• by Wayne Friedman , January 10, 2008

LAS VEGAS -- Looking to keep pace with other Web sites offering original series, Crackle, the broad video entertainment content site of Sony Pictures Entertainment, says it will start a Web-only series, featuring Penn Jillette.

The show, "Penn Says"--which will air at least four times a week--will be an unscripted political comedy series. Each episode will be one to three minutes in length, and created by Jillette, the talking half of the magic-comedy team Penn & Teller. Sony announced the series at the International Consumer Electronics Show here.

Jillette will turn the camera on himself--whether backstage at the performing team's current ongoing venue at the Rio in Las Vegas or anywhere else he might be during the course of a day--offering what Sony says are his "raw" opinions.

Sony says the series may be the first of its kind for the Web, similar to what comedians Bill Maher or Dennis Miller have done with their respective politically oriented comedy programs on TV.

The series, which began Jan. 9, also gives viewers a chance to respond to Jillette's opinions by video as well as email.