Morgan Time

I’ve always liked SNL’s Tracy Morgan but haven’t always been sure why: he has appeared sporadically over his seven years on the show and is sometimes hilarious and sometimes seems wildly out of place. I now think is the essence of his appeal is the contrast between his NYC streetwise, blunt-puffing, trash-talking self (“Get me a soda, bitch!!” to Lorne Michaels), and his almost surreally naive self (Brian Fellows, Astronaut Jones, Homeless Woodrow). He may now have the opportunity to display both sides on prime time TV:

NBC is developing a laffer starring Morgan, who would star as a blue-collar business owner and father of two kids.

“The magic of Tracy is he is who he is; the comedy just comes right out of him,” said David M. Israel, who will write the script and executive produce with Jim O’Doherty. “He’s a guy with humble beginnings from the streets of New York.”

O’Doherty added, “We’re from New York, we knew the song he was singing, put our spin on it, and he responded.” (Both Israel and O’Doherty previously served as executive producers on “Grounded for Life.”)

“SNL” kingpin Lorne Michaels is also involved as an executive producer. [Reuters]