NEW YORK – Having already caused a fuss this spring with the depiction of the prophet Muhammad on “South Park,” Comedy Central said Thursday that it has a cartoon series about Jesus Christ in the works.

“JC” is one of 23 potential series the network said it has in development. It depicts Christ as a “regular guy” who moves to New York to “escape his father’s enormous shadow.”

His father is presented as an apathetic man who would rather play video games than listen to his son talk about his new life, according to Comedy Central’s thumbnail sketch of the idea. Reveille, the production company behind “The Office,” “Ugly Betty” and “The Biggest Loser,” is making “JC.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Jesus Christ has been on a Comedy Central cartoon; he’s a recurring character on the long-running “South Park.”

Comedy Central was the target last month of an Internet threat for a “South Park” episode that supposedly showed Islam’s prophet in a bear costume.

Whenever “South Park” features Muhammad in an episode, Comedy Central obscures the character with a black box; Muslims consider any physical representation of their prophet to be blasphemous.

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“It’s not certain what is more despicable: the nonstop Christian bashing featured on the network, or Comedy Central’s decision to censor all depictions of Muhammad,” said William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights.

Comedy Central wouldn’t comment on Donohue’s statement, said network spokesman Tony Fox.

Brown makes progress on penance

LOS ANGELES – Chris Brown’s attorney says the R&B singer has completed nearly 300 hours of community service since being sentenced for beating Rihanna.

Brown appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday morning to offer a judge an update on his community service and domestic violence counseling. Attorney Mark Geragos says Brown is expected to complete his counseling in October.

He’s completed roughly 20 percent of the community labor work required of him.

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Brown, 21, was sentenced last year to five years of probation and six months of community labor for the February 2009 attack on his ex-girlfriend.

He is due back in court on Aug. 26 for another update, and a judge has requested a formal probation report.

Bono officially male

Chaz Bono is officially a man and has his new name.

A judge on Thursday granted a request to change the name and gender of the 41-year-old writer, activist and reality TV star. Chaz Bono was born a girl to Sonny Bono and Cher and underwent a gender-change operation last year. Bono was represented in court by attorney Kristina Wertz of the Transgender Law Center. Wertz says the judge’s order is an important step in Chaz Bono’s transition and will allow him to reflect his new identity in a variety of official documents.

Wertz says in a statement, “Chaz couldn’t be happier.”

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‘LT’ charged with rape of teen

SUFFERN, N.Y. – Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was charged Thursday with raping a 16-year-old runaway who police said was forced into prostitution by a man who had beaten her up.

Taylor, a 51-year-old former New York Giants star who has faced drug and tax evasion charges in the past, paid the girl $300 for sex in a Holiday Inn, where he was arrested early Thursday, said Christopher St. Lawrence, supervisor of the town of Ramapo.

 

 


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