Chris rocks on

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Rumor is that Fox passed on what many believe is this year's best new comedy, "Everybody Hates Chris," because network executives didn't think Chris Rock was going to remain committed to the show he executive produces.

"I've been working a while. I don't think I've ever done anything and walked out," Rock told TV critics while promoting the sitcom based on his teen years — a show that premieres Thursday, Sept. 22, on UPN.

"I don't think there's any evidence of that. My name's Rock, not Chappelle. Are you confusing me with another skinny black man? What have I walked out on?"

Nothing that we're aware of.

Rock said no one at UPN asked for assurances that he'd remain with the series.

"No. I think they just liked the script," he said.

Rock said his role in the show is "going through all the scripts, making sure I like all the jokes, trying to be there for pretty much all the tapings. And I'll be around. My name is on it."

As for other projects, there's "nothing, yet. I'm sure I'll get a movie and never see the show again," he joked. "But until then, hey, what's up UPN?"

UPN ENTERTAINMENT president Dawn Ostroff did like the "Everybody Hates Chris" script. She received it not as a possible pilot, but as a writing sample for Ali LeRoi, who co-created the show with Rock.

She liked it so much that she wanted to know who owned the show and who was developing it. Turned out the answer was Fox, which had an option on it that expired in December.

"We hunted Chris down," Ostroff said. "I contacted him and said, 'Look, I read the script. I think it's fantastic. And I really want to know if it's something you're passionate about. I know it's a personal project and we'd only be interested in doing it if you were interesting in pursuing it.' "

How did she convince Rock to bring the show to UPN?

"First she hired me a hot nanny," Rock said.

"She wanted to do the show. And, I mean, that's what you want. You want to work with people that are excited about doing it. And I didn't get the sense she wanted to do it because I was involved in it. She just really liked the script, and that's what I responded to."

But Fox had a hold on the show until the end of 2004.

"So we waited quietly for the option to expire and then we wound up taking over the project," Ostroff said.