Late-night comedian Chelsea Handler is moving from TV to Netflix, announcing today she’ll host a talk show on the streaming service in 2016.
Handler, who’s hosted “Chelsea Lately” on E! for seven years, will host a talk show on Netflix while also contributing stand-up specials.
“If I was going to continue working in this industry, I knew I had to do something outside the box to keep myself interested,” Handler said in a statement. “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.”
This is a boon for Netflix, who now adds original talk shows to its portfolio of original series and documentaries.
“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,” Handler added. “No offense to the Shahs of Sunset.”
The deal will begin with a stand-up special shot from her current tour, “Uganda Be Kidding Me.” That special will be released on Netflix on October 10. Four additional specials will premiere in 2015, with a docu-comedy feel to it, which Netflix says will be spotlight the comedian’s attempts to better understand subjects “ranging from NASCAR to politics and from Silicon Valley to the NBA draft.”
As for her main talk show, Netflix previews an “updated format.” Whether that means it being released on a nightly basis, or the binge model of several episodes at once, remains to be seen.