NBC Signs Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant For New Series

Let’s be honest, everybody who had ever sat through an episode of Reno 911 in its 6 years on the air knows how heartbreaking it was when the show got canceled two months ago. The show kept the flame of MTV’s The State burning for over a decade after the show had originally aired. It looks like NBC feels the same way, as they have hired Reno creators Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant for a new comedy series.

Lennon and Garant (who played Reno’s Jim Dangle and Travis Junior respectively) signed a deal with NBC and Universal Media Studios for a pilot commitment, which means if nothing else, we will get one episode. The team will write, star, and executive produce the series.

Those who aren’t fans of Reno or The State may know the written work of Lennon and Garant from the two Night at the Museum films, Balls of Fury, The Pacifier, and the Reno 911 feature film. The team also has a series of scripts in pre-production at a number of other studios.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, NBC was quick to pick up Lennon and Garant after news of their cancelation from Comedy Central:

“Our entire team has long been fans of the work Lennon and Garant have done on ‘Reno 911!’ as well as their comedy films,” NBC president of primetime entertainment Angela Bromstad said, noting that network brass will look for the duo “to come up with a comedy hit.”

No details have been released about the project’s premise or when we can see it hitting our TV’s, but with the purchase happening this week, you can expect to see the pilot premiere with NBC’s Fall 2010 lineup.