Diallo Riddle says his Comedy Central series “South South” is grounded in “authenticity”

Comedy CentralTonight, Diallo Riddle will show viewers a new and authentic side of Chicago in his new Comedy Central series, South Side.

The writer-actor tells ABC Radio that the series, which he co-created with his writing partner Bashir Salahuddin, isn’t just another topical comedy about a major city in America: It’s the real deal.

“People you see on South Side are gonna be people that you’ve never seen on TV before,” he says. “And we think that loans a little bit of authenticity to the show. The fact is that, as opposed to just casting people that you’ve seen on other shows, you will see people who are 100% from Chicago.”

“And by the way,” he continues, “Some of the people that you’ll see on this show, we didn’t intend on you seeing on the show — they were just so funny that we had to put them on the show.”

While Riddle himself isn’t an actual Chicagoan, the series, shot on location in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, still upholds a true-to-life narrative thanks to the Chicago natives behind-the-scenes.

“From the people who wrote the show — all of whom were from Chicago– to the people that you see in front of the camera, literally everybody’s from Chicago,” he says. “And we think that Chicago will appreciate it just for the fact that they’ll see so many of their favorite sons and daughters on the show.”

Of course, Diallo makes sure to note that “even if you are not from Chicago and you’ve never been to Chicago,” the show is still worth the watch.

“You’ll get a sense of how the city works and how it functions,” he says. “Chicago really is the third most important character on the show.”

South Side airs tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET.