The new hosts for the upcoming Apple Music version of James Corden's hit "Carpool Karaoke" segments from his CBS The Late Late Show have been named. The spinoff series will feature an ever-changing roster of hosts rather than a single presenter at the helm.
"Carpool Karaoke" Goes Huge In 2016
James Corden's "Carpool Karaoke" was one of the most unqualified web successes of 2016. The 23 segments from The Late Late Show with James Corden received well over 1 billion cumulative hits on the show's YouTube channel, and gave Corden the honor of having the most viral video of the year, Adele's popular appearance on the sing along car ride.
Not only have the "Carpool Karaoke" segments helped lift Corden's once struggling late night talk show in the national zeitgeist, they have also helped provide a ratings boost that saw Corden recently beat once dominant rival NBC talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers in recent days.
Apple Music "Carpool Karaoke" Spinoff
Last year, we told you that the popularity of "Carpool Karaoke" led to an upcoming spinoff version of the show, produced by Corden and his partners and purchased as Apple Music's first TV series. At the time, the big question was who the team would slate to fill Corden's shoes as host, and whether anyone else was actually up to the challenge.
Now we can finally answer that question. Apple Music and executive producers of the show, Eric Pankowski, Ben Winston, and Corden, have decided to go not with one host but with a series of pairings that changes in each of the 16 episodes of the new series, they explained at the TCA winter press tour.
"What James does is so special and singular, it was silly, as we figured out how to make a full series, to try and replicate that," said Winston. Instead, duos such as John Legend with Alicia Keys, Seth MacFarlane with Ariana Grande, comedian Billy Eichner with Metallica, and "Good Morning America" host Michael Strahan with NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon will appear in the new half hour segments.
Winston said the idea was spawned by the interest of numerous non-musical artists in doing the show.
"We wouldn't do Will Smith on [The Late Late Show]," he said. "So many people have been getting in touch with us, big movie stars, and we're like, 'that's not really for us,' but here with Apple Music it's perfect."
The producers also reiterated that Corden would definitely continue to host the viral segments that have featured music stars like Mariah Carey, Madonna, Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga, just to name a few.
