Community Star Hosting New Talk Show
Community star Ken Jeong is making a bid to host his own daytime talk show. According to Deadline, the actor is developing the show with television syndication company Debmar-Mercury, a subsidiary of Lionsgate. The hope is for the show to launch in 2024 on the strength of a test taping that was just conducted in New York.
Ken Jeong, known for Community and The Hangover, is hoping to launch his own daytime talk show in 2024.
Of course, the SAG-AFTRA strike is still ongoing, and Ken Jeong is a member of the actors’ union. However, the show is adhering to the SAG Network Code, a set of rules that allow actors to work on daytime talk shows and other similar programs during a union strike. This means the show will not be crossing any picket lines or breaking any union rules, in letter or in spirit, unlike Drew Barrymore’s attempt to restart her talk show without her writers while the writers’ strike was ongoing.
The new Ken Jeong talk show boasts Jim Biederman of Kids in the Hall fame as its showrunner and director. Jeong will serve as an executive producer with Biederman. This will be a new move for the multi-talented performer, but one that will likely fit well with his personality and career thus far.
Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury, said in a statement regarding the new show that Ken Jeong connects well with audiences, both because he is intelligent and funny but also because audiences feel his sincerity, compassion, and genuine spirit.
Starting out as a stand-up comic, Ken Jeong has become well-known in that arena, including his Netflix comedy special You Complete Me, Ho, which was released in 2019. Of course, he gained his broadest fame as Leslie Chow in The Hangover and Ben Chang on Community. He even had his own sitcom for a while, and can be seen in advertisements for prescription eye drops.
That last one might seem odd, but Ken Jeong is also a licensed physician and used to have a medical practice. So, his presence in an ad for medication lends credibility and star power. He also brings that star power to The Masked Singer, where he has served as a judge for several years.
Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury, said in a statement regarding the new show that Ken Jeong connects well with audiences, both because he is intelligent and funny but also because audiences feel his sincerity, compassion, and genuine spirit. This comes through in all of his work, and we’re hopeful that the proposed daytime series will come to fruition and become a new showcase for Jeong’s talent.
Ken Jeong, as host of The Masked Singer, has shown he can appeal to a general audience outside of the comedy niche.
Marcus and Bernstein further say that they believe Ken Jeong has what it takes to not only be a talk show host but to do so for a long time. To them, he is the perfect fit for this type of project, and we can’t help but agree that the idea has a lot of potential. Between all of the various projects Jeong has been working on, we’re constantly seeing new dimensions of his artistry and screen presence.
Of course, Ken Jeong is hardly the first big star to land their own talk show. From Ellen DeGeneres to Drew Barrymore and even people like Harry Connick Jr., Queen Latifah, and Jerry O’Connell, forays into daytime talk territory are not uncommon. What is nearly as common, however, is for these ventures to come to an end in a fairly short period of time. If Marcus and Bernstein are correct in their assessment, we might see Ken Jeong buck that trend and become successful for years to come.
