Netflix on Thursday announced the signing of comedian Chelsea Handler to a multi-year deal that’ll include a stand-up comedy special, four docu-comedy specials and a late-night style talk show. The news comes as Handler is set to wrap up a seven-year run on the E! network later this summer.
In a press release on the matter, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said the Internet has disrupted many of the conventions of traditional television and together with Handler, they are looking forward to reimagining the late-night talk show for the on-demand generation, starting with the late night part.
Handler’s work for Netflix will start tomorrow as she films a one-hour stand-up special for the streaming media giant as part of her 20-stop Uganda Be Kidding Me tour. The special will debut on Netflix on October 10.
Next year, the comedian will create four docu-comedy specials which will chronicle her efforts to gain a better understanding of subjects ranging from the NBA draft and Silicon Valley to NASCAR and politics.
The late-night style talk show will begin a year later in 2016 with an “updated format.” It’ll feature her unfiltered opinions on topical entertainment and cultural issues along with traditional guest interviews. It’s unclear at this time how often news shows will be produced (daily, weekly, bi-weekly?) but we do know that new episodes will be distributed to all of Netflix’s global territories simultaneously.
It’ll no doubt be interesting to see the scheduling format that Netflix chooses for the show as traditional late-night programming is all about current events.
Chelsea’s existing show, Chelsea Lately, ends on August 26.
