Gayle King and Charles Barkley made the official announcement of a new weekly primetime series for CNN on Saturday: King Charles.
The live show, which debuts this fall and runs through 2024, is a central feature of CNN CEO Chris Licht’s efforts to revitalize the network’s primetime schedule. The 9 p.m. ET hour hasn’t had a permanent host since Chris Cuomo was fired in December 2021.
However, King and Barkley will fill in one night a week, Wednesday.
Licht took a different approach when programming the 9 p.m. ET slot, mixing shows and formats rather than giving one personality five nights a week. The network tested a mix of live events, such as town halls and one-on-one interviews, including Jake Tapper’s sit-down with Bill Maher in the slot.
King and Barkley announced TNT’s advance coverage of the NBA playoffs.
“What I love about both of us is that it’s live TV,” King said. “For me, live TV is like working without the internet. So whatever happens, happens. I like that.”
She said she is not looking for another job as she is still under contract CBS in the morningand Barkley continue at WBD Sports.
Barkley said he didn’t want to “be on TV anymore” either, but agreed when given the chance to work with King.
King Charles will be billed as a reservation program. In a memo to staff, Licht wrote that the show “will be an exciting new way we bring our audiences culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives from two incredibly dynamic personalities.”
King said they would talk politics on the show, but Barkley added: “But we don’t want to say we’re a Liberal, Conservative, Republican or Democrat. That’s one of the things that has already ruined television in general. She will be a straight shooter, and you know I will be a straight shooter.
He added: “All I want is for people to be honest with me, even if I don’t agree with them. I don’t want them to say things to get clickbait. This is one of the things that makes me so crazy about people in our profession.”
King said: “Everyone I know has an opinion about something. I just think we need to find a way to have a good conversation without tearing each other down, I think we can do that.
For example, Barkley suggested that a spate of shootings that week would be a theme for the show when it aired. “The image that people around the world have of us is not very good,” King said. “I know friends who are considering leaving America because their children are about to start school.”
She also touched on the possibility of lighter topics such as food and pop culture.
“I want people to tune in to see, ‘What are Charles and Gayle going to do?'” King said, adding that “it’s going to be fun to see the dynamic between the two of us.”
Here’s Light’s full memo to staff:
To my CNN colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that CNN will present a new program aptly titled with the extraordinary duo of Gayle King and Charles Barkley King Charles, which will air weekly in prime time from the fall to 2024. This show will be an exciting new way we bring our audiences culturally relevant programming and unique perspectives from two incredibly dynamic personalities. We are excited to have them both join us in addition to their current respective roles, with Gayle continuing to anchor CBS in the morning. King Charles is an example of the “one team, one company” mentality where Charles serves double duty at CNN and in his role at WBD Sports.
More to come in the coming months, but in the meantime, welcome Gayle and Charles to CNN with me.
Chris
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
