Jo Koy, who frequently appears in Chelsea Handler’s ‘Chelsea Lately’ roundtable segment, was supposed to play Chelsea’s bartender friend and co-worker who is a frequent victim of Chelsea’s pranks and verbal exploits. He has been “let go” from the show’s acting roster, along with former ‘ER’ star Angel Laketa Moore and ‘Parks and Recreation’ alum Natalie Morales. Moore plays another of Chelsea’s co-workers, a spunky waitress who sometimes doubles as the comedienne’s voice of reason. Morales on the other hand plays Ivory, Chelsea’s best friend who is as feisty and sassy as the comedienne herself.

TV Line broke the news of the show’s major casting changes. This actually comes a bit of a shocker since promotional machinery for the new series is already underway, with the three actors appearing in the videos and photos plugging the show. As of press time, NBC reps have not released a statement regarding the matter.

‘Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea’ is the TV adaptation of Chelsea Handler’s New York Times bestseller of the same name, which chronicles Handler’s early life in Los Angeles as a waitress and a budding comedienne. The series stars Laura Prepon of ‘That ‘70s Show’ fame as Handler, while the author and ‘Chelsea Lately’ host stars as her own sister, Sloane. The show is slated for a mid-season premiere.

For the month of June, E! network’s mean queen attracted an average of 959,000 viewers, almost a hundred thousand more than what O’Brien managed to pull for the same month (851,000). And while many will attribute Handler’s winning figures to the hype she’s drawing from an impending book release (‘Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me’, her follow-up to her succession of NY Times best sellers), a new NBC sitcom and/or the continuing success of her stand-up tours, most people would simply suggest that it’s her brutally honest, raunchy and ‘I-don’t-give-a-damn’ style of comedy that glues millions of viewers to their TV sets for 30 minutes every midnight, regardless of how late ‘Chelsea Lately’ airs.

We could write more than a handful of reasons why Handler’s edging out Conan in the battle of the cable ratings but one thing is for certain, she knows how to play the hand she’s been given, and Conan needs to learn a thing or two from this funny gal who made a name for herself by calling out on celebrities, wannabes, or even the lamest of ordinaries who are acting like the finest a-holes America has seen. ‘Chelsea Lately’ is probably the only show in the entirety of television that knows how to bank on the stupidity and bluntness of Americans, concepts that have always been the ground material for the late night talk show which spares no one, from rapper Pharrell, to Justin Bieber, to her new found BFF Jennifer Aniston and even Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow. All the profanities and provocation surrounding every bit of conversation in every ‘Lately’ episode is giving Team Coco a run for their money.

All we’re saying that now Conan is on cable, where a wider leeway in terms of language, theme and topics is tolerated, he should maximize it. After all, comics never run out of material, there is always enough dumbness among Americans to go around, and when there is shortage, there’s always the story of how he was ‘Jay Leno-ed’ out of NBC to laugh and be sarcastic about.

“We’re seeking out such grossness in human behavior and want such mindless entertainment. ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ and some of these other shows are more racist. Or ’16 and Pregnant.’ Getting rewarded for being pregnant when you’re a teenager? Are you serious? I mean, that makes me want to kill somebody.”

Indeed, we are seeing a different side of Chelsea Handler these days. The no-holds-barred comedienne and late night host of E! network’s ‘Chelsea Lately’, whose vulgarity and utter candor has made her millions of dollars from book deals, sold-out stand-up tours and even her own NBC comedy series based on her second best-seller (‘Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea’, in which she works both as an executive producer and a co-star), is looking for other sensible avenues to exploit her wits and skills, or as The Hollywood Reporter quotes her, “I want to do something that’s going to utilize my brain a little more than this show (Chelsea Lately).”

Nickelodeon probably came across those pieces, which could be the reason why the popular children’s network is reaching out to her to play the role of Victoria Justice’s mom in the upcoming Nick flick ‘Fun Size’, according to a THR report.

The family-oriented role would give her a chance to broaden her demographic which will now include kids and wholesome fared parents. But most importantly, the role could buy her some time to keep her brain from “bleeding” with all the “celebrity-centered” stuff she has been doing at E! “I want to do something that’s more mindful and isn’t celebrity-centered,” Handler tells THR.

After four years of hosting ‘Chelsea Lately’ on E!, which also birthed its own spin-off, the weekly mockumentary ‘After Lately’, Handler’s income from hosting alone is said to be at $3.5 million a year. Now armed with four bestsellers and an NBC pilot (‘Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea’) where she is sitting in both as an executive producer and co-star (not as herself but as her older sister Sloan), the talk show’s worth is estimated to be more than the said figure, and E! may want to raise the stakes if they want to keep their darling rainmaker.

“It’s a lengthy process,” Handler said of the negotiations. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she continued, “They tell you’re valuable, and then you get a counter [offer] and you think, ‘I guess you really don’t care about me at all.’ Nothing is set in stone, so if things go south, then obviously I will be moving along.”

“Moving along” might mean a new home under the peacock network’s colorful plumage, or at least that’s what the rumors imply. Rumor also has it that while NBC has big and maybe even groundbreaking plans for her, she isn’t keen to do another talk show regardless of the time slot, despite the prestige it could add to her resume being the first woman who could possibly host a primetime network talk show. “The next step for me is not ‘The Tonight Show’. That’s a job for Jimmy Fallon. I’m way too divisive for a show like that,” she explains.

So it seems that the key to sign a multi-faceted talent like Handler is to make her do something new, “I can’t keep doing the same thing, my brain is bleeding.” She also adds, “If ‘Lately’ is the show that I’m going to do, it’s going to change.” To date, ‘Chelsea Lately’ racks up a million viewers every night regardless of its guests and has earned the cable network $40 million last year. It is the network’s fourth top rated show, rallying behind three reality shows from the Kardashians, and ex-Playmates Kendra Wilkinson and Holly Madison.

So while she weighs her options, she hasn’t eliminated E! from the equation, not yet at least. “I’m not looking to totally bail on E! They’ve done a lot for me, and I like it here … If you take away the Kardashians.”

The new NBC pilot ‘Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea’, based on Handler’s New York Times bestseller of the same title, is in the hunt for an actress to cast as Chelsea’s aunt, and author, creator and executive producer Handler has her sights on the blunt and popular comedienne.

“I’m talking to Roseanne Barr to do some guest episodes as my aunt. She’s interested in doing it, so it should be fun,” the ‘Chelsea Lately’ host told The Hollywood Reporter.

Sure it would be fun after all, Handler is pretty much like the seasoned TV star, both are upfront, and utterly and brutally honest, whether it’s for the sake of comedy or journalism. Just this month, Barr wrote a lengthy New York Magazine piece, trashing the industry, both the small and silver screen, then and now. She took a shot at everyone, from selfish, misogynist and ego-maniac producers and network heads, to script writers, and even at herself for her “addiction to fame”, especially at the peak of her show’s success, ‘Roseanne’, which ran for nine seasons.

So perhaps Barr and Handler will be a good fit, especially that Handler is not only sitting in as one of the show’s heads, but will also be playing her own sister, Sloan, in a recurring role. If the plan pushes through, this would be Barr’s first time to grace a sitcom after her stint in ‘My Name is Earl’. The fictionalized Chelsea will be played by Laura Prepon, best remembered for her role as Donna in ‘That ‘70s Show’.

‘Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea’ is slated to premiere in the middle of the 2011-2012 Fall Season, via NBC.

In the article, the ‘Chelsea Lately’ host and also star of its spin-off ‘After Lately’, whose utter honesty is not only refreshing but is also her most lethal weapon, takes a hit on reality shows that she calls as “seeking out such grossness in human behavior”, like the teen reality show ’16 and Pregnant’.

“People are too P.C…. We need to be focusing on other things. We’re seeking out such grossness in human behavior … ‘16 and Pregnant.’ Getting rewarded for being pregnant when you’re a teenager? Are you serious?”

Such hostile reactions can only be attributed to Handler’s own teenage pregnancy experience, which she decided not to go through because she believed it was the best thing to do at the time. “I had an abortion when I was 16, because that’s what I should have done. Otherwise I would now have a 20-year-old kid. Anyway, those are things that people shouldn’t be dishonest about.”

Indeed, utter and brutal honesty is both refreshing and painfully entertaining.

When it comes to her love life though, the talk show host and New York Times bestselling author is more reserved about it, at least with her present flame, French hotelier Andre Balazs. The opposite can be said about her approach on her previous relationships with Comcast’s Ted Harbert and her once fling, rapper 50 Cent, from which she gained vast material to use for her standup comic antics, show monologues, pun intended one liners, and even a chapter or two for her published works.

“I won’t be doing that with Andre. Obviously, you can’t avoid that entirely, because I’m not a liar and I’m not going to lie about anything, really,” says a more reticent Chelsea Handler. “But, yeah, I won’t be discussing our personal life — before, during or after our relationship.”

For those who haven’t picked up the cleverly written and achingly hilarious novel, ‘Vodka’ chronicles Handler’s life adventures, from waiting tables, to worshiping vodka, to her sexual and comedic exploits especially the one with a red headed guy, to her budding career as a comic. The book and the new series clearly has one central theme – this blonde haired, blue-eyed bombshell is determined to max out what life has to offer with no second thoughts on its repercussions, no regrets and definitely, no apologies.

Laura Prepon of ‘That ‘70s Show’ fame stars in this highly anticipated series as Chelsea Handler. Handler’s resident ‘round table’ commentator and standup comedian Jo Koy plays Mark, a bartender who works at the same bar where Chelsea works as a waitress. Looking out for her and also tagging along for the crazy ride are her friends Shoniqua, played by ‘ER’ alum Angel Laketa Moore, her best pal Ivory, played by Natalie Morales of ‘Parks and Recreation’, and Dee Dee, Chelsea’s naïve roommate played by Lauren Lapkus of ‘The Middle’. Lenny Clarke from ‘Rescue Me’ will play Chelsea’s infamous father, Melvin. Handler herself will also be appearing in the series as her Mormon elder sister Sloan, who is married and a new mother, and is a source of comedy and trouble for Chelsea.

“I’m gonna pitch something to Chelsea about doing a cooking show…But it’s not necessarily a cooking show, it’s more of you cook but you actually converse during the whole show, not about the food, about comedy and hanging out with people. Just about everyday stories,” says Roy, a professional chef but whose recent taste of fame – thanks to his youngest sister – might have caused the sudden career detour. As for his idea of a side-kick, it is clear that Chuy does not stand a chance for the bill because Roy wants a “nice, pretty girl sidekick.”

E! will be airing the season finale of “After Lately” on Sunday at 11 PM. The episode will feature the older Handler in a bit with Tori “Horse Face” Spelling as she tries to win him over as she is in the hunt for a personal chef. Tori will also let her hair down as she makes fun of herself and tries to get back at Chelsea for comparing her to a four-legged creature.

“There’s a scene in After Lately that’s coming up where she calls herself ‘horse face’. So she’s mocking herself and mocking the s–t that Chelsea said about her,” Roy adds.

So what should you expect in this Sunday’s episode? A whole lot of pranks involving Chelsea herself, everyone’s favorite ginger comedian Brad Wollack, Heather ‘long boobs’ McDonald, Sarah Colonna and her never ending attempt to show “decent cleavage”, and Chris Franjola and his dance-off challenge with pop star Justin Bieber.

The episode will also feature a cameo from Tori Spelling in a bit involving her and Handler’s brother, Roy, as she intends to hire him to be her personal chef. Dr. Drew Pinski will also be gracing the episode in a segment spoofing “Celebrity Rehab”, “except we aren’t as famous as Keyshia Cole’s mother or Tiger Woods’ No. 1 VIP waitress,” says McDonald.

“How many other shows on TV could have Dr. Drew, Tori Spelling and Justin Bieber on the same episode?…There are no more original episodes after this Sunday, so it’s your last chance to laugh at the TV series that hasn’t made you laugh this hard in years. Hopefully someone at E! is reading this and decides to give us a second season already!” Wollack says. Laugh out loud this Sunday when “After Lately” airs on E! at 11 PM EST.