Larry King is bringing his act to Hulu.
His previously announced nightly series, Larry King Now, will air on Hulu and Hulu Plus care of a multiyear licensing and distribution deal inked by digital network Ora.TV, which will run the series as well. The half-hour talk show, King’s first since his long-running CNN series wrapped in 2010, will become available in the early evening, Monday through Thursday.
PHOTOS: The Most Talked-About News Faces
In its premiere week, Now will welcome guests Seth MacFarlane, Matthew McConaughey and Meghan McCain. Going forward, King intends to line his series with a mix of celebrities, politicians and global leaders, much as he did on Larry King Live, which was replaced by Piers Morgan Tonight in January 2011. (Earlier this year, King, who had agreed to host four specials per year for CNN, officially parted ways with the news network.)
“I have always been driven to innovate, from my time on radio, to the first call-in show on national television, to being an early adopter of online columns and Twitter,” says King, whose show is expected to integrate content and social media into his program. “I am thrilled about our partnership with Hulu. I love being able to interact directly with audiences, and digital TV allows me to do this in new and powerful ways.”
Added Hulu senior vp content Andy Forssell: “Larry King Now is Larry King doing what he does best: talking with top newsmakers, world leaders and entertainers and exploring issues and current events as no other interviewer can. We’re excited for our partnership with Ora TV and thrilled to bring fans a daily dose of fascinating interviews from a man whose characteristic charm and distinctive style has impacted pop culture so greatly.”
Q&A: How Hulu’s Andy Foresell Will Spend $500 Million; Why ‘Community’ Trumps ‘Two and a Half Men’
Now is the first of several Ora.TV efforts expected to launch on Hulu, a result of the partnership the 5-year-old video service has struck with the digital venture backed by billionaire investor Carlos Slim Helú. There will be traditional TV formats as well as alternative formats of varying lengths for multiple platforms.
News of the pact comes as Hulu continues to bulk up its originals in an attempt to cut through the clutter in an increasingly crowded digital landscape. Among the series the service has introduced: Richard Linklater‘s Up to Speed with tour guide Timothy “Speed” Levitch, a Morgan Spurlock docuseries entitled A Day in the Life and a political campaign dramedy called Battleground.
Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose
