Faces to Watch

Tom Papa

Comic

The comedian soon will be treading the treacherous path many others have traveled: trying to translate success on the club circuit to a sitcom triumph. For every Ray Romano, though, there are many more who find their comic sensibilities altered or watered down. Papa is taking a hands-on approach to his series, “Come to Papa,” one of NBC’s midseason prospects that will hit prime time within the next few months. The series is loosely based on his own life, and Papa is star, writer, producer and co-creator. He plays a newspaper reporter who dreams of becoming a comedy writer. Said NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker of the comedian: “We feel that Tom is a star waiting to happen and has a off-center take that will appeal to a wide range of viewers who share his view of life.”

*

Paul Magers

Anchor

The arrival of new local TV news anchors is usually accompanied by fanfare befitting royalty. But even that level has been surpassed with the noise welcoming Magers to KCBS-TV. Magers, who will become the station’s principal anchor Jan. 5, has been an anchor at KARE in Minneapolis, where he was instrumental in reversing that station’s ratings. KCBS management hopes Magers will work the same magic at KCBS, which has endured almost continuous turnover of anchors and prominent reporters. KCBS General Manager Don Corsini has called Magers “one of the most successful and sought-after anchors in the country .... We know that he will become a major presence here in Los Angeles.”

*

Aaron McGruder

Cartoonist

The creator of the syndicated comic strip “Boondocks,” McGruder has a low-key personality, but he’s about to become a lot more animated. In 2003, McGruder was embraced, dumped and wooed almost at the same time. “A Right to Be Hostile,” his coffee-table book collection of the strip, hit the bestseller lists late in the year, after the Washington Post pulled strips about national security advisor Condoleezza Rice. Soon after, McGruder closed a deal to develop a “Boondocks” animated series and a feature film. Fox has already expressed interest in the series, earmarked for this fall. McGruder will continue with the strip, which is syndicated in 250 newspapers around the country, including The Times.

-- Greg Braxton