Abso Lutely Productions Gets New Investment & Brings Upright Citizens Brigade Under Same Roof

Mike Fleming Jr

17 November 2023 at 10:23 am·2-min read

EXCLUSIVE: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, and Dave Kneebone’s Abso Lutely Productions have secured investment for new comedic ventures, and their first move is to join Upright Citizens Brigade under the same parent company. The move unites two of the most pioneering and respected names in comedy to generate projects and foster new creative voices.

In addition to collaborating more with UCB, Abso – home of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Nathan For You, The Eric Andre Show – will continue to produce adventurous comedy television and film. While the companies will operate independently, their shared focus is on building a development pipeline that unites UCB’s pool of talent and track record of incubating successful IP with Abso’s creator-driven development process and production experience.

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UCB stages have nurtured projects like Broadway’s Gutenberg! The Musical! and the A24 film Dicks: The Musical which premiered at Toronto. Abso’s partnership with UCB is intended to streamline and support this kind of organic evolution. As one of their first joint efforts, Abso will assist the existing UCB theater in Los Angeles and a new, under construction 14th Street space in New York with video capability build-outs.

This will allow UCB to stream shows straight to comedy lovers around the world, in addition to offering a wide array of digital engagement opportunities to talent and audiences alike. Recent and current projects from Abso include the HBO Special John Early: Now More Than Ever, a film project from Oobah Butler, and multiple scripted and unscripted comedy productions.

Said Abso’s Dave Kneebone: “At Abso, we’ve had the honor to work with some of the most boundary-pushing comedians of our time. Our goal in coming together with UCB is to expand on this history and bolster our ability to be the ultimate comedy incubator – giving all kinds of funny people a home to amplify their genius across mediums and platforms and let their crazy ideas run free.”

Abso’s new, additional owners include UCB leadership Mike McAvoy (formerly of The Onion) and Jimmy Miller (founder of Mosaic Media Group), alongside financial backing from Elysian Park Ventures. The strategic relationship between UCB and Abso marks the beginning of a more comprehensive comedy ecosystem, conceptualized as the Comedy Tent.

“Over the years we have all been impressed with what Abso Lutely has accomplished as an independent production company, continually pushing the boundaries of cutting edge and unique comedy,” said Miller. “In looking to expand our capabilities with UCB, Abso was the first company we thought to partner with. We are looking forward to what we can accomplish together and what new talent we can discover and foster.” This community of creatives, the Comedy Tent, is anticipated to be a development hub for all things comedy. It expects to provide talent with all the tools they need to become the next generation of voices, multi-hyphenates, and artists.

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