Shingle's Peters Principle By: September 12, 2005

The new shingle launched earlier this summer by Tom Werner, Jimmy Miller and Eric Gold has struck its first talent deal, signing rising comedian Russell Peters.

As part of the pact, Werner-Gold-Miller which is set up at Warner Bros. TV - is looking to develop a half-hour sitcom for Peters.

Peters is an up-and-coming comic in the U.S. but is well known in his native Canada, where he's appeared in several independent films. He also hosted two seasons of the BBC talker "Late Night East" in the U.K.

Here in the States, Peters caught the attention, of execs after sound clips from the comedian's 2004 Canadian TV special started making the rounds on the Internet. Much of his routine centers on his life as a man of East Indian descent growing up in Toronto.

Werner-Gold-Miller and Peters have started meeting with writers to help develop the comedian's vehicle.

Peters' brother Clayton, who handles his brother's business, said they chose Werner-Gold-Miller because of the principals' comedy success in both TV and film.

"For the past two months, we had different offers, but Werner-Gold-Miller seemed like a real exciting place to be and the best opportunity for Russell," Clayton Peters said..