As promised, Chris Gethard’s public access show is moving to network television. Splitsider reports that Fusion has picked up the show, where, Gethard teases, it will rival Paul F. Tompkins’s No, You Shut Up!.
The Chris Gethard Show has run on public access since 2011 (and was a show at Upright Citizens Brigade for two years prior to that) that has since gained a cult following of fans who tuned in every Wednesday at night to watch the livestream of the bizarre talk show. After meeting with several networks, Gethard landed on Fusion because the executives seemed to not only appreciate the weirdness of the show, but encouraged it:
Well, we had a lot of meetings over the past year with a lot of networks, many of whom were just straight up like “This is too bizarre for us.” There were a bunch that were like “Hey can you change it this way or that way?” To honor the show though, I’d kind of rather not do it than change it too drastically. We sat down with Fusion, and right away I got the sense that those guys are really cool. In our pitch meeting they were kind of laughing when I was describing a lot of the stuff we’ve done, and then they were like “Yeah, we think we know how to help you cause even more trouble.” As soon as I heard that I knew we were kindred spirits.
These guys are really thinking differently than everybody else — I think they might have a similar chip on their shoulder as I do as far as wanting to get out there and do things in a different way, so it’s really encouraging. I had a call with one of their development guys the other day, and I was talking about Paul F. Tompkins’s show No, You Shut Up! which is Paul and a bunch of puppets, and that show’s really weird and I was like “I can’t believe we’re joining a network where we might not even be the weirdest show.” He just paused and was like “Take that as a challenge” and I’m like, I hope he knows what he’s getting into when he says that.
The hour-long talk show will be condensed to 30 minutes, which will result in “structural changes,” says Gethard. But Fusion wants to keep the show as interactive as possible:
The show will not be live on the network, but they’re allowing us to make the tapings accessible online so you’ll actually be able to attend the taping even if you don’t live in New York — you’ll be able to experience it, and that allows for all the interactivity — you can Skype in, you can call in, and we’re working to make it a thing where if you want to get involved in the show there will be many, many steps down that rabbit hole we provide for you. So it’ll have a live element and it’ll have a lot of interactivity. I’m really blown away by Fusion in that respect, because not many networks are thinking that way and that makes me very excited that they have ideas like that.
As for the empty slot on public access? Comedian Brett Davis, co-host of the Macaulay Culkin Show at Shea Stadium, will be taking over.
(Photo: emilydickinsonridesabmx)
