TV Land to Dabble in Late Night with ‘Throwing Shade’

throwing shade
Back in December, The Hollywood Reporter announced that cable network TV Land and comedy site Funny or Die had teamed up to produce a pilot based on the popular podcast Throwing Shade. The news excited fans, but all had been quiet on that front until recently, when THR reported that TV Land had given the show the green light to film a ten-episode series for the network.

Throwing Shade is a social commentary and pop culture podcast starring Erin Gibson (of Parks and Rec and Kroll Show) and Bryan Safi (of Modern Family and Superstore,) which has been around since 2011. In 2013, the show was picked up by Funny or Die, producing 80 video-based shows for the website to date. The unapologetically crass duo discuss everything from movies and television to political and social issues like gay rights, all with an undeniable chemistry that explains why TV Land is so eager to have the show on their network.

The acquisition is one of a few that the network has made recently in an attempt to reinvent itself. Once known as the home of endless re-runs of syndicated shows like The Golden Girls and Gilligan’s Island, the network has gone through considerable effort to change its image from a hub for classic comedies and multi-camera sitcoms to a home for single-camera comedies aimed at younger generations. To that end, the network has found hits in shows like The Jim Gaffigan Show, Younger, Teachers, and Impastor, all of which have been renewed for a second season. Along with new pilots like Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone’s Nobodies, comic George Lopez’s Lopez, and The First Wives Club, it’s clear that TV Land is taking this rebranding very seriously.

“This amazing, weird brainchild of Erin and Bryan translates perfectly into a weekly late-night show,” said Keith Cox, executive vice president of development and original programming for TV Land. “We can’t wait to see them take on the most recent and ridiculous news of 2017.”

TV Land plans to air the half hour show in January 2017, which will be filmed in front of a live studio audience. You can get a taste of what to expect from Gibson and Safi by checking out the Throwing Shade podcast on iTunes, Funny or Die, or a clip from the pilot below.

 

 

Read more comedy news.

 

The following two tabs change content below.

Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler
Bill Tressler
Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.