Between Match Game and the newly announced Sundays with Alec Baldwin, ABC might as well stand for the Alec Baldwin Channel. ABC announced on Tuesday a new late night talk show airing on Sundays.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
The first episode, to air following the Oscars, is being promoted as a sneak preview, not a series premiere. Jerry Seinfeld and SNL star Kate McKinnon will be Baldwin’s two first guests. The show is being seen as a television adaption of Baldwin’s popular podcast, Here’s the Thing.
Sundays with Alec Baldwin is not Baldwin’s first talk show. He previously hosted Up Late with Alec Baldwin on MSNBC, but the show suffered from poor ratings and ended after Baldwin used an anti-gay slur against reporters.
“I’m excited about this show and grateful to ABC for taking a chance on me in what is, admittedly, a crowded field,” said Baldwin in a statement. “I’ve enjoyed doing my podcast for WNYC and look forward to the challenge of doing a show on camera”
“Alec’s intellect, wit and wealth of life experience afford him a voice and perspective we haven’t seen before in this format,” said Channing Dungey, the president of ABC Entertainment. “When we shot the pilot, we knew immediately we had something special that we couldn’t wait to share. We are excited to be working on a series that showcases Alec as one of today’s most compelling conversationalists and highlights the type of intimate discussions that he has captured on his podcast for years.”