertainment, community and casual online gaming. For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com.

What do you think? Have you seen the web shorts? Will you check out Drunk History on TV?

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