ABC officials are considering giving the coveted post-Super Bowl slot next year to the new animated show, “Clerks,” according to the show’s creator.
The edgy comedy – spun off from the 1994 cult hit written and directed by Kevin Smith – is about the lives and times of two slacker store clerks who work in a run-down quickie mart and a video store in central New Jersey.
“ABC has the Super Bowl next year and they have said that they want to debut the show sometime next January,” Smith told The Post yesterday. “So it could be on after the Super Bowl, but it’s not confirmed yet.”
The game is the most-watched TV event of the year, and the show that follows is the most-coveted debut slot of the season.
“The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill” “The Wonder Years” and “Homicide: Life on the Street” have all debuted during that same valuble airtime.
“Clerks” – a critically acclaimed film that was shot in black-and-white with a no-frills style – starred Brian O’Halloran (“Chasing Amy”) and Jeff Anderson. Both are being pursued to reprise their film roles for the animated show.
Like “The Simpsons,” “Clerks” will feature celebrities lending their voices to the show. Marquee names who have already agreed to appear include Ben Affleck, Alanis Morsette and Chris Rock, an internet news site, aint-it-cool-news.com, reports.
“They’re all friends who have said they’re interested,” Smith said. “But no deals have been signed yet.”