With the future of late-night television very much up in the air, Netflix is taking a new approach to the genre. The streaming service announced plans for a new show but with a familiar face as the host.
Netflix recently announced Hot Ones: Extra Heat, a new spinoff of the popular YouTube series hosted by Sean Evans. While the concept will remain familiar to longtime fans, the new series expands the show's setting by taking the interviews out of the studio and into the real world.
According to Netflix, Hot Ones: Extra Heat will follow the same basic format that made the original a viral sensation, with Evans interviewing celebrity guests while they work their way through increasingly spicy wings. The key difference is the setting. Rather than taking place in the show's traditional studio environment, the new series will be filmed on location at events and destinations tied to Netflix's biggest programming.
Each episode will run approximately 30 minutes and feature conversations tied to major Netflix tentpole streams and releases, including live sporting events and launches for the streamer's films and television series.
The series is set to debut on July 13 following Netflix's live broadcast of Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby. The premiere episode will feature Will Ferrell, Fortune Feimster, and Jimmy Tatro, who will be promoting their upcoming golf comedy series The Hawk.
In a statement, Evans expressed excitment over changing things up in late-night television while staying true to what made him an internet star. "As a student of the late-night genre, I'm obsessed with the art of the interview and believe that these conversations warrant a level of scale and spectacle that sometimes can't be contained by a studio," Evans said. "It's exciting to partner with Netflix to continue to break new ground with the format, while keeping the core of what fans love about Hot Ones firmly intact."
The new series serves as another example of how Netflix wants to join the late-night genre but offer fans something unique. Rather than replicating the nightly talk show model used by broadcast networks, Netflix has largely opted for variations on the format that give hosts more flexibility while allowing episodes to be even more promotional.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman brought the legendary late-night host back to interviewing through long-form conversations with major cultural figures. The service has also found success with Dinner Time Live with David Chang, a hybrid cooking and talk show series that blends celebrity interviews with live culinary demonstrations. Then there's Everybody's Live with John Mulaney, which may be the closest thing to Late Night with Conan O'Brien that's been on the air, but with a live twist.
Hot Ones: Extra Heat appears poised to continue that trend. Its value as a promotional tool for Netflix won't be subtle as Evans will likely appear at roasts, fights, and film premieres for content coming to the streaming service. But at least Netflix is serving late-night fans something new with just enough familiarity to get them on board early.
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