MTV2's new series 'Dogs' will bite celebrities
Jeffrey Ross has been called the meanest man in comedy, which is why celebrities like Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan better brace themselves.
Today at the odd hour of 12:30 p.m. , MTV2 will premiere ``Where My Dogs At?," an animated comedy series from Ross that pokes merciless fun at the antics of Hollywood royalty. The program will repeat Fridays on MTV at the more demographically appropriate 10 p.m.
Ross and ``Saturday Night Live" alum Tracy Morgan provide the voices of Buddy and Woof, two stray pooches lost in Hollywood who are constantly on the run from the dogcatcher.
Somehow, the beagle and the bulldog keep finding their way into movie awards shows and celebrity households where all sorts of outrageous comedy ensues. Jamie Foxx wins a Nobel Peace Prize, Latin Grammy, and the Stanley Cup on the same day. Donald Trump works as a real estate broker for Michael Jackson's Neverland.
For Ross, a New Jersey native who attended Boston University before making a name for himself doing blistering celebrity roasts for Comedy Central and MTV, the series is his chance to snicker at Hollywood from an insider's perspective.
``Hollywood is about showing off, being glamorous. I love it. I'm the biggest cheerleader, as long as I have a place to get away from it. That's why I keep my apartment in New York," he says, adding ``MTV has promised me a full security detail."
``Where My Dogs At?" is part of a new block of animated programming on MTV2 called Sic 'Emation, which is aimed primarily at fans of the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming, men 18 to 34 years old. ``The Adventures of Chico and Guapo" is also part of the MTV2 block. Co-created by actor Orlando Jones, the comedy follows two clueless interns at a New York recording studio who are trying to get ahead in the music industry. Sic 'Emation will be rounded out by new episodes of ``
``We know our viewers are really into animation , but over the last couple of years we've been focused on . . . reality and music shows," says Tony DiSanto, MTV2's head of programming. ``It wasn't a conscious effort. We just hadn't heard a pitch we liked."
Although Ross says he ``doesn't get" the time slot the show has been given, DiSanto defends the decision, arguing that the target audience will just be getting up at that hour or getting home from the previous night's party.
``There's something comforting about turning on the TV on a Saturday afternoon and seeing a bunch of fun animated shows," he says.
``Where My Dogs At?," which was co-created by Aaron Lee , has some biting portrayals. In today's show, Lohan, Richie, Mischa Barton, and Mary-Kate Olsen appear emaciated and self - absorbed. Angelina Jolie, a.k.a. ``big lip lady," has a room in her mansion filled with computers that allow her to control the world. Her boyfriend , Brad Pitt , arrives with a golden glow shining around his body, only to pronounce, ``My God! I'm beautiful."
This is a comedy loosely based on reality, Ross reminds viewers in the interview. ``Hopefully people won't think it's mean - spirited. It's coming from a good place," he says.
The comedian, who is producing a series of eight episodes, adds that he will be an equal-opportunity roaster. ``We're going to shine a light on Janet Jackson's fluctuating weight," he says. ``And Bobby [Brown] and Whitney [Houston] are going to mistake the two dogs for their own children. They pop out of a dumpster looking for Bobby's wedding ring and find an onion ring, which is just as good."
Even MTV will take some lumps. In the second episode, a pregnant Jessica Simpson will go into labor during an MTV awards show and an MTV producer will go nuts. ``I want all cameras on Jessica Simpson! This is the greatest moment in MTV history!" he shouts.
All jokes aside, the cable network is keeping a close eye on the producers. ``The legal notes from MTV are just as long as the creative notes," groans Ross. Already, he had to cut a scene in which Paris Hilton's dog Tinkerbell makes her own homemade porn movie with 101 dalmatians.
``I'm saving that for the DVD," he says.
Suzanne Ryan can be reached at sryan@globe.com. 
