With Earth to Ned, Disney+ goes intergalactic for its own late-night show
By Matt Moore
Late-night TV has another new show on the way thanks to Disney+ and Earth to Ned
Between the Avengers and Star Wars, Disney+ has a reputation for taking viewers to far off places. Now thanks to a new late-night show, the streaming service is bringing some extraterrestrial beings to Earth with Earth to Ned.
Earth to Ned, a new original talk show, will land on Disney+ beginning on Sept. 4. Subscribers will be immediately treated to all 10 episodes.
The show will be hosted by Ned and Cornelius, two aliens originally sent to invade Earth but change course after falling in love with all things celebrities. So instead of world domination, the pair set out to interview celebrities from their spaceship hidden deep underground.
Each episode will focus on a particular theme, such as sports, social media, and comedy with the goal of Ned deepening his obsession with Earth’s culture. The best way for the alien to do so is through celebrity interviews.
Disney+ is using a unique angle to break into late-night television
It seems like no streaming service is complete without a late-night TV option. Netflix has Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, HBO Max has The Not Too Late Show with Elmo, and now Disney+ has Earth to Ned.
Combining animation with live-action interviews will help Earth to Ned stand out from the competition. Having a backstory and plot to the show will also be an added wrinkle and provide more opportunities for entertainment compared to a straightforward talk show.
The premise is a little similar to Alien News Desk, the animated late-night show that had a 12-episode run on SyFy last year. Unlike that show, Earth to Ned will be more interested in celebrities and pop culture than satirizing the news. Space Ghost Coast to Coast may be a more appropriate comparison.
The Jim Henson Company and Marwar Junction Productions will produce the show for Disney+. Fans are familiar with the Jim Henson Company thanks to the Muppets. Marwar Junction is responsible for titles such as Eli Roth’s History of Horror on AMC and the documentary anthology Autobiography on A&E.
An impressive list of guests has already been announced for the first batch of Earth to Ned episodes. The aliens will get an idea of celebrity life through interviews with Gillian Jacobs, Gina Carano, Michael Ian Black, RuPaul, and more. The show will also get a boost from late-night veterans like Andy Richter and Reggie Watts.
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What is your first impression of Earth to Ned? Let us know in the comment section. Keep checking Last Night On for more news from the world of late-night television.