According to TBS, Lopez will begin hosting an all-new talk show for the network in November, featuring a casual outdoor street-party atmosphere. It will air Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., and will be designed for audience interaction by both Lopez and the guests, which will range in the standard late-night fare of celebrities, musicians and comedians.
“George Lopez is a special talent, with an everyman appeal that makes him uniquely positioned to be the next great late-night host,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “George and TBS are going to change the late-night television landscape and bring a brand-new energy to the talk-show genre by giving it a street-party atmosphere. We’re excited to see this show come to life.”
Lopez, who starred for six seasons in his own ABC sitcom, has picked a great time to hop on the late-night bandwagon. With Conan O'Brien taking over NBC's "Tonight" show in June and Jimmy Fallon having shed his early jitters as host of NBC's "Late Night," not to mention the resulting time shifts, audiences will likely have a more open mind about giving Lopez's show a chance.
“If change can come to the White House, then change can come to late night,” said Lopez. “Yes I can!”
Lopez and Jim Paratore ("The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "The Bonnie Hunt Show") will serve as the executive producers for the still-untitled series. According to Paratore, “George will bring a fresh voice to late-night talk. He’s done it all, from standup to television to movies. He’s a proven writer, producer and performer with the kind of broad appeal that will have real impact and speak to an audience largely underserved in late night.”
Lopez remains a hit with viewers in syndication on both broadcast stations and cable’s Nick at Nite, ranking as one of the top-rated shows on the network and among the top five comedies in syndication. His second HBO special, "Tall, Dark and Chicano," is slated to premiere this summer. He co-starred in Swing Vote and did voice work on Beverly Hills Chihuahua last year as well.
What do you think? Will you tune in for another new late-night talk show? The idea of a change-up in the format is exciting, and after seeing Jimmy Fallon's rocket-propelled improvements between week one and week three as "Late Night" host, I'm open for anything.
