Charlamagne Tha God is getting his own talk show. He will be the host of Comedy Central’s new weekly talk show, that is yet to be titled.
The new series will be a weekly half-hour with a focus on current events and cultural issues, with elements from other weekly topical shows now on the air.
“I love John Oliver every week, I love Bill Maher every week. There’s something to be said about sitting back and being able to observe everything that happened in a week and then come in says, ‘You know what? This is what I want to touch on,’” he said. “But I’m not going to be on here trying to rehash the whole week. Like, no. That’s not what I’m here for. I want to talk about the things that can actually impact somebody’s life, in a real way — the things that can actually help move the culture forward.”
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And while specific details on the format of the show haven’t been disclosed, Charlamagne shared that the main focus on the show will be “talking about the issues that are going on in the world.” They will be discussed through his point of view and there will also be guests and interviews.
And like his demeanor on The Breakfast Club, he assures the conversations won’t feel like a typical TV talker.
“You have a lot of people on these news shows and these talk shows who do a lot of asking answers, instead of asking questions,” he says. “Meaning, like they’ll say things like, ‘Is coronavirus a global pandemic?’ Duh. You know what I’m saying? Or, ‘Is Donald Trump doing a good job?’ Uh, no. Like don’t leave any room for something to be manipulated.
I’m not in the business of asking answers. I’m in the business of asking the tough questions, and getting actual statements on how I see the world. And you can choose to agree or disagree. But a conversation will be started.”
There is no clear timetable for when it will premiere, ViacomCBS is looking to launch the show later this year. Hopefully, ahead of the U.S. Presidential Election in November.
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The news comes amid speculation that he won’t re-up his contract for 105.1’s “The Breakfast Club” when it ends at the end of the year. According to sources at Page Six, “There are a lot of potential deals in the air, and he just wants to keep his options open and think strategically.”
Chris McCarthy, President of Entertainment and Youth Group at ViacomCBS, told NY Mag, “Charlamagne’s voice is very right for today. It’s fresh and real and resonating in a way that very few can do.”
With Charlamagne Tha God’s new talk show, it will serve as his return to TV. While he is best known for his New York syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club, he also served on three shows in the past for MTV2. He was a cast member of MTV2’s The Guy Code and hosted Charlamagne & Friends and Uncommon Sense.
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“Giving me a TV deal, almost ten years ago, didn’t really make any sense,” Charlamagne told the magazine. “I was a radio guy. It’s easy to say, ‘You know what? I think Charlamagne Tha God needs a talk show’ now. But almost ten years ago for him to have that vision, that did a lot for me. A lot of my success right now is because of those looks that I got on MTV2 and Viacom at the time.”
The unnamed show will become Comedy Central’s latest talk show after canceling Lights Out With David Spade earlier this year. The network still houses its long-running talk show, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.