2014 has already shaken up the world of late night TV with the upcoming retirement of David Letterman and Stephen Colbert’s defection from Comedy Central to be the new host of CBS’ Late Night. Now Chelsea Handler has added a new late night player to the mix.
Handler has signed a deal with Netflix to create a new late night style talk show that will be available on demand, although the frequency of Handler’s new show hasn’t been settled upon. Handler had been the host of “Chelsea Lately” on E! since 2007, but her contract with that network is up in August.
In addition to Handler’s new talk show, Netflix also picked up a new stand up comedy special from Handler that will film in June and premiere on October 10. Handler will also create four documentary/comedy hybrid specials in which Handler attempts to gain a better understanding of topics including “NASCAR, politics, Silicon Valley and the NBA draft.”
Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos released a brief statement that said “The Internet has disrupted many of the conventions of traditional television and together with Chelsea Handler, Netflix is looking forward to reimagining the late night talk show for the on-demand generation, starting with the late night part.”
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Handler’s defection to Netflix seems to parallel Conan O’Brien’s deal with TBS, which signaled the emergence of TBS as a major player in late night TV. E! will likely attempt to come up with a replacement late night franchise for itself, as Handler’s show had been one of the signature series for the network.
Because Handler’s new talk show will be available on demand, the term “late night” may no longer apply to it. In of itself, that could be a major shift as well.
The currently untitled Chelsea Handler talk show will premiere on Netflix in early 2016.
