Hip-hip radio icon Charlamagne Tha God, real name Lenard McKelvey, is getting his own weekly late-night show on Comedy Central — and Stephen Colbert is returning to his old stomping grounds to executive produce the series the two South Carolinians co-created.
Yeah, this news is the payoff to that whole Colbert comeback tease.
Colbert, now the host of CBS’ “The Late Show,” has not worked with Comedy Central since “The Colbert Report” ended in 2014. Since Viacom and CBS remerged in 2019, however, he’s been back in the same (extended) family.
“Tha God’s Honest Truth” will be a half-hour program featuring “Charlamagne’s culturally fluent take on social issues in a variety of deep dives, sketches and social experiments that deftly unpacks the most pressing topics permeating politics and culture,” according to Comedy Central. The show aims to be “redemptively comedic, refreshingly unfiltered, and unapologetically Black.”
The weekly show will tape in New York City and air at 10 p.m. ET/PT. It debuts on Friday, Sept. 17.
Charlamagne is a regular guest on Colbert’s “Late Show,” which is how the two became friends.
Charlamagne, who first rose to prominence as Wendy Williams’ radio partner, helped make “The Breakfast Club” a major radio staple. He is repped by ICM partners, KK Entertainment, The Britto Agency and Del Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.
“This is one of those moments where I can show you better than I can tell you,” Charlamagne said in a statement on Wednesday, citing his past relationship with MTV Entertainment Group CEO Chris McCarthy. “This is the third talk show Chris McCarthy has done with me and those shows prepared me for this opportunity. My South Carolina brethren Stephen Colbert is the ultimate cosign in the late night space and he wouldn’t cosign no bullshit! We are going to win an Emmy next year for best lighting direction I can feel it!!!”
“Charlamagne is one of the most culturally significant voices of our time,” McCarthy added. “His thought provoking and uninhibited observations both get under peoples skin and open their minds which is why we are thrilled to be doing this show with him and equally thrilled to welcome back the Dean of Late Night to Comedy Central, Mr. Stephen Colbert.”
“For too long, the town of Moncks Corner, South Carolina has been underrepresented in late night,” Colbert said. “I look forward to all the ways in which the fearless, peerless Charlamagne is going to change the game.”
Aaron McGruder, one of the new show’s executive producers, added, “Charlamagne knows exactly what he wants to do with this show — which is smack the audience upside the head every week and make sure they’re paying attention to the world around them.”
In addition to McKelvey, Colbert and McGruder, showrunner Rachael Edwards, Karen Kinney, James Dixon, Chris Licht and Norm Aladjem also executive produce. Ari Pearce and Kristyn Deignan are executive producers for MTV Entertainment Studios.
