CHAPELLE'S $50 MILLION RICHER
Comedy Central's hot commodity Dave Chappelle inked a massive deal with the Viacom-owned cabler for two more seasons of his hit series Chappelle's Show. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the deal could be worth about $50 million, catapulting Chappelle, 30, into television's top earners. He'll be paid approximately $5 million per episode with a 10-episode commitment per season, will have a chance to profit from the show's DVD sales, and has set up a multimillion-dollar deal with Viacom's Paramount Pictures to star in features include an adaptation of the autobiography of Rick James, the funk veteran whom Chappelle has lampooned on his show. The ratings for Chappelle's Show have been high and have also helped to boost other longtime staples including The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and South Park."Life without Chappelle's Show would not have been very bright as far as getting or exceeding those numbers again," said Lauren Corrao, senior VP of original programming and head of development, told the Reporter. "It means a great deal to growing our schedule. We're thrilled to have him back.