That’s certainly one of their goals, but the success will depend, in all likelihood, Viacom’s willingness to play well with streaming video. You see, Comedy Central owns the rights to the Reno 911!, and guess who owns Comedy Central? The same company we discussed in relation to the furthering of their YouTube lawsuit earlier this morning. Of course, if Netflix can demonstrate an ability to monetize the content it produces, and share it with the copyright holders, Comedy Central and Viacom will probably approve.

The question is, can Netflix be an effective medium for original content? It certainly has the distribution tools at its disposal, but will people want to see a show that Netflix is largely responsible for in the sense of its creation?

According to the NYMag.com, the House of Cards coup for Netflix inspired the Reno 911! producers to pursue Netflix as a viable medium for creating and distributing new episodes:

The Reno 911! talks actually predate Netflix’s efforts to land new episodes of the similarly cancelled Fox series Arrested Development. In June, Shamberg and Sher (Contagion, Pulp Fiction, World Trade Center, Erin Brockovich) e-mailed Netflix’s chief creative officer, Ted Sarandos, to compliment him on his recently made deal with David Fincher and Kevin Spacey to remake the BBC hit House of Cards for Netflix. And the producers were interested in doing something with his service, too.

Considering the success television shows have had on Netflix’s streaming service — over 60 percent of the consumed streams are television shows — resurrecting Reno 911! on such a platform is something worth pursuing, especially if the demand for the show still exists.

According to the show’s producers, production costs of their episodes was not very high, which is another “plus” in the Netflix column. That being said, perhaps it’s Netflix’s position as a successful content distributor is what makes it a player in situations like these. Reno 911! producer Michael Shamberg offers his take on Netflix’s position in all of this:

I don’t know that [Netflix] is reinventing the entertainment industry, but the old models are breaking down, and money’s tight, so everyone’s trying everything.” [Emphasis added]

All things considered, one has to wonder if these new episodes of Reno 911! would be available for DVD rental.

On last night’s Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen, roaster Amy Schumer used the death of Jackass star Ryan Dunn to make a swipe at fellow roaster and Jackass alum Steve-O.

The only video clip of the joke in question has been taken down from YouTube, due to a copyright complaint from Viacom. So a text recreation will have to do.

Schumer, a previous cast member of Last Comic Standing and Roast rookie, had this to say when she got to the podium for her turn to poke fun at Sheen and the others -

Steve-O, I truly am–no joke–sorry for the loss of your friend Ryan Dunn. I know you must have been thinking, ‘It could have been me,’ and I know were all thinking, ‘Why wasn’t it?”

The crowd gave a few uncomfortable laughs followed by a chorus of “aaahs” and “oooohs.” The camera cut to Steve-O who appeared to have a blank expression, not at all amused by the joke.

Here’s a clip of Schumer just moments after the Ryan Dunn comments, for a little context –

This joke thrust Ryan Dunn into the top trending Twitter topics again, for the first time since June, when the TV star was killed when he slammed his Porsche into a tree after a night of bar hopping. A huge controversy erupted regarding a tweet by film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert tweeted that “Friends don’t let Jackasses drink and drive.” Dunn’s actions resulted in the death of his passenger.

Although many lashed out at Ebert for the tweet, some came to his defense. As you can imagine, Dunn’s fellow Jackass pals were not too happy with the Ebert tweet, especially Dunn’s longtime friend Bam Margera.

Folks on the Twitterverse have opinions coming from all sides of this one –

Some fellow comedians have come to Schumer’s defense, including usual roast participant Lisa Lampanelli and Jim Norton (Schumer retweeted Norton’s tweet)

It’s obvious that the Ryan Dunn death is still a controversial topic for those on Twitter. What do you think? Is anything fair game during a roast? Is anything fair game period? Or did the joke cross a line?

The show actually filmed last weekend, but won’t hit the air until next Monday, September 19th, at 10 pm EST. With this roast, Charlie Sheen becomes one in a long line of people given the “honor” by Comedy Central, including William Shatner, Bob Saget, Joan Rivers and Pamela Anderson.

In the first clip from the upcoming show, roastmaster Seth MacFarlane (of Family Guy fame) reads Charlie Sheen’s obituary. Yes, Sheen is still alive, but MacFarlane says that he has a copy ready, since his death is imminent. This clip is the “hit” of the two – check it out below:

The next preview clip to be released shows roaster Jeffeyy Ross discussing Sheen’s penchant for (paid) company. Usually, Ross is one of the funniest people at these roasts, but his jokes about “whoreclosing” fall flat. I’m sure it’s just a weak part in his routine – it’ll get better. And I think he’s dressed as Gaddafi, so that’s a plus:

It looks like Comedy Central and Sheen himself are going to be riding the social media promotion pretty hard in the week leading up to the premiere. Both have already started tweeting with the hashtag #SheenRoast –

Another odd item from the Sheen Roast: Apparently Steve-O of Jackass fame was in attendance and decided that it would be a good idea to run his face into Mike Tyson’s fist. He tweeted about it later –

He provided this explanation is a blog post –

I should explain how this happened. I told Charlie Sheen that I was so grateful to be a part of his roast that I was going to attempt to get a black I from Mike Tyson. I dove face-first into Mike Tyson’s fist, although it was my forehead that landed on it that first time. It wasn’t until the end of the show that I was allowed to give it another proper try. It took two more tries at the end of the show, but I ended up getting it done. As a matter of fact, I broke my nose badly in the process…

And this picture says it all –

If these clips and Jackass activity say anything about the roast, it’s bound to be an interesting show to say the least.

That means subscribers now have access to episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba, more episodes of Spongebob SquarePants, True Jackson VP, iCarly, and Dora the Explorer from Nickelodeon, so the children have more things to watch on Netflix.

The content expansion also includes new episodes of MTV’s Jersey Shore and The Hills, as well as episodes of The Buried Life and The City. It also has new shows from BET like American Gangster, and more Comedy Central content like episodes of The Sarah Silverman Program. There is also some amount of unspecified content form VH1, Logo, and Spike.

“We’re pleased to be able to offer programs to suit different ages and tastes and, as always, remain committed to bringing you more great TV shows and movies to watch instantly when and where you prefer,” wrote Netflix VP Content Acquisition Cindy Holland on the Netflix Blog.

Netflix is rapidly expanding its streaming on-demand offerings. Last week, the company announced a multi-year deal with Miramax, which will see the addition of a whole bunch of movies, which when combined, account for 284 Academy Award nominations.

In addition to expanding upon its content offerings, Netflix has also continued to expand upon the number of devices it supports. Recently, the company announced a new Android app that works for some Android devices, and said that they were developing for additional Android devices. As Google’s mobile platform continues to gain market share of its own, compatibility here will be key for continued Netflix growth, especially considering that Google is now renting movies directly from the Android Market and YouTube.

This doesn’t seem to signal a complete estrangement between the two companies; in fact, Hulu’s Andy Forssell wrote on the corporate blog, "[W]e are continuing to talk to the Comedy Central folks about a number of opportunities.  They’re a great team and I’m confident that we’ll be working with them in multiple ways in the future."

Also, Hulu will direct users who search for the affected programs to TheDailyShow.com and TheColbertReport.com, two Comedy Central properties that will continue to make clips available for free.

Still, it’s hard to imagine that this would have occurred if both parties were completely satisfied.  Perhaps Comedy Central wasn’t impressed by the size of Hulu’s audience.  Or maybe they couldn’t agree over a revenue split.  Either way, it’s a fact that Hulu’s trying to obtain more content, not shrink its existing library.

Hulu execs must be hoping that the site doesn’t lose too many viewers due to this loss, and praying that the development doesn’t represent the start of a trend.

The first nine seasons of  "South Park" featuring 139 episodes are now available to be instantly streamed from Netflix.

Netflix will also offer streaming selections from Nickelodeon including the first two seasons of  "Blues clues," "Dora the Explorer" and "iCarly." Season one of "True Jackson, VP" will be available for streaming along with season three of "SpongeBob SquarePants."

In total, more than 300 episodes of these and other shows from Nickelodeon television networks, including the N’s "Degrassi" are not available to be instantly streamed from Netflix.

Greg Clayman

The deal marks an expansion of the relationship between Netflix and MTVN. Netflix currently offers a wide range of MTVN properties on DVD and obtained its first digital license from the company last year through an agreement that allowed Netflix to stream movies, documentaries and original programming from Viacom’s Logo network.

"We want our content to be available to our diverse audiences wherever and whenever they’re spending time, and Netflix is a platform that continues to grow in popularity with kids, young adults and parents alike," said Greg Clayman, Executive Vice President, Digital Distribution & Business Development, MTVN.

"Netflix shares our commitment to consumer focus, and we’re thrilled to expand our partnership by making Cartman, True Jackson, SpongeBob and so many of our iconic characters and shows available to stream at Netflix."
 

The site has a large stand-up video library with more than 5,000 clips, including an archive of Comedy Central’s original stand-up programming.

Jokes.com will also offer access to more than 12,000 text-based jokes and the ability to search its comedian’s database of more than a thousand comedians. The site offers information when a specific comedian is on TV and allows users to buy tickets for live stand-up tours.

"Stand-up comedy has always been the backbone of Comedy Central, be it on air, on tour, on record or on DVD," said Erik Flannigan, executive vice president, digital media, MTVN Entertainment Group.

"Jokes.com expands our commitment to stand up, providing a true digital hub for comedians and a deep video archive of their performance clips, plus thousands of text jokes — all of it organized so you can’t watch or read just one."

Every joke on the site has been tagged and categorized allowing users to find jokes in 72 different categories.

Jokes.com also offers blog posts about comedians along with links for every video, text joke and blog posting.

Comedy Central says it will expand Jokes.com in the next year and will allow users to upload their own stand-up videos. More social features will also be introduced in the next few months.
 

The new ColbertNation.com site features more than 2,800 video clips dating back to the launch of the popular comedy program in 2005.

"I’m thrilled with our new Web site. I only wish John McCain knew how to get there," said Colbert.

The sites aims to be a hub for all things Colbert and features links to Colbert related gossip online. On the home page, users can find information about upcoming guests, special events and on air stunts like the "Green Screen Challenges."

The homepage also displays the most recently posted videos, the shows "Better Know a District" feature, a Facebook application inviting users to become a friend of The Colbert Report, and a ticket request form for attending the taping of the program.

Visitors to the site can also access specific segments of the show like "The Word" and "Better Know a District" or they can customize their own search by combining tags. All clips are available to be viewed in full screen, and can be embedded on blogs and shared with others.

The most recent episodes will be available in their original on air format with limited commercials.

The launch of the site is sponsored by Infiniti and MasterCard.

"The re-launch of ColbertNation.com unites Stephen’s fan community with the show’s complete video archives," said Erik Flannigan, executive vice president, digital media, Comedy Central.

"I look forward to more digital escapades from the Nation as Stephen continues to connect with his audience through the new Web site."
 

The test to offer the satirical political shows could lead to Viacom putting other popular programs on Hulu, a move that is a change in strategy for Viacom which previously was focused on offering content on its own sites.

"I think with success breeds success. It could open some other doors," Erik Flannigan, executive vice president of digital media at MTV Networks told Reuters. MTV Networks is the Viacom branch that runs Comedy Central and MTV.

The Comedy Central shows will also be available in their entirety on ComedyCentral.com, Flanagan said. The shows were previously only available in clips.

Comedy Central’s goal is to increase its online audience. Stewart and Colbert’s shows are often the most watched clips on the Internet.

"Hulu in many ways may put the shows in front of some people who might be more casual viewers but who might be interested in what’s going on with the elections," Flannigan said.

Comedy Central will get a percentage of ad sales sold by Hulu.
 

The new content also includes programs from Nickelodeon, Turner Broadcasting and VH1, Microsoft said. Titles include "South Park" which is already available for free online, "The Office", "Battlestar Galactica", "Heroes" and "Spongebob SquarePants."

Television shows are priced at 160 "Microsoft points" per episode or $1.99 at launch. The new offerings now include 3.5 million songs, 800 television shows, 4,800 music videos and 3,500 audio and video podcasts.

Microsoft said it has also added updates to the Zune online community allowing users to drag and drop Zune Cards from friends to a Zune device and receive updates on what friends are listening to.

Users will also be able to post their own reviews for artists and albums and earn reputation badges based on how active they are in the Zune community.

Microsoft has also updated the Zune player’s software. New tools let users sync multiple Zunes at once, create an auto playlist that automatically updates itself as new music is added, and a gapless playback feature that erases the brief gap between songs.

In the first quarter of 2008 the iPod continued to dominate the digital music player market with a 71 percent market share while the Zune had just 4 percent according to the NPD Group.