Funny or Die’s Billy Eichner is bringing his Billy on the Street game show to truTV as part of a deal that includes specials and pilots for channels across the Turner portfolio.
In addition to new episodes of Billy on the Street beginning with the show’s fourth season, truTV also gains the television rights to all three previous seasons. For more details, follow the jump.
truTV Scores Funny Or Die’s Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner, Part of Multi-Layered Deal for Turner Broadcasting
Popular Game Show Starring Comedian Billy Eichner Coming to truTV As Part of Network’s Growing Slate of Original Series, with Encores Set for TBS
Deal also Includes TBS and truTV Specials and Adult Swim and truTV Pilots, Plus Rights to All Previous Billy on the Street Episodes
Funny Or Die’s Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner is coming to truTV as part of a multi-layered deal with Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. that also includes original specials and pilot commitments for networks across the Turner portfolio. At the center of the deal, the streetwise game show hosted by comedian Billy Eichner is set to become a truTV original series, starting with its fourth season later this year. Sister network TBS will present encores of each episode after initial airings on truTV.
In addition to bringing new episodes of Billy on the Street to truTV and TBS, the deal with Turner Broadcasting includes a commitment for Eichner to create pilots for potential truTV and Adult Swim series; half-hour specials featuring Eichner for TBS and truTV; and rights to all episodes from the first three seasons of Billy on the Street, which originally aired on the Fuse Network.
“This deal is a great opportunity to tap into and expand the Billy phenomenon using the power of the Turner portfolio,” said David Levy, president of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. “No other media company has the assets and the reach – especially among Generation X, Millennials and Generation Edge viewers – to pull off this kind of multi-layered deal. The Turner networks are going to be the perfect home for Billy’s brilliant comedic talents and his growing legion of young fans.”
“I am beyond excited about this new era for Billy on the Street,” said Eichner. “I’m thrilled to be working with truTV and the Turner family and I’m very ready to hit the streets for a new season of making dreams come true and changing lives for the better.”
Billy on the Street is executive-produced by Mike Farah, president of production for Funny Or Die, along with Billy Eichner and Anna Wenger. Doug Brady is co-executive producer. truTV has ordered 10 half-hour episodes of Billy on the Street‘s fourth season, with production expected to begin in New York City in late spring and plans to launch the series later this year.
“Billy is a singular talent who exemplifies the qualities we are looking for in truTV’s new programming, including a unique voice and vision, for that reason he is an absolutely perfect fit for the new truTV,” said Chris Linn, president, head of programming for truTV.
Efforts to bring Billy on the Street to Turner were first championed by Marissa Ronca, senior vice president of development & original programming for truTV. “We’ve been fans of Billy since the beginning, so we join the rest of his dedicated fan base in being super excited to see new episodes of Billy on the Street coming to truTV,” Ronca said. “Anything coming from Billy is certain to be unexpected and hilarious, which aligns perfectly with the new truTV. We’re also thrilled that Billy will be working on new shows and specials for truTV and our sister networks. We can’t wait to welcome him to the Turner family.”
About Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner
Funny Or Die’s Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner is a pop culture game show that follows unfiltered and unapologetic comedian Billy Eichner as he hits the streets of New York City to test unsuspecting passersby. Billy gives contestants the chance to win cash and other prizes by playing games such as “Quizzed in the Face,” with lifeline options to Beg a Stranger or Compliment His Hair. Other games include “Dead or Boring?” and “Name 20 White People in 30 Seconds.”
An Emmy nominee for hosting Billy on the Street, Eichner appeared in a much buzzed about Billy on the Street segment with Seth Meyers on last year’s Primetime Emmys and was named People Magazine’s Breakout Star of 2014. Billy on the Street has garnered wide praise from critics. The New York Times called it “uproarious…Eichner is doing things within the confines of the television set that feel loose, unpredictable and appealingly wrong.” Entertainment Weekly named Billy on the Street to its weekly “Must List.” USA Today called it “your new favorite show.” And Huffington Post heralded it an “LOL-worthy” series packed with “frantic hilarity.”
About Billy Eichner
Billy Eichner is a comedian, actor, writer and host who garnered his first Emmy® nomination in 2013 for Outstanding Game Show Host for his critically acclaimed comedy game show Funny Or Die’s Billy On the Street.
Eichner is currently in production on Hulu’s Difficult People, a half-hour scripted comedy that will be executive-produced by Amy Poehler and will co-star Julie Klausner. The story revolves around best friends living in New York City – with their behavior landing them in awkward situations.
Eichner can currently be seen on NBC’s acclaimed Parks and Recreation in his recurring role as Craig Middlebrooks. He also regularly lends his voice to FOX’s popular animated comedy Bob’s Burgers.
Eichner first became known for his popular Billy on the Street viral videos and as the host and writer of Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show, a critically acclaimed stage show in New York called a “late night theatrical phenomenon” by The New York Times.
Eichner is a perennial talk show guest, with appearances on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Show with David Letterman, CONAN, Watch What Happens Live and The Today Show, among others.
A native New Yorker, Eichner attended New York’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School and went on to graduate from Northwestern University. He is also a commentator on pop culture via twitter.com/billyeichner.
About Funny Or Die
Funny Or Die launched in April 2007 and has become an award-wining top destination for comedy on the web. The site has over 19 million unique users per month, over 60 million video views per month, and has grown into a vertically integrated digital studio that produces high quality content over numerous platforms, operating a social media and marketing division with over 9 million Twitter followers, approximately 11 million Facebook fans (#1 Comedy Brand on both Twitter and Facebook), and devoted followers on numerous social networking and sharing sites. In addition to Funny Or Die’s Billy on the Street, Funny Or Die’s Emmy Award winning television division currently produces @midnight on Comedy Central, The Spoils of Babylon on IFC, and the upcoming Chris Gethard Show for Fusion. In addition Funny Or Die is co-producing the upcoming NBC “Red Nose Day” special and produced the HBO Comedy Specials, Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles and Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store, among others. Funny Or Die has become the “place to be seen” for comedic celebrities, and the obvious destination for a daily comedy fix. Funny Or Die’s founders are Gary Sanchez Productions (Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy), Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and Michael Kvamme. Judd Apatow is also a principal partner in Funny Or Die.
About Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
truTV, TBS and Adult Swim are part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; kids and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
Photo courtesy of truTV