Netflix has confirmed rumors and released details about its new late-night style talk show starring Chelsea Handler.
Handler has been the sole female late-night talk show host on the air in the male-dominated industry for the past seven years with her show, Chelsea Lately on the E! Network. According to USA Today, Handler told Howard Stern in March that she was unhappy at E!. Handler’s run on Chelsea Lately is ending August 26.
Unlike other Netflix original series in which all episodes in a season are posted at once, Handler’s show will be released episode by episode. Karen Barragan, a Netflix spokeswoman, told The New York Times the series will be a “topical talk show” that is “in the style of a late-night show.”
Handler said in a statement: “If I was going to continue working in this industry, I knew I had to do something outside the box to keep myself interested. I wanted to sit with the cool kids at lunch so I approached Netflix to make sure they were as cool as I thought they were, and when I confirmed my suspicions, like with any other future lover, I made my move. I'm more excited than I've been in awhile, and the team at Netflix is the most forward thinking, alert group I've sat down with in ages. No offense to the Shahs of Sunset."
Netflix announced it has a comprehensive multiyear deal with Handler, according to The New York Times. The expected date for the show to begin streaming is early 2016. It has not yet been revealed how frequently new episodes will be offered.
Until then, starting October 10, Handler’s stand-up special, Uganda Be Kidding Me, will be available for streaming on Netflix.
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