After the Verrazano Bridge opened in 1964, Staten Island saw rapid development, and locals were fighting to preserve their home. Some of the area had been designated for urban renewal, and citizens saw this urban renewal plan as a political tool being used to control development and tell them what to do with their property. As cookie cutter homes popped up, there was resistance to their lack of individuality.
“I’ve lived on the island my whole life,” one woman declares, “It used to be beautiful, but it’s not beautiful no more. We don’t even have trees anymore. They’re putting houses up like boxes.”
The city (and Robert Moses) was taking an interest in “the forgotten borough” whether the locals wanted it or not, and Mayor Lindsay had established a Staten Island Development Agency, where the city’s goal was “to build and develop a community of very high quality, open to all income levels, which uses modern planning concepts [like] cul-de-sacs,” borough development director Holt Meyer explained. “We also want to see a variety of housing types there. We want NYC to catch up [with New Town concepts]… and in fact we have an opportunity to do what no other city has done because we have this vacant land. We want it to be a showcase.” At the time there were 16,000 undeveloped acres on the island, more than half the city’s vacant land at the time.
The development of the island was well reported on as the political interest of the city was clashing with the interest of the borough, and in one NY Times article from 1967, Borough President Connor spoke of the planned communities: “Often [their] glossy brochures turn out to be just folded baloney.”
Here’s a look at the island during its big time of change:
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Among the pickups are two series spotlighting up-and-coming comedians that star and are produced by Kevin Hart; a series of comedy documentaries; and two projects from one of Comedy Central’s biggest stars, Amy Schumer, both featuring talent from her sketch comedy Inside Amy Schumer. She is producing a pilot toplined by Rachel Feinstein and a script with Kyle Dunnigan. Also producing a pilot — headlined by comedian Justin Willman — is Comedy Central late-night host Chris Hardwick.
Germany, an animated presentation set at the University of Berlin. Additionally, the network has signed talent development deals with The Daily Show correspondents Jessica Williams and Jordan Klepper, who are headlining and producing pilots — a narrative one (Williams) and late-night presentation (Klepper).
Comedy Central President Michele Ganeless touted the breadth of the slate, while Kent Alterman, President of Original Programming, stressed that the network’s strategy is to build projects around talent. “Our process is to identify talent we believe in and to work with them to mutually discover what the best format to express themselves is.”
• Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle – this new competition comedy special features a no-holds-barred verbal boxing match where comedians go head-to-head in a battle of wit and insults. Led by the Roastmaster General, Jeff Ross, and the referee/comedian, Brian Moses, this Fight Club of comedy is presented in a bracket style competition where two comics in each round face off, roast each other and a winner is declared by a celebrity panel of judges. This unique comedy competition is a true clash of the sharpest, funniest, roast comics on the planet. Welcome to the Thunderdome of comedy! Executive produced by Ross, Joel Gallen, Amy Zvi, Willie Mercer, Moses and Rell Battle. Jonas Larsen, Christian McLaughlin, Jordan Ellner and Ryan Moran are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.
• Untitled Pete Davidson Stand-up Special – “SNL” cast member, Pete Davidson, will shoot his first one-hour stand-up special at the Skirball Center in NYC on April 30. Executive produced by Davidson, Tim Sarkes, and Joel Gallen, who will direct. Andrew Singer and Erin Doyle will serve as consulting producers for Broadway Video. Anne Harris and Miro Terrell are the Executives in Charge of Production for Comedy Central.
• Untitled Rachel Feinstein Project – this half-hour pilot starring Rachel Feinstein features hidden camera segments where Feinstein goes undercover to perform social experiments that tackle a different issue or theme each week. The series includes stand-up, sketch and conversations with comedians where Feinstein riffs on the week’s theme. Executive produced by Feinstein, Brennan Shroff, Steve Ast, Amy Schumer and Kim Caramele.
• Problematic with Moshe Kasher – a half-hour pilot hosted by Moshe Kasher who uses his own brand of “comedy journalism” to crawl into the social media muck of our most polarizing issues, provocative questions and heated arguments and dissect them in front of a studio audience. The multiplatform show seeks to understand the current culture of online outrage and discuss previously unexamined viewpoints on a number of topics in a stimulating and comedic debate. Executive produced by Moshe Kasher, Serious Business’ Alex Blagg, Jason Nadler and Jon Zimelis (“@midnight with Chris Hardwick”), as well as Dave Becky and Josh Lieberman of 3 Arts Entertainment. Blagg will also be head writer and showrunner on the pilot.
