The landscape of political satire has become one of the most densely populated genres in modern television. As a result of this fact, one of the underserved late night shows came in the form of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, which aired for two seasons on Comedy Central before getting cancelled three months ago. Although that show may have ended, it seems that its host has moved on to bigger and better things. If you consider yourself a fan of Wilmore's particular brand of comedy, then you're in luck; the comedian just signed a deal that will bring him to ABC in a major way.
According to a new report from THR, Larry Wilmore has signed a multiyear contract with ABC. The specifics of the deal indicate that Wilmore will work with the network to develop his own content, as well as help recruit and acquire up-and-coming talent for other projects, as well. Considering the fact that Larry Wilmore has credits on popular scripted series like Black-ish, The Bernie Mac Show, and The P.J.'s, this seems like a deal that will most certainly be mutually beneficial. The guy knows his stuff.
This deal will actually bring Larry Wilmore back to ABC after a brief departure. Prior to taking over as host of The Nightly Show on Comedy Central, Wilmore had served as a major player in the development of the ABC sitcom, Black-ish. He eventually left the network in order to headline The Nightly Show and fill the Comedy Central time slot vacated by Stephen Colbert, but this new ABC deal in many ways represents a homecoming of sorts for the comedian.
Larry Wilmore is one of many alumni from The Daily Show to go on to achieve other success in recent years. Like John Oliver and Samantha Bee (to name just a couple) Wilmore is a comedian who made a name for himself during the Jon Stewart years of the beloved political satire series. He became known for his regular appearances as the show's "Senior Black Correspondent," and the popularity he developed during that tenure made him the logical choice to take over The Colbert Report's slot.
Although the Comedy Central gig didn't work out, the move to ABC in many ways represents a return to form for Larry Wilmore. Although the recent years of his career have been defined by hosting roundtable political discussions on The Nightly Show, the bulk of his experience is in the realm of scripted television. It's an exciting prospect for everyone, and we have a feeling that he's definitely going to deliver the laughs.
CinemaBlend will keep you up to date with all of the latest and greatest details pertaining to Larry Wilmore's return to ABC as new information becomes available to us. For more information concerning all of the most highly anticipated midseason TV premieres, make sure to check out our midseason premiere guide!
