Toronto: Thirteen episodes of Allan Novak’s latest, Punched Up, will get underway shortly, as soon as it casts 13 people willing to have their lives rewritten by comedians. Novak (Soul Trek, Second Time Around) exec produces through his Indivisual Productions and bills the show as a hybrid of reality and improvised sitcom, with improv and stand-up comedy writers feeding lines and material to real-life people.

The show has itself been punched up since its pilot was delivered to The Comedy Network last year – moving away from its original plan to rewrite the lives of an entire family.

‘The family had too many characters,’ says Novak, and spread across too many demographics. The series will have a tighter focus on individuals, who are generally younger and, in some cases, already of some note. An anchorwoman from Naked News and running back John Avery of the Toronto Argonauts are slated to appear.

‘The comedic potential is endless,’ says Novak.

Punched Up is set to debut on Comedy in October.