Kimmel
ABC latenight host Jimmy Kimmel has picked up a day job, signing on to host the net's upcoming gamer "Set for Life."
Kimmel will start shooting "Set for Life" next week. Endemol USA ("Deal or No Deal") is behind the show, which revolves around players who compete to win a monthly cash stipend that lasts as long as they live (
Daily Variety, May 2).
The money can add up to millions of dollars, and the show will feature a last-minute twist that alters how much cash the players can take home.
Endemol USA topper David Goldberg said Kimmel topped the list of ABC talent he'd hoped to snare for "Set for Life." Kimmel is no stranger to gameshows -- his first big TV break was serving as co-host of Comedy Central's "Win Ben Stein's Money."
"Jimmy's a very funny and witty entertainer and at his best in front of a live audience," Goldberg said. "I think he has that everyman quality and a genuine accessibility that should help him as he deals with ordinary people attempting to become set for life."
Goldberg said ABC at first was concerned that the hosting gig would interfere with Kimmel's current talkshow duties. But Goldberg said he has tailored the "Set for Life" shooting sked to fit Kimmel's availability.
"We showed (ABC) what a shooting schedule might look like, and they became instantly supportive," Goldberg said. "Look at the different types of TV genres, and gameshows are by far the least taxing. You don't have to shoot every day; you can bank multiple episodes on one day and adjust the schedule to fit the host's schedule."
Kimmel pointed out that another TV host has managed to juggle several jobs at once just fine.
"I tried to tell ABC that it is too difficult to do a talkshow every night and an hourlong primetime show, too," Kimmel quipped. "Unfortunately, there's a 75-year-old man named Regis who seems to have no problem with it."
Goldberg said the cross-promotion possibilities between "Set for Life" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" also made sense to ABC and Kimmel.
"We're trying with all of our gameshows to find a specific tone and voice for each one," Goldberg said. "We want them all to be different."
Endemol's growing stable of gameshow hosts include Howie Mandel ("Deal or No Deal") and Bob Saget (upcoming NBC entry "1 vs. 100").
Contact Michael Schneider at
mike.schneider@variety.com