Showtime Orders Live Nude Comedy

Showtime has ordered up six episodes of Live Nude Comedy, a half-hour mish mash of standup comedy and modern-day burlesque.

According to Variety, Shannon Elizabeth will host the weekly midnight series, which premieres Thursday. The program positions itself as an old-school variety show with a 21st-century sensibility.

Typical format of Live Nude Comedy will open with an audience-participation sketch featuring Elizabeth, followed by each week's two comedians alternating with two dancers.

"Trying to present different ways of showcasing comedians -- that's really the focus of the show," Binkow said. "We just felt that mixing it with dancing and variety and keeping it moving at a fast pace is a better way to consume comedy than just your old-fashioned show against a brick wall."

Comedians Sam Tripoli and Ian Edwards will appear in the first episode, with upcoming comics to include Andy Dick and Whitney Cummings. Dakota Ferreiro and Tonya Kay will dance in the premiere.

Binkow shares exec producer duties with Michael Green. The Collective is working with Salient on the series, which will also have an accompanying live touring component, starting in Atlantic City with plans to expand into Los Angeles.