The low-rent talent show that made Chuck Barris a star and Jaye P. Morgan famous for flashing the contestants is being revived by ABC.
Yes, folks, The Gong Show – the show that gave us Gene Gene The Dancing Machine and The Unknown Comic – is coming back thanks to Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Productions, Den of Thieves and Parincipato Young Entertainment.
Over ten weekly episodes, see a ‘revolving panel of judges featuring Hollywood’s hottest stars praise, critique and gong contestants’ – un-traditionally talented contestants plucked from the internet and dropped on a primetime stage. Read on for more…
‘THE GONG SHOW’ IS BACK – BIGGER, BOLDER AND BETTER THAN EVER – ONLY ON ABC
Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Productions to Executive Produce the Brassy Pop Culture Favorite
The ABC Television Network announced the return of television’s most irreverent talent show competition, “The Gong Show.” Executive produced by actor/comedian Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue Productions, Den of Thieves and Principato Young Entertainment, every episode will celebrate un-traditionally talented, unique performers plucked from the Internet and put on a primetime stage. A revolving panel of judges featuring Hollywood’s hottest stars praise, critique and gong contestants in one of TV’s all-time great variety shows.
“ABC has tapped into the nostalgia and excitement of primetime game shows,” said Rob Mills, senior vice president, Alternative Series, Specials & Late-Night Programming. “We are thrilled to add ‘The Gong Show’ to ABC’s schedule spearheaded by the incomparable Will Arnett.”
“The comedy culture we are living in has finally caught up to ‘The Gong Show,’ so the timing is perfect,” said Holly Jacobs, executive vice president, Reality and Syndication Programming for Sony Pictures Television. “We’ve found just the right partners to bring back this iconic original.”
Ten episodes of “The Gong Show” will be produced by Electric Avenue Productions, Den of Thieves in association with Sony Pictures Television, Principato Young Entertainment and will be taped in front of a live audience. “The Gong Show” is executive produced by Will Arnett, Evan Prager, Jesse Ignjatovic and Peter Principato. Jared Morell, Jordan Barrow and Marc Forman will co-executive produce.
About the Disney|ABC Television Group
The Disney|ABC Television Group is comprised of The Walt Disney Company’s global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations group, and radio business. This includes ABC Studios, the ABC Owned Television Stations Group, and the ABC Television Network, which provides entertainment, news and kids programming to viewers via more than 200 affiliated stations across the U.S. It also includes Disney Channels Worldwide, a portfolio of 107 kid-driven, family-inclusive entertainment channels, including Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Disney Cinemagic, Hungama, and Radio Disney brands, as well as cable network ABC Family, which targets Millennials. Disney|ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution and Disney Media Distribution round out the portfolio. Disney|ABC Television Group also has equity interests in A+E Networks, Hulu, and Fusion.
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (http://www.sonypicturestelevision.com), a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing and distributing programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) boasts a current program slate that includes top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. In addition to its US production business, SPT has 18 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 11 countries and also maintains offices in 31 countries. SPT’s worldwide television networks portfolio includes 150 channel feeds available in 178 countries, reaching more than 1.3 billion cumulative households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages the studio’s premium streaming network, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns US production company Embassy Row and is a part owner of the cable channel Game Show Network (GSN). SPT advertiser sales is one of the premier national advertising sales companies and handles the commercial inventory in SPT’s syndicated series as well as for the Rural Media Group and DoctorOZ.com.